Puck of Pook’s Hill

Description

Published in 1906, Puck of Pook’s Hill by Rudyard Kipling is a collection of fantasy tales that take the reader to various ages in history, the only common element being that they all take place in England.

The book comes with a framework story – the tales are narrated to Dan and Una, two kids living near Burwash, by an elf called Puck or by people taken by Puck out of history. Puck has extensive knowledge of history because he calls himself the oldest Old Thing in England and being an elf, he is also a master of magic. The stories in the book range from historical accounts, such as On the Great Wall, to fantasy stories for young children, such as the one entitled Dymchurch Flit, and each of them comes framed by a short poem that relates to the story.

There are altogether ten stories in the book, the first being told by Puck himself about how pagan gods were worshipped in England. The next few stories are told by a Norman knight, who came to England with William the Conqueror in 1066, then the narration is taken up by Parnesius, a Roman soldier born in Britain. The role of the storyteller returns to Puck in the story before the last to tell the story of how fairies fled Britain during the Reformation and the last story is related by a Jewish doctor who tells the kids about persecution after the Magna Charta was signed in 1215.

The stories are compact, educative and entertaining at the same time, real Kipling masterpieces. Whether the story being told is a fairy tale or an account rooted in real events, the storytelling is always vibrant and engaging, making the book highly enjoyable not only for young readers, but for adult readers as well.
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