Once upon a time a king had an extreme passion for silkworms..." So begins one story in this unusual collection. Here you may also find a farm girl cursed by becoming a queen, a prince blessed with having his every wish denied, a princess turned into a monkey at birth, three sisters who disguise themselves as knights to seek their fortunes, a princess cursed to bring death to her brothers, and a princess only able to marry the man who can step on her cat's tail!This collection of European fairy tales includes many lesser known stories such as the original "Goody Two Shoes" and "The Beneficent Frog". Some well known stories have extended versions, such as how Goldilocks fared after leaving the house of the Three Bears and eventually learned that stealing is wrong. (Summary by Beth Thomas)