Tales of old England

The book introduces readers to two collections of English fairy tales by the famous writer, poet and short story writer Rudyard Kipling (1865-1936) - "Puck of Pook's Hill" and "Rewards and Fairies". The texts of all twenty-three fairy tales are given in translation by Irina Gavrilovna Gurova. Along with "The Jungle Book" English fairy tales are the most famous works of Kipling. The edition is decorated with drawings by the talented Scottish graphic artist Harold Robert Millar (1869-1942).
We are familiar with many of Rudyard Kipling's literary heroes from childhood. It is no exaggeration to say that Mowgli, Akela the wolf, Bagheera the panther, Baloo the bear, Banderloo the monkey, Hathi the elephant, The Cat Who Walked by Himself, Rikki-Tikki-Tavi the mongoose and other of his characters have become the property of all mankind. It is no coincidence that Kipling became the first Englishman to win the Nobel Prize for Literature. He began to write early, while still in a private Devon school, where his parents gave him in the hope that this institution will be a springboard for entry Rudyard in the military academy. Officer from Kipling did not come out of Kipling, but the world found a talented writer. To the heroes of his tales the writer did not take too seriously, preferring to write novels, novels, stories, poems and travel notes. The complete collection of Kipling's works amounted to 35 volumes. However, it was the fairy tales that brought him world fame. "The Jungle Book" was written in 1894, "The Second Jungle Book" a year later, "Just So Stories" - in 1902. Slightly less well known are the "Tales of Old England," with which readers are introduced in this edition. The whole cycle of tales is united by their narrator - the elf Puck. This character Kipling borrowed from Shakespeare's comedy "A Midsummer Night's Dream". Kipling's Puck weaves together English folklore, fairy tales of this country, its history and mythology in his stories. As a result, an enchanting atmosphere of "good old England" is born. The book is decorated with illustrations by the outstanding Scottish graphic artist Harold Robert Millar. He was born in 1869 in the small village of Thornhill and received his primary education at the Wolverhampton School of Art. Then there was a study at the Birmingham School of Art (now it is the Faculty of Art and Design of the local Polytechnic Institute). Millar very soon became known in the publishing environment. He began working with many British periodicals, including the Strand and Punch magazines. He loved illustrating fairy tales and fantasy stories. In particular, Millar did drawings for an anthology of fairy tales, which included four volumes: "The Golden Book of Fairy Tales" The Silver Book of Fairy Tales, The Diamond Book of Fairy Tales and The Ruby Book of Fairy Tales. His drawings have graced the New World Book of Fairy Tales and the Howard Kennedy Book of Canadian Fairy Tales. Harold had a long and fruitful collaboration with the famous English writer and poet Edith Nesbit, who wrote more than 60 works for children. Millar also illustrated books by other British authors of his day, including Robert Lewis Stevenson and Rudyard Kipling.