China Cup. By Felix Volkhovsky. With Illustrations. (T. Fisher Unwin.)—There
are seven beautiful little stories in this small volume—folk-tales, at least of the nature of folk-tales more than fairy-stories—and children will be delighted with them. They are written with that grace, that tender feeling for the beautiful and for the sadness of life, that distinguish Slav writers quite as much as their German brothers. They are cast in the same mould as Hans Andersen's folk-tales, but one can peruse them without losing interest or realising the likeness.
The prettiest is the one that gives the volume its title, and another pretty one is "The Sword's Mistake ; " while the most distinctly Slav in idea is "How Scarlet-Comb the Cock Defended the Right ; " but they are all lovely little stories, and almost too short. The get-up of these little volumes of "The Children's Library" is quite in harmony with the contents, and so, too, are the illustrations.
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