There was no Italian equivalent to the Brothers Grimm until Italo Calvino collected these folktales from his homeland which transport the reader into a world of adventurers, tricksters, kings, peasants and saints. One of the main themes to emerge is that of love; love tested by absence and by sorcery, and love that unites the natural world and the supernatural. Retold in Calvino's own inspired and sensuous language, this treasure-trove of folklore is considered a classic.