Natalia Belting - whose international story collections include Cat Tales and Three Apples Fell From Heaven - presents fifteen folktales from around the world in Elves and Ellefolk, each addressing the subject of the "little people." Accompanied by Gordon Laite's appealing black and white illustrations, these selections demonstrate how common this idea - that there are tiny races of people living alongside humans - truly is, while also showcasing the great diversity of traditions that exist, concerning the nature of these other beings. Included are:

The Marvelous Doors, an Italian tale which explains the creation of the famed east doors of the Baptistery of Florence, dubbed "The Gates of Paradise" by no less a figure than Michelangelo. In the story, sculptor Lorenzo di Cione Ghiberti finds himself cursed by one witch, and aided by another, incorporating a horde of Little People into his doors, allowing them to avoid death - and the terrible fate of being transformed into devils.

The Poor Herdsman and His Sons, described as an "African" tale, in which a poor man's two sons - Mkunare and Kanyanga - meet with very different results, when they approach the Wakonyingo (the Little People) to ask for aid. This tale teaches the importance of respect for elders, and the necessity of not judging matters based on first appearances. It mentions "Mount Kibo," possibly a reference to one of the cones of Kilimanjaro, leading me to believe that the tale is from the Wachagga people of Tanzania.

The Tune of Iolo Ap Hugh, a Welsh tale in which a farmer, curious about a cave believed to be the doorway into the realm of the Tylwyth Teg, investigates, and is never seen again. This tale reminded me of Ned Puw's Farewell, recorded in Augusta Baker's The Talking Tree and other Stories, which also tells of a Welsh fiddler who disappeared into a cave rumored to be inhabited by the Little People of Wales.

The Sick Boy, the Greedy Hunters, and the Dwarfs, which describes the "Little People" of a number of Native American nations - the Coeur d'Alene, Pequots, Montagnais, Penobscot, Cherokee, and Iroquois - before launching into an Onondagan tale of a sick boy cured by the Little People, and then a second, in which a group of hunters is taught a lesson by a dwarf.

The Wonderful Plow, from Germany's Island of Rügen, tells of the three types of dwarf - the White, Brown and Black - to be found on the island, before relating the tale of a farmer who traps a Black Dwarf, and demands an extraordinary plow in return for freeing him.

King Herla, the tale of an ancient Briton king who, after a visit to the Little People, returns home to find that many centuries have passed, and that Britain has been conquered by the Saxons. This story of King Herla - who is associated with the mythology of the Wild Hunt - always reminds me of Rip Van Winkle.

The Whalers and the Dwarfs, an "Eskimo" tale in which Jumps-on-One-Leg and his crew of whalers are rewarded for their rescue of a tiny canoe filled with dwarves.

The Marvelous Cow of Llyn Barfog, a second Welsh tale, in which one of the cows of the fair folk, pasturing near Llyn Barfog (the Lake of the Bearded One), becomes mixed up with a farmer's herd, bringing him great good fortune, for a time.

The Young Piper, an Irish tale in which Mike and Judy Flanagan - a Wicklow farmer and his wife - discover that their eldest son is a changeling, when they must cross running water, in order to move house.

The Dwarf and the Cook, a Turkish tale in which a kind-hearted cook, unable to refuse the entreaties of a tiny man who appears in his kitchen one day, gives away his master's food, and finds himself without a job. Luckily, the magical box given to him by the little man, in thanks for his kindness, provides him with all he needs...

The Adventures of Kuhukura and Te Kanawa, two "Polynesian" tales in which men encounter the menehune, learning to fish with nets (in the case of Kuhukura), and discovering (in the case of Te Kanawa) that these little people are benign. As the menehune are a part of Hawaiian mythology, I assume that these tales come from the Hawaiian islands, and was a little puzzled by Belting's description of them as "Polynesian." Surely she could have been more specific?

The Girl Who Didn't Know How to Spin, a Scandinavian tale in which a young woman named Christina learns to be an industrious housewife and weaver, when the nisse Tomte visits her, transforming her fingers into Tom Thumbkins, Long Daniel and Little Dick, Bill Wilkins, and Bessy Bobtail - all eager to work.

The Widow and the Korrigans, a tale from Brittany, in which a poor widow, with seven children to feed, is aided by the local korrigans, or little people.

The Magic Scythe, an Icelandic tale, in which a young farmhand, wandering the land in search of work, is rewarded for his kindness to a stray dog by one of the Hid-folk, and given a magical scythe, bringing him great good fortune.

And finally, The Rose of Midwinter, a second Italian tale, in which a man outwits a goblin, freeing a ghost and winning a treasure. ( )