ROCK CRYSTAL
By
Written 100 years ago by an Austrian noted as a stylist, this is a gentle, graceful story of olden times and eternal powers, of an isolated mountain village and the shoemaker's children, Sanna and Conrad, who lose their way on Christmas Eve crossing the mountain range, and who -- with divine guidance -- cross the glaciers and crevasses to arrive home safely. The translation by Elizabeth Mayer and the oet, Marianne Moore, the decorative pictures by Josef Scharl, combine to match the delicacy of the tale. In spirit -- as well as format -- a Christmas gift book primarily.