| A Book of Mermaids | |
|---|---|
| Author(s) | Ruth Manning-Sanders |
| Illustrator | Robin Jacques |
| Cover artist | Robin Jacques |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Genre(s) | Fairy tales |
| Publisher | E. P. Dutton |
| Publication date | 1968 |
| Media type | Print (hardcover) |
| Pages | 128 pp |
A Book of Mermaids is a 1968 anthology of 16 fairy tales from around the world that have been collected and retold by Ruth Manning-Sanders. It is one in a long and notable series of such anthologies by Manning-Sanders, who was perhaps the pre-eminent collector of fairy tales in the latter half of the 20th century.
This book was first published in the United Kingdom in 1967, by Methuen & Co. Ltd.
Some of tales from this book are recollected in A Choice of Magic (1971) by Manning-Sanders. And some of tales from this book are recollected in Folk and Fairy Tales (1978) by Manning-Sanders.
In the foreword, the author writes: "[I]t may surprise you to learn that though many mermaids have tails and no legs, some have legs and no tail, and some have both legs and tails. ... However, there do seem to be more mermaids with tails than without them, and there are plenty of tailed mermaids (and mermen) swimming about in these stories, which, as we should expect, come mostly from countries with a long seaboard."
Of the character of mermaids, Manning-Sanders adds: "And what are they like, these mermen and mermaids, not in looks but in character? On the whole, they are unchancy creatures, particularly the mermaids. You can't trust a mermaid even as far as you can see her."
Foreword