Man and Machine - The Story of John Henry In the late 1800's as the country recovered from the Civil War, railroads began to stitch the nation together. Among the many men who built the railroads, John Henry stands tall above the rest. Some say he was a freed slave, others say he fought in the war. But noone really knows for sure who the 'real' John Henry was. The tale of Man vs. Machine during the era of industrialization is one that is still relevant today. It is the story of people standing up against hardship and oppression imposed on them in the name of progress and profit.
King of Fools Every culture has their tales of fools and tricksters. Some traditions een feature a whole village of Idiots who can do nothing right. They include the English stories of "the wise men of Gotham' and the Jewish Eastern European tales of 'the people of Chelm.' For the King of Fools we drew on these and the Russian story by Alexander Pushkin, 'The Golden Cockerel." Together they become a cautionary tale about giving all of your power over to one fool.
Seeing With New Eyes This is the story of the enlightenment of Gautama Buddha. After seeing such great suffering in the world the young Indian prince leaves his riches with a great desire to help humanity. Gautama learns from many teachers, experiences much in his travels, and finally becomes an ascetic with nothing more than a begging bowl and blanket. One day, beside a river, he realizes the austerities and self-mortification have weakened him and he is near to death. A young peasant girl kindly offers him rice and milk, which he accepts with gratitude. With his strength renewed and his determination great, he enters the nearby forest where our story begins. But Mara, the King of the Demon Hordes, the master of fear and pain, the lord of illusion and death is ever watchful, and no one is meant to escape his fiery web of desire.
The Librarian of Basra This is a true story of Alia Muhammad Baker, the head librarian of Basra Central Library in Iraq. The events take place during the 2003 US invasion of Iraq. This telling of the tale comes from Jeannette Winter's book, "The Librarian of Basra." Many thanks to her and Harcourt Books for permission to use this story.