STEINBECK, John (1902?1968). The Red Pony. New York: The Viking Press, 1945. 4to. FIRST ILLUSTRATED EDITION. Publisher?s coarse beige cloth with a colored illustration affixed to a blue background pasted off-center on front cover, enclosed within a wide blue border, spine stamped in gilt on a blue background, all edges stained blue and trimmed, illustrated endpapers, housed in original slipcase with pictorial label (later gift inscription to ffep, small tear to front pastedown edge, few stains to slipcase; a near fine copy).