THE CRANE WITH ONE LEG

This is a satisfying, although not terribly dramatic, retelling of an Italian legend about a nobleman's cook who gave away the leg of a crane that he was preparing for an important feast, and then had to explain the missing limb. The ending is a bit of a letdown, as the lord accepts the too-simple solution too genially. the illustrations which adorn the story are a happy combination of Renaissance grace, lavishness and the rich coloring and stylization distinctive of Eastern Europe. A convincing translation from the original German.