The Seven Plaits of Nettles, and other stories

A collection of folktale-like short stories that present moral tests, enchanted transformations, and restorative justice. In one tale a compassionate young woman endures pain to braid lengths of stinging nettles and casts them into a mountain lake, triggering an enchanted sleep that heals the land and reforms a profligate monarch. Other pieces retell familiar motifs — wish-granting bargains, a frog-transformed suitor, sisters named Faith, Hope, and Charity, and a seafaring homecoming — all told in simple, vivid language that emphasizes self-sacrifice, cleverness, and the surprising rewards of humility.