Why are cats and mice enemies? Why do cats always land on their feet? Are cats as smart as they seem? Here's a story behind each of these feline traits. For centuries, people everywhere, from Tibet to Oman to Scotland to the United States, have been fascinated with cats and their intriguing personalities. In this captivating collection, New York Times best-selling author Jane Yolen has gathered and adapted cat stories, sayings, and nursery rhymes from around the world. The glowing jewel-like illustrations of cats galore in their native homes have been lavishly painted by Hala Wittwer.

2024 Reprint of the 1956 Edition. Full facsimile of the original edition and not reproduced with Optical Recognition Software. The trickster myth, which is the basis of this scientific study, is one of the most imaginative narratives known to man. It concerns the exploits of a grotesque individual whose main physical features are enormous digestive and sexual organs and who unites in himself some of the traits of a god, an animal, and a human being. Primarily his activities, over which he has no conscious control, represent attempts to dupe others, yet actually always recoil upon himself. He is cruel, obscene and possessed of a voracious appetite which he is never permitted to satisfy. Creator and destroyer, affirmer and negator at one and the same time, his activities finally result in the transformation of himself into a being approximating to that of man. The figure of Trickster is of tremendous historical and psychological importance for an understanding of ourselves. As Dr Jung suggests in his Foreword, Trickster is the symbol of the unconscious and undifferentiated in man. That is why he is represented as being everything to every man-god, animal, human being, hero, buffoon, he who antedates all values, good and evil.

Two volume combined to produce one large volume of Celtic fairy tales.

A rock 'n' roll band to die for.... When fourteen year old Callie McCallan scores a backstage pass to interview the lead singer of the famous band Brass Rat, she's thrilled. Peter Gringras is so cool. When he plays his flute, it's as if he has some kind of hypnotic power. But there is something strange about him, something Callie can't quite put her finger on. Then, on Halloween night, Callie's little brother Nicky disappears, along with all the other children in town. It's crazy, but Callie thinks she knows where the children have gone--and who took them. To prove it, and to rescue Nicky and the other children, Callie must journey to a mythical world filled with fantastical creatures. A world from which there may be no return....

King Long Shanks hires two tailors to sew him a special outfit, his subjects just might get to see more than just his royal legs! A froggy adaptation puts a hilarious spin on Hans Christian Andersen's "The Emperor's New Clothes."

In this collection of fictional writings, the Golem of Jewish folklore is both hero and villain. The Golem, a creature made of clay and brought to life by Rabbi Leyb of Prague in the sixteenth century, has provided an enticing subject for fiction writers since the legend began. In some works, Rabbi Leyb gives birth to the Golem to help the Jews with the overbearing burden of their work. In others, the Golem is the protector of the Jews, keeping watch during the nights before Passover to make sure that a Gentile does not plant evidence for a blood libel in a Jewish home. But the powerful Golem can also lose control and have to be destroyed. Joachim Neugroschel has brought together some of the best work featuring the Golem, including H. Leivick's masterful blank verse play; Yudl Rosenberg's "pamphlet" full of Golem tales; and stories by S. Bastomski, Dovid Frishman, and Y. L. Peretz, which he translates fluidly from the Yiddish.

For centuries, people have used a combination of water, prayer, meditation and herbs to rejuvenate the mind, body and soul. In Spiritual Bathing, Rosita Arvigo and Nadine Epstein explore traditions--many lost or forgotten--that have been intertwined with religion, spirituality and culture since ancient and medieval times. From baptism to mikvahs to charity baths, these traditions can serve as a way to reconnect with nature or God; rejuvenate the mind, body and soul; and help relieve anxiety, insomnia and depression. Encompassing knowledge from 15 world traditions, this beautifully illustrated guide features detailed instructions to create nurturing and restorative spiritual bathing rituals both at home and elsewhere.

A retelling of the African-American tales about the adventures and misadventures of Brer Rabbit and his friends and enemies.

A retelling of the Russian folktale in which Prince Ivan encounters the magical Firebird who helps him defeat the evil Kostchei. Includes vignettes of the ballet at the bottom of each page, and an author's note with information about the folktale and the George Balanchine ballet.

"A sweeping personal retelling of African myths illustrated throughout with Rosales's...artwork"--Back cover.

Culled from a wide variety of contemporary sources--letters, diaries, newspapers, periodicals, pamphlets--this book contains a rich sampling of Civil War storytelling of all types.

Contents include: The Style of the Mythical Age: An Introduction by Hermann Broch ON THE ILIAD Hector Thetis and Achilles Helen The Comedy of the Gods Troy and Moscow Priam and Achilles Break Bread Poets and Prophets Originally published in 1947. The Princeton Legacy Library uses the latest print-on-demand technology to again make available previously out-of-print books from the distinguished backlist of Princeton University Press. These editions preserve the original texts of these important books while presenting them in durable paperback and hardcover editions. The goal of the Princeton Legacy Library is to vastly increase access to the rich scholarly heritage found in the thousands of books published by Princeton University Press since its founding in 1905.

Features the Nebula Award-winning novella "Lost Girls." In these modern myths and tales for the young and the young at hear, Jane Yolen transforms the impossible into the familiar and real. Among the outlandish wonders are an Alice grown tough in Wonderland, a dear--but dead--mother's homecoming, a bridge that longs for a goat-eating troll, and a mutiny among Peter Pan's troops.

Welcome to Scotland, where magic runs through the land like the stripes in the colorful Scottish tartans. Everyone and everything here, it seems, has some wizardry--old folks at rest homes, dusty old card games, even cowardly dogs. The only ones without magic are American twins Jennifer and Peter, and they're the ones who need it most.

An unforgettable take on a favorite fairy tale by multi-award-winning author Jane Yolen Summer's life in the mountains of West Virginia feels like a fairy tale--her parents dote on her, and she's about to get a new baby brother. But when the baby dies soon after he's born, taking their mother with him, Summer's life turns grim. Things get even worse when her father marries a woman who brings poisons and magical mirrors into Summer's world. Stepmama puts up a pretty face and Summer's father is under her spell, but Summer suspects she's up to no good--and is afraid she is powerless to stop her.

Donkey, Dog, Cat and Rooster are on their way to become musicians in the town of Bremen. But the road is long and the animals become tired and hungry. A large house in the woods would be the perfect place to rest, if only it weren't filled with nasty-looking robbers. So the four friends cook up a plan to scare those frightful villains away, and the antics that follow are sheer delight. Full color.

Ivo the orphan, together with the Hag of Dribble, Ulf the Troll, and Brian the Wizard, sets out to save Princess Mirella from the dreaded Ogre of Oglefort. But when the rescuers arrive at the castle, they are shocked to find that the princess doesn't want to be saved; she wants the ogre to turn her into a bird so she can escape an arranged marriage. And the Ogre isn't nearly the fearsome creature he once was--in fact, he's rather depressed. Now the rescuers have a new goal: save Princess Mirella from her tyrannical royal family and help restore the Ogre and his castle to the fearsome (but fun) paradise it used to be.

One of England's most beloved writers for children--and winner of the Carnegie Medal, the Regina Medal, and the Hans Christian Andersen Award--retells one of the best-loved fairy tales of all time.