Finn McCoul is the greatest champion in all of Ireland, but when he discovers that the brutish giant Cucullin is after him, even the great Finn gets a wee bit nervous. But with some ingenious culinary magic on the part of his clever wife, Finn manages to get out of the scrape with his dignity intact. Well, most of it! This rollicking version of a beloved Celtic legend, read by actress Catherine O'Hara, with music by Boys of the Lough, will light up your ears.

This playful tale is one of the best known of Rudyard Kipling’s Just So stories. In this one, pride and arrogance prove to be the downfall of a lazy camel.

Denzel Washington reads this larger-than-life tale about the African-American hero who was born with a hammer in his hand. Join John Henry on a scenic journey from cotton country to the wilderness, where he finds men of all colors working together to build a great railroad. In no time, John Henry becomes king of the railroad camps by driving more steel than any man alive. And, in an exciting contest that pits man against machine, he single-handedly out-performs a new-fangled steam drill.

Big as a mountain and stronger than a grizzly bear, Paul Bunyan was the greatest lumberjack ever to swagger through the North American forests. All the larger-than-life characters in Paul's supporting cast are here, including Babe the Blue Ox, eating her ton of grain a day, and Hotbiscuit Sally, with her acre-and-a-half griddle. The outrageous adventures of this quintessential American hero represent the very best in the proud tradition of American storytelling.

Crockett is the ultimate American backwoods legend. Actor Nicolas Cage narrates this lively tale, which follows the original ring-tailed roarer of the western woods through a series of outlandish adventures, including his campaign for Congress and the Battle of the Alamo, where he literally brags himself into American history.

Actress Glenn Close reads Washington Irving's eerie tale of romantic rivalry along the Hudson. The story pits the new schoolmaster Ichabod Crane against the local hero and bully, Brom Bones, for the hand of Katrina Van Tassel. This haunting drama climaxes with the appearance of one of the great, legendary ghosts of all time: the headless horseman.

Take a rollicking ride through the Wild, Wild West with the original cowboy, Pecos Bill. Raised by coyotes to brave the great frontier, Pecos rides his wild mustang Widow-Maker and invents the first rough-and-tumble cattle drive. Then he mounts a runaway cyclone like a buckin' bronco to create the Great Salt Lake.

Meg Ryan narrates this classic tale of Goldilocks and her encounter with the three bears, one of the most cherished stories in children's literature. This modern version of the original from the master storytellers, the Brothers Grimm, will captivate young listeners. And it will also serve as a helpful reminder that a little caution goes a long way in the real world.

Actress Kathleen Turner narrates this popular Grimm's fairy tale in which a king tells a young woman that she must spin a roomful of straw into gold by morning, or die. To complete this impossible task, she is forced to promise her firstborn child to a mysterious little man in return for his gold-spinning ability. Years later, he returns to claim what is his, only to find that he has underestimated the power of a mother's love.

Actress Glenn Close narrates this story, accompanied by original music by Mark Isham. The Emperor and his court in ancient China discover a little grey bird with an enchanting song. But when the Emperor is presented with a jewel-encrusted, artificial singing bird, he banishes the nightingale from his court. Years later, he realizes that the song of the real nightingale is the true treasure.

Here are two hilarious Jamaican folktales about the original story spinner himself, both read by Denzel Washington. Anansi the spider is teeny-teeny, but his boasts are as tall as tales get. In the first story, Anansi takes Tiger's challenge and outwits the prideful snake to win possession of all the stories in the jungle. In the second story, Anansi devises a scheme to appear important at his mother-in-law's funeral but gets caught in his own lies and winds up as bald as a mango.

Sassy, sassier, sassiest! That Brer Rabbit was the back-sassiest critter in 10 counties and it got so Brer Fox just couldn't bear it another second. So he stirred himself up a sticky, gooey Tar Baby and left it on a log for Brer Rabbit to run smack into.

Rudyard Kipling's story of how the elephant got its trunk has always delighted children with its playful use of language and sense of high adventure. Never has there been a more satisfying rendering of Kipling's most beloved "Just So" story, which explains what the world was like "in the beginning of years when the world was new and all..." Ages five and up. Narrated by Jack Nicholson with musical accompaniment by Bobby McFerrin.

"When a child loves you for a long, long time, not just to play with, but really loves you, then you become real." First published in 1922, Margery Williams' enchanting story about a toy rabbit is a classic of children's literature. This gentle rendition comes alive through Meryl Streep's soothing narration and George Winston's beautiful music score. Ages four and up.

Hop on board the biggest ship ever built and hold on tight for the story of Captain Stormalong, the saltiest sailor to sail the seven seas. Actor John Candy narrates the tallest fish tale any landlubber has ever heard, and your family will be hooked on this hilarious tribute to American's Golden Age of Sail. An original score by NRBQ compliments this hilarious telling. Ages four and up. Part of the award-winning Rabbit Ears series, American Heroes and Legends.

