Animal tales from Ireland

Here are eight original animal stories that have been woven into the back¬ ground of the mythology and history of Ireland. In the timeless atmosphere of that romantic country, saints chat to ani¬ mals and kings rescue them; the cuckoo winters in Tir na n-Og, the fox meets the banshee, the rabbit writes a poem, and the cow says "Bo” instead of "Moo.” There are leprechauns and fairies here, too—but it is the animals above all who matter. The rabbit, the cow, the fox, the deer and the rest, while remaining true to the habits of their breed, have an uncanny knack of revealing facets of the Irish character that make them at once familiar and amusing, wistful and endearing. In this book you may learn why there are no moles in Ireland; why pigs are bare; how the frogs lost their voices; why the chaffinch watches on the high road; who colors the autumn leaves; why the cat stares at the moon.