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A timeless and enchanting children's fantasy classic, in which a group of animals must tell a nightly story in order to save their beloved king. At the end of his thousand-year reign of the Copper Mountains, old King Mansolain is tired and his heart is slowing down. When his attendant, the Hare, consults the Wonder Doctor, he is told he must keep the King engaged in life by telling him a story every night until the Doctor can find a cure.
The search is on for a nightly story, and one by one the kingdom's inhabitants arrive with theirs. The ferocious Wolf tells a story about a witch who almost bested him; the Rabbit-of-the-dunes has a story about a lost brother; the Duck reveals why his kind are always dipping their heads underwater; the lovesick Donkey explains why he needs a new hat; and the fire-breathing three-headed Dragon recounts how he became a friend to humankind. Last to arrive is the Dwarf, with four ancient books and a prophecy that the King will live for another thousand years - but only if the Wonder Doctor returns in time.
Each visitor sits on the king's slong white beard to tell their tale, and each tale is more wondrous than the last - but will they be able to keep King Mansolain's heart beating until the cure arrives?
About the author
Paul Biegel was one of Europe's most acclaimed and best-loved storytellers, and the author of more than fifty books for children. Born in the Netherlands in 1926, he studied law but worked as a comic-strip writer before writing his first novel,
The Golden Guitar, in 1960.
The King of the Copper Mountains followed in 1965. It won the award for the best Dutch children's book of the year, and is still his best-loved work.
The Gardens of Dorr and
The Little Captain are also forthcoming from Pushkin Children's Books.
