Basho and the River Stones

A magical young fox decides to trick the wise poet, Basho, into letting him have all the cherries from his tree, and turns three river stones into gold coins to use as payment; but the plan does not work out as he expects, and both Basho and the fox learn valuable lessons about life - and art - as they reach a surprising and agreeable conclusion. Japanese haiku poetry and folklore are beautifully explained and expressively illustrated in this unusual but delightful tale of how a poem is more valuable than gold.