Kipling, Rudyard

"Teem"- A Treasure-Hunter

New York, NY: Doubleday, Doran & Company, Inc., 1938. First Edition. Hardcover. "This is the last bit of writing left by Rudyard Kipling, a story as memorable as any animal story he ever wrote. It now appears in America as a first edition in book form...As an epilogue to his writing life, (Kipling) left this magnificent story of a stunted, earnest little tyke who was an artist in the esoteric profession of unearthing the succulent truffle from the dark French soil. How he perfected his difficult art; how he paddled worshipfully in the shadow of his dog-hero, the redoubtable Marshal of Bulls, Monsieur de Brie; how he was suddenly and disconcertingly exiled to a prim and alien England; and how at long last he triumphantly fulfilled his especial destiny, is a tale magically designed for Kipling's great talent." (from front flap) The final, charming & touching story of a resourceful little dog's adventures by Rudyard Kipling (1865-1936), the canonical British author & journalist, published two years after his death. Kipling was one of the world's most popular writers for children & adults during the later 19th- earlier 20th centuries; & he remains so today despite his now frowned-upon celebration of colonialism & the old British Empire. Hardcover in un-remainder-clipped dust jacket (though each flap-corner is slightly clipped as issued), first edition as stated on copyright page. With frontispiece reproduction of a drawing of the title dog in front of his truffle-basket by Marguerite Kirmse (1885-1954), the acclaimed British-American artist; & gilt-framed detail of same on red cloth front cover. A beautiful production, & a poignant, beloved & collectible coda to the prolific legacy of Rudyard Kipling. Book in relatively exceptional very fine condition with only very slight rubbing to front, back covers & spine; very light rubbing to edges & corners of same; slightest dulling & rubbing of gilt spine lettering; very slight browning & spotting to side & lower edges of text block (the former uncut as issued); a touch of rubbing & a few tiny spots at red-dyed upper edge of same. Interior very fine with moderate browning to paste-downs & endpapers esp. nearest spine-edges; small sticker of the venerable, long-gone Hudson's Department Store Book Shop in Detroit affixed to rear paste-down near lower left corner; previous seller's price stamp near upper left corner of same (with same original price as printed on front flap); very light browning mostly at blank margins of page leaves. Unrestored dust jacket fine with mild rubbing, scratching & occasional spotting to front, back covers & spine; moderate wear & some tiny bumps, creases at thin edges & corners of same & flaps; very slight loss of paper at esp. upper & lower spine-edges & corners. Very Fine / Fine. [Item #4383]

Price: $60.00