I reread this as part of my project to audit my shelves and resell or donate some portions of my hoard and, well... this one's staying. Or if it goes, it'll be because I'll invest in a shiny Prydain boxed set. (Side note, but I really want a leatherbound omnibus for this series, and I have searched and searched but it doesn't seem to exist.)There is something just absolutely magical about the lyrical, fairy-tale esque style of Lloyd Alexander's stories. They feel like fairy tales you've always k...

It's hard to credit some of the stuff I'm seeing from fellow reviewers on this page. Maybe they don't believe Mr. Alexander when he says The Foundling and Other Tales is perfectly capable of standing on its own, but a single reading of this wee book should clue everyone in as to exactly what it is they are holding. Namely: This is a book of fables, or would-be legends; it isn't meant to answer burning questions about the population of a long-running series (although apparently it does in part fu...

This is not exactly a prequel, although it does some prequellish things. It provides us a glimpse at the beginnings or the past lives of characters who will appear in the series. The characters are portrayed with vividness and humour. One really does get the sense that the stories are based on Welsh mythology or folklore. But they are also morality tales which really drive home their lessons. Thus we learn, for example that gifts do not come without a price ("The Foundling"), we should be carefu...

“And, at the last, the book taught him that while nothing was certain, all was possible.” This is a collection of short stories that take place before the actual Chronicles of Prydain which delve a bit deeper into the origins of some of the characters and items.This one is very difficult for me to rate. I am torn between rating it based on my enjoyment or based on its quality for what it is; these short stories read very much like fables. Tone and content don't match up that well with the orig

I took a break after reading The Black Cauldron, and before diving back into the series I thought it would make sense to read this short book of really short stories. Worth reading and revisiting those characters - I doubt I have spoiled anything for books 3-5 of the Prydain series.My version was from 1982 and has all the stories. Wikipedia shares that a 1999 edition also has a map and a pronunciation guide - the latter would be a lot of Ffun :) Until then, I'll just keep expectorating while say...

The Foundling I liked this short story. It was interesting seeing Dallben as a youth, but the Book of Three aged him in his reading. Knowledge is a heavy burden even while we deeply value it. I loved that there was still hope at the end of it. The Stone This was really cute. I liked how Maurice went from complaining about his circumstance to savoring every moment. Such a nice lesson for life. The True Enchanter This story was far more romantic than the others, and it showed simply that in

I LOVE the Chronicles of Prydain. They’re an older MG fantasy series (1960’s) that won plenty of awards in their day, yet they have a lingering worth for today’s readers. The wisdom and nobility portrayed in them and the incredible craftsmanship of the story reminded me greatly of the Chronicles of Narnia. If you like one, I bet you’d like the other.Anyway, I was aware of this companion volume to the series but hadn’t taken the time to check it out until one of my blog commentators who loves thi...

Although some readers probably wish that Lloyd Alexander had written further books detailing the further adventures of King Taran and Queen Eilonwy, I think that would have ruined the bittersweet charm of the five original books of the Chronicles of Prydain. Instead, Alexander wisely chose to go back before "The Book of Three" and expand the stories of most of the secondary characters, providing a wide range of tales, full of the epic boldness, the heartfelt tragedy and the relieving humour of t...

I'm so glad I re-read this anthology! Lloyd Alexander tells each of the eight stories beautifully, and it was great to see some of my favorite characters from Prydain again. But I think this collection could be enjoyable even for people who haven't read the Chronicles of Prydain, because the stories and characters are just so wonderful! And after re-reading The Foundling I find myself wanting to re-read the Chronicles of Prydain again! The only way Lloyd Alexander could have improved this book

Quick read for an adult, but fun none-the-less. I loved the Chronicles of Prydain and this filled in some of the gaps. In the vein of Aesop's Tales or traditional fairy tales, these stories instruct you against pride, greed, and anger. A person is never too old to hear stories like that.

A collection of short tales set in Prydain, written after the Chronicles of Prydain series. They tell a little bit more about the world and some of the characters in the main series - such as where Dalben grew up, and how Fflewdur Fflam got his harp. It's a short read and they're short stories, really more little fables than anything more weighty, but if you're a fan of the series and want a bit more they're a nice addition. They probably don't mean much to anyone who hasn't read the series, how...

I love these stories. I'm so glad I had already read the first two books in the Prydain series so I knew the characters these tales are about and appreciated how they filled in missing pieces.Oh, and I'm really glad it was so short since I needed just 2 more books to hit my goal of 40 books this year! Now just one more...

This book was a real pleasure to read, a return to Lloyd Alexander's character-rich Kingdom of Prydain. I have to say, with only short stories, most of them with unfamiliar characters, you really miss Alexander's strength for creating fun and relatable characters. If you've read the original series this is definitely worth a read, but it doesn't stand alone that well, and isn't nearly as good as them either. I was happy to read it, and it brought back good memories of reading the wonderful origi...

