The historian, scholar, and anthropologist, Andrew Lang, began publishing collections of fairy tales from around the globe in the late 19th century. His status as one of England's foremost folklorists and his superb literary abilities make his collections unique in the English language.

The Grey Fairy Book contains more than 30 stories from Africa, Germany, Greece, France and Lithuania. The overlap in the theme, plot and characters of narratives from across the world is remarkable.

The Grey book’s realm of enchantment includes the stories "Donkey-Skin", "The Goblin Pony", "An Impossible Enchantment", "The Partnership of the Thief and the Liar", "The Goat-Faced Girl", "Herr Lazarus and the Draken", "The Story of the Queen of the Flowery Isles", "The Story of the Three Sons of Hali", "The Story of the Fair Circassians", "The Sunchild", "Cannetella" and "A Fairy's Blunder".