Catalina, daughter of the mechanic at the Cerro Tololo observatory in Chile, dreams of becoming an astronomer. Unfortunately everyone just considers her a nuisance, that is until she saves an astronomer after a tragic fall and prevents serious damage to the telescope. She is rewarded by the astronomer’s offer to help her with scholarship forms to the best schools in Chile for young scientists.

After Daniel’s and Joseph’s pa died at the Alamo, the boys joined Sam Houston’s brigade to fight for Texas independence. After Santa Anna’s surrender, Sam Houston passed around an ear of corn from their meager supplies and encouraged each soldier to take a kernel home so that they could cultivate the arts of peace as nobly as they had mastered the arts of war.

Gyffes Llaw is the finest shoemaker in Wales and the Princess of Wales goes barefoot for lack of good shoes. Well, as you might guess, Gyffes Llaw wins her heart while making her shoes.

A story from Ms Banks delightful anthology “The Magic Hare” in which the magic hare hears tiny bells after every good deed and discovers they are applause from a sad, unnamed flower. In gratitude, the magic hare gives the flower a name, ‘harebell,’ or ‘Campanula rotundifolia.’

A story from Ms Banks delightful anthology “The Magic Hare” in which the magic hare is snared by an orphan for dinner. The hare continues to suggest ingredients that would make him taste better but the final one is through the dark forest where the orphan has never gone. The hare leads the way, the orphan overcomes her fear and both live happily, but separately, ever after.

From Ms Banks delightful anthology “The Magic Hare,” a Dickensian tale in which a hateful queen is transformed by the practical and kind suggestions of the magic hare.

When a young orphaned girl come to live with Old Vanka, he tells her of his yearly hunt for the Goat that leaves jewels wherever he stamps his silver hoof.

When a young couple moves into a remote valley, they assure the local trolls that they mean no harm. As the years pass the trolls come to love the couple and they the trolls. Unfortunately the family’s prosperity brings development to the valley and eventually the trolls have to move north, leaving behind a precious gift for their friends.

During recess from school a full scale snowball war forms, complete with ammunition sleds, forts and commanders.

Mama, Papa and Granny all have peculiar ways of knowing that a big rain is coming – none of them very scientific. But that doesn’t stop Papa from building a raft the size of an ark for the great flood of 1908.