Alicanto
In South America, there’s a very special bird that is unable to fly because its belly is full of gold!
The Alicanto has enormous wings that seem perfect for taking flight, but it’s too gluttonous to do so! Mere worms aren’t enough for this bird: It goes crazy for gold, silver, and any other sort of precious metal. With a feast like that in its belly, how could it ever manage to fly?
A miner from Chañarcillo, Chile, described his encounter with an Alicanto one night. It was dancing on the rocks with its golden feathers lighting up the dark, and he followed it, hoping it would lead him to treasure. The farther he went, the harder the trail became. Soon the man realized that the creature was leading him to the edge of a ravine. Stopping just in time, he saw the Alicanto turn and look at him, as if to say, “If you want gold, you have to earn it!” After that day, the man stopped looking for easy riches and became the best mineral prospector in the region, all thanks to that one chance encounter.
It’s better to admire from afar and leave it be: Sometimes, true wealth is knowing how to appreciate all that glitters, without trying to possess it at all costs.
Baku
Have you ever had a bad dream that wakes you up with a start? Next time you’ll know what to do: Just whisper “Baku, come eat my dream” three times.
A long time ago, in a small village in Japan, there was a boy who dreamed every night of running in a dark forest chased by a ferocious beast. Inevitably, he would wake up covered in sweat. The nightmare was so terrifying that the boy was always scared to go to sleep. So, one day, his grandfather told him about the one creature that could help him: the baku!
The following night, the boy fell asleep and once again dreamed he was running in the forest. The fierce beast was closing in on him, but the boy mustered all his courage, stopped, and said, “Baku, come eat my dream!” And with that, a tapir-like creature jumped out from behind a tree. Calm and collected, it devoured the nightmare.
The boy had no more nightmares from that day on. Every time he went to bed, he was serene as can be because he knew that no matter what came to him in his dreams, he wouldn’t have to face it alone.
Carbuncle
If you see something sparkling amid the bushes at night, stop for a second to observe it from afar. You may have run into a carbuncle!
One evening, a miner who was famous for his intuition went to the heart of the forest in search of new gold veins. After a little while, amid the shadows of the trunks, he saw a pulsing light. Thinking it was treasure, he cautiously walked over to it. It was a carbuncle! Its shell shone a pale blue, and the gem on its forehead glistened like a small sun.
Captivated, the miner stretched out his hand. But the carbuncle noticed him, ran and hid, and quickly drew its legs and head into its shell, making it easy to confuse it with an opaque rock. The man followed the tracks left by the creature and, in a hole not far off, he saw only a large, rough stone that reflected the moonlight.
At first he wanted to go back the next day to find the den of the carbuncle, but looking at the moon, he remembered the large gem that shone on the forehead of the creature. He then realized that some wonders are meant to be protected and not possessed; their light is made to illuminate the world, not to be trapped.
Cerberus
An angry dog is sure to scare just about anyone, no doubt about it. But what would you do if I told you this one has three heads?
Aeneas had decided to head to the Underworld to meet the ghost of his father, Anchises, but there was one small problem: Cerberus! Imagine a dog as big as a house, with three heads and mouths full of sharp teeth, and a snake for a tail. Not exactly the sort of puppy you’d want to pet, right?
In any case, Aeneas wasn’t alone: Sibyl, a prophetess, was with him, and she knew just what to do. In fact, she had made a special bread covered in honey and special herbs.
When she saw Cerberus, its three heads began to growl in unison. But as soon as she threw the bread to them ... GULP! The beast swallowed it in just one bite. Can you guess what happened next? In a matter of seconds, its six red eyes began to close, one after the other. The powerful guardian of the Underworld fell to the ground, curled its snake tail around itself, and started to snore so loudly that the walls of the cave began to shake.
And get this: Ever since then, those who go to the Underworld always bring a piece of honey-covered bread with them. You never know . . .
Once he had a plan to beat the creature, Bellerophon sprang into action. He hovered in the air, waiting for the right moment, then, with all his might, he launched a large lead arrow straight into the jaws of the Chimera. The beast didn’t fall right away, though. Enraged, it tried to hit Bellerophon with its poisonous tail and sharp claws. But lucky for Bellerophon, Pegasus was fast and, on his steed’s back, he managed to dodge his opponent’s attacks. Everything was going according to plan. All that was left to do was to wait for the creature to spit burning-hot flames again.
Bellerophon continued flying circles around the Chimera, then he got close enough to make the creature think it could to hit him with its flames. As it readied to blow its fire, no flames came out of its throat! Instead, the flames melted the lead arrow that Bellerophon had shot at it, and the liquefied metal dripped down into the lungs of the beast, silencing its terrible roar forever.
Bellerophon had freed the kingdom from the nightmare and became a legendary hero.
