A poor shoemaker receives some unexpected help just when he needs it most. When it is close to Christmas he and his wife decided to give a gift in return.

A masterpiece by Hans Christian Andersen, full of the strange beauty of ice-cold winter, and the warmth of true love. Kay is kidnapped by the Snow Queen. His childhood sweetheart, Gerda, goes in search of him, and travels across a magical landscape to the frozen North.

Gerda searches for Kay who has been kidnapped by the beautiful Snow Queen. Her journey brings her to a witch with a lovely garden where it is always warm summer. Gerda forgets about Kay until she notices that just one flower is missing from the garden.

The final part is the most magical yet, taking us across the frozen landscapes of Finland and Lapland under the dazzling Northern Lights – to the palace of the Snow Queen.

How the Chinese years came to be named after the animals. It was all decided by a swimming contest.

In the year of the Rat, Bertie gives sanctuary to a special visitor to the pond.

A princess is spoiled and unable to appreciate the gifts of natural beauty that her prince sends her. And then she sees a clever little toy that she really, really wants. It belongs to the keeper of the Emperor’s pigs – the Imperial Swineherd.

They went to sea in a Sieve, they did, In a Sieve they went to sea… And when the Sieve turned round and round, And every one cried, ‘You’ll all be drowned!’ They called aloud, ‘Our Sieve ain’t big, But we don’t care a button! we don’t care a fig! By Edward Lear.

The strange story of a nose that ran away from its owner, a little girl called Isis. Soon the nose was making havoc all over her school. Only Katie the witch knew the full truth…

This is the classic story of somebody who is a bit different – by Hans Christian-Andersen.