This book contains the following story:

The Princess and Curdie
This is a story of the struggle between good and evil. Only Curdie the miner's son can defend the ailing King against the evil plotters in his castle. The ancient and mysterious Queen Princess Irene's great-great grandmother, who can change her shape at will gives him the gift of a magical handshake, so that Curdie can know the true nature of every person whose hand he grasps. The powerful magic dog Lima accompanies Curdie on his quest in which Curdie learns the meaning of courage.The full text of this book can be seen here.The text of the prequel to this story - The Princess and the Goblin - can be seen here.