6 NOVEMBER 1869, Page 20

King Gab's Story-Bag, and the Wonderful Stories it Contained. By

Heraclitus Grey. (Cassell, Patter, and Galpin.)—From the first story in this book it appears that King Gab was originally a poor boy who. could do nothing practical, but that he told stories so well as to win him- self a kingdom. If the stories he told are to be gauged by those in this. volume, the art of fiction must have been at a low ebb in those days, and we are afraid that Mr. Heraclitas Grey will not earn such a reward now.. Most of the earlier stories in the book are very foolish, and their folly is. tiresome rather than diverting. But there is some improvement as we go on, and we light on one interesting story towards the end, called "The Blue Pip and the Fairy."