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The White Horse of Zennor and Other Stories
At the furthest edge of Britain where the sea gently washes over the land and myths brush against reality, lies Zennor. Set in a churchtown where men become beasts and ghosts roam freely, are haunting and unforgettable tales where magic lies around every corner.
157 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 1, 1985
31 people are currently reading
529 people want to read
About the author
Michael Morpurgo
630 books3,035 followersSir Michael Andrew Morpurgo, OBE, FRSL is the author of many books for children, five of which have been made into films. He also writes his own screenplays and libretti for opera. Born in St Albans, Hertfordshire, in 1943, he was evacuated to Cumberland during the last years of the Second World War, then returned to London, moving later to Essex. After a brief and unsuccessful spell in the army, he took up teaching and started to write. He left teaching after ten years in order to set up 'Farms for City Children' with his wife. They have three farms in Devon, Wales and Gloucestershire, open to inner city school children who come to stay and work with the animals. In 1999 this work was publicly recognised when he and his wife were invested a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) for services to youth. In 2003, he was advanced to an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE). He became a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature (FRSL) in 2004. He was knighted in the 2018 for his services to literature and charity. He is also a father and grandfather, so children have always played a large part in his life. Every year he and his family spend time in the Scilly Isles, the setting for three of his books.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 86 reviews
December 31, 2022
Over the years I’ve read a few of Morpurgo’s multitude of children’s books. All were solid enough to complete, but I found they occasionally lapsed into the sentimental and the prose was unremarkable. Consequently, I was pleasantly surprised by this book, a collection of five stories set in beautifully described Cornwall, most on farms, and all incorporating elements of local legend and folklore.
In an introductory note, Morpurgo advises his young audience to read the stories in order, explaining that the reason will become clear in the end. It does. The very fine final story focuses on Mad Miss Marney, an elderly woman who lives in a lone book-filled house on the high moor, against whom parents have warned their children. One child, the wild and wandering Kate, looks for a reason to meet Miss Marney, and nature provides her with one. She discovers that the elderly woman has the gift of healing—and another talent, too. That talent explains how the stories are linked.
My favourite tale in the book concerns an unhappy young boy with a deformed foot who discovers that the sadness and impairment he experiences on land disappear when he swims in the sea, where he is befriended by a playful seal. It’s a lovely story.
It was a pleasure to read this book, possibly because I’ve read so much less-than-magical adult fiction and nonfiction recently. Morpurgo’s vocabulary is quite sophisticated here and might prove to be daunting for some young readers. With the majority of stories set on farms, it is possible, too, that a few details could upset the most sensitive children. Overall, though, the prose is wonderful and the stories most satisfying. In completing this book, I thought of the title of another by Katherine Rundell: Why You Should Read Children's Books, Even Though You Are So Old and Wise. This book provides a few reasons why.
Note: This is a rewrite of a review posted this morning, which unfortunately completely vanished to some glitch in Goodreads.
In an introductory note, Morpurgo advises his young audience to read the stories in order, explaining that the reason will become clear in the end. It does. The very fine final story focuses on Mad Miss Marney, an elderly woman who lives in a lone book-filled house on the high moor, against whom parents have warned their children. One child, the wild and wandering Kate, looks for a reason to meet Miss Marney, and nature provides her with one. She discovers that the elderly woman has the gift of healing—and another talent, too. That talent explains how the stories are linked.
My favourite tale in the book concerns an unhappy young boy with a deformed foot who discovers that the sadness and impairment he experiences on land disappear when he swims in the sea, where he is befriended by a playful seal. It’s a lovely story.
It was a pleasure to read this book, possibly because I’ve read so much less-than-magical adult fiction and nonfiction recently. Morpurgo’s vocabulary is quite sophisticated here and might prove to be daunting for some young readers. With the majority of stories set on farms, it is possible, too, that a few details could upset the most sensitive children. Overall, though, the prose is wonderful and the stories most satisfying. In completing this book, I thought of the title of another by Katherine Rundell: Why You Should Read Children's Books, Even Though You Are So Old and Wise. This book provides a few reasons why.
