Publisher's Synopsis
This is a collection of mock fairy stories, by J. A. Mitchell, from our spirited contemporary, Life, of New York. The people who will appreciate the wit and humor of this amusing little collection are men and women. Mr. Mitchell's humor sometimes refers to a rather hackneyed subject, as in "The Drowsy Village," which explains why "the City of Brotherly Love is dozing still," and the tale which tells why the ocean is colder at some places than at others, and which begins: "When Complacency and the East Wind were married they built a village on Massachusetts Bay and christened it the Hub of the Universe. Their descendants are countless, all possessing, in varying degrees, the characteristics of their ancestors. But of them all none inherit their peculiar qualities in richer fullness than Priggie, the heroine of this tale. She was the perfect type; the development of full flower." In "The Fairy Bishop," "Stillabel" and "The Lover" the humor is fresher. Many a lover of dogs will read with pleasure the story of "The Adventures of Two Criminals." The volume as a whole is a thoroughly amusing parody of the usual fairy tales.
--The Literary World, Vol. 22
