Twentieth-Century Short Story Explication, Supplement IV to the Third Edition

Tales with the flavor, sights and sounds of faraway places and long ago times reside in Walker's splendid compilation; she has woven facets of daily living into stories of mistaken identity, tricksters, wily sultans and princesses who marry poor men. Undeniably these themes appear in most folktales, but both familiar storiesa variation of ``The Twelve Dancing Princesses,'' for exampleand lesser-known tales are most welcome here: in one story, Hamal Hasan agrees to carry a baby for a woman, and ends up acquiring far more babies than he had counted on; in another, a sultan who has worked hard to become the fattest ruler in the land has to go on a diet; in a third, a man goaded into becoming a merchant by his wife sells wisdom at a high price. Vividly retold, with phrases that Walker notes are from the oral tradtion, this is a perfect volume for folktale fans seeking something fresh and different. All ages. (September)