Bilderbuch: Der Kampf mit dem Drachen

Hardcover. Rope binding. . Very Good. Original fairy tale with disarming naive watercolors that thoroughly illustrate the tale. N.d., circa 1910. Oblong 8vo. 19 by 28.5 cm. 11 leaves of heavy card, each with a mounted watercolor illustration on the verso, and mounted text page, in verse surrounded by Jugenstil line decorations, on the facing rectos. The watercolors all cover every inch of their boards, and this imparts a rich lushness seldom encountered in such juvenile efforts. The narrative is about a dwarf named Pumpel who lives in a mushroom hut. Because he is bored, he decides to venture out into the world on a snail-driven cart. Hungry and thirsty, he comes upon an inn run by a landlady frog Unke. At dinner, in the company of other frogs, he hears the tale of an evil dragon who has imprisoned for years a beautiful flower fairy. It is then resolved that they will set out to fight the monster and liberate the fairy. The bees sting the monster and the frogs splash water on him until he finally retreats. The princess Pumpelione wakes up, she and Pumpel are wed, and they live happily ever after. Edges and corners have wear. The binding is in a painted style prevalent around 1920. Occasional staining on text pages.