Sassy, sassier, sassiest! That Brer Rabbit was the back-sassiest critter in 10 counties and it got so Brer Fox just couldn't bear it another second. So he stirred himself up a sticky, gooey Tar Baby and left it on a log for Brer Rabbit to run smack into.

Denzel Washington reads this larger-than-life tale about the African-American hero who was born with a hammer in his hand. Join John Henry on a scenic journey from cotton country to the wilderness, where he finds men of all colors working together to build a great railroad. In no time, John Henry becomes king of the railroad camps by driving more steel than any man alive. And, in an exciting contest that pits man against machine, he single-handedly out-performs a new-fangled steam drill.

Tiny Tom, no larger than his father's thumb, embarks on a series of fantastical adventures that lead him to King Arthur's court. After saving King Arthur from the clutches of an evil sorcerer, he becomes a member of the Knights of the Round Table, and the darling of Queen Guinevere.

Susan Sarandon reads this Russian legend about an archer named Ivan and his inseparable companion, the Horse of Power. When Ivan brings a golden feather from the Firebird to the Tsar, he is ordered to present the entire bird or lose his life. Then he is commanded to retrieve the princess Vassilisa from the end of the earth so that the Tsar might marry her. Inevitably, the archer himself falls in love with the princess. Ivan and the Horse of Power must ultimately find a way to thwart the Tsar.

Read by actor Michael Caine with original music by Ellis Marsalis and featuring cellist Yo-Yo Ma. One day, King Midas sees a beautiful butterfly illuminated by the golden light of the afternoon sun. He is so taken with it that he wishes for the power to turn all things he touches into gold. But when a strange messenger arrives in a chariot and grants him this desire, King Midas soon comes to realize that there are some things in life more precious than gold.

Big as a mountain and stronger than a grizzly bear, Paul Bunyan was the greatest lumberjack ever to swagger through the North American forests. All the larger-than-life characters in Paul's supporting cast are here, including Babe the Blue Ox, eating her ton of grain a day, and Hotbiscuit Sally, with her acre-and-a-half griddle. The outrageous adventures of this quintessential American hero represent the very best in the proud tradition of American storytelling.

Actress Glenn Close reads Washington Irving's eerie tale of romantic rivalry along the Hudson. The story pits the new schoolmaster Ichabod Crane against the local hero and bully, Brom Bones, for the hand of Katrina Van Tassel. This haunting drama climaxes with the appearance of one of the great, legendary ghosts of all time: the headless horseman.

"I give you assurances," cried the Tiger to the Brahmin. "I shan't eat you if you let me out of the cage." But when the Brahmin makes the mistake of taking the Tiger at his word, he discovers that the dishonest beast intended to eat him all along. In the end, it is the wily jackal who comes to the Brahmin's aid and teaches him a lesson he had never found in his holy books. This clever, absorbing adaptation, written by Brian Gleeson, is read by Ben Kingsley.

Rudyard Kipling's story of how the elephant got its trunk has always delighted children with its playful use of language and sense of high adventure. Never has there been a more satisfying rendering of Kipling's most beloved "Just So" story, which explains what the world was like "in the beginning of years when the world was new and all..." Ages five and up. Narrated by Jack Nicholson with musical accompaniment by Bobby McFerrin.

Take a rollicking ride through the Wild, Wild West with the original cowboy, Pecos Bill. Raised by coyotes to brave the great frontier, Pecos rides his wild mustang Widow-Maker and invents the first rough-and-tumble cattle drive. Then he mounts a runaway cyclone like a buckin' bronco to create the Great Salt Lake.

Finn McCoul is the greatest champion in all of Ireland, but when he discovers that the brutish giant Cucullin is after him, even the great Finn gets a wee bit nervous. But with some ingenious culinary magic on the part of his clever wife, Finn manages to get out of the scrape with his dignity intact. Well, most of it! This rollicking version of a beloved Celtic legend, read by actress Catherine O'Hara, with music by Boys of the Lough, will light up your ears.

Morgan Freeman reads this story, accompanied by music by Taj Mahal. Based on the traditional American folksong, this compelling tale recounts the daring adventures of one family's escape from slavery via the Underground Railroad. This touching story captures all the drama of a perilous flight to freedom, told through the experience of a young girl.

A man who sleeps for 20 years in the Catskill Mountains wakes to a much-changed world. This is an American classic!

In this comic retelling, young Jack foolishly sells his family's cow for a handful of magical beans. Overnight, they grow into a beanstalk that reaches up beyond the blue sky itself, leading Jack into a hilarious series of misadventures with a dimwitted ogre and his extra-large spouse.

In the yellow hues of the African plains, hunting was easy for the leopard, whose light coat served as camouflage. When all the animals moved away, the hungry leopard had to follow them to the striped, splotchy, spotted forest. But he didn't stand a chance of survival unless, of course, he acquired spots himself.