life works its
changes; but we are not dealing with literary judgments--rather with
the choice of childhood which fortunately lingers in memory, whatever
store of wisdom may come in later years. There is here no question of
the new or unusual. On the contrary, it is the ideas or visions handed
down for generations or centuries and set in final form that remain
with us as types of fancy or wisdom. Of these there are so many that a
selection is essential. No one book can be a complete treasure-house
of all the imagination, humor, and sentiment of the fairy tale. But it
has been possible to obtain a representative judgment for this volume
which we believe to be of peculiar worth.

This book gives us the favorite fairy tales of men and women who have
gained eminence in American life. It is a book, therefore, based upon
an original plan, which stands by itself. Any collection formed by one
person must reflect personal preferences. It must have obvious
limitations, however excellent--as in the case of Miss Mulock or
Laboulaye--the choice of the single editor may be. But to a large
extent such a collection as this represents that consensus of opinion
which invests a given work with the rank of a classic. The desire of
the publishers has been to determine the youthful preferences of those
whose opinions carry weight and to present their selections among the
wealth of fairy tales which the world cherishes from one generation
to another. Such a thing as a collection of _all_ good fairy tales
would be unthinkably cumbersome. We need guidance and selection. For
the expressions of personal choice afforded in the interests of this
book, the publishers desire to offer their grateful acknowledgments.

It has happened naturally that more than one vote has been cast for
the same story. For example, the president of Yale, in his selection
of "Jack the Giant-killer," had the companionship of the president of
Columbia and of the editor of _Harper's Magazine_, who are really
represented, therefore, by a second choice. The three stories
preferred by the chairman of the Wisconsin Free Library Commission had
all been preferred by others.

But "Cinderella" is evidently quite the equal of "Jack the
Giant-killer" in the affections of readers, and the choice of this
well-loved tale has been accompanied by some charming letters from
which it is impossible not to quote.

Thus the Hon. John Bigelow writes: "Perrault's story of Cinderella
made the