The Story is about a man who had a large bean farm. When his beans were about to ripen, he left his child to guard them from animals. As usual the Rabbit visited the farm and lured the child into eating almost all the beans in the farm...

First published between 1927 and 1958, the 26 classic books about Freddy the Pig have delighted five generations of children and are now going on to delight a sixth generation. Freddy the Pig must summon all of his courage and detective skills when the chief suspect of a series of robberies on the Bean Farm is a legendary beast from the Big Woods.

Freddy, who has won so many admirers in his roles of detective, pied piper, editor, general advisor to the animals on the Bean Farm, and-always-poet, will fascinate his readers in his role of magician. With the help of Jinx, the cat, and Jinx's sister, Minx, as well as many other well-known animals on the Bean Farm, Freddy pulls some wonderful tricks, not the least of which is outwitting the fraudulent magician who comes to entertain the unsuspecting inhabitants of the nearby town of Centerboro.

In Freddy and Simon the Dictator, warning had been printed in the Bean Home News and the Centerboro Guardian, but nobody paid much attention to them. An animal revolt? “Preposterous!” said the Beans and all the other humans. But it’s true—and Simon the rat is determined to turn the farm into a dictatorship. Mr. Camphor has been persuaded (much against his better judgment) to run for governor of New York State, Herb Garble shows up, Jinx defects to the enemy (or does he?), and Freddy—that inimitable pig!—goes to work as the political boss of Otesaraga County. Freddy and Simon the Dictator is classic Brooks, in which the master of barnyard hilarity has a lot of fun satirizing politics and—especially—politicians.

A comprehensive evaluation of how to read African history. Writing African History is an essential work for anyone who wants to write, or even seriously read, African history. It will replace Daniel McCall's classic Africa in Time Perspective as the introduction to African history for the next generation and as a reference for professional historians, interested readers, and anyone who wants to understand how African history is written. Africa in Time Perspective was written in the 1960s, when African history was a new field of research. This new book reflects the development of African history since then. It opens with a comprehensive introduction by Daniel McCall, followed by a chapter by the editor explainingwhat African history is [and is not] in the context of historical theory and the development of historical narrative, the humanities, and social sciences. The first half of the book focuses on sources of historical data while thesecond half examines different perspectives on history. The editor's final chapter explains how to combine various sorts of evidence into a coherent account of African history. Writing African History will become the most important guide to African history for the 21st century. Contributors: Bala Achi, Isaac Olawale Albert, Diedre L. Badéjo, Dorothea Bedigian, Barbara M. Cooper, Henry John Drewal, Christopher Ehret, Toyin Falola, David Henige, Joseph E. Holloway, John Hunwick, S. O. Y. Keita, William G. Martin, Daniel McCall, Susan Keech McIntosh, Donatien Dibwe Dia Mwembu, Kathleen Sheldon, John Thornton, and Masao Yoshida. John Edwards Philips is professor of international society, Hirosaki University, and author of Spurious Arabic: Hausa and Colonial Nigeria [Madison, University of Wisconsin African Studies Center, 2000].

Including stories from the 1700s to today, Choctaw Tales showcases the mythic, the legendary and supernatural, the prophecies and histories, the animal fables and jokes that make up the rich and lively Choctaw storytelling tradition. The stories display intelligence, artistry, and creativity as Choctaw narrators, past and present, express and struggle with beliefs, values, humor, and life experiences. Photographs of the storytellers complement the text. For sixteen tales, the Choctaw-language version appears in addition to the English translation. Many of these stories, passed down through generations, address the Choctaw sense of isolation and tension as storytellers confront eternal, historical, and personal questions about the world and its inhabitants. Choctaw Tales, the first book to collect these stories, creates a comprehensive gathering of oral traditions from the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians. Each story brings to life the complex and colorful world of the Choctaw tribe and its legend and lore. The shukha anumpa include tall tales, jokes, and stories of rabbits, turtles, and bears. The stories of the elders are populated by spirits that bring warnings and messages to the people. These tales provide a spectrum of legend and a glimpse of a vibrant, thriving legacy.