"A mixture of Andersen, Brecht, Tolstoy and the Arabian Nights..." Channel 4
"...sophisticated enough to appeal to adults" Broadcast

Music and Narration by Neil Innes
Animation by Alison de Vere
Produced by Joy Whitby

First shown on Channel 4

These original and witty stories explore the traditional fairytale world of witches, dragons, ghosts and giants. Why Birds Sing in the Morning is a nature myth; Three Raindrops is about short-lived vanity; The Corn Dolly is another moral tale about a peevish little Corn Dolly who is never satisfied; The Island of Purple Fruits shows the difference between dreams and reality; in The Sea Tiger the animals of the jungle try to stop their friend from telling enormous lies; a giant wave sweeps Bill Stoker on board a ghost ship in The Ship of Bones; and in The Wonderful Cake Horse a biscuit comes to life and sets off in search of a companion. Alison de Vere’s animations are based on Michael Foreman’s original illustrations.