Loving the tales of her ancestors, who built a castle in the remote French mountains, Anise listens while her grandfather describes how their relatives were mistaken for dancing stones when seen by distant herdsmen.
Set in a French village during the nineteenth century, this story within a story begins with an old man telling his granddaughter a legend about their ancestors. Once, a wise old king took as his subjects the people no one else wanted, those who were first to be mistreated or turned away. The group traveled until they found a mountain, where they built a stone castle. Then, the king's subjects danced along the parapets to let others like themselves know they could be safe there. But the farmers and vagabonds far away thought the stones themselves danced. After the old man finishes his story, some strangers appear in the village, needing a home. They are turned away until the villagers remember their heritage and invite the strangers to be their neighbors. The story combines a magical essence with the practicalities involved in being a friend. It is ably illustrated by evocative oil paintings that are bold in execution yet capture the subtleties of the story. A good tale to get a discussion started.