Two supremely skewed novellas that comprehensively challenge our ideas and assumptions about masculinity and femininity.

A light-hearted collection of stories and anecdotes from two vets working in the heartland. Peter Anderson and Peter Jerram have rounded up a selection of highly entertaining yarns about the animals, and owners, they've come across during their more than thirty years in practice together. Among these hard case and humorous tales are stories of a narrowly escaped attack from a lame bull, a tough pig hunter who fainted at the sight of a syringe, a young green vet confronted by a bull with a prolapsed prepuce, and chasing clients reluctant to cough up.These two Marlborough vets treat both large and small animals and Peter Anderson is known locally as the flying vet, visiting clients in the back country of Marlborough and North Canterbury. These glimpses into the reality of a rural vet's life are essential reading for animal lovers or anyone interested in stories from the heartland of New Zealand.

Many of the earliest books, particularly those dating back to the 1900s and before, are now extremely scarce and increasingly expensive. We are republishing many of these classic works in affordable, high quality, modern editions, using the original text and artwork.

A collection of animal fables told by the Greek slave Aesop.

The largest, most comprehensive, and most entertaining reference of its kind, The Dictionary of Clichés features more than four thousand unique clichés and common expressions. Author Christine Ammer explores the phrases and terms that enliven our language and uncovers expressions that have long been considered dead. With each entry, she includes a thorough definition, origin of the term, and an insightful example. Some of the clichés brought into the limelight include: • Blood is thicker than water • Monkey see, monkey do • Brass tacks • Burn the midnight oil • Change of heart • Moral fiber • By the book Whether clichés get under your skin or make you happy as a clam, The Dictionary of Clichés goes the extra mile to provide an essential resource for students, teachers, writers, and anyone with a keen interest in language. And that’s food for thought.

Long-time word-detective and bestselling author of Port Out, Starboard Home, Michael Quinion brings us the answers to nearly two hundred of the most intriguing questions he's been asked about language over the years. Sent to him by enquiring readers from all around the globe, Michael's answers about the meanings and histories behind the quirky phrases, slang and language that we all use are set to delight, amuse and enlighten even the most hardened word-obsessive. Did you know that 'Blighty' comes from an ancient Arabic word? Or that Liberace cried his way to the bank so many times people think he came up with the phrase? That 'cloud nine' started out as 'cloud seven' in the speakeasies of '30s America? And that the first person to have their thunder stolen was a dismal playwright from Drury Lane? Michael Quinion's Why is Q Always Followed By U? is full of surprising discoveries, entertaining quotations and memorable information. There are plenty of colourful stories out there, but Michael Quinion will help you discover the truth that lies behind the cock-and-bull stories and make sure you're always linguistically on the ball.

Hidden within age-old classic stories lie the hermetic teachings of alchemy and Freemasonry • Explains how the stages of the Great Work are encoded in both little known and popular stories such as Cinderella, Snow White, and Little Red Riding Hood • Reveals the connection between Mother Goose and important esoteric symbols of the Western Mystery tradition • Demonstrates the ancient lineage of these stories and how they originated as the trigger to push humanity toward higher levels of consciousness In his Mystery of the Cathedrals, the great alchemist Fulcanelli revealed the teachings of the hermetic art encoded in the sculpture and stained glass of the great cathedrals of Europe. What he did for churches, his disciple Bernard Roger does here for fairy tales. Through exhaustive analysis of the stories collected by the Brothers Grimm, Perrault, and others, Roger demonstrates how hermetic ideas, especially those embodied in alchemy and Freemasonry, can be found in fairy tales, including such popular stories as Cinderella, Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, and Little Red Riding Hood as well as the tales attributed to “Mother Goose.” The goose has long been an important esoteric symbol in the Western Mystery tradition. The stories told under the aegis of Mother Goose carry these symbols and secrets, concealed in what hermetic adepts have long called “the language of the birds.” Drawing upon the original versions of fairy tales, not the sanitized accounts made into children’s movies, the author reveals how the tales illustrate each stage of the Great Work and the alchemical iterations required to achieve them. He shows how the common motif of a hero or heroine sent in search of a rare object by a sovereign before their wishes can be granted is analogous to the Masonic quest for the lost tomb of Hiram or the alchemist’s search for the fire needed to perform the Great Work. He also reveals how the hero is always aided by a green bird, which embodies the hermetic understanding of the seed and the fruit. By unveiling the secret teachings within fairy tales, Roger demonstrates the truly ancient lineage of these initiatory stories and how they originated as the trigger to push humanity toward higher levels of consciousness.