Farmers in an alpine valley are haunted by Fængler, a cunning old enchanter who ruins their lives by using an ancient wishing chain of powerful stones to spoil crops, and steal children, cows and goats. Young Berwald and his sister, Clara, set out without their parents knowing, to climb into the next valley, seize the chain, free their neighbourhood of fear, and wish for whatever they want. But they soon find the wild world beyond their home is full of strange forces, some good, some dark ...

Woodsies can take on any human shape, and have appeared in larger and finer forms than we can ever hope to have, though mostly they just need well-disguised bodies strong enough to care for plants that like wood-filtered light. They are mainly practical, wise, and helpful, but all families have misfits and trouble-makers and sometimes young woodsies like Leaf-lag won't grow up and have to learn the hard way.This rebellious, 'ne'er-dowell' woodsy only half listens to his lessons and...

Farmers in their alpine valley are haunted by Fængler, a cunning old enchanter, who ruins their lives by using an ancient wishing chain of powerful stones to spoil crops and steal children, cows and goats.Young Berwald and his sister Clara set out, without their parents knowing, to climb into the next valley, seize the chain, free their neighbourhood of fear, and wish for whatever they want. But they soon learn that the wild world beyond their home is full of strange forces – some g...

Grace is fascinated by the natural world. To increase this precious sense of wonder, she is chosen by Nature’s spirit guides and guardians to travel on ‘a funny, sometimes fearful journey’ with an amethyst stone as her guide and promise of help along the way. Creatures she expects to assist her are too self-important. Her allies are small, often overlooked plants, flowers and insects. Her main goal seems to be discovering what lies in and beyond the rainbow, but her adventures bring her on...

Grace is fascinated by the natural world. To increase this precious sense of wonder she is chosen by Nature’s spirit guides and guardians to travel on ‘a funny sometimes fearful journey’ with an amethyst stone as her guide and promise of help along the way. Creatures she expects to assist her are too self-important. Her allies are small, often overlooked plants, flowers and insects. Her main goal seems to be discovering what lies in and beyond the rainbow, but her adventures bring her only...

The tale is set in an alpine region at no specified time. Depending on age and disposition, humans freely commune with creatures and plants. Valley farming people are haunted by the malice and thieving of Fængler, a cunning, embittered enchanter who abuses an ancient wishing chain of potent stones. All people hope that a hero will cross the high pass into the villain’s shadowy, fortified valley, seize the chain and realise everyone’s dreams of wealth and security. Adam the forester typifie...

To increase her sense of wonder Grace is chosen by Nature’s spirit guides and guardians to travel on ‘a funny sometimes fearful journey’. Her unlikely allies are small, often overlooked plants, flowers and insects. She seems to be about to discover what lies in and beyond the rainbow, but her decision to help a lost, bitter boy – Downcast Don – to rediscover ‘wonder’ diverts her through colourful and disturbing forests, down a well to find an underground forge, and into a meeting with an a...

Grace is fascinated by the natural world. To increase this precious sense of wonder she is chosen by Nature’s spirit guides and guardians to travel on ‘a funny sometimes fearful journey’ with an amethyst stone as her guide and promise of help along the way. Creatures she expects to assist her are too self-important. Her allies are small, often overlooked plants, flowers and insects. Her main goal seems to be discovering what lies in and beyond the rainbow, but her adventures bring her only...

Farmers in their alpine valley are haunted by Fængler, a cunning old enchanter, who ruins their lives by using an ancient wishing chain of powerful stones to spoil crops and steal children, cows and goats.Young Berwald and his sister Clara set out, without their parents knowing, to climb into the next valley, seize the chain, free their neighbourhood of fear, and wish for whatever they want. But they soon learn that the wild world beyond their home is full of strange forces – some ...

Grace is fascinated by the natural world. To increase this precious sense of wonder she is chosen by Nature’s spirit guides and guardians to travel on ‘a funny sometimes fearful journey’ with an amethyst stone as her guide and promise of help along the way. Creatures she expects to assist her are too self-important. Her allies are small, often overlooked plants, flowers and insects. Her main goal seems to be discovering what lies in and beyond the rainbow, but her adventures bring her only...

The tale is set in an alpine region at no specified time. Depending on age and disposition, humans freely commune with creatures and plants. Valley farming people are haunted by the malice and thieving of Fængler, a cunning, embittered enchanter who abuses an ancient wishing chain of potent stones. All people hope that a hero will cross the high pass into the villain’s shadowy, fortified valley, seize the chain and realise everyone’s dreams of wealth and security. Adam the forester typifie...

J. R. R. Tolkien fans who long for more of the joy they get from The Lord of the Rings will find it in the writings of William Morris. He created the literature that Tolkien brought to such perfection. As a young man writing his future wife, Tolkien mentioned the inspiration he was getting from Morris: "Amongst other work I am trying to turn one of the short stories [of the Finnish Kalevala] . . . into a short story somewhat on the lines of Morris' romances with chunks of poetry in between...