{"product_id":"the-king-of-the-copper-mountains-isbn-9781782695332","title":"The King of the Copper Mountains","description":"\u003cb\u003eA timeless and enchanting children's fantasy classic, in which a group of animals must tell a nightly story in order to save their beloved king.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e\"A triumphant piece of magic.\"  – \u003ci\u003eObserver\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAt the end of his thousand-year reign of the Copper Mountains, old King Mansolain is tired and his heart is slowing down. When his attendant, the Hare, consults the Wonder Doctor, he is told he must keep the King engaged in life by telling him a story every night until the Doctor can find a cure.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe search is on for a nightly story, and one by one the kingdom's inhabitants arrive with theirs. The ferocious Wolf tells a story about a witch who almost bested him; the Rabbit-of-the-dunes has a story about a lost brother; the Duck reveals why his kind are always dipping their heads underwater; the lovesick Donkey explains why he needs a new hat; and the fire-breathing three-headed Dragon recounts how he became a friend to humankind. Last to arrive is the Dwarf, with four ancient books and a prophecy that the King will live for another thousand years - but only if the Wonder Doctor returns in time.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eEach visitor sits on the king’s slong white beard to tell their tale, and each tale is more wondrous than the last – but will they be able to keep King Mansolain’s heart beating until the cure arrives?A   triumphant piece of magic' -- \u003ci\u003eObserver\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e 'Amusing, endearing and intensely moving' -- \u003ci\u003eDaily Telegraph\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e 'The best book of all for this age [7+]' -- \u003ci\u003eThe Times\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cb\u003ePaul Biegel\u003c\/b\u003e was one of Europe's most acclaimed and best-loved storytellers, and the author of more than fifty books for children. Born in the Netherlands in 1926, he studied law but worked as a comic-strip writer before writing his first novel, \u003ci\u003eThe Golden Guitar\u003c\/i\u003e, in 1960. \u003ci\u003eThe King of the Copper Mountains\u003c\/i\u003e followed in 1965. It won the award for the best Dutch children's book of the year, and is still his best-loved work. \u003ci\u003eThe Gardens of Dorr\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eThe Little Captain\u003c\/i\u003e are also forthcoming from Pushkin Children's Books.Introduction\u003cbr\u003eWhen I was little my father, Paul Biegel, my mother,\u003cbr\u003emy brother and I lived in a canal house in Amsterdam\u003cbr\u003ein the Netherlands. My brother and I had a room high\u003cbr\u003eup in the attic where in wintertime we would lie in\u003cbr\u003eour beds listening to the wind howling around the\u003cbr\u003eroof. Every evening when it was time to go to bed, we\u003cbr\u003ewould undress, brush our teeth and then cry downstairs:\u003cbr\u003e“Daddy! Daddy! It is time for a story!” And then we\u003cbr\u003ewould jump under the covers and wait excitedly for the\u003cbr\u003esound of my father’s footsteps on the stairs. The thrill\u003cbr\u003ewe felt! We knew that soon he would come up to the\u003cbr\u003eattic and tell us fantastic, spontaneous stories he had\u003cbr\u003emade up just for us.\u003cbr\u003eAs an exercise to train his brain in fantasy, my brother\u003cbr\u003eand I would give him two subjects to talk about – I\u003cbr\u003eremember in one instance we suggested a doorknob and\u003cbr\u003ea champagne cork. And he thought for a little and soon\u003cbr\u003ehad a story based around those two objects. But not just\u003cbr\u003ean ordinary story: it was always one full of suspense,\u003cbr\u003eexcitement and fun.\u003cbr\u003eAnd then he began: “Once, a family was celebrating\u003cbr\u003eNew Year’s Eve. As soon as the clock struck twelve,\u003cbr\u003eand the New Year began, the father opened a bottle of\u003cbr\u003echampagne. The cork popped, fell to the ground and\u003cbr\u003erolled behind the door. Father poured out the glasses\u003cbr\u003eand forgot about it. But later, when everybody went to\u003cbr\u003ebed, a mouse crept out of his little hole and bumped into\u003cbr\u003ethe cork. Just then he heard the doorknob turn slowly,\u003cbr\u003every slowly. What was that? A robber…?”\u003cbr\u003eAnd this is how my father would conjure up a tale\u003cbr\u003eout of nothing while we children slowly got warm\u003cbr\u003elying in our beds. I can still remember how our hearts\u003cbr\u003ewould jump and beat faster with excitement from those\u003cbr\u003ebedtime stories.\u003cbr\u003eAnd this book The King of the Copper Mountains is\u003cbr\u003ealso about the heart, because it tells how the gentle\u003cbr\u003eand beloved King Mansolain, who is close to death now\u003cbr\u003ehis heart is failing and ticking too slowly, can only be\u003cbr\u003estrengthened by a potion made from the rare life-giving\u003cbr\u003eGolden Speedwell. Once a night, the Wonder Doctor\u003cbr\u003esays before he goes off to find the magic plant, the\u003cbr\u003eking’s interest must be piqued so that he will live until\u003cbr\u003emorning – and what better way to do it than with a\u003cbr\u003erousing tale? So, on his travels, he sends all the animals\u003cbr\u003ehe meets back to the Copper Castle to tell the king a\u003cbr\u003estory to keep his heart beating, allowing him time to\u003cbr\u003efind and return with the Golden Speedwell.\u003cbr\u003eMy father wrote The King of the Copper Mountains\u003cbr\u003emore than forty years ago. Being now over forty years\u003cbr\u003eold myself, I still sometimes go back and read it, as it\u003cbr\u003ehas remained one of my favourite children’s books.\u003cbr\u003eSoon, I will start to read it to my own children, David\u003cbr\u003eand Laura, so that there will be a third generation of\u003cbr\u003echildren hearing the stories in this book.\u003cbr\u003eSadly, my father became ill last year. And unlike the\u003cbr\u003eking in this magnificent book, I knew there would be\u003cbr\u003eno Golden Speedwell to cure him and he passed away\u003cbr\u003ein October 2006. I still miss my father very much but\u003cbr\u003efortunately I can still hear his voice in his wonderful\u003cbr\u003ebooks, and the memories of his bedtime stories still\u003cbr\u003ekeep me warm – and my heart ticking – after all these\u003cbr\u003eyears.\u003cbr\u003e—LEONIE BIEGEL , 2007","brand":"Pushkin Children's Books","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48233690890469,"sku":"NP9781782695332","price":14.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1842\/7735\/files\/9781782695332.jpg?v=1767740055","url":"https:\/\/k12savings.com\/products\/the-king-of-the-copper-mountains-isbn-9781782695332","provider":"K12savings","version":"1.0","type":"link"}