Book excerpt: THIS book contains 20 Czech and Slovak folk and fairy tales translated and retold in English by Parker Fillmore, with excellent illustrations and decorations by Jan Matulka. Drawn from original Slavic sources, and chosen for their variety of subject and range of interest with tales like: The Twelve Months, Zlatovlaska The Golden-Haired, The Shepherd's Nosegay, Smolicheck, The Nickerman's Wife, Batcha And The Dragon, Vitazko The Victorious and many more. Unlike stories from the Grimm brothers, here are fairy tales conceived with all the gorgeousness of the Slavic imagination; charming little nursery tales that might be told in nurseries the world over; folk tales illustrative of the wit of a canny people; and rollicking devil tales as surprising to the Anglo-Saxon imagination as they are entertaining. They are not in any sense academic translations, but vivid renditions by a man who, besides being a student of folklore, was an accomplished story-teller in his own right. The stories are further embellished by Jan Matulka’s exquisite illustrations which capture the essence of the region’s culture. Added to this Matulka commences each story with a vignette which have a distinct Picasso-esque style to them. So, get yourself a warm drink, snuggle in to a comfy chair and sit back and enjoy folklore and tales from the Heart of Europe.