Akhlut
If you ever find yourself face-to-face with the guardian of the icy sea, remember that brute force won’t save you.
One day, a fisherman went out farther than usual in his boat because there were hardly any fish in the sea near his village. The silence all around him was broken only by the wind and by the ice as it crashed against the hull.
Suddenly, a dark, threatening creature appeared! It was an Akhlut, half orca and half wolf, the guardian of frozen waters. The fisherman began to tremble with fear. He took a deep breath and untied the carved bone talisman from his neck that he wore when out fishing. He then let that small charm in the shape of a fish fall into the frozen water as an offering to the Akhlut.
The creature entered the water and drew closer to the boat. Its dark eyes watched the fisherman as if trying to peer straight into his soul. The fisherman had shown humility and respect for the forces of the natural world, so the Akhlut was satisfied and spared his life.
From that day onward, the waters were generous to the man and his village, but he never took advantage of that gift because he knew that the sea was generous only to those who showed it respect.
Cirein-Cro ` in
If you see a small fish dart around a Scottish lake, don’t be fooled! It might not be quite what it seems.
A long time ago, there was a boy who wanted to become the greatest fisherman of all time. So, one day, he went out on his boat to show his village what he was really worth. After hours of fishing without a single catch, he saw a minuscule silvery fish swimming near his boat. He cast his line with a smile, sure that at least that little fish would be his.
As soon as the fish bit the line, however, the boat began to rock violently. The small fish turned into a sea serpent that was as big as seven whales, with teeth as sharp as knives. It was a Cirein-cròin!
Fearing for his life, the young man cut the fishing line and fell to his knees, praying that the creature would forgive him. The Cirein-cròin, perhaps impressed by the boy’s humility or just having a bit of fun, turned into a small silvery fish once again and dove back into the deep water.
After that day, the young man fished with prudence and respect. He learned that true strength isn’t capturing everything you desire, but knowing when to let something go.
Unicorn
In the oldest and wildest forests lives a legendary creature that few have seen. Do you want to see it? It will show itself to you only if your heart is pure.
A long time ago, in a town on the edge of a mysterious forest, lived a girl who wasn’t like the others. The residents of the village feared the woods all around them, but the girl loved walking among the trees and observing the animals.
One day while exploring a trail she hadn’t ever walked down, she found a stream of clear water. Lying on its bank was a small, wounded bird. The girl carefully took the bird in her hands. She wanted to heal it, but she didn’t know what to do! While she knelt along the stream, she heard a rustling sound approaching from behind. Frightened, she slowly turned around, holding her breath. Between the sun’s rays coming in through the trees was a unicorn!
La Velue
I hope you are lionhearted, because the creature I’m about to describe is so terrible that no one dares get near it!
In a small river in France lived La Velue, a creature with the head of a snake, the feet of a turtle, and a body covered in spines. It was really dangerous! One day, a very nice girl fell into its den. She was so beloved that the entire village wanted to save her!
They grabbed swords, clubs, arrows, and pitchforks, and then ran to the creature’s den. Once they got there, they heard the girl’s voice; there was no time to lose! Some shot arrows, others lunged at La Velue with their swords, but no matter how strong they were, none of them made a mark on the creature’s skin, which was as hard as steel.
A young man stopped to watch the fighting and noticed that the creature was trying to protect its tail. Could that be its weak spot? He grabbed his sword and told the others to distract the beast. Then he ran around it and sank his shiny sword into the middle of the creature’s tail.
La Velue fell to the ground instantly. It was dead, and the girl was safe! The young man became a hero; true strength doesn’t lie in brute power, but in the ability to observe.
Anna L á ng
Anna Láng is a Hungarian graphic designer and illustrator currently living and working in Milan, Italy. After attending the Hungarian University of Fine Arts in Budapest and graduating as a graphic designer in 2011, she worked at an advertising agency for three years. She was awarded the Békéscsaba City Prize at the Hungarian Biennial of Graphic Design for her Shakespeare poster series in 2013. She currently works in the genre she is most passionate about: illustrations for children’s books. She has created illustrations for various books for White Star Kids in recent years.
Jacopo Donati
Jacopo Donati is an editor and writer. In the past, he wrote for television, but now he works exclusively in fiction, with a particular focus on genre fiction and children’s fiction. He teaches editing and creative writing at Bottega Finzioni in Bologna, Italy, where he helps aspiring authors perfect their stories.
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Translation: Katherine Kirby
Editing: Michele Suchomel-Casey
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored or transmitted in any form or by any means without written permission from the publisher.
First printing, July 2024
ISBN 978-88-544-2090-8
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Printed and manufactured in China by Shenzhen Dream Colour Printing Company Limited, Shenzhen, Guangdong