Description
Nicholas is an orphan. Abandoned in a mysterious aviary in the depths of the forest, he is raised by an old man who teaches him all there is to know about swans, vultures, herons, and the hundreds of other birds with which they share a home. But when the old man dies, the boy sets off on a pilgrimage to find the feather of the legendary bird called the Phoenix, the feather that is medicine for all passion, pain, and sorrow. The many-faceted and allegorical adventure that follows brings us face to face with the myths of many cultures, drawing on the Greeks, Romans, and Babylonians, the Chinese and the Sioux. Over forty fantastic paintings portray Nicholas's journey and the oddities he encounters. 40 color plates.
Read More
Nicolas is an orphan. Abandoned in a mysterious aviary deep in the forest, he is raised by an old man who teaches him all there is to know about the hundreds of species of birds with which they share their home. "One feather of the legendary bird called Phoenix," the old man instructs him, "is the medicine for all passion, pain, and sorrow." So, when the old man dies, the broken-hearted boy sets off on a pilgrimage to find such a magical feather. He climbs the slopes of an erupting volcano, dives under the sea in search of pirates' treasure, flies through the air on the wings of an albatross, and finally falls back to earth. There he enters a ghostly Garden of Jewels, and passes through the Torn Curtain of Howling into the realm of dream.It is a large bluebird dressed as a ballerina and trained as an alchemist, along with her assistant, an ex-circus bear, who come to the boy's rescue when all seems lost, leading him fearlessly through the labyrinth of his own dreams.
Read Less