Christmas Tales Of Flanders - Andre de Ridder

“The Christmas Tales Of Flanders presented in this volume are popular fables and legends current in Flanders and Brabant, which have for centuries been told to children throughout Belgium. Their origin is doubtful, as all literature handed down by oral tradition must be. A good many of these stories are found in a different guise in the legends of other nations…. These tales occupy for the Flemish the place nursery rhymes take in England…” (Introduction) The book title may be a bit misleading as the stories, with two exceptions, do not concern themselves with Christmas. Perhaps a way to think about this is that they are good stories to tell around a roaring yule fire. - Summary by Book Introduction and David Wales