Filled with kings and peasants, saints and ogres--as well as some quite extraordinary plants and animals--these two hundred tales bring to life Italy's folklore, sometimes with earthy humor, sometimes with noble mystery, and sometimes with the playfulness of sheer nonsense.

Selected and retold by one of the country's greatest literary icons, "this collection stands with the finest folktale collections anywhere" (The New York Times Book Review).

"For readers of any age . . . A masterwork." --The Wall Street Journal

"A magic book, and a classic to boot." --Time