Alegria, Ricardo E. (Selected and Adapted by). The Three Wishes: A Collection of Puerto Rican Folktales. Harcourt, Brace & World, (1969). 128 pp. Hardcover in dustjacket. Light overall wear; small chip to top of jacket's front panel. A nice copy. This collection of 23 folktales reflects the mingling of the Taino Indian, Spanish, and African cultures of Puerto Rico. Translated by Elizabeth Culbert, with charming black & white illustrations by Lorenzo Homar. $17.50
Alford, Violet. Sword Dance and Drama. London: Merlin Press, 1962. First UK Edition. 222 pp. Hardcover in dustjacket. Minor wear to extremities; mild foxing along edges of text block; owner's label inside front cover. Jacket shows some wear & minor chipping along edges & to extremities, with some soiling, especially to back panel & puckering of paper along spine. A quite presentable copy overall. A study by an "international authority on folk dance and drama" of the widespread seasonal ceremony of "sword dancing," in which intricate figures are performed by dancers linked together by their swords. The author references English Mummers' plays, Gothic tribal ritual, and Dionysiac threshing floor rites in this fascinating work. Black & white plates; index; folding map. $45.00
Bettelheim, Bruno. The Uses of Enchantment: The Meaning and Importance of Fairy Tales. Knopf, 1976. 4th Printing. 328 pp. Hardcover in dustjacket. Owner name on front endpaper; otherwise book is in very good+ condition. Jacket is yellowing & lightly worn, with a few creases & short tears along edges. Interesting analysis of fairy tales as the means by which children can learn to cope with their emotions and identity. A bit too Freudian for some tastes, but undeniably thought-provoking! $11.50
Brunvand, Jan Harold. The Choking Doberman and Other "New" Urban Legends. Norton, 1984. First Printing. 240 pp. Hardcover in dustjacket. Small stain to front endpaper; jacket is price-clipped and lightly worn, with a closed tear to back panel. This copy INSCRIBED by author on the title page: "To M_____,/ A true believer / and a bit more / gullible than / the rest. " Jan H. Brunvand" $25.00
Genevoix, Maurice. Le Roman de Renard. Presses de la Cite, 1958. 285 pp. Hardcover in dustjacket. Bottom front corner of cover rather severely bumped; jacket moderately worn, with long chip at top of front panel. The adventures of the legendary Renard the Fox as told by Genevoix. Text is in French. Illustrated with black & white line drawings. $12.00
Gillespie, Angus K. and Jay Mechling. American Wildlife in Symbol and Story. University of Tennessee, 1987. First Edition. 251 pp. Hardcover in dustjacket. Both book and jacket are in fine condition. Essays by seven folklorists, each examining the symbolic significance of one animal. Included are essays on the turkey, the rattlesnake, the alligator, the armadillo, the bear, the fox, and the coyote. Key stories and images are traced through reports by explorers, scientific writing, popular accounts, and hunting lore, to current uses in film, television, fine arts, advertising, popular music lyrics, postcards, bumper stickers, and souvenirs. With black & white illustrations. $15.00
Gittins, Anne (told by). Tales from the South Pacific Islands. Stemmer House, 1977. First Edition. 89 pp. Hardcover in dustjacket. A little creasing/wrinkling to top corner of front endpaper. Jacket is price-clipped and has crease to back flap. Very good+ condition overall. Folktales collected from Fiji, Rotuma, Tonga, Samoa, the New Hebrides, and other islands, recreated by the author "who learned them first hand, among the islanders." Printed in black and brick-red, with monochrome illustrations by Frank Rocca. $13.50
Hadfield, Miles & John. The Twelve Days of Christmas. Little,Brown, c1961. First American Edition. 176 pp. Hardcover in dustjacket. Overall very good condition. The dustjacket shows some wear & a few small chips & tears. The linking of the pagan celebrations of the passing of the winter solstice with the great Christian festival of Christmas has bequeathed to us a festive season which incorporates a medley of pagan and Christian customs. This book presents a sort of "literary museum" of the traditions and observances relating to these significant days. This is a very attractive book, well illustrated in both color and black & white. $25.00
Katz, Michael Jay. Night Tales from Long Ago. Northvale, NJ: Jason Aronson, 1993. First. 23 cm, 562 pp. Near fine in near fine dustjacket. Volume III of The Night Tales trilogy. A rich collection of Jewish folklore, fact, and fantasy. $19.00
Lopez, Barry (Illustrated by Tom Pohrt). Crow and Weasel. Harper Perennial, 1883. 1st Printing of this pb edition. 79 pp. Softcover book. Little wear. Very good+ condition. SIGNED by both Lopez and Pohrt on tipped-in plate on first leaf. Nice copy of this novella-length fable, which has its origins in Native American mythology and folktale. $35.00
Matthews, Caitlin (Illustrated by Judith Christine Mills). While the Bear Sleeps: Winter Tales and Traditions. Barefoot Books, 1999. First US Printing. 8 3/4" x 10 3/4", 80 pp. Hardcover in dustjacket. Corners a bit bumped & worn; jacket a little edgeworn, with some tearing & chipping at top & bottom of spine. Close to very good condition overall. A little girl travels with a bear in her dreams and discovers winter customs and festivals of different cultures. Nice color illustrations. For younger readers. $10.00
Napaljarri, Peggy Rockman and Lee Cataldi (collected and translated by). YIMIKIRLI: Warlpiri Dreamings and Histories. Harper Collins, 1994. First Printing. 193 pp. Hardcover in dustjacket. Remainder mark to bottom edge; otherwise both jacket and book are in about fine condition. A collection of fifteen stories from the Warlpiri elders of Central Australia, rich with insight into Aboriginal spirituality. Includes eight color plates of Aboriginal art. $10.00
Wyon, Olive. The World's Christmas: Stories from Many Lands. Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1965. Reprint. 18.9 cm, 184 pp. Very good in moderately worn, chipped dustjacket. $5.00