This compilation presents seven stories by two writers who helped launch the German Romanticism movement. Translated by Thomas Carlyle, the influential tales range in mood from fantasy to satire.

Ludwig Tieck (1773-1859) is best known for his fantastic stories and novellas, which appeal more to the emotions than the intellect. He translated the works of Shakespeare and Cervantes into German, served as a literary advisor to Dresden's Court Theater, and ranked second only to Goethe as Germany's leading literary authority.Jean Paul (born Jean Paul Friedrich Richter, 1763-1825) bridged the shift in literature from the formal ideals of Weimar Classicism to the intuitive transcendentalism of early Romanticism. His works range in tone from sentimental humor to bitter satire and span a variety of genres, from fiction to treatises on education and aesthetics.