Here they are again, the old, old stories, the very best; dear Cinderella, wicked old Bluebeard, tiny Thumbling, beautiful Beauty and the ugly Beast, and a host of others. But the old stories, I may tell you, are always new, and always must be so, because there are new children to read them every day, and to these, of course, these old tales might have been written yesterday. But the stories in this book are new in another way. Look how they are clothed, look at their beautiful setting, the wonderful [pg 8] pictures! Have you ever seen such charming princes and lovely princesses, such dainty grace and delicate feeling? What would our grandfathers and grandmothers have said of such a book! They would have thought there was magic in the brush and pencil. Surely we are favoured in this generation when we see before us, the old, old fairy tales, which are ever new, dressed in such a beautiful and splendid fashion! " - Summary by the author