A collection of tales taken from the oral tradition -- and reworked, lightly. This is discussed in the foreword by the translator. Doesn't provide many notes, though.
Some tales of fools and wise men, some religious, some animal tales, but mostly fairy tales. Some tales of bandits.
A couple of them are Madame d'Aulnoy's tales, put through the paring down of a folk tale. A number of interesting variations. Maria Cendron goes to Mass, not a ball, and the prince isn't even there the first time; he comes because he's heard the tales. The Man With the Bean plants it, but when he climbs it, he finds himself in "The Donkey, the Table, and the Stick", not "Jack and the Beanstalk" (not to mention that he's an old man whose twelve grown children don't help support him). There are couple of tales where the hero, dealing with royal caprices, finally decides to go back to marry a commoner woman instead of the princess.
Interesting collection
