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Donegal Fairy Stories
That the Irish have a rare gift for storytelling is amply illustrated by the ten tales in this book. All favorite folk tales, they epitomize the special charm and enchantment of the Irish imagination — and are certain to delight young readers today as they have for centuries.
Seumas MacManus heard these stories as a boy in Ireland, and in retelling them, captures the distinctive flavor and feeling of old Ireland. One can almost hear the voice of the old shanachie (teller of legends) as MacManus relates the story of Shamus, who must find the "plaisham," a thing that never was; of Jack, who is helped by the "wee folk" to find the princess with hair black as a crow, skin as white as snow, and lips red as blood; of the rich Donal and his poor brother Jack; of the adventures of Ciad, son of the King of Norway; of "The Bee, the Harp, the Mouse, and the Bum-Clock" (beetle), who together make everyone and everything dance with joy.
The author's reputation as an Irish writer is well known and Donegal Fairy Stories is generally considered his best work. Frank Verbeck, one of L. Frank Baum's favorite illustrators, has created 33 full-page drawings and dozens of decorations to enhance the magic of the tales. Parents, teachers, and anyone else who is asked to "read a story" will find them a delightful change from familiar fairy tales.
Seumas MacManus heard these stories as a boy in Ireland, and in retelling them, captures the distinctive flavor and feeling of old Ireland. One can almost hear the voice of the old shanachie (teller of legends) as MacManus relates the story of Shamus, who must find the "plaisham," a thing that never was; of Jack, who is helped by the "wee folk" to find the princess with hair black as a crow, skin as white as snow, and lips red as blood; of the rich Donal and his poor brother Jack; of the adventures of Ciad, son of the King of Norway; of "The Bee, the Harp, the Mouse, and the Bum-Clock" (beetle), who together make everyone and everything dance with joy.
The author's reputation as an Irish writer is well known and Donegal Fairy Stories is generally considered his best work. Frank Verbeck, one of L. Frank Baum's favorite illustrators, has created 33 full-page drawings and dozens of decorations to enhance the magic of the tales. Parents, teachers, and anyone else who is asked to "read a story" will find them a delightful change from familiar fairy tales.
270 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1900
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About the author
Seumas MacManus
49 books15 followersSeumas MacManus was an Irish dramatist, poet, and prolific writer of popular stories, who played an important role in the rise of Irish nationalist literature.
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May 10, 2023
I remember checking this book out from the library a TON as a kid. I'm Irish and I love fairy tales, so it was clearly a match made in heaven. I remember really loving the collection, so I thought it would be fun to read it again years later and see if I felt the same as I did before.
I did. I really loved this collection. It was a lot of fun, the stories were engaging, and I had forgotten just about everything, so I got to enjoy every story as though I was reading it for the first time. An excellent set of tales and one that I hope will someday grace my shelves (instead of just the library's).
EDIT 5/10/2023: It now does grace my shelves! What a wonderful development!
I did. I really loved this collection. It was a lot of fun, the stories were engaging, and I had forgotten just about everything, so I got to enjoy every story as though I was reading it for the first time. An excellent set of tales and one that I hope will someday grace my shelves (instead of just the library's).
EDIT 5/10/2023: It now does grace my shelves! What a wonderful development!
Displaying 1 of 1 review