Khānūm ghūlah va bachi'hā-yi yatīm'khūnah: Persian 1402

A fantasy about the power of generosity and love, and how a community suffers when they disappear. Stone-in-the-Glen, once a lovely town, has fallen on hard times. Fires, floods, and other calamities have caused people to lose their libraries, their school, their park, and even their neighbors. The people put their faith in the Mayor, a dazzling fellow who promises he alone can help. After all, he is a famous dragon slayer. (At least, no one has seen a dragon in his presence.) Only the clever children of the Orphan House and the kind Ogress at the edge of town can see how dire the town’s problems are. Then one day a child goes missing from the Orphan House. At the Mayor’s suggestion, all eyes turn to the Ogress. The Orphans know this can’t be: the Ogress, along with a flock of excellent crows, secretly delivers gifts to the people of Stone-in-the-Glen. But how can the Orphans tell the story of the Ogress’s goodness to people who refuse to listen? And how can they make their deluded neighbors see the real villain in their midst?