Mr. Finger learned these stories from the Indians in South America as he went from on "Silver Land" to another, far from railroads or main lines of travel.

Here are strange enchantments and ways of breaking them, giants and witches and under-sea people, fairy folk and earth people who have them for their friends; they all make fascinating tales for the older fairy tale age and grown-ups.

From the dust jacket of the 1945 edition

This Newbery Award–winning collection presents 19 rich and dramatic South American folktales. Charles J. Finger heard the tales firsthand from native storytellers, whose fables of talking animals, witches, giants, and ordinary people in supernatural settings provide remarkable insights into regional values and culture.

The first of the stories, "A Tale of Three Tails," tells of an age when the rat had a tail like a horse, the rabbit had a tail like a cat, and the deer's tail was plumed like the tail of a dog. "The Magic Dog" recounts an act of kindness to a stray animal that helps overcome a witch's curse. In "The Calabash Man," the creatures of the jungle assist a suitor in winning his bride, and in "El Enano," a greedy troll's insatiable appetite leads to his downfall. Packed with adventure and full of surprises, these and other stories, illustrated throughout by lovely woodcuts, emphasize the importance of hard work, courage, and loyalty.

From the back of the 2017 Dover edition