In this collection of Tales from Dragon Country Kusum Kapur has captured the spirit of Bhutan and its people. There are tales of adventure in the form of skirmishes with giants and demons, of tragedy in the stories of star-crossed lovers, and of humour in the exploits of Moten Phago and Dawa. While the folk tales about the mischievous monkey and the pesky toad provide plenty of fun, others like 'The Master-Craftsmen' and 'The Borrowed Gho' are shrewd comments on human relationships. The stories are told with sensitivity and reflect the affection and understanding which the author developed for the people of Bhutan during the two years of her stay in this beautiful mountain kingdom. Twenty-six striking illustrations by Tapas Guha enhance the enjoyment of these delightful tales.
In 2009, on the outskirts of the southern metropolis of Guangzhou, Xian villagers secretly prepared for the Dragon Boat Festival. For them, the commemoration of the 221 BC poet Qu Yuan, who threw himself into a river to protest official corruption, held particular resonance. Guangzhou's drive to become a 'National Model City' ahead of the 2010 Asia Games accelerated a voracious demand for land, turning the ground beneath the villagers' feet into a commodity as valuable as diamonds, a treasure too rich for local officials to ignore. Dragons in Diamond Village is about the courage of individuals: Huang Minpeng, a semi-literate farmer turned self-taught rights defender; He Jieling, a suburban housewife who just wanted to open a hair salon; Xian villagers like Lu Zhaohui who refuse to give up the land their families have cultivated for generations. Theirs is a community bound by shared history and a belief in the necessity of change, a band of unlikely activists fighting for their place in China's new cities. 'A beautifully written account of how China's traditional rural past is meeting – and struggling with – its urbanising present . . . Via deftly told tales of China's little-known urban villages, Bandurski expertly guides readers through a mostly overlooked landscape and modern history.' Adam Minter, author of Junkyard Planet 'David Bandurski is a modern-day Marco Polo taking us into the heart of new China.' Kevin Sites, author of Swimming with Warlords and In the Hot Zone 'Vivid depictions of how villagers and migrants, living through the lawless and violent storms of Chinese urban land development, turn into political resistors. An important book of social reportage in the traditions of Liu Binyan and Studs Terkel.' Susan Shirk, author of China: Fragile Superpower and former Deputy Assistant Secretary of State during the Clinton administration 'Bandurski combines his deep knowledge of China's history and culture with graceful writing to produce a thoroughly enjoyable book, and an important one for understanding the tension at the heart of China's breakneck pace of change.' Keith B. Richburg, author of Out Of America: A Black Man Confronts Africa and former China correspondent for the Washington Post
Vietnamese folk tales retold for a modern audience. In poetry and literature the Vietnamese call themselves the "children of the dragon." Their oral tradition is a strong one and this volume includes three of the familiar teaching tales told by the elders. Readers will learn how the tiger got his stripes, why there are monsoons, and the story of the Moon Festival.
The sea hasn't always been salty, and rabbits haven't always had fluffy tails. How the sea grew salty, pigs got their short snouts and rabbits their fluffy tails is revealed in this sparkling collection of Korean folk stories. Gillian McClure's delightful retellings of well known Korean fables and magic tales will transport younger readers to an eastern world of tigers, rice cakes and persimmons alongside more familiar things - all beautifully illustrated in Gillian's own distinctive style.
The Third and Final book of the Secret Country Trilogy! Three things have the power to destroy the Secret Country: the Border Magic, the Crystal of Earth, and the whim of the dragon. The cousins Ted, Laura, Ruth, Patrick, and Ellen have faced the first two; now, summoned back to the Secret Country, they must face the third. The Country's most trusted counselors now know that the five are impostors, somehow thrust into the roles of royalty, but no one knows who has been playing with their destinies. The truth lies with only Chryse, the unicorn, and Belaparthalion, the dragon. But getting to them, and speaking with them, is more complex and dangerous than it seems…. “Pamela Dean’s Secret Country books are required reading for anyone who loves fantasy. Get them!”—Will Shetterly, author of Dogland
The THIRD BOOK OF DRAGONS is the third installment following in the footsteps of Edith Nesbit’s “The Book of Dragon’s” and John Halsted’s compilation “The Second book of Dragons”. Here, John Halsted, author and folklorist, has compiled “The Third Book of Dragons” from numerous sources. In this book you will find 12 illustrated tales of dragons and serpents drawn from the mists of time. Some are friendly dragons which provide wisdom and direction to the heroes of our stories. Others are downright wicked, oozing malice and evil, leaving the hero of the story no option but to destroy the spiteful, fire-breathing, beast. Our heroes always sally forth wilfully, but cautiously, engaging these ancient creatures to save a damsel in distress, or their families, from sure destruction and banishment to oblivion. Herein you will find the stories of: Orestes And The Dragon The Three Princes, The Three Dragons, & The Old Woman With The Iron Nose The Dragon's Teeth The Hunting Princes The Student Who Was Forcibly Made King Vitazko The Victorious The Three Princes Batcha And The Dragon Shepherd Paul The Dragon-Giant And His Stone-Steed The Semi-Sentimental Dragon The Dragon Of Wantley These tales have been drawn from old and forgotten books often with their original illustrations. We invite you to download this book and sit back and enjoy a romp through the middle-ages and medieval times when people really did believe in Dragons which could fly and breathe fire. ============== KEWORDS/TAGS: folklore, fairy tales, myths, legends, children's stories, bedtime stories, children’s stories, tales, tails, fables, compilation, dragons tales, boys, dragons and serpents, stories as old as time, wisdom, direction, malevolent, wicked, oozing, evil, malice, hero, knight in shining armor, saving, damsel in distress, prince, princess, banish, oblivion, tyranny, dictator, 12 dragon stories, Orestes, Three Princes, Three Dragons, Old Woman, Iron Nose, Dragon's Teeth, Hunting Princes, Student, Forced, King, Queen, Princess, Vitazko The Victorious, Batcha, Shepherd Paul, Dragon-Giant, Stone-Steed, Semi-Sentimental, Dragon Of Wantley, children’s book, fire breathing
