The Fairies

By Ludwig Tieck (Translated by Bruce & Marion Donehower)

Before J.R.R. Tolkien . . . before C.S. Lewis . . . there was Ludwig Tieck. The Fairies is a parable of the world’s disenchantment. Tieck’s romantic “fairy tale” is an appeal to the heart and imagination. Wake up! Remember!

“I was terrified!” said the old ferryman. “But the awful uproar did not allow me to sleep. I crept to the window and peered out toward the river. Tremendous clouds scudded angrily across the heavens, and the distant trees thrashed about. It felt as though my tiny house would quake and shake to pieces. Suddenly I saw a stream of white light that became stronger and stronger—until it became as bright as a thousand falling stars . . . "