Every year in the autumn, when the apples were at their ripest, the unicorns arrived at the old abbey in a sudden parade of trotting silver hooves and swirling manes.
Every year they invaded the abbey’s apple orchard, eating all the rare golden apples that grew there. And every year Abbot Aelian, wishing to save those apples, tried yet another unsuccessful way to stop the fierce invaders and their sharp horns. Nothing worked.
Then James, a young boy who asked endless questions, arrived at the abbey.
Knowing that the abbot wanted to harvest the rare apples for cider (to be sold to raise money to repair the dilapidated, once-beautiful abbey) James watched the unicorns carefully and came up with an idea.
However, there was a problem. James had been so bothersome to everyone with his many questions - many of them quite strange and unanswerable - that no one wanted to listen to him or his idea!
How can he put his idea into action? Is there someone who can help?
Jane Yolen is a master storyteller, and she has woven a charming fairy tale of adventure and magic, one which is true to the medieval time period and interspersed with humour, ** Recommended for ages 7 to 10 years.