These stories add a lot of backstory about the world of Prydain. It was interesting to learn how Fflewddur got his magical harp and how Coll rescued Hen Wen from Arawn. Like the main series, the stories are filled with wisdom, sadness, and humor. If you love the series as much as I do, you will enjoy these short story collection.

A series of short stories set in the Prydain world. Simple and sweet, these are more of a combination of the old fairy tales, and those fables with a simple moral at the end. We get a better sense of some of our favorite back characters from the series, Kaw, Dalben, even Col. each story is simple and sweet, though like the rest of the book series some of them have a little bit of that scary edge. For those who have read the rest of the books and want a little more.

This book consists of very short stories that serve to expand upon some of the history of Prydain that is only obliquely mentioned in the main series.+ stories are lyrical and written with the pleasing rhythms of classic fairy tales; feels a bit like a baby comforted by listening to its mother's heartbeat+ the stories can also be unsparing: the cost of wisdom, the haunted insanity of the mad King Rhitta+ but there is considerable lightness as well+ magic talking animals are always cool- i kinda

This is the last book about Prydain, telling some of the stories that originated from before Taran was born. Honestly, I would have avoided reading it, being happy with the conclusion, but then my mother bought it for me and I figured I'd read it. The book consists of tiny stories that averages on about ten pages each. Therefore this review will be short: I like seeing some of the characters again, and learning some of the origins of things are quite fun. "The Stone" and "The Sword" are by far m...

A re-read of a book I first read in my twenties. I enjoyed it as much this time as the first, and in between I've read these charming short stories to my children. Fantasy stories told in a folk-tale style, they are full of lovely concepts like the value of wisdom, kindness, and courage, the evils of bullying and abuse of power, but in a rich, involving, utterly non-preachy way.These are background tales to the larger Prydain series, and people who have read that series will recognize names here...

I read Lloyd Alexander’s chronicles of Prydain as a boy and love them to this day. How I failed to read this book of short stories set in the same universe is blowing my damn mind. Opening this book made me feel like I was twelve again and discovering Prydain for the first time. “These pages told not only of death, but of birth as well; how the earth turns in its own time and in its own way gives back what is given to it; how things lost may be found again; and how one day ends for another to be...

This is a book of short stories about Prydain and most of them focus on the backstory of various people and events featured in The Chronicles of Prydain. This book is very short. I was not terribly impressed with these stories. They did not seem to bring much of anything new to the table and they felt cold or impersonal. I'm a super fan of The Chronicles of Prydain but in hindsight I probably would have passed on this book.

If you read and loved the Prydain Chronicles, then you will enjoy reading this collection of short stories about some characters' beginnings. I liked Coll's story best, but he is one of my favorites in the series. I also loved this description, "Fflewddur Fflam ruled a kingdom so small he could almost stride across it between midday and high noon." There were many moments like this in the reading that just made me smile.

This is a 60 minute book of short stories to fill in the back story on most of the crew and a few on ancient Prydain lore. A little too brief for my liking. No sooner would the story start and it would be over, barely anything having been imparted. It's probably for the best that Prydain ended there.

This is only OK. I haven't read the The Black Cauldron series this is based on in years, but I remember loving it. I'll have to read it again and see if it has aged well. This book of little prequel stories hasn't. And this book would take away much of the mystery of the original series, so don't read it first.

Found this book in the bargain bin - I didn't even know it existed. Couldn't pass up this ticket back to the land of Prydain, re-visited this time in folktale-esque short-fiction form rather than fantasy epic. Most enjoyable.

It's just a bunch of undeveloped stores. Only one stood out as adding to the series.

This is a companion book to the Chronicles of Prydain; it has a few short stories related to Prydain, but it's not as interesting as the actual series itself.

Very short stories about characters from The Chronicles of Prydain, a series I'm excited to share with my children someday.

This collection of short stories by Lloyd Alexander occurs in his land of Prydain, focusing on several events that occurred before the birth of Taran the Assistant Pig-Keeper.“The Foundling” tells of how the three witches from the Marshes of Morva found Dallben when he was just a baby and adopted him, until he goes off on his own while receiving a book with wisdom as a gift, although it’s slightly unclear if it’s The Book of Three.“The Stone” tells about an elderly couple, Maibon and Mondrona, w...

I chose to read "The Foundling" by Lloyd Alexander, it is a collection of short (20 page) stories about the history of Prydain, the world in which they live. It contains some characters from the main series, such as Fflewder Fflam, a bard who has ever-breaking harpstrings. As well as Coll, the mentor for the main character from the original main series. It also introduces some new characters. The plots can be bent around to teach several underlying morals such as gratitude, humility, and how you...

I dearly wish I'd read Lloyd Alexander's "Prydian Chronicles" when I was a child -- they're a wonderfully written fantasy series that deserves to be recognized every bit as much as Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, and the Chronicles of Narnia. When I finished the series I was left with mixed, bittersweet feelings -- I was happy to see the characters get a proper send-off, yet sad to see the series come to a close. So reading "The Foundling" was a treat, allowing me to revisit a familiar world an...