Volume 17 of the Harvard Classics compiles famous pieces of folklore and fable. Peruse the often-repeated fables of ancient Greek slave and storyteller, Aesop. Explore the German fairy tales preserved by brothers Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm in their Household Tales, first published in 1812. You’ll also find the immensely popular fairy tales of Danish writer, Hans Christian Andersen, creator of such frequently reinterpreted stories as “The Little Mermaid,” “The Ugly Duckling,” and “The Emperor’s New Clothes.” Though not particularly fond of children, oddly enough, Andersen had a marvelous knack of entertaining them by repeating old folk tales of the type collected by the Grimms. His success in this led him to attempt inventing new ones—stories that have remained popular since their publication in the mid 1800s.
The Harvard Classics
Journey through “Dr. Eliot’s Five Foot Shelf.” This massive collection, designed to provide the elements of a liberal education, was compiled by distinguished Harvard University president Charles Eliot in the early 1900s. Packed with the essential works of the Western classical tradition, the Harvard Classics collection remains one of the most comprehensive and well-researched anthologies of all time—a must-have library for students and lovers of the classics.
