In Story-land

A small gift of flowers brings little Beta closer to the people of her village and eventually to a giant living high on a mountain. Elizabeth Harrison opens this collection with a child who doubts her usefulness, then discovers ways to offer comfort through simple acts of care. The giant, with his knowledge of plants, hidden springs and village history, gives the tale a setting where kindness and wonder meet.

Other stories turn toward princes, enchanted objects and the small creatures of a garden. In one excerpt, a caterpillar lives on a cabbage leaf while the surrounding plants and insects receive personalities of their own. Harrison intended these tales for family reading and for teachers working with young children, encouraging adults to adapt them to their listeners. Readers interested in older children's storytelling will find moral lessons carried through conversation, fantasy and close attention to ordinary surroundings.