13 FEBRUARY 1932, Page 26

THE HOUND OF FLORENCE. By Felix Salten. (Heine- mann. 78.

6d.)—Modern fairy tales are more sophisti- cated, but they employ the same gods from the machine. Mr. Salten's hero, a or Viennese art student, would be content to be the Archduke's dog every other day if only he could go to Florence with him. - His hand lies on a magic ring embedded in the window-sill at the time of wishing—and it is even so. One day he is a pupil of a Florentine master-painter, the next day he is the Archduke's dog. Mr. Salten gets slightly mixed.between fairyism and realism, but one can forgive him much for the ingenious conception of his main idea.