Note: This is a rewrite of a review posted this morning, which unfortunately completely vanished to some glitch in Goodreads.
June 16, 2020
Five short stories setting mostly in or around the mythical Cornish location, Zennor - with 'The Giant's Necklace' and 'Mad Miss Marney' being the best of them. 6 out of 12.
June 29, 2013
The short story of "Gone to Sea" from within the White Horse of Zennor book was read with my year five class, whereby activities were undertaken using the story.
The book focuses on William who has a deformed left foot. Because of his disability, he is unable to walk properly and unable to join in with his four brothers when they run through the fields and when they climb down the rocks to swim in the sea. Therefore, William is rejected by his brothers.
William's father also does not have much time for him as he feels he is to blame for William's disability. William's mother is the only character who shows loves and attention towards him and they would often spend time in the fields together, with the mother telling William about the creatures that live in the sea such as mermaids and witches.
William is the victim of bullying at school and the children have a nickname for him, "Limping Billy." The children taunt him and pretend to have a deformed foot themselves as they mimic how William walks. The teachers also victimise William as they feel he is ineducable, because of his foot.
Due to the bullying he receives, William walks home alone through the fields. As time progresses, he begins to run faster and faster and this catches the attention of "Sam the Soak." Sam is a fisherman (who rarely catches any fish) and a resident nearby. Nobody knows his background, except that he has a troubled life and that he is an alcoholic. Sam encourages William to take up swimming in the sea, like William's brothers do. William however is unsure because of his foot.
Nonetheless, William proceeds to climb down the rocks to the pool next to the sea. Once he is in the pool, he looks down at his foot and it is no longer deformed. He begins to notice a seal and he follows the seal. William's confidence in swimming increases and he has made a new found friend with the seal. William goes home and informs his family. Not only do they laugh at William because they believe he has a wild imagination and made it all up, he is punished by his father and sent to his room. Above all, his mother does not believe him which hurts him the most. William however, returns to the pool daily and makes friends with more seals and his confidence increases and he begins to swim further out to sea.
William decides that he will go to live in the sea with the seals and leaves a note for his parents. The village carry out a search for him and he is nowhere to be seen. His father finds William's clothes by the rocks and secretly buries them. The village then holds a memorial service.
Time has now passed and Sam is fishing and he notices his nets are full. Suddenly William appears from the sea, claiming that one of the seals helped Sam to fill his nets. Sam is shocked and asks several times if it is really William. Sam is also convinced as he has abstained from alcohol since William's "death" so therefore, he cannot be hallucinating. William states he is now happy living in the sea and requests that Sam informs William's mother he is now happy of which Sam does.
This book is an excellent resource to discuss the effects and consequences of bullying. Morpurgo challenges the children almost on every page with the vocabulary. He is also extremely effective with describing the setting of the Cornish coast line. Morpurgo is very creative in the twists of his stories.
It is very unclear whether William is dead or alive, and he leaves this up to the reader to make their own minds up. The author also leaves the reader wondering why William's father did not mention he found William's clothes. Morpurgo is also good at capturing the emotions of characters, especially the way William was bullied. The children also became sad to hear that the one person William could rely on was his mother, but ultimately, she did not believe his story of swimming with the seals. Some children noticed this was ironic, considering his mother used to tell him stories of the mermaids and the witches that live in the sea.
The book focuses on William who has a deformed left foot. Because of his disability, he is unable to walk properly and unable to join in with his four brothers when they run through the fields and when they climb down the rocks to swim in the sea. Therefore, William is rejected by his brothers.
William's father also does not have much time for him as he feels he is to blame for William's disability. William's mother is the only character who shows loves and attention towards him and they would often spend time in the fields together, with the mother telling William about the creatures that live in the sea such as mermaids and witches.
William is the victim of bullying at school and the children have a nickname for him, "Limping Billy." The children taunt him and pretend to have a deformed foot themselves as they mimic how William walks. The teachers also victimise William as they feel he is ineducable, because of his foot.
