[William Maxwell calls "The Old Man at the Railroad Crossing"] a collection of tales, but they blend some of the quality of classic fables with the form of fairy tales. They combine the traditions of Aesop and the Brothers Grimm, and are faithful to both.

The fidelity to tradition is the quality most immediately noticeable. The 29 tales, each only a few pages long, contain morals, more or less directly stated, and epigrams—along with freshly minted proverbs as well. They are written in a style so simple and direct as to suggest, elusively, deliberate archaism—there are moments when one half expects to turn a page and come upon an illustration by Howard Pyle. And the subject matter belongs, for the most part to tradition….

All this may strike some readers as slightly irritating, while others will take pleasure in the imagination with which Mr. Maxwell constructs his...