Book excerpt: Herein you will find 74 illustrated children’s stories from Old England. This is a collection of fairy tales, folk tales and other stories categorised into Ghosts, Goblins, Fairies, Historical and Legends, Nursery Tales, Giants, and Witchcraft. Tales include, The Haunted House, The Witch And The Toad, The Fairy Thieves, The Fairy Funeral, Jack And The Bean-Stalk, The Legend Of The Sons Of The Conqueror, The Blinded Giant, The Demon Tregeagle, The Haunted Widower, Spectre-Dogs, The Wise Fools Of Gotham, and many, many more. These tales serve to justify the title of “Merrie England”, a title which in older days was given to England, indicating the nation’s capacity for fun and humour among the English. The story of Tom Tit Tot, which opens the collection, is unequalled among all other folk-tales, for its combined sense of humour and dramatic power. So take some time out and travel back to a period before television, or even radio for that matter, when families would gather around a crackling and spitting hearth and granddad or grandma or an uncle or aunt would delight and captivate their audience with stories passed on to them from their mothers, fathers and grandparents. ======= KEYWORDS: fairy tales, folklore, myths, legends, children’s stories, children’s stories, bygone era, fairydom, fairy land, classic stories, children’s bedtime stories, fables, English Fairy Tales, English Folk Tales, enchanting, castle, fair maids, love, youth, flowers, fate, ungrateful, gold, fairies, spring, summer, illustrated, illustrations, Jack, Giant-Killer, Princess, Canterbury, Colchester, Mr. Fox, Tom Tit Tot, Jack, Bean-Stalk, Historical, Local, Saint Kenelm, Wild Edric, Lady Godiva, Sons Of The Conqueror, Becket's Parents, Fause Fable, Lord Lathom, Whittington, Cat, Pedlar, Swaffham, Lambton Worm, Bomere Pool, Giants, Wrekin, wreakin, Blinded Giant, Worcestershire, Midwife, Adventure, Cherry, Zennor, Funeral, Piskies, Cellar, Edwin, Sir Topaz, Serving, Damsels, Tulip Bed, Fisherman, Piskies, Colman Grey, King, Queen, prince, Midridge, Green Children, Banquet, Horn, Fair, Caldron, Cauld Lad, Hilton, Hylton, Thieves, Boggart, Ainsel, Rollright Stones, Goblins, Dando, Dogs, Demon Tregeagle, Parson, Clerk, Outwit, Bogie, Hunted Hare, Well, St. Ludgvan, Hedley Kow, Witchcraft, Lord, Pengerswick, Witch, Toad, Hare, Hand Of Glory, Betty Chidley, Bag, Flour, Kentsham, Bell, Ghosts, Bishop, Clergyman, Haunted House, Ghost-Laying, Roaring Bull, Bagbury, White Lady, Blenkinsopp, Haunted, Widower, Rosewarne, Lady, Lantern, Spectre, Dogs, Billy B, Drolls, Wise Fools, Gotham, Three Wishes, Miller, Professor, Examination, Stupid, Mistaken, Cries, Three Sillies, Mr. Vinegar, Lazy Jack, Tom Thumb