Audiobook · read by volunteers
Junior Classics Volume 1: Fairy and Wonder Tales
William Allan Neilson (1869–1946) · William Patten (1868–1936)
Read by Robin Cotter, carnright, Cori Samuel, Fox in the Stars, Denny Sayers (d. 2015), Kristin Hughes (1974-2021), Lucy Burgoyne (1950-2014), Marcy, Esther, Deborah Clark · 117 chapters · 14 h 17
About the book
Every child should meet the old tales: a mischievous trickster of Native American legend, the talking animals, the wishes granted and the wishes misused. The Junior Classics gathers such stories into a carefully chosen collection, meant for boys and girls of about six to sixteen, and this first volume is devoted to fairy and wonder tales from many lands.
The editors, William Allan Neilson and William Patten, arranged the contents so that familiar favourites sit beside less well-known treasures. Short pieces follow one another in quick succession, which makes the book ideal for dipping into. In 117 short sections and over fourteen hours, the recording offers a large and varied library of enchantment, perfect for bedtime, car journeys or any moment when you would like to hear a story well told.
Introduction
The Junior Classics was a ten-volume anthology compiled in the early twentieth century with the aim of providing a classified collection of tales, stories and poems, both ancient and modern, suitable for young readers of about six to sixteen. The set ran to about five thousand pages. This first volume, published in 1912, is given over to fairy and wonder tales, and it is the starting point for a series that moves on to other kinds of literature.
The editors named on the title are William Allan Neilson (1869–1946) and William Patten (1868–1936). Anthologies of this kind were very popular in their day, since they offered families and schools a ready-made library of good reading, and they shaped the tastes of a generation of children. The idea was that young readers should be given the best that tradition had to offer, in a form they could enjoy.
The stories in this volume come from a variety of sources and traditions, and they include classic tales that many listeners will know in other versions. Because the collection was assembled with a particular audience and period in mind, the language and attitudes sometimes reflect the early twentieth century. Listening to these tales gives a sense of how fairy stories were passed on to children at that time.
The recording consists of 117 short sections and lasts about fourteen hours. It was made by volunteers for LibriVox, who divided the stories between them, so the voices change often. That variety suits an anthology of short pieces. Why listen today? Because fairy tales remain among the most durable stories we have, and because a large collection allows for surprises. It is a fine resource for families, teachers and anyone who loves to be told a story.
Public domain
William Allan Neilson died in 1946: the work is in the public domain in Switzerland, more than 70 years after the author’s death.
William Patten died in 1936: the work is in the public domain in Switzerland, more than 70 years after the author’s death.
The LibriVox volunteers dedicated this recording to the public domain.
Sources : LibriVox page · Files at the Internet Archive · Original text