335M: Children’s Fable Anthology

I’m looking for a hardback collection of children’s stories/fables from the late 80's or early 90's. The illustrations for each story were very round-faced, cartoony characters, and the cover was blue. I remember there being around 10-15 stories and the ones I most clearly remember are a version of “Stone Soup”, a version of “The House with the Golden Windows”, and a story very like “The Giving Tree”.

The most unique story I remember that I can’t find anywhere online is a story of a King challenging his 3 children (two sons and one daughter) to prove who should inherit the throne. He gives them each a gold coin and sends them to buy something that will fill every room of the castle. The oldest son buys feathers and tries to spread them out but there aren’t enough. The second son hires a flute player to fill the castle with music but it can’t be heard in the tallest tower. Finally the daughter buys candles for every room and fills the castle with light and therefore wins her father’s challenge. I have been thinking about this book for so long it would be amazing if anyone could point me in the right direction!

0 thoughts on “335M: Children’s Fable Anthology

  1. Gill

    “Bedtime Stories” by Philip Hawthorn, pub 1991

    ‘This book includes stories, both new and traditional, which have been specially written for reading aloud, cover title: The Usborne book of bedtime stories.
    Originally published: London : Usborne Publishing Ltd., 1991

    The little red hen — Button nose — Nail soup — Dragon train — The princess and the pea — The squire’s bride — The king and his three children — The wind and the sun — The three wishes — The nightingale — Clever Millie — The lonely giant — The golden windows — The miller, his son and their donkey — Princess Tabatha’s new trick — Silly McAdam — The giving tree

    https://archive.org/details/bedtimestories0000hawt/page/40/mode/2up?q=%22filled+with+light%22+king+%22three+children%22+stories

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