The Otter and the Rattlesnake and Other Tales

By Sylvester Foxglove

A flute of pure gold is on display at a music store, but the owner refuses to sell it, saying that it is evil. A solitary wizard goes insane while trying to find out if there is a black spot on the back of his head. A rattlesnake holds a group of baby rabbits hostage. He will not let them go unless someone answers the riddle of what all animals desire. This collection of stories by Sylvester Foxglove will delight young readers while teaching valuable lessons for the world we live in now.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Sylvester Foxglove
• Release date: Oct 27, 2022
• ISBN: 9798215986820

Book preview

The Young Gardener

Once there was an old man who was called on to create a garden for the sake of his village. The old man found seeds for the most wondrous blossoms known to him. He cleared the ground thoroughly and tucked the seeds into the warm soil. The blossoms began to grow, but soon they were destroyed by a swarm of black locusts descending from the sky. The old man found that he could do nothing to stop the locusts, and so he began to weep.

And as he wept, a flock of birds flew down and ate all of the locusts. The old man was astonished, and he gave pieces of bread to the birds as thanks for their unexpected aid. Then the old man found new seeds and began his task again. With time, he learned that he could hold back the locusts by calling to the birds. The old man came to see the birds as friends and partners in his work. He built bird feeders to serve the birds and was soon able to create a garden of rare beauty. The old man offered free tours of the garden to the villagers, speaking lyrically of the many blossoms and praising the birds, always attaching the least importance to himself. The villagers marveled at the garden but also at the humility of its caretaker, and so the old man came to be called the Wise Gardener throughout all the land.

The Wise Gardener had a son, and he taught him how to care for the garden. He taught many lessons, but he emphasized as his first rule, Cherish the birds. The son studied the lessons carefully and committed them to memory. As the father grew still older, he gradually handed more responsibility to his son. Finally, the day came when the Wise Gardener had taught all he felt he needed to teach. He handed the care of the garden over to his son and retired to the place beyond the hills. The son built on his father's legacy and came to be called the Faithful Gardener throughout all the