The Young King and Other Stories by Oscar Wilde is a collection of seven short stories. In The Young King, a prince has recurring dreams about his future as King. He follows the warnings in his dreams and thereby escapes a terrible fate.
The Fisherman and His Soul is a story about a fisherman who falls hopelessly in love with a beautiful mermaid who asks him to sell his soul. The story traces the fisherman's encounter with an evil witch who teaches him how to separate his soul from his body. It also explores the journey of his soul as it goes on a quest in search for belonging.
The Selfish Giant tells us about the redeeming power of love. The giant is punished by a long Winter for his selfishness in not allowing children to play in his garden. And Spring comes only after the children visit his garden.
The collection of short stories explores the relationship between the natural and supernatural through the portrayal of humans, mermaids, witches and giants. It lends itself to an interpretation of Carl Gustav Jung's theory of parapsychology and dream and reality through the presentation of dreams that foretell the future.