The tales of The Silmarillion are set in an age when Morgoth, the first Dark Lord, dwelt in Middle-earth, and the High Elves made war upon him for the recovery of the Silmarils, the jewels containing the pure light of Valinor. Included on the recording are several shorter works. The Ainulindalë is a myth of the Creation and in the Valaquenta the nature and powers of each of the gods is described. The Akallabêth recounts the downfall of the great island kingdom of Númenor at the end of the Second Age, and Of the Rings of Power tells of the great events at the end of the Third Age.

Combined into one volume, this is the definitive collection of Tolkien's five acclaimed modern classic 'fairie' tales in the vein of The Hobbit, read by Derek Jacobi. The five tales are written with the same skill, quality and charm that made The Hobbit a classic. Largely overlooked because of their short lengths, they are joined here in one volume which reaffirms Tolkien's place as a master storyteller for listeners young and old.

When the leader of the Silvanesti elves dies, conflict threatens to drive his sons apart. While Sithas wishes the elves to withdraw more and more from any contact with other races, Kith-Kanan and his Wildrunners forge connections and trade goods with the humans of Ergoth. As the world of Krynn watches, a new elven nation rises from the strife.

"Sir Nigel" is a historical novel by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, set in the beginning of the Hundred Years' War, spanning 1350 to 1356. It is the background to Doyle's novel, The White Company, and describes the early life of that book's hero Nigel Loring, a knight in the service of King Edward III. The character is loosely based on the historical knight Neil Loring. The tale, at its outset, traces the fortunes of the family of Loring of the Manor of Tilford in Surrey, many of whose scions had been prominent in the service of the Norman and Angevin Kings of England, against the backdrop of the Black Death.

Book 1: The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, better known and loved today as simply The Wizard of Oz, is a tale that has been cherished by readers and listeners throughout the years. This timeless story has inspired Broadway shows, cartoon series, and many films over the past few generations. I hope that this book has inspired your sense of creativity and wonder as much as it has mine.

On Wilde Island, Rosalind and her mother live their lives in exile, awaiting the time they can reclaim their rightful place on the throne. And there is reason to hope - a 600-year-old prophesy has decreed that they will do just that. But little do they know, their destinies hinge on Rosalind's amazing, shameful secret. Beneath her gold gloves, the fourth finger of her left hand is in truth a dragon's claw.

Pixar Animation Studio's 13th animated feature film, Brave, is an epic adventure set in the rugged and mysterious Highlands of Scotland. Determined to carve her own path in life, a skilled archer named Princess Merida defies a sacred age-old custom - and inadvertently unleashes a beastly curse upon the kingdom. To set things right, Merida embarks on a perilous quest and discovers the meaning of true bravery.

In this fantastically macabre tale, the separate halves of a nobleman split in two by a cannonball go on to pursue their own independent adventures. In a battle against the Turks, Viscount Medardo of Terralba is bissected lengthwise by a cannonball. One half of him returns to his feudal estate and takes up a lavishly evil life. Soon the other, virtuous half appears. The two halves become rivals for the love of the same woman, fight a bloody duel, and achieve a miraculous resolution.

Dive into George MacDonald’s journey with Princess Irene through secret mazes, epic battles, and beautiful relationships as the insightful words of Jonathan St. John illuminate the many Christian themes, motifs, and character arcs in this beloved tale.

The Knights of the Gabala were legendary protectors of the Nine Duchies - until they disappeared through a demon-haunted gateway between worlds. Manannan, the Coward Knight, held back. Now he lives in torment. Yet war is coming to the Duchies - and with it Manannan's chance for redemption. But to regain his honour and save his land, he will have to confront his deepest fear. He must ride through the gateway and seek out his lost companions in the unknown world beyond. And the secret he will learn there will tear his soul apart.

Since their first publication in 1812, Grimm's Fairy Tales have proven to be an enduring feature of Western literature. The stories have been translated into over 100 languages worldwide, and their influence has cast its spell on many film makers, as well. The stories were collected from traditional storytellers from around Germany, usually women, and the motivation to collect them grew out of the wave of romantic nationalism of the early 19th century.

In the year 793, siblings Jack and Lucy are captured by fearsome Vikings with a thirst for battle and pillaging. Taken to the court of Ivar the Boneless, Jack and Lucy are sent on a perilous journey - full of dragons and giant spiders - deep into the magical kingdom of the trolls!

Quillifer is young, serially in love, studying law, and living each day keenly aware that his beloved homeport of Ethlebight risks closure due to silting of the harbor. His concerns for the future become much more immediate when he returns from a summery assignation to find his city attacked by Aekoi pirates, leading to brigands in the streets and his family and friends in chains.

