The art of storytelling

"Long ago, in the old days, there ruled in Sweden a king called Gilfy. King Gilfy loved his northland, even in the bitterly cold winter when, for months on end, the sun never shone and the gloomy forests and mountains were hardly illuminated by the shadowy light reflected from snow and ice. Poor people then were glad to keep close in their cabins, burning the logs they had chopped in the autumn to see them through, while the famished wolves flitted between the trees like ghosts and frequently snuffled up to the barred and bolted doors."

This was taken from this book, text of Brian Branston (this one?), drawing of Giovanni Caselli. When I said on this post that the story are nicely told, that was an understatement. This is setting the place and atmosphere so beautifully, it is crafted storytelling. To the northerner I am, it has the charm of the familiar beauty. I needed to share it, especially since it is a rare book now.