Introduction / Neil Philip -- The book of fairy tales / Hans Christian Andersen -- The Christmas cuckoo / Frances Browne -- The nutcracker / E.T.A. Hoffmann -- Father Christmas and the carpenter / Alf Prøysen -- Why the sea is salt : Norwegian folktale -- The poor Count's Christmas / Frank Stockton -- Babushka and the three wise men : Russian legend -- The fir tree / Hans Christian Andersen -- Schnitzle, schnotzle, and schnootzle / Ruth Sawyer -- The best that life has to give / Howard Pyle -- The story of a cat / Mary de Morgan -- The last dream of the old oak tree / Hans Christian Andersen.