I-5. THE KING OF THE CATS -
Grades 6-7
Set along a rocky coast. A grave-digger returns home to tell of his eerie encounter with nine black cats who marched through the fog to deliver a message: "Tell Tom Toldrum that Tim Tildrum is dead. Tell him, or your life won't be worth living!" The poor grave-digger doesn't even know a Tom Toldrum. His wife and old cat listen carefully as the tension mounts. This story is a jump-tale. If read correctly, all listeners should be scared enough to "jump" at the story's end. (6 Readers)

I-6. MISERY'S TREE -
Grades 6-7
Set in apple-growing country. An old woman named Misery owns one prized possession: a magnificent apple tree. The tree, however, does not make Misery happy. Village children steal her apples and ignore her when she warns, "Go on home and let me be. Stay away from Misery!" In the end, the tree, an enchanted visitor, and a granted wish help Misery outsmart both the children and DEATH'S messenger when he, too, tries to steal an apple. (6 Readers)

I-7. THE RAT PRINCESS -
Grades 6-7
A Rat King decides that his exceptional daughter must marry "only the most powerful in all the world." He sets forth on a journey to find the perfect husband. By journey's end, the King has learned an important lesson about power from the sun, the cloud, the wind, the stone wall, and an ordinary gray rat whom his daughter has secretly loved all along. (7 Readers)

I-8. SILLY, SILLY, SILLY -
Grades 6-7
Thomas Stern is engaged to his neighbor, Mary Sillatoe, and thinks she might be the "silliest girl in the world." He goes off on a quest to find someone sillier, and does. He not only meets an old gent who is trying to plant a puppy so it will grow into a dogwood tree, but also meets a fair maiden trying to make a suit of armor from old love letters, and a lad trying to rake the moon's reflection out of a pond of water. Thomas retuns home to marry Mary, knowing there are other people in the world sillier than she. (8 Readers)

I-9. BIG BROTHER AND THE ELFIN WOMAN -
Grades 6-7
A young hockey fan discovers an obnoxious elfin woman in his kitchen and decides not to tell the sprite his real name. Instead, he says he is called "Me, Myself, and I." This turns out to be a smart decision, as it saves the boy from being turned into "squash stew" by the woman's giant-like brother, and rids his house of the elfin invaders. A clever tale involving mistaken identity. (7 Readers)

I-10. CLEVER LUCY -
Grades 6-7
Poor John Carver is a farmer who has a hard time feeding his family. But John is married to Lucy, and Lucy is a mighty clever lady. With the family down to its last roasted chicken, Lucy engages in some clever mathematics and produces more than enough food to feed them all. The tale ends happily as John becomes a successful farmer - all because of Lucy's cleverness. Be prepared for a lively discussion of this tale! (6 Readers)

I-11. THE HAPPY MAN -
Grades 6-7
King Landor is faced with a seventeen year old son who has lost the will to live. Old Jack, who lives in a small hut high in the hills, is summoned to speak to the boy and prescribe a remedy. Finally, Old Jack tells the king to "find a truly happy man and have him change shirts" with his son. As King Landor finds out, finding a truly happy man is difficult. When he finally finds one, the outcome is totally unexpected, ironic and bizarre. (5 Readers)

I-12. JACK RABBITS -
Grades 6-7
The villagers of Overton all agree that something must be done about Jack Wiley and his practical joking. They like Jack, but know that Jack is "a practical joker of the worst kind, the kind who never quits!" So, while Jack is away, the entire village conspires to play a joke on him. Jack returns, the joke is pulled, and Jack walks home in his stocking feet vowing to mend his joking ways forever. (7 Readers)

I-13. THE TRICKSY MOUNTAIN ELVES -
Grades 6-7
Set in the mountain country. An innkeeper and his very capable wife find their inn invaded by invisible tricksy mountain elves. Knowing that the elves love meatloaf and never, ever eat breakfast, helps the pair outsmart their unwanted guests. A cheese pie baked in a jar lid, a chicken casserole baked in an egg shell, and a meatloaf baked in a sewing thimble are part of the plan. (6 Readers)

I-15. THE PRINCESS WHO TALKED TOO MUCH -
Grades 6-7
Three brothers from the Kingdom of Goddado journey to the Kingdom of Yak to enter a contest in which they hope to "get the last word in a conversation" with the princess who talks too much. The two older brothers hope to win by their good looks and quick wit, while the slower-witted younger brother tags along saying, "A fella's gotta do what a fella's gotta do!" Of course the younger brother wins by simply telling the truth - as he sees it! All live happily ever after. (9 Readers)

I-19. JOE AND THE BUTTON FACTORY -
Grades 6-7
A fast moving, fun, repetitive tale about a fellow named Joe who works in a button factory and pushes buttons. He starts off with a wife, one child, and just one button to push. He ends up with seven children, and more buttons than he can possibly manage. Wife and children join in to help him push the buttons with every spare hand, foot, and head available. Good performance piece filled with lots of silly movement, rhythm, and rhyme. (10 Readers)

I-20. SILLY WILLY CANADA GOOSE WAR -
Grades 6-7
"Once upon a time, a farmer's wife went out to her garden to dig carrots. Instead, she dug up a pot of gold." Sounds simple enough, but the plot thickens as greedy kinfolk from as far away as Prince Edward Island descend upon the farm hoping to get their hands on the treasure. There is no solution but to declare a Silly Willy Canada Goose War! You've got to read this one to believe it. (6 Readers)

I-28. THE ROLY RICE BALLS -
Grades 6-7
Japanese folklore contains many stories about kind people who live next door to mean people. In this version of that theme, a poor but kind old man follows three rice balls as they roll into a hole. The rice balls lead him to a tiny land under the earth which is inhabited by millions of mice. The mice give the man a magical golden rice-pounding mallet to thank him for sharing his rice balls with them. From that day on, the mallet provides food for the man. His greedy neighbour, however, trys to trick the mice into giving him a mallet, and ends up with mud, slime, slugs, and other "horrid things!" (5 Readers)

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