ABDALLAH, OR THE FOUR-LEAVED SHAMROCK ... Translated by Mary L. Booth. New York: Scribner, Welford, and Co., 1869. Small octavo, pp. [i-v] vi [vii] viii-xi [xii] [1] 2-181 [182-184: blank] + 16-page publisher's catalogue dated "March, 1869" inserted at rear, publisher's decorated flexible reddish brown cloth stamped in gold and blind, slate coated endpapers, a.e.g. First edition in English, American issue. This classic Arabian tale written by a noted French lawyer and man of letters, first published in 1867, was translated into English by Mary L. Booth and published in London by Sampson Low, Son, and Marston in 1868. This American issue has a Sampson Low catalogue (priced in British currency) dated March, 1869 inserted at rear. Laboulaye's story combines elements of folklore, adventure, and moral philosophy. The plot is driven by a quest for a mythical "four-leaved shamrock" (or clover), a symbol of finding happiness through virtue and hard work rather than just luck. His best known work of fiction is LABOULAYE'S FAIRY BOOK. FAIRY TALES OF ALL NATIONS (1867). 1870 New Year's gift inscription on the front free endpaper. Spine panel sunned, a couple of tiny spots on the rear cover, a very good copy. (#178909).
Price: $150.00
No statement of printing.