This is a very special and unusual fairy tale -- special because of its presentation, famous authorship and history, and unusual because it is a tale that can be enjoyed equally by children and adults. Set in a mythical kingdom of Siam, it tells of the young Princess September and her beloved nightingale. At the urging of her jealous sisters, she cages her bird, which nearly expires from its loss of freedom. "I cannot sing unless I'm free, and if I cannot sing I die," says the nightingale, and when Princess September sets it free, she regains her bird and a lifetime of happiness. The story has a dreamlike quality and contains subtle humor, and as is typical of ancient fables, comes with a moral.

The story is illustrated by color drawings of Richard C. Jones, a talented illustrator of children's books. The large illustrations are stylized and ornate, as befits a kingdom in the mythical "far east", and small figures interspersed within the text itself add a whimsical quality. The story itself can be appreciated on multiple levels, and while children will love the story, some of the humor and cultural references will best be appreciated by adults.

The history of this story is fascinating, and deserves to be appreciated. During his 6 month expedition through southeast Asia in the early 1920s, the famous writer Somerset Maugham caught a bad case of malaria that nearly proved fatal. During his enforced seclusion in Bangkok, he wrote this story, borrowing its theme from one of Aesop's fables. The story was published in a magazine in 1922, under the title "Princess September". In 1924 Maugham was invited by sponsors of the British Empire Exhibition to transcribe the story in his own hand onto 53 pages of a tiny 1-inch high volume, as a contribution to the library of the Queen's Doll House (a famed model presented to King George V and Queen Mary). Accordingly, the story was reprinted in 1924 under the title "The Princess and the Nightingale" as part of The Queen's Doll House Library. In 1930, the story was included (as chapter xxxii) in Maugham's memoir of his far eastern travels Gentleman in the Parlour. In 1939, the story was taken up by Oxford University Press, and printed under the title "Princess September and the Nightingale, along with Richard Jones' unusual illustrations. Since that time, it has appeared in various collections of Maugham's short stories, in one case, with the title "September's Bird". Finally, in 1998, Oxford University Press reprinted the book "Princess September and the Nightingale" with its original illustrations, in the form that will be most accessible to young readers.

The 1998 Oxford Press edition includes an introduction by Jan Morris that gently explains to the reader that the "Siam" of Mr. Maugham's story was mythical, and that the author's perspective dates to a time when the far east was seen by westerners as mysterious and romantic, a place of "gilded kings and peacocks, spices, silks, marble palaces and pagodas, scented temples, legends, and fairy tales." Such is a useful perspective when all but the youngest of readers can call up actual photographs (if not webcams!) of Thailand from the internet. The 1998 edition also includes an Afterward by Maugham encyclopedist Samuel J. Rogal. The latter imparts useful information about the history of the story and the context of its invention. Unfortunately, this historical account is not always reliable. Contrary to Mr. Rogal's assertions, Maugham did not stay at the palace of the "King of Siam" where he declined to use mosquito netting (implying that the malaria was due to his own actions). As Maugham relates in his travel memoir Gentleman in the Parlour, he had been obliged to stay at the home of a local village official and was provided with no netting. What's more, Rogal describes the trip as one taken by "car, boat, and raft" -- ignoring the long, 500 mile expedition through the jungle on horseback, an expedition that entailed both discomfort and risk. Perhaps Mr. Rogal's reference to the palace of the "King of Siam" was a clumsy attempt at humor, but other discrepancies are inexplicable. The remainder of the Afterward's content is dispensible; its tone is cynical, it laboriously overanalyzes the story's meaning, and Rogal expounds on what he sees as its flaws in light of current sociopolitical perspectives and sensitivities.

In sum, "Princess September and the Nightingale" is a wonderfully enchanting tale for children, one they will enjoy and may well treasure into adulthood. The book will also be appreciated by adult readers who respect and enjoy Somerset Maugham's writing. ( )