But these four humans do not realize that the forest is filled with fairies and hobgoblins who love making mischief. When Oberon, the Fairy King, and his loyal hobgoblin servant, Puck, intervene in human affairs, the fate of these young couples is magically and hilariously transformed. Like a classic fairy tale, this retelling of William Shakespeare's most beloved comedy is perfect for older readers who will find much to treasure and for younger readers who will love hearing the story read aloud.

    Illustrated in color throughout.

    In Fairies he turns his considerable talent to capturing in breathtaking images characters from such beloved stories as Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream, the wizard Merlin and his muse the intoxicating Nimue, mermaids of the deep as well as his interpretation of fairies from Celtic and Japanese mythology.

    Carol Rose introduces the reader to the little--and not so little--folk, delightfully various and, at the same time, strikingly similar from country to country. Wherever humans have lived, the supernatural beings have dwelt alongside us. People serve to explain the unexplainable--the strange disappearance of a traveler in a dark wood, that odd thumping in the attic, the fresh cream turned sour overnight. Often they reveal the stoic humor with which human societies have faced their difficulties. But whatever their source, our guilts, fears, dreams, or imaginations, the spirits have fascinated and enchanted us through the millennia. Chosen by Library Journal as a Best Reference Source.

    His comprehensive study covers all the British Isles and the whole sweep of history from the earliest written records to the present day.

    Included in this volume is the work from Eavan Boland's five early volumes of poetry: New Territory, The War Horse, In Her Own Image, Night Feed, and The Journey.The poems from Boland's first book, New Territory, show her to be, at twenty-two, a master of formal verse reflecting Irish history and myth. This collection charts the ways in which Boland's work breaks from poetic tradition, honors it, and reinvents it. Poems like "Anorexic," "Mastectomy," and "Witching" have an intensity reminiscent of Sylvia Plath and Anne Sexton. In later poems, her subjects become more personal, sequencing Boland's life as a woman, poet, and mother. Boland writes, "I grew to understand the Irish poetic tradition only when I went into exile with it," becoming, in effect, "a displaced person / in a pastoral chaos."This collection demonstrates how Boland's mature voice developed from the poetics of inner exile into a subtle, flexible idiom uniquely her own.

    This beautiful illustrated book is the result of eight years exhaustive research into the myths, magic and healing power of trees.It has comprehensive information on all the main species of tree and written in an easy to use and accessible style by an Arch-druidess.This book contains all the practical information you need to identify each tree as it changes throughout the year and includes:comprehensive physical and descriptions and botanical informationthe legends and myths surrounding each treethe healing powers and magical properties of the individual tree

    Subjects covered include the Primordial God; the 'Master of the Beasts', the White Stag of Annwyn and the Horned God of Celtia; Cernunnos, Gwyn and Fionn, Cycles of the Midnight Hunt and the Furious Host, Wild Edric, Herne and Harlequin; Rough Musick and 'Riding the Stang', The Christmas Fool, Saturnus and the Cult of Misrule; the Masques of Old Scrat; Houtanz: the Sabbat of the Sorcerers and the Way of Night; the Red Bones of Resurrection and the symbology of the Skull and Crossbones in Witchcraft; Wudewasa - The Knowledge of the Green Man; Wild Men, Woodwoses and the Green Mystery of the Phallus, Old Pouck, Hob-Satyrs and the God of the Goatskins, Robin Goodfellow and the Pwca: the Great God Faunus - Pan; The Cult of the Buxen; The Horned Lord of Horsemen and Shepherds; The Horned God as Coal-Black Smith; Tubal Qayin, and much more....In addition to the theoretical knowledge, the reader is given a number of Traditional Rituals, corresponding to specific aspects of the Old One: 'The Rite of the Horns of Misrule', 'The Ceremony of the Red Bones', ?The Knowledge of the Green One? and 'The Fire of Qayin', making this volume an esoteric grimoire of the inner Religion of the Horned One.

    Each of the stories in this collection features different animals and each comes from a different culture. Funny, exciting and thought-provoking, Naomi Adler's retellings reflect her mastery of storytelling. Amanda Hall's beautiful and playful illustrations and borders capture the traditional motifs of each culture. The anthology combined with our new Animal Tales Audio Book CD makes a distinctive gift for animal lovers of any age.Book Details: Format: Paperback Publication Date: 9/1/2006 Pages: 80 Reading Level: Age 4 and Up

    The silent stories of our ancient land and its native peoples are given voice in reverential prose poems and radiant paintings.

