William Ellio Griffis (1843 Ä 1928) was the author of "The Firefly's Lovers," "The Unmannerly Tiger," "Brave Little Holland," and "Bonnie Scotland." Stories in this collection include The entangled mermaid, The boy who wanted more cheese, The princess with twenty petticoats, The cat and the cradle, Prince Spin Head and Miss Snow White, The boar with the golden bristles, The ice king and his wonderful grandchild, The elves and their antics, The kabouters and the bells, The woman with three hundred and sixty-six children, The oni on his travels, The legend of the wooden shoe, The curly-tailed lion, Brabo and the giant, The farm that ran away and came back, Santa Klaas and Black Pete, The goblins turned to stone, The mouldy penny, The golden helmet, When wheat worked woe, and Why the stork loves Holland.