Showing results by publisher "Astorg Audio" in Literature & Fiction

Composed by an unknown author in early thirteenth-century France, The Quest of the Holy Grail is a fusion of Arthurian legend and Christian symbolism, reinterpreting ancient Celtic myth as a profound spiritual fable. It recounts the quest of the knights of Camelot - the simple Perceval, the thoughtful Bors, the rash Gawain, the weak Lancelot and the saintly Galahad - as they journey through danger and temptation to reach the elusive Holy Grail.

Geoffrey Chaucer, born around 1340, was the first great English poet. The immense popularity of the "Canterbury Tales" is shown by the number of manuscript copies still in existence. It was one of the first books printed in England. The vividness with which the author describes scenes and events and people, as if he had them before his eyes, is one of his greatest charms as a writer. Those who know him best, place him second only to Shakespeare as a writer of delightful English.

The legend of the famous hero Robin Hood originates in dramatic pieces and ballads from the 15th century in England. His story has been given shape and retold through the centuries, and is still universally known to children nowadays. "The Tales of Robin Hood and his Merry Men", as retold by Mary Macleod, is a faithful rendition of the original medieval legend full of colorful and moral adventures. It is read by Katie Haigh, for the delight of children and as well as adults sensitive to literary style.

"Just So Stories" is a classic of children's literature, and one of Rudyard Kipling's best known books. It was published in 1902, as a collection of the stories he told his daughter Josephine at bedtime; the little girl insisted that the stories be told "just so" or she would wake up and add the missing sentence, eventually making all these stories like charms, effective if untouched.

Set in 12th-century England, with colourful descriptions of medieval life and adventures, "Ivanhoe" is a realistic and vibrant story set in a kingdom torn asunder by the hatred between Saxons and Normans. Richard the Lionheart is headed home from the Third Crusade to reclaim his throne. Amid the heat of a tournament, King Richard comes to the aid of another crusader who has returned in disguise. Wilfred of Ivanhoe also seeks to recover a lost heritage - and the hand of Lady Rowena, "a rose of loveliness, and a jewel of wealth; the fairest among a thousand."

Beatrix Potter was an English writer best known for her children's books featuring animals, such as those in "The Tale of Peter Rabbit". In this audiobook, 10 rare tales by Beatrix Potter : The Tailor of Gloucester; The Tale of Squirrel Nutkin; The Tale of the Pie and the Patty-Pan; The Story of a Fierce Bad Rabbit; The Tale of Samuel Whiskers or, The Roly-Poly Pudding; The Tale of Tom Kitten; The Tale of Ginger and Pickles; The Tale of Pigling Bland; The Tale of Mr. Tod; The Tale of Mrs. Tittlemouse.

"King Kojata" is a Slavonic fairy tale. A king and a queen had no children. One day, the king was travelling and grew thirsty. He found a spring with a cup floating in it. He did not succeed at trying to grab the cup: it always evaded his hands. When he dropped to drink directly, a creature in the well grabbed his beard and would not free him until he promised to give it something he knew nothing about, and which he would find on his return home.

The Celtic folk tales collected by the leading British folklorist Joseph Jacobs (1854-1916) introduced the children of the world to the special vision and color, the unique magic of the Celtic folk imagination. Here are three stories from this timeless masterpiece, presenting the most colorful characters of it all: "King O'Toole and his Goose", "The Haughty Princess", "Jack and his Master".

"Fanciful stories" is a collection of folk-tales, fairy tales and delightful poetry to encourage children to dream and connect their imagination with the tales of old. Learn about the mystery of the house-elves, dance with the fairies and breathe the air of the legendary forests with these fantastic short stories for children. The collection: "White Magic"; "The Brownies" by Juliana Horatia Ewing; "The Story of Peter Pan"; "Sir Lark and King Sun" by George MacDonald; "The Imps in the Heavenly Meadow" by Kate E. Bunce; "The Birthday Honors of the Fairy Queen" by Hapgood Moore.

"Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" began as a story told by Englishman Charles Lutwidge Dodgson to three children in a boat, one of which was called Alice and enjoyed it so much she asked him to write it down for her. He did so, under the pseudonym of Lewis Carroll. He was thus releasing a striking tale of fantasy, games with logic, and a wildly original play on narrative structure. Today, "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" is the sixth best-selling single-volume book of all time.

