Lavishly illustrated, this riveting survey of the little people of myth and legend is packed with intriguing tales about all kinds of fairy creatures, from fairy queens and brownies to lutins and mermaids to dwarves and trolls. Neil Philip has delved into the lore of northern Europe in search of stories of human encounters with fairies, from Cherry of Zennor, who unwittingly worked in a fairy household, to Thomas the Rhymer, who spent seven years in fairyland and was given the gift of prophecy. The author also includes a brief history of European fairy folklore. Accompanying these tales are sumptuous images of the fairy world by artists such as William Blake, Richard Dadd, John Anster Fitzgerald, Richard Doyle, and 19th-century children's book illustrators, supplemented with newly commissioned drawings by Jacqueline Mair. The Little People is a feast for the eye as well as the imagination.