307J: Children’s anthology with a very big toe

Children’s anthology, the edition I had in the 80s had a red cover, stories were all illustrated and included one about a king who couldn’t find shoes to wear because his Big toe was very long, eventually found a man that made him silk stockings with the toes done in black thread and shoes that had toes that curled up at the end so his long toe would fit. Another story was about a fairy that was sad because she couldn’t go to the fairy party (maybe a midsummer’s eve party) because her clothes were tattered. Her mice friends borrowed silk from the silk worms that they wove into a dress and dyed it blue with berries, then they found cornflowers for her to wear in her hair because her eyes were blue. Another story was about a little girl who lived in Holland and whose father was a tulip farmer. They grew every color tulip. Somehow her father created a bigger tulip bulb for her that grew into a larger tulip that was rainbow colored. There may have also been a story about an emperor and a nightingale, but I didn’t read that one as much as the other stories in the book. Thank you for your help!!

2 thoughts on “307J: Children’s anthology with a very big toe

  1. Ann

    I don’t know the book, but the story about the emperor and the nightingale is by Hans Christian Andersen, if that helps at all.

    Reply
    1. Leila

      I’ve been looking for this same book forever. Mine had a blue cover. Another story I remember is one about a Chinese girl who’s family is very poor. She goes to some sort of royal feast in her dreams and ends up with a magical spoon that can make all kinds of food when you use it to stir things. Something like that. I can’t tell you how long I’ve looked for this book. I’ve never heard or seen these stories anywhere else. I would love to get my hands on it.

      Reply

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