This picture-storybook borrows the traditional slavic story trope of a hero who magically acquires the ability to understand the language of animals. The hero helps the animals and in return for the hero’s kindness the animals save the hero from peril.

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This particular tale is a simple rendition that takes place in a village in Scottish countryside sometime ‘a long time ago’. The storyline is basic and does not perhaps live up to the excellent standard of other stories of its kind, however, the book overall is ‘good enough’ and worth reading. Not least because of its lovely illustrations.