Due to the bullying he receives, William walks home alone through the fields. As time progresses, he begins to run faster and faster and this catches the attention of "Sam the Soak." Sam is a fisherman (who rarely catches any fish) and a resident nearby. Nobody knows his background, except that he has a troubled life and that he is an alcoholic. Sam encourages William to take up swimming in the sea, like William's brothers do. William however is unsure because of his foot.
Nonetheless, William proceeds to climb down the rocks to the pool next to the sea. Once he is in the pool, he looks down at his foot and it is no longer deformed. He begins to notice a seal and he follows the seal. William's confidence in swimming increases and he has made a new found friend with the seal. William goes home and informs his family. Not only do they laugh at William because they believe he has a wild imagination and made it all up, he is punished by his father and sent to his room. Above all, his mother does not believe him which hurts him the most. William however, returns to the pool daily and makes friends with more seals and his confidence increases and he begins to swim further out to sea.
William decides that he will go to live in the sea with the seals and leaves a note for his parents. The village carry out a search for him and he is nowhere to be seen. His father finds William's clothes by the rocks and secretly buries them. The village then holds a memorial service.
Time has now passed and Sam is fishing and he notices his nets are full. Suddenly William appears from the sea, claiming that one of the seals helped Sam to fill his nets. Sam is shocked and asks several times if it is really William. Sam is also convinced as he has abstained from alcohol since William's "death" so therefore, he cannot be hallucinating. William states he is now happy living in the sea and requests that Sam informs William's mother he is now happy of which Sam does.
This book is an excellent resource to discuss the effects and consequences of bullying. Morpurgo challenges the children almost on every page with the vocabulary. He is also extremely effective with describing the setting of the Cornish coast line. Morpurgo is very creative in the twists of his stories.
It is very unclear whether William is dead or alive, and he leaves this up to the reader to make their own minds up. The author also leaves the reader wondering why William's father did not mention he found William's clothes. Morpurgo is also good at capturing the emotions of characters, especially the way William was bullied. The children also became sad to hear that the one person William could rely on was his mother, but ultimately, she did not believe his story of swimming with the seals. Some children noticed this was ironic, considering his mother used to tell him stories of the mermaids and the witches that live in the sea.
January 17, 2013
Comprised of five stories, Michael Morpurgo’s “The White Horse of Zennor and Other Stories” is an evocative collection. The real freely mingles with the fantastic in the British churchtown of Zennor. In “The Giant’s Necklace,” a young girl determined to make the longest cowrie shell necklace finds herself in danger when the tide comes in, while “The White Horse of Zennor” chronicles the story of a down-on-their-luck farming family who experience a magical miracle. “‘Gone to Sea’” is the story of William Tregerthen, who was born with a twisted left foot, resulting in endless taunts until he discovers his own unique ability. In “Milk for the Cat,” Thomas Barbery takes over Tremedda farm upon his father’s death but ignores the instructions to leave out a bowl of milk and a row of potatoes each night for the little folk, with sad consequences. Finally, “Mad Miss Marney” brings all of the stories together as young Kate Trelochie meets a social outcast who possesses a special gift. This mysterious book exudes a fairy-tale-like aura, and despite its somewhat predictable endings, it is an interesting read. The language is written at a young adult level, so children will likely need help with some of the vocabulary.
July 1, 2012
Really interesting stories with no age limit and a re-readable quality.
November 27, 2024
A nice collection of short stories.
February 17, 2018
A beautiful, if oddly dark, group of short stories from the wonderful Michael Morpurgo. Quite grown up for children to enjoy but I thought they were fascinating.
February 11, 2024
this was just so cute
I honestly think maybe I do believe in Cornish pixies??? if pixies were going to exist anywhere it would be in Zennor
I honestly think maybe I do believe in Cornish pixies??? if pixies were going to exist anywhere it would be in Zennor
August 12, 2024
I've had so much fun revisiting my old childhood favourites and this is no exception. It's the perfect combination of whimsical and dark.
