De kleine Johannes
By Frederik van Eeden
Cover: Portrait of Frederik van Eeden, 1899 by Hendrik Johannes Haverman · Delpher, dts:127002:mpeg21:0320; via Wikimedia Commons · Public domain
Johannes, a boy who loves the dunes and the garden behind his house, is befriended by the elf Windekind, who makes him small enough to live among the insects and flowers and speak their language. His longing for the book that explains everything leads him to stranger and darker guides, in a fairy tale that becomes an allegory of growing up.
Summary written with Claude Opus 5.5.