First edition. Frontispiece and six full plate illustrations. 8vo. Original orange cloth, spine and front cover lettered in black. London, Arnold, 1922.
James’ only novel; a fairy tale for children. Deep in a quiet wood the narrator finds a box containing five mysterious jars. These jars contain ointments with magical abilities, including the ability to speak to animals, and intersect with the fairy realm. Dark forces conspire to claim the jars for themselves.
From the library William Roughead with his bookplate pasted to the front free endpaper. Roughead was a writer on criminal trials and friend of M. R. James.
A near fine copy, very light wear to extremities, and offsetting to endpapers.
