The Shoemaker's Apron: A Second Book of Czechoslovak Fairy Tales and Folk Tales

"No matter," St. Peter said. "As I told you before heaven is no place for you."

The little shoemaker, tired and dejected, went back to hell but again the devils, when they saw him coming, locked every gate and kept him out.

In desperation the little shoemaker returned to heaven and pounded loudly on the golden gate. Thinking from the noise that some very important saint had arrived, St. Peter flung open the gate. Quick as a flash the little shoemaker threw his leather apron inside, then hopped in himself under St. Peter's elbow and squatted down on the apron.

In great excitement St. Peter tried to turn him out of heaven, but the little shoemaker shouted:

"You can't touch me! You can't touch me! I'm sitting on my own property! Let me alone!"

He raised such a hubbub that all the angels and the blessed saints came running to see what was happening. Presently Lord Jesus himself came and the little shoemaker explained to him how he just had to stay in heaven as the devils wouldn't let him into hell.

"Now, Master," St. Peter said, "what am I to do? You know yourself we can't keep this fellow in heaven."

But Lord Jesus, looking with pity on the poor little shoemaker, said to St. Peter:

"Just let him stay where he is. He won't bother any one sitting here near the gate."

STORIES TO TELL

IT'S PERFECTLY TRUE AND OTHER STORIES. By Hans Christian Andersen. A new translation made from the Danish by Paul Leyssac.

THE TREASURE OF LI-PO. By Alice Ritchie. Six original fairy tales of old China told with quiet beauty and real distinction.

A BAKER'S DOZEN. Selected by Mary Gould Davis. Thirteen stories which are especially successful in story-telling.

13 DANISH TALES. By Mary C. Hatch. Robust, humorous folk tales retold from J. C. Bay's famous translation.

MORE DANISH TALES. By Mary C. Hatch. Fifteen lively and amusing traditional stories.

CZECHOSLOVAK FAIRY TALES. By Parker Fillmore.

THE WHITE RING. By Enys Tregarthen. Edited by Elizabeth Yates. This fairy tale from Cornwall may well turn out to be a classic … enhanced by enchanting illustrations." —New York Times.

THE LAUGHING PRINCE. By Parker Fillmore. Jugoslav stories.

THE DANCING KETTLE, AND OTHER JAPANESE FOLK TALES. By Yoshiko Uchida. A delightful collection of Japanese folk tales.

TWENTY-FOUR UNUSUAL STORIES. By Anna Cogswell Tyler. Mystery tales, legends, and folklore.

ROOTABAGA STORIES. By Carl Sandburg. An omnibus volume including all the stories originally published in the two books Rootabaga Stories and Rootabaga Pigeons.