    Yet as much as Scargo cherishes this living treasure, she sacrifices it in order to help her people, the Nobscussets, survive a terrible drought. Full color.

    A treasury of folklore, magic and science.

    It looks at such subjects as how the Cowslip became the symbol of joy, and how the bramble bush became known as the plant of envy. It also covers more practical uses that can be gained from flowers, such as finding a cure for insomnia or memory loss.

    The Clashing Rock.The Hard Darkness."It hangs above the grave mound.I sing, dreaming...William Buckley was transported to Australia in 1801. He escaped and lived as an Aborigine for thirty-one years. In this visionary novel, Alan Garner is true to William the Cheshire bricklayer and William the Aboriginal spiritual leader, as William is true to his fate. The result is extraordinary.

    It is also a personal record of how Roland L. Freeman's life has intertwined with the world of quiltmaking for almost sixty years--"as an African-American male; as a child who was deeply influenced by the cultural traditions and magical powers of quilts; and, for more than three decades, as a photographer and folklorist."Included are the fascinating stories of a remarkable range of individuals, old and young, women and men, including Rosa Parks, Maya Angelou, Sonia Sanchez, Alice Walker, Nikki Giovanni, Bernice Johnson Reagon, and Faith Ringgold.Organized chronologically, the book begins with Freeman's childhood years in the 1940s. "Quilts were special, even magical to me," he says. "They could heal and they could curse; they could capture history and affect the future; they could transform pain to celebration."

    Based on a Japanese folktale taken from the ancient Ima Mukashi scrolls, the story of Jojofu, who saves her master time and time again, has delighted children and dog lovers for more than a thousand years.

    Richly textured illustrations capture the parched beauty of the old Southwest.

    Includes traditional stories reflecting the cumulative wisdom of Sufi, Zen, Taoist, Buddhist, Jewish, Christian, African, and Native American cultures.Tales from ancient India. Jataka tales. The talkative turtle ; The wise master ; A flock of birds --Tales from the Panchatantra. The lion makers ; The blue jackal who showed his true colors ; The lion and the rabbit --The blind men and the elephant. Tales from China : Taoist parables. Blinded by greed ; The stolen ax / based on a tale by Lieh Tzu --The best fit / based on a tale by Han Fei --The powerful fighting cock ; Whose dream is this? ; The useless tree / based on a tale by Chuang Tzu --A farmer's horse ran off / based on a tale by Lui An. Zen stories from Japan. A monk with heavy thoughts --The wild strawberry --Empty-cup mind --A dispute in sign language --Giving the moon. Tales from ancient Greece. Aesop's fables. Antlers ; Everyone agrees to peace ; Mice in council --Tales of Mount Olympus. Baucis and Philemon ; Echo and Narcissus. Tales from the Middle East : Sufi stories of Mulla Nasrudin. The boatman --The smuggler --Feeding his clothes --Looking for the key. Tales from the Jewish tradition. Feathers (Eastern European, Hasidic) --This too shall pass (Ancient Israel, a King Solomon legend) --The wooden sword (Afghanistan). Tales from the Christian tradition. The legend of St. Genesius --Amazing grace : the story of John Newton (1725-1807) --The prodigal son : a parable from the New Testament. Tales from Africa. Fire, water, truth, and falsehood (Northeast Africa, Ethiopia) --The red and blue coat (Central Africa, Congo) --Tongue meat (East-Central Africa, Swahili) --Why wisdom is everywhere (West Africa, Ashanti). Tales from Asia and Southeast Asia. The parts of the house argue (Philippines) --The tiger's whisker (Korea) --Little Lizard's sorrow (Vietnam). Tales from Europe. The three wishes (England) --The wooden bowl (Germany) --The happy man's shirt (Italy) --The dancing lass of Anglesey (Scotland). Tales from the Americas. How war was ended (North American Arctic, Central Yup'ik Eskimo) --How the quetzal got its red breast (Central America, Maya) --Old Dog and Coyote (Mexico, Otomi) --Paca and Beetle (South America, Brazil) --Gluscabi and the magic game bag (North American eastern woodlands, Abenaki). Proverbs from around the world

    But Old Man Trouble has never reckoned with Aunt Nancy, who keeps her wits and won't let him get the better of her. Old Man Trouble doesn't grin quite as widely after Aunt Nancy finishes with him! Full color.

