The Little Swineherd and Other Tales

A duck with big ambitions comes upon a goose telling stories to an audience of frogs and decides on the spot that he should become her manager. That meeting frames this collection by Paula Fox, in which the goose's tales unfold with the duck's managing ambitions running alongside them. The longest is the title story, about a foundling swineherd who finds himself alone and learns to make his way in the world. Shorter tales follow, including one about a rooster who cannot stop admiring himself, one about an alligator who tells the truth, a raccoon's song, and a story called Circles and Straight Lines. First published in 1978 with illustrations by Leonard Lubin, the book was a 1979 National Book Award finalist.