These are wonderful retellings of obscure (for me) European folk tales that transcend the genre through the author's masterful literary virtuosity. The point of view moves from first- to third-person, and the tense shifts from past to present, including extended passages in the future subjunctive. The descriptive passages have an idiosyncratic manner that imbues them with an enchantment that is perfect for these stories which seem to exist outside of historical time. ( )