There are two introductory essays: "Frank R. Stockton" by Alice Dalgliesh gives a brief history of the man and his work. Ting-a-Ling was first published in 1870 and then, as Ting-a-Ling Tales, in 1882. Both books were illustrated by E.B. Bensell. "To Grown-Ups" by Mary Rogers Reid, of the New York Herald Tribune, who, along with many librarians, encouraged Charles Scribner, Jr., to republish the book for a new generation of readers.
The stories are "Ting-a-Ling," "Ting-a-Ling and the Five Magicians," "The Magical Music," and "Ting-a-ling's Visit to Tur-il-ra."
The stores are fine, but maybe not enough for me to keep the book. (I decided to keep it after all.) Ting-a-Ling is a fairy and very small. He is good friends with the giant, Tur-il-ra. There are slaves, who are mentioned in passing as part of the background. A prince, to keep anyone from entering his room, devises a trap that beheads an intruder. (Times and attitudes change.)
I kept hoping that Ting-a-ling's "beautiful little sweetheart," Ling-a-ting would somehow get better from dropping a teardrop on her head and becoming "drenched and drowned." [p. 15] After all, one of the princess' servants loses her head (see above) and it is reattached. (Albeit backwards, but fortunately everyone knows that a kiss can turn a head and so all is well.) Alas, this is the last we see her. ( )

Though Stockton is best known for The Lady or the TIger, and several of his other books are enjoyable, I personally consider this his best --I would give it 6 stars if I could. I am no doubt biased by having had it since I was a child, but even now after 50 years I find it stands up well to rereading, especially Ting-a-ling and the Five Magicians and The Magical Music. The first story, "Ting-a-ling" troubled me as a child because Ting-a-ling's
sweetheart is drowned (by the tears of a princess) and the last story, "Ting-a-ling's Visit to Tur-il-ii-ra" though it has some strong suspense, has less of the delightful working out of elaborate detail than the others. Tin-a-ling is one of the few really little fairies I know whose lifestyle is nicely worked out --his people ride on insects in carriages of flowers, and his conversation with a fairy livery stable keeper reminds me of Butterbur at the Prancing Pony. His friend and champion is the amiable giant Tur-il-i-ra, who reminds me of the friendly giants in Narnia. In The Five Magicians, the fairy and the five mages must win their way into the castle of a wicked dwarf holding a princess captive, and the magicians gain places at the dwarf's feast by each in turn producing a more wonderful gift of food, lovingly described. The Magical Music has a powerful concept -- the right to a kingdom is decided by the ability to sing a piece of music written by the last king, whose family has married into the royalty of the sea (fully humanoid, not those nasty things with fishtails as one says contemptuously) so only someone with the sea in her blood can sing --but the rightful princess I being kept from her chance by the splendidly evil witch Mahbracca, with a face like a rotten Irish potato -- who dwells in an impressively sinister cavern, guarded by afreets and the dreadful pringhorned yahbooks (which as far as I know, Stockton invented) a sort of vampire monoceros that impales its victim on its horn and drinks the blood as it trickles down...There is a great deal more vivid invention, and a lot of humorous touches.
The line drawings in Arabian style add a great deal to the stories, though they are only very mildly arabesque otherwise. ( )