Interwoven with such classics as Cinderella, Jack and the Beanstalk, and Little Red Ridinghood, is the story of the baker and his wife, whose longing for a child is thwarted by a mischievous witch who lives next door.

"Don Carlo, crown prince of Spain, falls in love with Elisabeth of Valois, originally promised to him but later married to his father King Philip, as part of the terms of a peace treaty between France and Spain. Incited to treason against his father on behalf of the Flemish, and accused of adultery with the queen, Don Carlo is cast into prison. Escaping, he flees to the monastery of St. Just, where Elisabeth comes to bid him farewell. The lovers are...