The Brownies: Their Book (Dover Children’s Classics)

Small as mice and sly as foxes, the Brownies are a jovial band of free spirits who emerge in the evenings to roam the countryside while humans sleep. They love sports and games, jolly pranks, and adventures of any kind. Their exuberance and fondness for mischief are exceeded only by their kindheartedness, and many needy souls have been helped by their unseen hands. Palmer Cox’s Brownies made their debut in an 1883 issue of St. Nicholas Magazine. The fanciful folk were inspired by Scottish folktales but reflected the sensibilities of nineteenth-century American children. This is the first and best of the Brownie books, brimming with 24 short verse tales and more than 260 of the author’s whimsical illustrations.