Nature Myths

The town of Hamelin has a rat problem. Thousands of rats and nobody knows what to do about it. A young man offers to rid the town of rats for a price, and the town council gladly agrees. The Pied Piper blows his horn, and the rats all follow him right into the sea, where they drown. When the Pied Piper returns to collect his fee, the town council refuses to pay. The Pied Piper blows his horn again, and all the children of Hamelin follow him right through a mountain.

Off the coast of Ireland, on the island of Hybrasil, lives a magician and four enchanted rabbit sisters. One by one, the rabbits have been leaving the island, accompanied by a boy and his boat. When the rabbits leave, they can turn back into girls. The last rabbit, Albie, remains. She doesn't want to leave, but the island is sinking. Before deciding where she wants to go, Albie visits each of her sisters. Caragh has joined a circus. Isolde is the captain of a pirate ship. And Rory wants to go home to the family's house in Cork.

Gabriel Finley is longing to find his mother, who vanished without a trace when he was just a baby. Along with Gabriel's raven, Paladin - with whom he has a magical bond that enables them to become one creature and fly! - and his three friends, he ventures back to the ruined underground city of Aviopolis to free her from the rune in which she has been imprisoned. But Aviopolis is home to Corax, the Lord of Air and Darkness, who is also Gabriel's uncle. And before Tabitha Finley is released, Gabriel must answer a riddle.

Olga is an orphan and a thief, relying on trickery and sleight of hand to make her way in the world. But it’s magic, not thievery, that could get her into trouble. When Olga and her partner-in-crime Pavel learn of a valuable jewel kept in a secluded castle, Olga sees an opportunity to change their lives: a prize so big, they’d never have to steal again. But the castle is not as it seems, ruled by an enchanter who hosts grand balls every night, only for the guests to disappear each morning, replaced by swans.

For the past three decades, Pleasant DeSpain has explored Latin America – its people, customs, cultures, and especially the myths and legends. The 15 tales in this collection are full of compassionate souls, tricks and humor, explanations of nature and geography – and as always, memorable characters and places. Mario Lamo-Jiménez's Spanish translation that accompanies the English version reverberates with the rich, vibrant quality that has become the bench mark for the best stories from Latin America.

Aloo-ki glances up from fishing and sees her sled dogs floating off on an ice floe. She races after them and comes upon an igloo. Being a curious girl, she goes inside only to find no one home. That's because the polar bear family who lives there is out walking while their breakfast cools off. Aloo-ki eats some soup, tries on their boots, and finally crawls into the smallest bed for a nap. Meanwhile, Papa, Mama, and Baby Bear see her dogs adrift, swim out to rescue them and return home to find Aloo-ki fast asleep in Baby Bear's bed.

For Kalla, born to human parents but raised by a family of elephants, growing up in the rainforest is a grand adventure - until she realizes that humans and elephants make better enemies than friends. Determined to prove she belongs with the herd, Kalla goes on a quest to find the Oracle Stone, a mythical object as ancient and sacred to the elephants as the stories they keep. Once again among a human tribe, however, she faces new challenges and doubts about where her true loyalties lie.

La conocida leyenda del flautista que encantó las ratas de Hamelin ha sido contada por años como un cuento alegre con un final feliz, pero como suele suceder con estos cuentos de hadas, los originales pueden ser muy diferentes a las versiones más contadas. La ciudad de Hamelin siempre tuvo ratas,¡ y muchas! Nunca fueron un problema, ya que los gatos las mantenían controladas.

The circus has arrived at last. Prince Martin and his cousin, Princess Margaret, have a glorious time - until they see a scary Northman selling a blind bear cub into captivity. When the kids intervene, the Northman’s cryptic threat chills their blood.... But with the help of old friends, they hatch a plan to rescue the cub - and take him home to Northland, where the colossal creatures are bad...and the Northmen are worse.

Renowned rewilder Derek Gow has a dream: that one day we will see the return of the wolf to Britain as it has already returned elsewhere. As Derek worked to reintroduce the beaver, he began to hear stories of the wolf, both real and mythical, and his fascination with this creature grew. With increasing curiosity, Derek started to piece together fragments of information, stories and artefacts to reveal a shadowy creature that first walked proud through these lands and then was hunted to extinction as coexistence turned to fear, hatred–and domination.

This is an audio narration/rendition of one of Aesop’s fables, entitled "The Lion and the Mouse". There are also Eastern variants of the story, all of which demonstrate mutual dependence regardless of size or status.

Había una vez una madre pato sentada en sus huevos. Los patitos fueron rompiendo los cascarones y saliendo a jugar con los otros animales. Cuando ya habían salido todos los patitos, quedaba nada más un huevo, más grande que el resto, y de él salió un patito mucho más grande que sus hermanos. Sus plumas eran oscuras y feas, y los otros animales lo maltrataron, golpeándolo y empujándolo hasta que tuvo que irse, volando hacia tierras lejanas.

The king must choose the most beautiful egg laid by three hens, one of which he will then make a princess.

"The Fox and the Stork" fable from the forever classic Aesop’s Fables is written in lucid language. Curious kids will venture into the enchanting world of the fox and the stork. Through this fable, children will learn the importance of good behavior.

This amazing fable, "The Hare and the Hounds", has been taken from the amazing Aesop’s Fables. After chasing a hare for some time, the hounds gave up easily. Our young listeners learn the difference that while the hare was running to save his life, the hounds were merely running for food.

"The Fox and the Raven" is an interesting fable from the forever classic Aesop’s Fables. The clever fox flatters the raven to get the piece of cheese. The silly raven easily trusts the fox and begins to sing. Through this fable, our young listeners get to learn an important life lesson that one must never trust a flatterer.

A tangle of ingenious riddles, a malevolent necklace called a torc, and flocks of menacing birds: These are just some of the obstacles that stand between Gabriel and his father, Adam Finley, who has vanished from their Brooklyn brownstone. When Gabriel rescues an orphaned baby raven named Paladin, he discovers a family secret: Finleys can bond with ravens in extraordinary ways. Along with Paladin and three valiant friends, Gabriel sets out to bring his father home.

No debemos reirnos de alguien porque sea feo; a lo mejor, nos llevamos una sorpresa cuando pase un poco de tiempo.

When an acorn falls on Henny Penny’s head, she assumes the sky must be falling! This classic children’s tale—sometimes known as “Chicken Little”—is full of humor and delightful farm characters, including Rooster Wooster and Ducky Daddles.

In this Chinese folk tale, an old widow’s son is killed by a tiger. After she demands justice from the magistrate, he grants it to her, but not quite in the way she expected. Will she be able to move past her grief and find a way to survive on her own?