Books with title Black Cauldron, The

In the imaginary Land of Prydain, where "evil is never distant," it has become imperative that the Black Cauldron, chief implement of the diabolical Arawn, be destroyed. In this cauldron Arawn has created his terrible army of deathless warriors from the stolen bodies of the slain. For each of those chosen to journey to Arawn's domain, the quest has a special meaning, and to Taran, Assistant Pig-Keeper, the adventure becomes a glorious opportunity to wear his first sword and prove himself a man among men.

This is in radio script format. It is an adaptation of the short story by Edgar Allan Poe. Allan, living with his wife and Pluto, his black cat, has been having problems. He reads about microwaves jumping off power transformers. He thinks this might be causing the problems. His problems become more intense. One night Allan returns home drunk and gouges his pet cat's eye out with a knife. A few weeks later, apparently because he feels guilty when he looks at the one-eyed cat, Allan takes the cat into the back yard and hangs him. That night his house burns down. Later, when Allan looks at the ruins, he discovers what he thinks is the shape of a cat hanging from a noose outlined on the one standing wall, that above his bed.Allan and his wife move to a new house. Allan continues to drink, and, one night, in the local bar, he finds and adopts another black cat exactly like Pluto. Several weeks later, when Allan, axe in hand, goes down to the cellar to break up some kindling for the winter, his new cat runs under his feet and nearly causes him to fall. He raises the axe, intending to hurl it at the cat, but his wife grabs his arm, and he kills her instead.He thinks of ways of disposing of the body and eventually decides to tear down a brick wall in the cellar and seal her body up behind it. He does this and is very proud of his work. A policeman questions Allan about his wife's disappearance, but the officer's questions are too easily answered; he doesn't even search the house. Allan feels he needs more of a challenge. A few days later, two more policemen search the house thoroughly. They search the cellar last, and, as they are about to leave, Allan proudly slaps on the very wall behind which he has buried his wife's body. The officers hear something that sounds like a baby crying from behind the wall. They get crowbars and break down the wall to find Allan's wife's body with the one-eyed black cat sitting on her head.

In the imaginary Land of Prydain, where "evil is never distant," it has become imperative that the Black Cauldron, chief implement of the diabolical Arawn, be destroyed. In this cauldron Arawn has created his terrible army of deathless warriors from the stolen bodies of the slain. For each of those chosen to journey to Arawn's domain, the quest has a special meaning, and to Taran, Assistant Pig-Keeper, the adventure becomes a glorious opportunity to wear his first sword and prove himself a man among men.From the Trade Paperback edition.

In the imaginary land of Prydain, where "evil is never distant," it has become imperative that the Black Cauldron, chief implement of the diabolical Arawn, be destroyed. In this cauldron Arawn has created his terrible army of diabolical warriors from the stolen bodies of the slain. For each of those chosen to journey to Arawn's domain, the quest has a special meaning; to Taran, Assistant Pig-Keeper, the adventure becomes a glorious opportunity to wear his first sword and prove himself a man among men. Based on The Chronicles of Prydain. "The same kind of engagingly fantastic nonsense lightens this story as it did The Book of Three; but the overtones here are more truly heroic. The reader's involvement is intense as the excitement leads up to the climactic meeting of tragedy and triumph. An exalting experience." --Horn Book

Edgar Allan Poe, the father of American horror fiction, first published his macabre short story “The Black Cat” in the August 19, 1843 edition of The Saturday Evening Post. The frightening tale of a murderer tormented by guilt over his terrible deeds is a classic. The narrator’s admission that much of his bad behavior and deranged thinking is the result of demon alcohol is possibly autobiographical, as Poe himself struggled with alcoholism throughout his life. This short work is part of Applewood’s “American Roots,” series, tactile mementos of American passions by some of America’s most famous writers and thinkers.

Since The Book of Three was first published in 1964, young readers have been enthralled by the adventures of Taran the Assistant Pig-keeper and his quest to become a hero. Taran is joined by an engaging cast of characters that includes Eilonwy, the strong-willed and sharp-tongued princess; Fflewddur Fflam, the hyperbole-prone bard; the ever-faithful Gurgi; and the curmudgeonly Doli--all of whom become involved in an epic struggle between good and evil that shapes the fate of the legendary land of Prydain.Released over a period of five years, Lloyd Alexander's beautifully written tales not only captured children's imaginations but also garnered the highest critical praise. The Black Cauldron was a Newbery Honor Book, and the final volume in the chronicles, The High King, crowned the series by winning the Newbery Medal for "the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children."Henry Holt is proud to present this classic series to a new generation of young readers. Jackets have been handsomely redesigned while retaining the original art of Caldecott Medal-winning artist Evaline Ness. Each retypeset volume now includes a pronunciation guide prepared by Lloyd Alexander. A companion book of short stories, The Foundling and Other Tales of Prydain, is also available in hardcover for the first time in twenty years.In their more than thirty years in print, the Chronicles of Prydain have become the standard of excellence in fantasy literature for children. The Black Cauldron is a 1966 Newbery Honor Book.