Märchen-Almanach Auf Das Jahr 1827

Wilhelm Hauff's 1827 fairy tale almanac opens with a sorrowful frame: the Sheikh of Alexandria, wealthy and powerful yet haunted by the loss of his son, seeks solace in storytelling. As he gathers his slaves around him, the tales unfold within tales, each narrative a jewel of German Romantic fantasy. The collection features 'Dwarf Nose,' the story of a young apprentice whose enormous nose transforms him into a fearsome dwarf with miraculous powers, leading him through adventures both grotesque and glorious. Also included are 'Abner, the Jew Who Saw Nothing,' a tale of blindness and revelation, 'The Ape as Man,' a satirical portrait of civilization through the eyes of a simian prince, and 'The Story of Almansor,' a haunting Oriental romance. Written at the height of the Romantic era, these stories carry the darkness and wit that distinguish Hauff from the Brothers Grimm: more playful, more ironic, yet equally aware that fairy tales are never merely for children. For readers who crave the magical and the strange, this almanac offers old-world enchantment with a dark romantic twist.