Old Myths

Quiller-Couch translates four French fairy tales into English, some of which are perennial favorites, witness Disney's animated rendering of Beauty and the Beast or Jean Cocteau's critically acclaimed film version of the tale. Other fairy tales included in this compilation are Charles Perrault's The Sleeping Beauty, Bluebeard, and Cinderella.

Scary stories help children face fear and master it, by portraying the elements of conflict in clear, good-versus-evil terms with good triumphant in the end.

Rediscover the magic, mystery, and wonder of Hawaii's legendary past with Hawaiian Mythology Collection II. Immerse yourself in the ancient stories that have been passed down through generations and experience the timeless appeal of these enchanting tales.

An old favorite as you've never heard it before! Simms Tabak gives us a rollicking, ear-popping version of the well-loved poem.

In this three-story collection, you’ll find magical tales of deities among mortals from the Sky Realm, New York City, and Cosmic Planes too far to reach. Find out if Eshu, the gatekeeping trickster, can hoodwink the creation deity, Obatala, to craft him a human body. If he fails, he may never get in contact with a mortal that needs his help. Journey with Oya, the windweaving warrior, as she battles to communicate an important message to one of her divine children on Earth.

Internationally acclaimed Irish folksinger Maura O'Connell narrates seven of the brightest jewels from the Irish storytelling tradition in this magnificent, unabridged recording of Malachy Doyle's Tales from Old Ireland. With its captivating language, larger-than-life characters, dramatic landscapes, and magical happenings, this enchanting collection of favorite Irish folk tales will transport listeners to another world for many happy hours.

Arthur Ransome (1884-1967) wrote Old Peter's Russian Tales while he was in Russia during the First World War, prior to becoming a war correspondent for The Manchester Guardian. There are 22 stories in all and are told by Old Peter at the behest of his grandchildren, Ivan and Maroosia, in a cozy log cabin in the middle of the forest. These are delightful re-tellings in Ransome's own words of Russian folk tales, and include stories such as "The Little Snow Girl", "Baba Yaga", "Frost", and "Salt".

Talking-Stories is a snapshot of life in Hawaii in the 1960’s and 70’s captured in conversation with seven friends at The Watering Hole in a remote section of Kauai. Try to imagine yourself in a tropical paradise enjoying happy hour in a remote eatery consisting of two small rooms and a long lanai separated from the ocean by a three-foot stone wall. The wall was supposedly built eons earlier by the first settlers of the Hawaiian Islands, the menehunes. Several contemporary guests reported actually seeing these small Islanders still scurrying around the underbrush guarding both sides of ...

A classic fable from Rudyard Kipling's Just So Stories, read by Johnny Morris. Have you ever wondered how and why the animals came to be as they are? In these magical tales, drawn from stories he heard as a child in India as well as on folk traditions he later collected all over the world, Rudyard Kipling gives some wonderfully imaginative explanations.

When a princess' commoner true love is kidnapped to coerce her into a political marriage, she doesn't give in - she goes to rescue him. When her warrior father, King Sendoa, mysteriously dies, Princess Amarande of Ardenia is given what would hardly be considered a choice: Marry a stranger at 16 or lose control of her family's crown. But Amarande was raised to be a warrior - not a sacrifice.

Princess Riva is the second daughter of the kingdom of Faytrue. The crown's dwindling funds and her own odd, dangerous magic spells disaster when a wizard comes for her hand. Riva is taken to the wizard's tower, but she won't stay without a fight.

Geoffrey Chaucer, born around 1340, was the first great English poet. The immense popularity of the "Canterbury Tales" is shown by the number of manuscript copies still in existence. It was one of the first books printed in England. The vividness with which the author describes scenes and events and people, as if he had them before his eyes, is one of his greatest charms as a writer. Those who know him best, place him second only to Shakespeare as a writer of delightful English.

Did you know that only five percent of all your decisions are consciously made? Most decisions are made by the subconscious brain, perhaps this factually explains why humans are prone to rash judgment. Read on to discover more facts that can aid not only your structural and functional understanding of the brain but also help improve your cognitive skills.

In this Yiddish folk tale, the town half-wit isn’t sure how to tell himself apart from other bathers in the shvitz, or public bathhouse. He must come up with a solution! Will a piece of string be able to help? Or will he just cause trouble for the other bathers?

Once upon a time, there was a little old lady who was not afraid of anything! But one autumn night, while walking in the woods, the little old lady heard… CLOMP, CLOMP, SHAKE, SHAKE, CLAP, CLAP. And the little old lady who was not afraid of anything had the scare of her life!

What did Japanese mythology say about the beginning of the universe? How did Oedipus become the classic tragic hero in Greek mythology? Who brought about the origin of death in Maori mythology? With vivid retellings of famous legends, Myths and Legends makes it easier than ever before to understand the stories that are central to every culture.

Cursing Midlife Demons is the fifth book in Heloise Hull's PWF adventure series. If you like your demons hot and your rosé chilled, Adept at Fifty is the series for you. A little snarky, a little epic, and always 100% fun, Heloise Hull's books are full of heroines aging like a fine wine and finding their place after fifty.

In a narrative that combines the intensely personal with social, economic, and historical analysis, Susan Jacoby turns an unsparing eye on the marketers of longevity - pharmaceutical companies, lifestyle gurus, and scientific businessmen who suggest that there will soon be a "cure" for the "disease" of aging.

Although small enough to be an island, Sicily is also large enough to be a continent and has at least two souls: a Western and an Eastern one. These two souls of Sicily are ancient, when the island was inhabited by the Elymians and the Sikani. This ancient "rivalry" continued with Phoenicians and Greeks, Romans and Carthaginians. A trip to Sicily, therefore, is not only a journey through the history, culture, gastronomy, and flavors of a rich and generous land, but it is also a profound journey into the human soul and into the history!

Twelve-year old Lia Park just wants to fit in. Her parents work with a mysterious organization that makes them ridiculously overprotective. Lia’s every move has been scrutinized since she was born, and she’d love to have the option of doing something exciting for once. So when she gets invited to the biggest birthday party of the year—and her parents say she can’t go—Lia sneaks out. But her first act of rebellion not only breaks her parents’ rules, but also an ancient protection spell, allowing an evil diviner spirit to kidnap and ransom her parents for a powerful jewel.