Hauff stood on the threshold of his career as an author, in the dawning glory of his brilliant talents, when he was stricken down; yet his writings betray no sign of immaturity, and his collected works assure him a niche, high in the temple of literature. The art of investing localities with ideal characters who, in the reader’s imagination, haunt the spot forever after, was a gift Hauff shared alike with his English brothers, Scott and Dickens. On crossing the Bridge of Arts, in Paris, at night, one familiar with his works is apt to look about for the tall and graceful form of the “Beggar Girl,” with her lantern, and the plate held out so reluctantly for coins. Or, if he wander through the rugged Suabian Alps, Hauff’s “Lichtenstein” will be the guide-book he consults; and through the valleys and over the hills to the Nebelhoehle he will trace the flight of the stern Duke Ulerich, pausing maybe at the little village of Hardt to pick out if possible the piper’s home, and to look sharply at every village maid, lest the kind-hearted little “Baerbele” should pass him unawares....FROM THE BOOKS.

Reprint of the original, first published in 1882.

In introducing to American readers these charming and unique Tales, a few details may properly be given of their author's life and literary work. The record, though brief, is one of unusual interest. Wilhelm Hauff was born at Stuttgart, Germany, in 1802, and received his education at Tuebingen. He graduated from the University, in 1824, with the degree of Doctor of Philosophy; and for the following two years filled the position of tutor in a nobleman's family. It was during the leisure hours afforded by this occupation that he composed the greater part of the works upon which his fame rests. In 1826 he published his "Maerchenalmanach auf das Jahr 1826, fuer Soehne und Toechter gebildeter Staende," a translation of which is herewith tendered the American public, under the changed and abbreviated title of: "Tales of the Caravan, Inn, and Palace." In the same year, and closely following the "Fairy Tales," came "Mittheilungen aus den Memoiren des Satan," "Der Mann im Monde," a second volume of "Satan's Memoirs," and a collection of short tales. These volumes appeared in such rapid succession as to obscure for a time the brilliancy of the "Fairy Tales;" but later editions of them acquired a widespread circulation, while their popularity is so constantly on the increase as to suggest the thought that in time they may prove a formidable rival of the "Arabian Nights," in the regards of the young, the world over. The publication of "The Man in the Moon" gave Hauff a national reputation; but when his "Lichtenstein, eine romantische Sage" appeared, shortly afterward, the Wuertembergers hailed him as the coming Walter Scott of Germany. Whether he would have merited this fond and proud prediction of his countrymen, can not now be told.

"The Little Glass Man and Other Stories" invites a reader to the fair world of European myth and legends; on the pages of this book, one will encounter goblins, fairy queens, elves, and other fantastic races. They all are either mischievous or helpful and sometimes rule the humans' lives more than fate. Anyone in love with Scandinavian and Saxon legends will love this book, too.