Poor Kassim, who loves his patched-up old shoes, is shamed into discarding them when the disapproving neighbors present him with a fine new pair. But throwing the old ones into the river just prompts the disgusted fishermen to throw them back; the shoes are then too water-soaked to burn; and when Kassim in desperation hides them in a palm tree the wind blows them down, upsetting the whole market place. ""Perhaps the best place for Kassim's shoes is on his feet,"" suggests a little boy at last, and all is well again. In outline the tale is almost as threadbare as Kassim's old slippers, and buffoonish illustrations could make it look shabby indeed. But Berson's sedate borders and expressive, populated scenes--besides being both authentically Moroccan and harmoniously decorative--provide the elegant context that must exist for any violation of it to be funny.