Lang wrote some of the stories, but he largely edited this collection. Like the Grimms, but far more honest, Lang used translations provided by his wife and other women (he thanks the women in his introduction, gives credit to original sources at the end of the tales).

It makes this collection, the first, rather interesting. By and large, the stories are mostly from the Grimms and French Salons. They include well known favorites like "Cinderella" but also lesser known ones such as "The Yellow Dwarf".

Perhaps what is refreshing or even heartening is the lack of white wash that the tales have. True, in relating the story of Perseus, Lang, who wrote the adaption, avoids the tricky question of Zeus as dad, but he does leave in the idea of Sunlight. The ending to two tales, "The Yellow Dwarf" and "The Ram" are kept intact. Was this Lang's doing or the women who worked the stories?

The only tale that feels out of place is Gulliver. In many ways, Lang has kept the original intentions far clearer than the Grimms.