Legends

A classic fable from Rudyard Kipling's Just So Stories, read by Johnny Morris.

Have you ever wondered how and why the animals came to be as they are? In these magical tales, drawn from stories he heard as a child in India as well as on folk traditions he later collected all over the world, Rudyard Kipling gives some wonderfully imaginative explanations.

Spat out by the sea, the boy lay on the rocks, as still as death. Even if he survived the day, he had no home. No memory. And no name.

So begins the tale of the strange young boy, who having washed up on the shores of ancient Wales, is determined to find his real home and his true name. One day he will become the greatest wizard of all time, but he knows nothing of this now.

Long ago on the magical island of Fincayra, the last emperor of the dragons took revenge against the realm for the slaughter of his mate and their only offspring. Merlin's grandfather, a mighty wizard, saved the land by casting a sleeping spell over the dragon.

What is the nature of fate? Is young Merlin destined to be a powerful wizard, or does he have a choice?