The Rag Doll was blessed with many friends -- the Wisk Broom, the Furnace Shovel, and the Coffee Pot among them -- but when it came time to marry, she chose the Broom Handle. On the day of their wedding, the bride and groom were attended by a fantastical procession of well-wishers: the Spoon Lickers...

The Rag Doll was blessed with many friends -- the Wisk Broom, the Furnace Shovel, and the Coffee Pot among them -- but when it came time to marry, she chose the Broom Handle. On the day of their wedding, the bride and groom were attended by a fantastical procession of well-wishers: the Spoon Lickers, the Tin Pan Bangers, the Easy Ticklers, the Musical Soup Eaters, and other whimsical characters, all marching along in a manner befitting their extraordinary names.

This tale of wedding pomp and madcap mirth comes from poet Carl Sandburg's classic book of American fairy tales, * The Rootabaga Stories.* Marvelous drawings by Harriet Pincus, a noted illustrator of children's books, enhance the tale. Out of print for years, the book is now available in a new edition that introduces the story and its gloriously antic art to a new generation of parade-lovers, wedding-goers, and everyone who enjoys a fanciful celebration.