December 15, 2013
Read this in a cottage i was staying in this weekend, stones throw from Zennor. Added a little something to a weekend on a wild bit of favourite coast which we saw and felt in its most scintillating but scariest, rawest glory. Tin mines perched precariously atop cliff faces which are getting pounded by gigantic waves, throwing up messy white froth and mist, feeling the sheer power reverberate through your feet. Its the Cornwall i love best. The elements gave us an absolute bashing but all the better for it, which goes along with the theme of this book; you can't fight the land and sea, you can only respect it OR like most of these characters, become part of it or its folklore. If i was 10 this book would be thrilling, all ghost stories, witches, etc. But as an adult, i appreciated what it captures about true Cornwall*, its history, its mythology, etc. Lovely stuff.
*Rather than posh dicks from London in Range Rovers.
*Rather than posh dicks from London in Range Rovers.
March 26, 2018
I think it was a very good book, but some of the stories were a little sad
February 1, 2024
Ada lima cerita pendek, gara-gara cerita pertama awalnya penuh harapan tapi berakhir tragis, jadi was-was pas baca cerita berikutnya. Apalagi tipe-tipe ceritanya memang berpotensi untuk twist. Untungnya keempat cerita lainnya tidak terlalu membuat patah hati.
Kelima ceritanya punya benang merah setting, tapi karakter utamanya berbeda-beda. Cerita keempat, "Milk For the Cat", punya karakter utama yang paling tidak membuatku simpatik, jadi tidak terlalu was-was mau berakhir bagaimana. Tapi di cerita itu ada satu kutipan yang cukup berkesan.
'You don't understand do you, do you Thomas Barbery? The land belongs to no one. Not to you and not to me. We borrow it for a lifetime--that's all--and then we hand it to those who come after us.' (p.110)
Kelima ceritanya punya benang merah setting, tapi karakter utamanya berbeda-beda. Cerita keempat, "Milk For the Cat", punya karakter utama yang paling tidak membuatku simpatik, jadi tidak terlalu was-was mau berakhir bagaimana. Tapi di cerita itu ada satu kutipan yang cukup berkesan.
'You don't understand do you, do you Thomas Barbery? The land belongs to no one. Not to you and not to me. We borrow it for a lifetime--that's all--and then we hand it to those who come after us.' (p.110)
September 19, 2020
I love Morpurgo’s writing style, it’s such an easy style of writing to read and be able to help imagine the characters coming to life and stepping off the pages as if you were watching a movie as you read the words from each page!
I’ve not read a book containing such short stories before but I really enjoyed this read. I loved the various characters within each story and found myself wanting more of these stories that at first are stand alone but after reading it becomes apparent that’s not the case.
This would make a fab bed tone story book as the story’s are not all that long depending on tour speed of reading
I rate this a 4/5
I’ve not read a book containing such short stories before but I really enjoyed this read. I loved the various characters within each story and found myself wanting more of these stories that at first are stand alone but after reading it becomes apparent that’s not the case.
This would make a fab bed tone story book as the story’s are not all that long depending on tour speed of reading
I rate this a 4/5
March 4, 2021
I had picked this book up as it was a part of my Michael morpurgo collection, I have decided that I would like to read all the stories from it this year. This book was a reread but I decided to read it again due to remembering that I was fond of it. This is a collection of 5 short stories, each one links to the final one and is set in a tiny church town of zennor, in Cornwall. The author at the begging to read the stories in order. Many you of the stories feature little knockers which are little creatures that help keep the land and animals safe they are probably one of my favourite characters.
April 11, 2020
5 Short stories for children, all set in on a small strip of the Welsh coast. You'll get bits of local lore and legend, quick but to the point characterisation and, importantly, compassion.
These are great examples of what writing for children can be. Also, Morpurgo is not stooping down, and his use of language is beautiful and sophisticated, using words and terms that will not be known by the average child. Meaning will be clear from context or, at worst, not harm the narrative yet add flavour to it.
