my mother would read this to me when i was younger. i loved it so much that i, the most rule-abiding person you'll ever meet, stole it from my school library. the ending had me so hooked. this is a perfect book for people like me who get bored very very easily as it has such a wide range of stories all told in one. the writing is so good - full of imagry and foreshadowing - i dont know if they still print this book, but if you get hold of it, dont let it go!