This collection features tales from Europe, Africa, and the Near and Middle East. There are familiar favourites, such as "The Pied Piper of Hamelin" and "The Forty Thieves", which mingle with the surprising, such as "Trousers Mehmet" and "The Deadman's Nightcap". Together they celebrate the many customs and beliefs in our world. Reading stories drawn from a variety of cultures and traditions, together with myths and legends, is required for the National Curriculum Key Stage 2.
This book is suitable for Key Stage 2. KS2 covers school years 4, 5 and 6, and ages 8-11 years. A key stage is any of the fixed stages into which the national curriculum is divided, each having its own prescribed course of study. At the end of each stage, pupils are required to complete standard assessment tasks.
There are 128 pages in this book. This is a short story book. This book was published 2002 by Oxford University Press .
Kevin Crossley-Holland is well-known as a poet, broadcaster, and writer for children. He won the Carnegie Medal in 1985. For Oxford, he has written The Green Children and adapted Beowulf for children.
This book contains the following story:
The Nightingale
An emperor prefers the tinkling of a bejeweled mechanical bird to the song of a real nightingale. The Emperor of China learns that one of the most beautiful things in his empire is the song of the nightingale. When he orders the nightingale brought to him, a kitchen maid (the only one who knows of its whereabouts) leads the court to a nearby forest where the bird is found. The nightingale agrees to appear at court. The Emperor is so delighted with the bird's song that he keeps the nightingale in captivity. When the Emperor is given a bejeweled mechanical bird he loses interest in the real nightingale, who returns to the forest. The mechanical bird eventually breaks down due to overuse. The Emperor is taken deathly ill a few years later. The real nightingale learns of the Emperor's condition and returns to the palace. God is so moved by the nightingale's song that he departs and the emperor recovers. The nightingale agrees to sing to the emperor for the rest of his days.
