Tales for the Telling — Edna O'Brien

These 12 enchanting stories of ancient magic, daring deeds, dashing heroes, and mythical creatures sparkle with wit, nonsense, and naughtiness. Tales for the Telling features traditional Irish folk and fairy tales. In "Two Giants," Irish giant Finn, no longer in the first flush of youth, is challenged to do battle against Scottish giant McConigle, who aims to take over Finn’s territory. The titanic clash is averted when Finn’s clever wife, Oonagh manages to fool McConigle into thinking that Finn is twice the size he really is, and three times as strong. McConigle then has second thoughts about tackling Finn. This story illustrates the way that O’Brien’s retelling of tales from her native land will delight and enthrall the whole family either as bed-time reading or as a rainy day treat.