A great holiday read, also for adults interested in folklore.
These are great examples of what writing for children can be. Also, Morpurgo is not stooping down, and his use of language is beautiful and sophisticated, using words and terms that will not be known by the average child. Meaning will be clear from context or, at worst, not harm the narrative yet add flavour to it.
A great holiday read, also for adults interested in folklore.
July 5, 2023
I know that Michael Morpurgo tends to write pretty depressing novels, but this one felt especially so, until the end, at least. The first story was surprisingly tragic and the third story was also quite sad. I will admit that I wasn't particularly engrossed in any of the stories, especially not the fourth one (which I believe is called Milk for the Cat, though I can't quite remember presently).
However, the ending of the novel, with 'Mad Miss Marney' was quite sweet actually, and I enjoyed that one, though the twist was a bit obvious and not done very interestingly. 3 stars.
However, the ending of the novel, with 'Mad Miss Marney' was quite sweet actually, and I enjoyed that one, though the twist was a bit obvious and not done very interestingly. 3 stars.
March 3, 2024
I read this with my three kids who listened attentively to all the stories and were thoroughly engaged even asking me to read more, something that surprised me after the ending of the first story, which I won't share to avoid spoilers. While some of the writing (punctuation, etc) bothered me, on the whole, I found the use of language and storytelling very good compared to a lot of what is on the market for kids today. It felt refreshing to read something that didn't feel dumbed down and pedestrian.
June 6, 2020
This was my first audiobook, a wonderful experience, like someone telling you a story when you were a child
Certainly helped that this was a collection of mythical, magical stories, very much like fairytales and bedtime stories, set in the beautiful rural cornish seas and farms and moors, where bleak reality is weaved with magic and legend
I wasn't a massive fan of the narrator, but still an evocative, enjoyable and calming experience
Certainly helped that this was a collection of mythical, magical stories, very much like fairytales and bedtime stories, set in the beautiful rural cornish seas and farms and moors, where bleak reality is weaved with magic and legend
I wasn't a massive fan of the narrator, but still an evocative, enjoyable and calming experience
July 11, 2018
Individual stories that never intersect yet together make up the captivating life that flows through Zennor as legends and folklore collide with the everyday lives of the people. Not every story has a happy ending. Nevertheless, each one shows how it is through the innocence of a child that the wonder can truly happen.
August 23, 2021
A collection of five short stories, full of mystery and surprises. This book had set on the shelf for several years, as my daughter picked it out (probably due to the horse illustrated on the cover!). Most of these stories had quite a dark or sad twist to them, and may not suit younger readers. An enjoyable read.
June 2, 2024
This book just made me feel young at heart again and reminded me why I loved this man’s books when I was younger. It is meant for a younger audience but definitely deals with things that are more visible when you look at it from an older perspective. I also don’t think I would’ve appreciated the final story in this book when I was younger either.
August 2, 2024
I don’t know why this book took me so long to read but it’s really good. Good, but sad. With most other books, when there’s a death in them like Cherry I’m not really that sad but this book was SO EMOTIONAL. Like, I’m kinda mentally scarred now. Oh well. 3 starts bc it’s good but really mentally heavy!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 10, 2023
We have enjoyed reading this book, particularly the work we have done around the Giant's Necklace. This particular story has twists and turns that kept readers guessing right up until the very end of the story. Some deep issues addressed which provided great talking points with the children.
October 4, 2017
411 - 2017
May 16, 2018
This book contains 5 stories spinned around Zennor. Master storyteller with his magic wand brings out wonderful stories.
November 20, 2018
this book was absolutely amazing i cried i laughed i wasn't expecting that just read it please
September 13, 2019
I thoroughly enjoyed this book! There is no age limit on the stories and they as so gripping! The last story was my favourite.
October 3, 2019
All the short stories were so indulging and i really loved them!
February 19, 2020
Beautiful short stories
July 5, 2020
Lovely book of stories. Some of them sad but all with deep meaning.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 86 reviews