The Indian Fairy Book: From the Original Legends

About this book

The Indian Fairy Book: From the Original Legends is a collection of Native American tales that have been handed down around lodge‑fires and under trees, now rendered into English by Cornelius Mathews. The editor explains that the stories were first interpreted by the late Henry R. Schoolcraft and then reshaped to sit alongside well‑known European and Eastern narratives such as the Arabian Nights, Cinderella and Little Red Riding Hood. The volume opens with “The Celestial Sisters,” a lengthy episode in which the hunter Waupee, called the White Hawk, encounters a magical basket of twelve dancing maidens, pursues them through a series of disguises, and ultimately experiences love, loss and a celestial reunion. The contents list shows thirty‑six further legends, ranging from animal exploits to spirit encounters, each illustrated with frontispiece engravings.

Written in a Victorian‑era voice, the prose blends formal diction with a romantic, almost lyrical description of mythic events. The style reflects 19th‑century ethnographic interests, presenting the tales as exotic curiosities while striving to preserve their “original” flavor. Readers who enjoy folklore presented in an antiquarian tone, particularly those fascinated by indigenous North American mythology, comparative fairy‑tale studies, or historical collections of oral tradition, will find this book a rewarding glimpse into a world of enchanted forests, celestial beings, and heroic hunters.