    Familiar stories like Demeter and Persephone are included, along with a host of international tales that will be new to most readers. Full-color illustrations throughout.

    The full story in Chinese and instructions for making traditional Chinese paper-cuts are also included.

    50 photos.

    They are not gypsies, but are indigenous Gaelic-speaking Scots, who, to this day, remain heirs of a vital and ancient culture.

    With a tiny, cluttered house, giggling children, and a snoring wife, one man can't get a good night's sleep. "If only," he thinks, "I had a big quiet house!" He throws off his covers and decides to visit the wise old woman at the edge of the village. Surely she can help him solve his problem and she does, but not without giving him some very unusual advice.The woman convinces the man to fill his house with rambling animals, none of which cure his sleeping problem. Until one day, the man takes the animals back to where they belong, and he welcomes the rhythmic sound of his wife's snoring. This ancient Yiddish folktale proves that quite often, nonsense makes the best sense of all. Susan Greenstein's bold illustrations--white pencil on black surface with watercolor - carry the reader through the warm interiors and peaceful nights of the shtetls of Eastern Europe. This story highlights the importance of perspective. Everyone has problems, however attitude can dramatically affect perception. It is the man who changes, and the world he perceives is transformed.

    Make wines, beers, cheeses and meals with old-fashioned simplicity

    A completely new and original collection, it was drawn together by the author in his travels around Ireland.

    Those art forms have been touched by the genius of African American culture and have helped this nation take its important and unique place in the pantheon of world art.Steppin' on the Blues explores not only the meaning of dance in African American life but also the ways in which music, song, and dance are interrelated in African American culture. Dance as it has emanated from the black community is a pervasive, vital, and distinctive form of expression--its movements speak eloquently of African American values and aesthetics. Beyond that it has been, finally, one of the most important means of cultural survival.Former dancer Jacqui Malone throws a fresh spotlight on the cultural history of black dance, the Africanisms that have influenced it, and the significant role that vocal harmony groups, black college and university marching bands, and black sorority and fraternity stepping teams have played in the evolution of dance in African American life. From the cakewalk to the development of jazz dance and jazz music, all Americans can take pride in the vitality, dynamism, drama, joy, and uncommon singularity with which African American dance has gifted the world.

    In this sequel to his popular and critically acclaimed Real Florida, Klinkenberg, a native of Miami and a columnist for the St. Petersburg Times, takes us to the winter preserve of the sandhill crane, in search of the rare ghost orchid and the Okeechobee gourd, which was believed to be extinct. We get to attend a conch reunion and a sponge-o-rama and to visit the last wild man of the Everglades, the Highwaymen who painted glorious Florida landscapes and sold them by the side of the road, gandy dancers and a man who stalks lightning.

    The origins and historical significance of each legend are examined and recurring motifs are traced through the ages and around the world. Over 2,500 detailed entries form the second part of this guide, providing a fascinating and comprehensive reference source to one of the most influential and misunderstood strands of social and literary history.

    Here you will find tales of the cat who saved the rooster from the clutches of the vixen, the runaway bun who wouldn't be eaten, Mr Kotsky, the fiercest animal in the forest, and many more.

    A new age look at some great rocks. Healings, Talismans, refracted light.

    Both scary and funny, The Windigo's Return is based on an Ojibwe legend which recounts the winter when the People of the North Woods began to disappear, one by one. Exquisite, earthy paintings by Greg Couch make this book as pleasing to look at as it is to read. Full color.

    In an engaging and entertaining style, she explore myths and fairy tales involving victims and heroes and encourages individuals to reach a new level of spiritual and emotional maturity.

    They'll leave before the sun comes up, and they'll never be poor again!But something keeps them from leaing, and in their Poor God they find richness they would not have found anywhere else.Ruth Well's retelling of this Japanese folktale, with Yoshi's lush illustratuons, creates a compelling book and reminds us that sometimes what we're looking for is in the most unexpected places.

    Yue, a Chinese merchant, discovers the wisdom in passing along kindness, when Bear Face, the huge hairy man Yue has befriended, saves his life.

