W.H. Auden’s hand-corrected typescript for his introduction to Joseph Jacob’s The Pied Piper And Other Fairy Tales (1963); with an typed letter signed by Auden to his editor.
 
11 typewritten pages, hand corrected by Auden, and titled by his editor Michael Di Capua, “Preface For The Pied Piper + Other Fairy Tales”.
 
In the first two pages of the typescript, Auden writes fondly of the appeal of fairy tales, and the way they connect those who read or listen to them to the past. Then he introduces each story in the collection in turn, beginning with The Pied Piper, then continuing with; The King O’ The Cats; Binnorie; Tom-Tit-Tot; The Strange Visitor; The Master And His Pupil; and Childe Rowland. In very good condition indeed, pages a little browned.
 
With:
A typed letter signed by Auden to his editor Michael Di Capua. Dated “Nov 30th, 1962”. In the letter Auden thanks Di Capua for his letters, the books and the galleys. He then ventures to correct Joseph Jacobs’ spelling of “widershins”, employed by Di Capua for the present edition. Auden arges that “widdershins” would be preferable, “because the average child (and parent who has not met the word before), confronted by Jacob’s spelling, is going to pronounce the first two syllables like the comparative of wide”. House in its original typed envelope, postmarked 30th November 1962.