When a greedy oysterman captures a selkie–a seal that turns into a girl–a boy outwits him and returns her to the sea and wins her reward.
Selkie
Folktales and Fairytales
The King’s Drum
What is the king’s drum made of? He who answerss that question correctly wins the princess’s hand in marrige. Ans so, a poor young man named Beto sets off for the castle to test his luck. However, he faces a long, tough road ahead of him. And just when he manages to overcome the obstacles before him, he finds three strangers who wish to lend him their hands. Will Beto be able to answer the question correectly? And where did the three strangers come from? Everyone has a chance to be happy. That is what this touching story teaches us all.
The Monkey who was Too Clever
A clever monkey decided to make corn soup one day, and asked for corn from the rooster, the fox, the dog, and the leopard. How would he repay his debt? That’s when he used his wits.
The Problem Solver
A King and a young woman, from their first meeting, duel with riddles. The young woman, being more intelligent, end up governing the kingdom in a place of the king. The characters in this story challenge each other with riddles. It iris a type of popular story, very common on the Iberian Peninsula, transmitted to the American continent. A folktale from Argentina.
The Wise Fool
The riotous adventures and misadventures of Mulla Nasruddin introduce a new generation to one of the most-loved characters in the Muslim world. Nasruddin always has a twinkle in his eye, a sliver of wisdom in his ramblings, and a few good surprises up his sleeve!
The Horse of Seven Colors
One night, Don Isidro and his three sons heard a stampede of horses crashing through their gardens. They were shocked to see horses of every color of the rainbow. When they shot at them, the horses fled the garden, leaving the vegetables completely destroyed. Don Isidro ordered his sons to guard the crop during the night. The oldest son failed, the middle son failed, and then it was the youngest son’s turn to guard. He succeeded in capturing one of the horses, which asked him to let it go. “Then I will rescue you when you are in danger,” it said. The youngest son agreed and freed the horse.
The Crane Girl
A boy helps an injured crane, and the good deed is rewarded with the arrival of a mysterious guest who weaves beautiful silk for the family. Includes author’s note about Japanese folktales and poetry, information about red-crowned cranes, and pronunciations.
In the Land of Elves
A new edition of this beautiful picture book from Daniela Drescher, author and illustrator of In the Land of Fairies. Full-spread watercolour illustrations reveal the secret world of the elves and their animal companions.
Tales of Mushroom Folk
The mushroom folk are waking up from their winter sleep and emerging into the sunshine. Each family has its own characteristics and we get to know them well in these charming little tales.
The Singing Bones
Wicked stepmothers, traitorous brothers, cunning foxes, lonely princesses: There is no mistaking the world of the Brothers Grimm and the beloved fairy tales that have captured generations of readers. Now internationally acclaimed artist Shaun Tan shows us the beautiful, terrifying, amusing, and downright peculiar heart of these tales as never before seen.