Winds

Long ago, when the Earth was young, there were no winds at all. In that time lived a couple who, more than anything else, longed for a child. A moon spirit driving a mysterious flying dogsled took pity upon the grieving wife. He showed the woman a strange tree and told her to make a doll from the trunk of the tree. The husband and wife followed the spirit’s commands – and were rewarded when the doll turned into a bright/eyed, smiling little boy. But to their amazement, their doll/child was not content to stay at home. Instead, he traveled off on a great adventure that brought good fortune to everyone in the world. A lovely story based on a legend from the Lower Yukon section of Alaska, originally collected by Edward William Nelson and published in a 500 page report titled “Eskimo About the Bering Strait”.

Dick Whittington And His Cat

When Dick Whittington finally gets a ride from the countryside to London, he anticipates a wealthy paradise where the streets are paved with gold. He is shocked, though, to find that the city is in an even worse state than the country! Dick struggles to survive, barely living off scraps of food, until the wealthy merchant Mr. Fitzwarren offers him a job. Still lonely, Dick purchases a cat to comfort him and to kill the rodents in his bedroom. Little does anyone, particularly Dick Whittington, know that this cat will bring many more fortunes than anticipated! Margaret Hodges retells the optimistic story of Dick Whittington’s luck with beautiful acrylic paintings by Melisande Potter.