Showing results for "Fairy Tales" in Biological Sciences

Glinda the Good, the great sorceress of Oz takes the spotlight in this, the very last OZ book written by L. Frank Baum himself. Ozma hears of previously unknown parts of her kingdom having difficulties and at war with each other and knows it is her duty to go there and stop the hostilities. She and Dorothy find truly bad conditions in these areas of Flathead Mountain and the Skeezers Magic Island where the inhabitants are being mistreated. But through events that could only happen in Oz, they become trapped in a submerged island along with all the Skeezers. Glinda and all the well known ...

“Who ever lov’d, that lov’d not at first sight?” The wonder-decade of the English drama was suddenly interrupted in 1592, when serious plague broke out in London, forcing the closure of the theatres. Leading playwrights took to penning languorously erotic poetry to make ends meet: so we have Venus and Adonis, The Rape of Lucrece - and Marlowe’s blazing masterpiece, Hero and Leander. Marlowe’s poem became more notorious than either of Shakespeare’s, due not only to its homophile provocations but also to the scandal attaching to every aspect of Marlowe’s brief life, violently ...

The Life of Gargantua and of Pantagruel (in French, La vie de Gargantua et de Pantagruel) is a connected series of five novels written in the 16th century by François Rabelais. It is the story of two giants, a father (Gargantua) and his son (Pantagruel) and their adventures, written in an amusing, extravagant, satirical vein. There is much crudity and scatological humor as well as a large amount of violence. Long lists of vulgar insults fill several chapters. - Summary by Wikipedia

Remember the story of the Ant and the Grasshopper? the Fox and the Sour Grapes? The Boy who Cried Wolf? These wonderful tales and hundreds more have been passed down to us over the centuries. The man credited with writing them, Aesop, was an Ancient Greek slave born about 620 B.C. Aesop is known as a fabulist or story teller credited with a number of fables shining glaringly true light on our human foibles now collectively known as Aesop's Fables. Although no writings by him survive, numerous tales credited to him were gathered across the centuries and in many languages in a storytelling ...

This collection of Sioux legends, with nearly 40 tales, provides a rich window into the cultural beliefs and values of the Sioux people. Through stories passed down across generations, these myths and legends not only serve to impart life lessons but also offer deep insights into the Sioux worldview. A central theme in many of these tales is the profound respect for nature and its creatures, illustrating how the Sioux people viewed the natural world as interconnected with human life. - Summary by Anthony Karl Futterer

The Hunting of the Snark (An Agony in 8 Fits) is a poem written by English writer Lewis Carroll. It is typically categorised as a nonsense poem. The plot follows a crew of ten trying to hunt the Snark, which may turn out to be a highly dangerous Boojum. The only one of the crew to find the Snark quickly vanishes, leading the narrator to explain that it was a Boojum after all. As you would expect! - Summary by Craig Franklin

The well known and delightful tale of Alice in Wonderland but retold in simpler language. All the characters are there, even the Cheshire Cat and the Mad Hatter. Note that even though the title says 'words of one syllable', there are quite a few two and even multiple syllable words which the author divides into smaller bites by using dashes. Don't let this bother you. The book is well written and would be an excellent choice for all listeners or those for whom English is not their first language.

These delightful stories about how natural things began are drawn from the early folk-lore of many races. The wonderful explanations of the phenomena of nature given by the native races appeal to the child's wonder about the same phenomena, and he and we are pleased with the imagination involved. These stories gratify our inner child's desire for a fantastic explanation of things we see every day. - Summary by Phil Chenevert

A. O. Stafford, an African American educator and folklorist, wrote this collection of African and African Diaspora folktales for students in elementary school. By combining African and Diaspora stories together in a single collection, Stafford sought to demonstrate the storytelling continuity between African cultures and African American culture in the United States. The stories are all fables about animals, and many of them are trickster stories featuring the trickster rabbit and also stories about the trickster jackal. There are also "just-so" stories explaining the world of nature, such as ...

Brazil is the land of the giant among all the rivers of the world. It is the land of giant fruits and giant flowers. Of course it is the land of giant stories too. - Summary by Elsie Spicer Eells

The collection illustrates the deep connection between the Sioux people and the natural world. Animals often serve as characters in these stories, and their behavior often reflects human qualities, which helps convey morals that are both culturally specific and universally relatable. The story of the Field-Mouse and Buffalo, for instance, highlights themes of humility, the dangers of arrogance, and the importance of respect for others—values that transcend time and culture. "Wigwam Evenings" provides both a window into Sioux culture and timeless lessons that are relevant to readers of all ...