Andrew Lang's Brown Fairy Book, illustrated by Henry Justice Ford, was first published in 1904. It was the ninth in the multicolour series.
Henry Justice Ford (1850 - 1944), best known for his collaboration with Andrew Lang on the series of twelve Coloured Fairy Books (1889-1910), had a somewhat unusual career for an illustrator. Born in London, where he spent most of his life, he attended Repton and won a scholarship to Clare College, Cambridge, from which he graduated with a first-class degree in classics. After graduation, he studied at the Slade school of Art with Alphonse Legros and the Bushey school of Art. He exhibited history paintings and landscapes at the Royal Academy between 1892 and 1903. In addition creating illustrations for the Fairy Books, he also produced many historical subjects set from the middle ages to the eighteenth-century for Lang's The Red True Story Book (1895) and other works. He also illustrated The Arabian Nights Entertainments (1895) and Pilgrim's Progress (1921).
Frontispiece
WHAT THE ROSE DID TO THE CYPRESS
BALL-CARRIER AND THE BAD ONE
Far, far in the forest there were two little huts, and in each of them lived a man who was a famous hunter, his wife, and three or four children. Now the children were forbidden to play more than a short distance from the door, as it was known that, away on the other side of the wood near the great river, there dwelt a witch who had a magic ball that she used as a means of stealing children...
HOW BALL-CARRIER FINISHED HIS TASK
THE BUNYIP
A story about a group of youths that steal the child of a Bunyip and turn the town into swans.
FATHER GRUMPLER
A fairy tale about Father Grumbler’’s hardships and the Holy Man’s attempts to help him. However, Father Grumbler does not heed the Holy Man’s directions and gets what he deserves.
THE STORY OF THE YARA
A young man and maiden were to be married. However, every night the young man bathed in the small pools in the forest and the Yara sang to him, trying to lure him from his betrothed.
THE CUNNING HARE
A litte hare has no parents and is raised by his grandmother. By great cunning, he is able to catch their dinner and also capture fire by a narrow escape from being eaten himself.
THE TURTLE AND HIS BRIDE
A turtle asks a girl to marry him, and she consents, not taking him seriously. He then tries to force her to be his, and she finally gets revenge on him.
HOW GEIRALD THE COWARD WAS PUNISHED
Rosald, the son of a poor knight, and Geirald, the son of a rich man, head on a quest commissioned by Geirald’s father. In return for taking care of Rosald’s expenses, Geirald requests that Rosald give all credit of their quest to him. Rosald agrees and his ability to keep his promise proves to change his luck.
HABOGI
Helga, the youngest, prettiest and smartest of three daughters, requests what seems to be the simplest choice for a husband and because she trusts her situation, she receives the most extravagance of the three girls.
