A Crazy Journey Across the Night Sky - (Illustrated Edition of World Children's Literature Classics) (Illustrated Edition of World Children's Literature Classics)

Author: Walter Morse
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-01-01
Features: A Madness Journey Through the Night: Young Captain Gustav encounters a tornado during a sea voyage. After the tornado, a grim reaper emerges from the wreckage, holding a small coffin. The reaper offers Gustav two choices—death, or completing six tasks he assigns. These six tasks are: rescuing a beautiful young girl on the beach; crossing a forest filled with ghosts; guessing the names of six giants; pulling a tooth from the world's most terrifying beast; finding his older self in the future; and visiting the reaper on the moon. The young captain bravely chooses the latter. First, he goes to the beach to rescue the girl trapped in the clutches of a dragon-like monster, where he develops his first love for the opposite sex. Next, he ventures into the ghostly forest, growing from timid to courageous, and overcomes ghosts, giants, and the dream-weaver witch, pulling a tooth from the time beast. Later, he miraculously meets his 92-year-old self and realizes the true meaning of cherishing youth and life. Finally, he visits the reaper's home on the moon. The reaper is extremely critical of a portrait he painted of himself: "This painting is terrible, everything is wrong! The proportions are all off, the horizontal shadows are a mess—light and shadow are completely ruined." Although the reaper spares his life, Gustav is deeply hurt by this, as it is the most devastating critique he has ever heard of his art. Yet, Gustav matures from this experience.
Young Captain Gustav, caught in a tornado during a sea voyage, encounters a grim reaper on the wreckage. The reaper offers him two choices—death, or completing seven tasks. These seven tasks are: rescuing a girl from the clutches of a monster; crossing a forest filled with ghosts; guessing the names of six giants; pulling a tooth from the world's most terrifying beast; finding his older self in the future; visiting the reaper on the moon; and painting a portrait of the reaper. Gustav bravely chooses the latter.
Walter Morse places a vibrant, charming young man in a world of dreams and reality. Before he becomes a true man, he must overcome various obstacles, conquer unexpected difficulties, and especially defeat his own cowardice and timidity—because his greatest enemy is himself. In this unparalleled terrifying night, Gustav must fly from Earth to the moon, cross the entire universe, and return to Earth—because he made a bet with the reaper.