The Three Toymakers

An overly long fairy tale. I wanted to love the fable of the wonderful doll who, in behaving badly, did good, but I just couldn't. As a child I would have, absolutely. But now I wanted it to be either richer or more concise and couldn't quite appreciate it for what it was.

It almost got interesting near the beginning, when we learn about the wickedly self-centered toymaker Malkin, and the appeal his 'naughty' toys have for children. "Can't I have just one bad doll, Mother? All mine are so terribly good!" But, though the author does include a mischievous child, he learns to be good. There's no nuance here.

Toymakers of the Black Forest strive to create the perfect toy and win the king's prize of a thousand gold pieces.