Hans Christian Andersen's fairy tales, which have been translated into more than 125 languages, have become culturally embedded in the West's collective consciousness. Readily accessible by children, they present lessons of virtue and resilience in the face of adversity that appeal to mature listeners as well. This collection of 18 tales includes "The Emperor's New Clothes", "The Princess and the Pea", and "The Snow Queen".

A quest, a war, a ring that would be grounds for calling any wedding off, a king without a kingdom, and a furry little "hero" named Frito, ready - or maybe just forced by the wizard Goodgulf - to undertake the one mission that can save Lower Middle Earth from enslavement by the evil Sorhed. Luscious Elf-maidens, a roller-skating dragon, ugly plants that can soul kiss the unwary to death-these are just some of the ingredients in the wildest, wackiest, most irreverent excursion into fantasy realms that anyone has ever dared to undertake.

Denzel Washington reads this larger-than-life tale about the African-American hero who was born with a hammer in his hand. Join John Henry on a scenic journey from cotton country to the wilderness, where he finds men of all colors working together to build a great railroad. In no time, John Henry becomes king of the railroad camps by driving more steel than any man alive. And, in an exciting contest that pits man against machine, he single-handedly out-performs a new-fangled steam drill.

Hop on board the biggest ship ever built and hold on tight for the story of Captain Stormalong, the saltiest sailor to sail the seven seas. Actor John Candy narrates the tallest fish tale any landlubber has ever heard, and your family will be hooked on this hilarious tribute to American's Golden Age of Sail. An original score by NRBQ compliments this hilarious telling. Ages four and up. Part of the award-winning Rabbit Ears series, American Heroes and Legends.

Susan Sarandon reads this Russian legend about an archer named Ivan and his inseparable companion, the Horse of Power. When Ivan brings a golden feather from the Firebird to the Tsar, he is ordered to present the entire bird or lose his life. Then he is commanded to retrieve the princess Vassilisa from the end of the earth so that the Tsar might marry her. Inevitably, the archer himself falls in love with the princess. Ivan and the Horse of Power must ultimately find a way to thwart the Tsar.

A long time ago in Denmark, a childless couple is blessed with a radiantly beautiful baby girl. She is no bigger than a thumb, so she is called Thumbelina. Snatched from her family by an ugly toad who wants to marry her, Thumbelina escapes, befriending various creatures of the forest. Ultimately, she meets the king of the flower angels, with whom she finds happiness forever.

Holly Hunter narrates this popular nursery tale, one of the most beloved children's classics of all time. The moral is that hard work has its rewards and becomes evident as the cleverest and wisest pig finally gets even with the big bad wolf. Ages four and up.

Claude, the youngest son of a miller, feels short-changed when his dearly departed father leaves him nothing more than a retired tomcat. However, when Claude decides to do away with his feline inheritance, the cat devises a clever plan to save his own skin by promising to transform his dim-witted owner into a noble prince.

Read by Bob Hoskins, with music by Eugene Friesen. Follow the inspiring adventures of a dog, cat, rooster, and donkey who prove it's never too late to start over. Well along in years already, and....

Read by actor Michael Caine with original music by Ellis Marsalis and featuring cellist Yo-Yo Ma. One day, King Midas sees a beautiful butterfly illuminated by the golden light of the afternoon sun. He is so taken with it that he wishes for the power to turn all things he touches into gold. But when a strange messenger arrives in a chariot and grants him this desire, King Midas soon comes to realize that there are some things in life more precious than gold.

Keith Carradine adopts the colorful persona of Will Rogers to tell the true story of Annie Oakley. She was an angel in buckskin on a big, spotted horse. With two six guns blazin', Annie Oakley was the star of Buffalo Bill Cody's famous Wild West show for almost 20 years. Your entire family will enjoy this spirited tale of a talented frontier woman whose sharp-shooting exploits brought her international fame. The rollicking musical score by Los Lobos provides a decidedly frontier flavor.

All the magic of a faraway time and place are captured in this enchanting tale about a young rogue and the genie who helps him win the love of the Sultan's daughter. Actor John Hurt narrates an artful interpretation of Aladdin's quest, faithful to the classic story from 1,000 and One Nights that has been entertaining audiences for thousands of years.

Actress Glenn Close reads Washington Irving's eerie tale of romantic rivalry along the Hudson. The story pits the new schoolmaster Ichabod Crane against the local hero and bully, Brom Bones, for the hand of Katrina Van Tassel. This haunting drama climaxes with the appearance of one of the great, legendary ghosts of all time: the headless horseman.

Finn McCoul is the greatest champion in all of Ireland, but when he discovers that the brutish giant Cucullin is after him, even the great Finn gets a wee bit nervous. But with some ingenious culinary magic on the part of his clever wife, Finn manages to get out of the scrape with his dignity intact. Well, most of it! This rollicking version of a beloved Celtic legend, read by actress Catherine O'Hara, with music by Boys of the Lough, will light up your ears.