Folklore and Fable

Author names not noted above: Aesop and Hans Christian Andersen.

Originally published between 1909 and 1917 under the name "Harvard Classics," this stupendous 51-volume set-a collection of the greatest writings from literature, philosophy, history, and mythology-was assembled by American academic CHARLES WILLIAM ELIOT (1834-1926), Harvard University's longest-serving president. Also known as "Dr. Eliot's Five Foot Shelf," it represented Eliot's belief that a basic liberal education could be gleaned by reading from an anthology of works that could fit on five feet of bookshelf.

Volume XVII features three collections of the greatest fairy tales of Western literature:

Fables, 82 of the most popular allegories and cautionary tales by Greek writer AESOP (620-560 BC), including "The Wolf and the Lamb," "The Fox and the Grapes," "The Goose with the Golden Eggs," and others

Household Tales, 42 stories by German folklorists and linguists JACOB (1785-1863) and WILHELM GRIMM (1786-1859), including "The Frog-King," "Rapunzel," "Cinderella," and others

Tales, 20 of the most beloved tales by Danish folklorist HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSEN (1805-1875), including "The Ugly Duckling," "The Emperor's New Clothes," "The Little Sea-Maid," and others