The Nathaniel Hawthorne Library

In which the tender ministrations of Mother Ceres nurture a once frail infant prince to robust health by means most mysterious, while a grievous maternal fear unwittingly thwarts the boy's immortal destiny. Meanwhile, Proserpina's sojourn in King Pluto’s somber palace becomes a curious mixture of steadfast resolve and reluctant companionship, casting a verdant spell upon the earth as her absence and return entwine with nature’s own changing face.

In which a mother's tireless and sorrowful search for her missing child leads her through encounters with various fantastic beings and gloomy companions, her hope flickering like the eternal torch she carries. Along this mournful journey, she pauses to tend to a sickly infant in a royal household, bringing a gentle kindness amidst her own despair.

In which the gentle and watchful Mother Ceres departs to hasten the growth of the earth’s crops, leaving her dear daughter Proserpina to seek amusement with sea nymphs by the shore, only to find herself encountering a mysterious and somber stranger whose golden chariot whisks her away to a realm beneath the earth. Amidst sparkling gems and shadowed torments, the child’s heart longs for her mother whilst the sombre king endeavors, with somewhat forced kindness, to allure her to a palace bright with rare jewels but dimmed in true cheer.

In which the wise King Ulysses, guided by the winged messenger Quicksilver, confronts the enchanting and perilous allure of Circe’s palace, armed with a rare and potent flower to resist her beguiling magic. With prudent courage and steadfastness, he navigates the strange transformations wrought upon his comrades, restoring order amid the charms and threats of this bewitched isle.

In which a company of weary mariners finds themselves within the enchanting yet mysterious walls of a palace where wondrous fountains and melodious voices promise hospitality, whilst a shadow of suspicion lingers with one cautious observer. As they are led into a sumptuous banquet that excites their appetites and reveals their own images woven into tapestry, a lurking enchantment and the folly of human indulgence begin to take shape behind the scenes.

In which the wise and weather-beaten King Ulysses, after many perils by sea and land, arrives upon a mysterious island crowned by a grand marble palace, whose smoke and splendour promise both hospitality and hidden danger. Accompanied by a plaintive purple bird that seems to warn of impending mischief, his hungry companions debate whether to face the unknown within those walls, navigating hopes and fears amidst the enchantments of the island’s verdant groves and strange wild beasts that behave with unnatural fondness.

In which a weary prince, guided by an enchanted brindled cow, arrives at a peaceful and fertile place destined to be his new home, where he confronts a terrible dragon guarding a magical spring. By sowing the dragon’s deadly teeth, he unwittingly brings forth a host of fierce warriors whom he must command to build a flourishing city, and in time, finds companionship and hope within this strange and wondrous realm.

In which a weary company, led by the steadfast mother Telephassa and her devoted son Cadmus, continues their tireless search for the lost Europa, their journey marked by growing sorrow and the founding of kingdoms by those left behind. At length, Cadmus seeks the counsel of the mysterious oracle at Delphi, whose cryptic message sends him wandering in the company of a brindled cow, guiding him toward an uncertain home.

In which a gentle and strangely beautiful white bull appears to a group of royal children playing in a sunlit meadow near the sea, and their lives are forever altered when the youngest, Europa, mounts the creature and is carried away over the waves. Following this sorrowful event, her grieving family and faithful companion embark upon a long and weary quest across distant lands, their hopes dwindling even as one brother settles into a new realm he has founded.

In which the mighty Hercules encounters the earth-born Giant Antaeus, leading to a fierce contest of strength and wits that reveals the peculiar source of the Giant’s formidable power. Meanwhile, the tiny but valiant Pygmies, stirred to indignation by the conflict, muster their courage and resolve to defend their honour against this unwelcome giant-slayer.