Gold! For as long as the castle had stood, alchemists had struggled to make gold from the simple elements of the earth. And for as long as the castle stood they had failed. Then comes the greedy, ambitious Spinifex, who promises the king riches and glory beyond his wildest dreams. Arthur, the alchemist's young apprentice, cannot see the point - after all gold cannot make you happy, heal the sick, or make people love you - and he watches in amazement as the experiments grow more elaborate and fantastic. As time ticks on Spinifex becomes a man obsessed, plundering the country for more gold to aid his experiments, even tearing the rings from people's fingers. Then, as the Millennium approaches, Spinifex constructs his last great experiment - a monstrous machine stretching up from the cellar through the castle to the roof. But the great gold-making machine only suceeds in destroying its creator, leaving just one tiny nugget of gold. However, gold of another kind floods the castle - glorious sunlight rains down on the kingdom, dispelling darkness and gloom forever. As for Arthur, he takes the tiny nugget and fashions a sunflower pendant for the king. One day the king loses it while out swimming, but he doesn't even notice, it is forgotten.

    Imagine your child hanging on your every word and captivating them every night with an easy to tell bedtime story. Spend quality time with your kids and make memories they will never forget. About The Lost Princess in Winter's Grip Annabeth lives a normal life as a happy girl in a small town. Then one day her life is turned upside down by a Royal pronouncement that she is in fact a Princess! With evil nipping at her heals, Annabeth and Prince Ryan must battle Stone Monsters, Bandits, and the dreaded Ice Witches in order to reclaim her title and dispense True Justice throughout the land. Look for Other Titles in the Tell Me A Story Series: The Tales of Big and Little - Doom of the Three Stones Sean Ryanis & The Impossible Chase The Superhero Chronicles: Birth of Moonlight OR Buy All Four First Stories for One Low Price!

    Disgruntled at not being invited to the princess's christening, the wicked fairy casts a spell that dooms the princess to sleep for a hundred years.

    "An original nonsense tale told with...spirit and gusto." -- The Horn Book

    Arlene Mosel and Blair Lent's classic re-creation of an ancient Chinese folktale has hooked legions of children, teachers, and parents, who return, generation after generation, to learn about the danger of having such an honorable name as Tikki tikki tembo-no sa rembo-chari bari ruchi-pip peri pembo.

    In this first adventure Pookie is sad because he has two flimsy little wings which make him different from all the other rabbits. He decides to set out to find his fortune but he has many cold, lonely days ahead of him before he eventually finds the love that he has always been looking for.

    Explore the many ways these women built, enriched, and saved the wizarding world, and get inspired by their stories in this compelling handbook--a must-have for fans!

    A cumulative rhyme relating how Ki-pat brought rain to the drought-stricken Kapiti Plain. Verna Aardema has brought the original story closer to the English nursery rhyme by putting in a cumulative refrain and giving the tale the rhythm of “The House That Jack Built.”

    Introduced by Grimm Tales author Philip Pullman and leading fairy tale scholar Jack Zipes, The Singing Bones breathes new life into some of the world's most beloved fairy tales.

    The tale of how a father with his magic wand and a boy with his music triumph over the giant Abiyoyo is based on a South African lullaby and folk story.

    But the wild creature pines for his mate. When Yasuko, the kitchen maid, releases the bird against her lord's command, she and the one-eyed servant, Shozo, are sentenced to death. The grateful bird intends to return their kindness, but can he outsmart the cruel lord?Winner of the Boston Globe/Horn Book Award for Illustration, and a New York Times Best Illustrated Children's Book of the Year.

    To find the answer to their question, the Super Readers fly into the classic story Twas the Night Before Christmas?. While in the story, the Super Readers meet Santa and discover that he visits all the children because it makes both him and them happy.

    Quick-witted Cuy fools Tio Antonio not once, but three times. Combining striking wood block artwork with an authentic South American voice, this sly trickster tale shows that clever thinking is key when you're out-foxing the fox. Discover more about this title and Barbara Knutson at www.barbaraknutson.net.

    Unavailable for years, it is back with fabulous new illustrations by Barbara Upton, perfect for our time. Its vibrant, rhythmic read-aloud text-sprinkled with dialect-tells the story of Little Girl, who is forbidden to enter the jungle for fear of meeting the Gunniwolf. But when she does, this version's Gunniwolf seems almost playful-if just a little scary. But Little Girl learns her lesson, and a new generation of listeners will be rapt with delight at this "guten sweeten" book. Illustrated by Barbara Upton.

    The golem's task was to vanquish those who persecuted the Jews of Prague, and he performed it almost too well. Retold from traditional sources and accompanied by masterly cutpaper illustrations, Golem is a dramatic tale of supernatural forces invoked to save an oppressed people. It offers a thought-provoking look at the consequences of unleashing power beyond human control.Winner of the 1997 Caldecott Medal.