Beatrice Clay's retelling of Arthurian tales remain as vibrant today as when they first became a popular success eighty years ago. Sir Galahad, Sir Launcelot, Queen Guenevere and Morgan Le Fey, all these beloved characters are brought together for a vibrant recreation of life in the Middle Ages. This great treasure-house of stories is to English culture what the stories of Ulysses and Aeneas were to the Greeks and Latins, a national inheritance of which they should be, and are, proud.

Beatrix Potter is the world-renowned author of "The Tale of Peter Rabbit", a cautionary tale told in such a charming and lively way that it soon became a nursery classic and is now one of the most widely read books of all time. Beatrix Potter's efficient and simple writing is a delight for children and grown-ups alike. This album is a compilation of her best tales, recorded by Katie Haigh.

The Drawing of the Sword, The Sword Excalibur, How the Round Table Began, The Story of Sir Balin, What Beaumains asked of the King, How Morgan Le Fay tried to kill King Arthur, The Passing of Merlin. Those 8 stories form the Arthurian literature (works about King Arthur, family, friends or enemies) are reinterpreting ancient Celtic myths as a profound spiritual fable. It recounts the arthurian fables and legends.

This classic adaptation of James Barrie's play tells the story of Peter Pan, a mischievous little boy who can fly, and his adventures on the island of Neverland with Wendy Darling and her brothers, the fairy Tinker Bell, the Lost Boys, and the pirate Captain Hook.

"Jack and the Beanstalk" is an English fairy tale, the best known of the "Jack Tales", a series of stories featuring an archetypal English hero. According to scholarly research, this particular tale takes its roots in ancient stories told more than 5000 years ago, in which a boy steals an ogre's treasure. In this tale, Jack is a poor boy sent by his mother to the market to sell their dairy cow. He encounters a bean dealer who sells him magic beans.

"The Wonderful Wizard of Oz" is an American children's novel written by author L. Frank Baum. The story chronicles the adventures of a young farm girl named Dorothy in the magical Land of Oz, after she and her pet dog Toto are swept away from their Kansas home by a cyclone. The book is one of the best-known stories in American literature and has been widely translated. The Library of Congress has declared it "America's greatest and best-loved homegrown fairy tale."

"The Most Frugal of Men" is a funny story about masters of frugality outperforming each other; "The Moon-Cake" about the dangers of asking for a cake that would resemble the moon; "The Ladle that Fell from the Moon" tells about the witty attempt to confound an elderly scammer; "The Young Head of the Family" tells about a father being outwitted by his daughter-in-law; and "A Dreadful Boar" tells how a poor old woman could defend herself of an elf that met her in the form of a wild boar, threatening to devour her granddaughter.

"The Fair One with Golden Locks" is a fairy tale by Madame d'Aulnoy. It has also been translated under the title "Pretty Goldilocks", which is not to be confused with the Story of the Three Bears. A princess is so beautiful and has such golden hair that she is known as Pretty Goldilocks. A neighboring king falls in love with her from her description and sends his servant to plead his cause.  

Santa Claus, as a baby, is found in the Forest of Burzee by Ak, the Master Woodsman of the World (a supreme immortal), and placed in the care of the lioness Shiegra; but thereupon adopted by the Wood Nymph, Necile. Upon reaching young adulthood, Claus is introduced by Ak to human society, wherein he sees poverty and difficulties. Because he cannot reside in Burzee as an adult, he settles in the nearby Laughing Valley of Hohaho, where the immortals regularly assist him, and Necile gives him a little cat named Blinky.

Viking Tales, 10 classic children's stories. Myths & Legends from the Land of Ice and Fire : The Sea Fight, Olaf's Fight With Havard, The Tooth Thrall, The Baby, Harald is King, Harald's Battle. "King Halfdan lived in Norway long ago. One morning his queen said to him: "I had a strange dream last night. I thought that I stood in the grass before my bower. I pulled a thorn from my dress. As I held it in my fingers, it grew into a tall tree. The trunk was thick and red as blood, but the lower limbs were fair and green, and the highest ones were white.