Seventh century England; a baby is found in a tree by a party of monks. He’s brought up in their monastery and given the name Arborius. Young Arborius appears to have miraculous powers, so he’s awarded a halo (second-hand, source uncertain)—but all is not as it seems. His “miracles” are really the work of his guardian spirit, a foul-mouthed thin dog, visible only to himself and to the slowest-witted of his fellow monks. This biography of a little-known (actually non-existent) saint reveals how Arborius ostensibly earned his halo, worsted the Devil, was famed for feeding the poor and healing the sick, founded many of our Christmas traditions, departed the world in a manner recalling the tale of Jack and the Beanstalk—and was canonised. Warning: the story contains groan-inducing word games!

A collection of folk tales from the surrounding areas of the Peak District.

Fenella is officially a damsel, but she’s the despair of her parents, who want to marry her to young Sir Mallicose. Big, muscular, dark, scruffy and bold, Fenella would rather chop logs and shoot arrows than embroider a tapestry, and she isn’t interested in Sir Mallicose at all. Her younger sister Felicity—delicate, pretty, shy and retiring—loves embroidery, loves Sir Mallicose, and hates Fenella. When the terrible dragon Faffer arrives in the neighborhood, wreaking havoc and stealing livestock and maidservants, Sir Mallicose goes to fight him—and is captured. Fenella sets off to rescue him, despite the fears of her friend Harold the Steward. Her only weapons against Faffer the dragon are her axe . . . and her magic mirror, which shows you the thing you most greatly fear. Will they be enough? And if Sir Mallicose is rescued, which sister will he marry? (Illustrated)

The intriguing tale of the murder of a young couple at one of the most picturesque locations in the Peak District during the mid 1800s and how such a story evolves into folklore as it is retold.

“A superb new book . . . explores the history of Britain’s first National Park from the Stone Age to the modern day . . . lavishly illustrated.”—Reflections Magazine The moors of the Peak District provide some of the finest walking country in England. The pleasure of rambling across them is enhanced by a knowledge of their history, ranging from prehistoric times and the middle ages to their conversion for grouse shooting and the struggle for the “right to roam” in modern times. This distinctive landscape is not an untouched, natural relic for it has been shaped by humans over the centuries. Now it is being conserved as part of Britain’s first National Park; much of it is in the care of The National Trust. The book covers all periods of time from prehistory to the present, for a typical moorland walk might take in the standing stones of a prehistoric stone circle, a medieval boundary marker, a guide stoop dated 1709, the straight walls of nineteenth-century enclosure, a row of Victorian grouse butts, a long line of flagstones brought in by helicopter, and very much more besides. “This is no ‘desk-based study’ but the product of a lifetime of living, working and researching in or immediately adjacent to the moors.”—The Local Historian “David writes with a contagious enthusiasm. This generously illustrated book roams amongst the best—and lesser-known—moorland features . . . a guide par excellence.”—Peak Advertiser “Few tomes can have been quite as comprehensive as David’s. Within these pages are Romans and Vikings, railways and canals, ramblers and World War Two soldiers.”—The Star (Sheffield)

This termite Volume 2 comprises 13 chapters in an attempt to bring all available information on sustainable and eco-friendly termite management. The previous Volume considered the biology, social behaviour and economic importance of these insects. Chapters in this book dealing with damage and specific management of fungus-growing termites provide a review on most recent methodologies used for management. Termite damage crops from sowing till harvest. As it is difficult to detect damages in field, usually it is too late when the symptoms are noticed. A separate chapter on issues related to Indian agriculture and the contemporary practices being followed by majority of the Indian farmers is quite informative. Similarly, a case study for termites infesting Malaysian forests constitutes an important contribution. Various issues related to integrated and eco-friendly termite management in tropical conditions have been addressed comprehensively. Potential role of microbes has also been discussed in detail in other chapters. The information contained under these chapters should help termite management in a way that natural resources can be used and maintained for the generations to come. Similarly, the chapter on physical barriers contributes a wealth of information that can be useful all over the world where termite is a problem. Emphasis has been laid on reviewing contribution of synthetic chemical insecticides in termite management. A separate chapter dealing with standard norms in wood protection constitute a significant step in this direction. A further chapter throws light on the potential of biotechnology as a tool in management..

Reprint of the original, first published in 1859. The publishing house Anatiposi publishes historical books as reprints. Due to their age, these books may have missing pages or inferior quality. Our aim is to preserve these books and make them available to the public so that they do not get lost.