American Fairy Tales

 American Fairy Tales is the title of a collection of twelve fantasy stories by L. Frank Baum, published in 1901 by the George M. Hill Company, the firm that issued The Wonderful Wizard of Oz the previous year. This volume contains12 Fairy Tales from the author of the Wizard of Oz series of books. Inspired by Lang and the Brothers Grimm, Baum sought to create an American type of fairy tales, avoiding the usual violence and roman often found in these sort of stories. 

L. Frank Baum was doing well in 1901, better than ever before in his life. He had written two popular books, Father Goose: His Book and The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, and was determined to capitalize on this success. In addition to American Fairy Tales, Baum's Dot and Tot of Merryland and The Master Key appeared in 1901. Publisher George M. Hill sold the serialization rights to the twelve stories in AFT to five major newspapers, the Pittsburgh Dispatch, the Boston Post, the Cincinnati Enquirer, the St. Louis Republic, and The Chicago Chronicle. The stories appeared between March 3 and May 19, 1901; the book followed in October.

No one intended to leave Martha alone that


afternoon, but it happened that everyone was called away, for one


reason or another. Mrs. McFarland was attending the weekly card party


held by the Women's Anti-Gambling League. Sister Nell's young man had


called quite unexpectedly to take her for a long drive. Papa was at


the office, as usual. It was Mary Ann's day out. As for Emeline, she


certainly should have stayed in the house and looked after the little


girl; but Emeline had a restless nature.

"Would you mind, miss, if I just crossed the


alley to speak a word to Mrs. Carleton's girl?" she asked


Martha.

"'Course not," replied the child. "You'd


better lock the back door, though, and take the key, for I shall be


upstairs."

"Oh, I'll do that, of course, miss,"


said the delighted maid, and ran away to spend the afternoon with her


friend, leaving Martha quite alone in the big house, and locked in,


into the bargain.

The little girl read a few pages in her new book,


sewed a few stitches in her embroidery and started to "play


visiting" with her four favorite dolls. Then she remembered that


in the attic was a doll's playhouse that hadn't been used for months,


so she decided she would dust it and put it in order.

Filled with this idea, the girl climbed the


winding stairs to the big room under the roof. It was well lighted by


three dormer windows and was warm and pleasant. Around the walls were


rows of boxes and trunks, piles of old carpeting, pieces of damaged


furniture, bundles of discarded clothing and other odds and ends of


more or less value. Every well-regulated house has an attic of this


sort, so I need not describe it.

The doll's house had been moved, but after a


search Martha found it away over in a corner near the big chimney.

She drew it out and noticed that behind it was a


black wooden chest which Uncle Walter had sent over from Italy years


and years ago—before Martha was born, in fact. Mamma had told her


about it one day; how there was no key to it, because Uncle Walter


wished it to remain unopened until he returned home; and how this


wandering uncle, who was a mighty hunter, had gone into Africa to


hunt elephants and had never been heard from afterwards...

- - - -