    And readers will laugh at the antics of plain Tortoise, vain Hippo, and foolish Wildcat and Hyena.These memorable stories, perfectly paired with artist Tim Warnes's bright, endearing illustrations, are sure to be a hit at bedtime, storytime, or anytime

    This book includes witches, princes, pirates and saints with sixty-three individual tales in all, each with its own illustration. It provides an explanation of the folk narrative tradition in Wales, and contains a map showing the location of each tale. It is in bilingual format.

    Indeed, almost every ideological trend that has made itself felt among Jews since that time - from Zionism and Orthodoxy to contemporary Jewish feminism and movements within the yeshiva world - has claimed to have derived some inspiration from this vibrant movement. While this is sure testimony to its vitality and originality, it has also given rise to many misconceptions as to what hasidism is about. The monumental volume that Ada Rapoport-Albert has produced is a critical history of this intriguing movement in English. It offers a comprehensive treatment of the subject in all its aspects by what is effectively the entire present generation of scholars working in the field. With contributions ranging from the history of theology and of ideas through social and economic history to sociology, Hasidism Reappraised encompasses a complete field of contemporary scholarship in a discipline that is central to our understanding of modern Jewish history and the contemporary Jewish world.This text shows an intellectual world at an important juncture in its development. The study of hasidism was long dominated by scholars trained by Gershom Scholem, the great master of academic Jewish mysticism, but their achievements are now being questioned in a process of post-Scholem revisionism. This book captures this mood and points forward to the direction in which hasidic scholarship is likely to develop in the years to come. But the extent to which the figure of Scholem still dominates the field is clear from the introductory section of this volume: the personal correspondence of the late Joseph Weiss, one of the leading historians of hasidism, with Sara Ora Heller-Wilensky, a fellow student of Scholem's and later professor of Jewish philosophy and kabbalah. These letters, written over a period of many years, offer an insight into the complex intellectual and emotional relationships that Scholem inspired. The 28 authors who have contributed to the main body of the book are almost without exception established scholars with international reputations; those who are not are well-known in Israel for their scholarship but have previously published little in English.Their contributions are arranged thematically under seven headings: the social history of hasidism; the social functions of mystical ideals in the hasidic movement; distinctive outlooks and schools of thought within hasidism; the hasidic tale; the history of hasidic historiography; contemporary hasidism; and the present state of research on hasidism. The book also incorporates an extensive introduction that places the various articles in their intellectual context, as well as a bibliography of hasidic sources and contemporary scholarly literature.

    A new generation of readers will enjoy the adventures of Robin Hood and his companions in Sherwood Forest with medieval-style illustrations and detailed borders, all enhanced with gold.

    . . . And so begins this myth from the Taino, one of the indigenous cultures of the West Indies. Exquisitely penned by a gifted storyteller, this unique tale tells how a golden flower brought water to the world. Full color. Baby/Preschool."

    This title includes six more tales from Europe, Canada, Polynesia, Africa and the Americas. It is suitable for ages 4-8.

    A collection of Thomas Bullfinch's famous retellings of the great love stories of classical Greek mythology from Cupid and Psyche to Hero and Leander.

    The wonder of each story is gloriously captured by Stephen Fieser's striking full-color pictures. A perfect book for holiday gift giving.

    Through analysis of folklore sources, a comprehensive picture of the banshee emerges, and the functions of the belief in this remarkable creature of the folk imagination are examined. Many issues associated with attitudes toward life and death are expressed through the banshee tradition, and changes in such attitudes down through the ages are also revealed in changing beliefs about the banshee's presence and activity. This book unravels that network of beliefs, drawing on a large body of oral and written sources, including literary accounts from the Old Irish period to the present, as well as folklore accounts collected over the past sixty years. Recent fieldwork brings the study up-to-date, showing that in many instances belief in the banshee is alive today.

    The Faces of Science Fiction captured writers in their homes or workplaces. Now she has created the perfect fantasy lover's book, with more than 100 major fantasy writers, including Peter S. Beagle, Terry Brooks, Raymond E. Feist, Neil Gaiman, Terry Goodkind, Robert Jordan, Katherine Kurtz, Mercedes Lackey, Ursula K. Le Guin, Morgan Llywelyn, George R.R. Martin, Anne McCaffrey, Terry Pratchett, Melanie Rawn, Peter Straub, Margaret Weis, Tad Williams, and Jane Yolen.