Flora Annie Steel was born on 2 April 1847. Married at 20 to Henry William Steel, who was a member of the Indian civil service, she spent the next twenty-two years in India. Her husband suffered from ill health so at times she would take over some responsibilities such as inspecting schools. Her writing almost always involved some part of India and its sprawling culture. In 1889 the family moved back to Scotland where she continued to write including this delightful volume of English Fairy Tales.