The Winter Garden and Other Stories - Fairy Tales for Gay Teens

The Winter Garden and Other Stories by Hayden Thorne

The Haunted Glade:

Rumors of mysterious music coming from the wood prompt a small group of adventurous young people from a tiny village to solve the puzzle of the haunted glade, not knowing that the music is meant only for one boy. Realizing this, the village potter tries to discover who is now marked by legend in hopes of helping him come to terms with his destiny.

Out of the Depths:

It has been a year since Konstancji’s lover passed away, but rather than move on with his life, Konstancji works obsessively on a statue, which is the means through which he hopes to bring his beloved back from the dead. “Out of the Depths” is a gothic retelling of the “Pygmallion” myth.

The Dollhouse:

A strange force is at work in a magnificent house filled with revelers. When midnight strikes to mark Christmas Day, guests find themselves in the wrong company. The answer to the riddle, however, is
simpler than they think.

The Winter Garden:

Nicholas’ fragile health forces him into a life of isolation in his family’s spacious and paradisial garden. His life changes when a bold young stranger not only befriends him but also dares to trespass into his quiet world. The boys’ friendship deepens, their connection strengthening in defiance of dangers posed by the winter on Nicholas’ health.

The Knight:

A dragon plagues a tiny kingdom ruled by a weak king and is pacified only through a monthly sacrifice of the kingdom’s young people. When Prince Caedmon’s lover falls victim to the dragon, an act of betrayal is discovered. The prince recklessly offers himself as sacrifice to balance the scales, but a knight appears and thwarts his plans.

Erl-King:

Baltasar grows up in a world of absolutes, of black and white, right and wrong. In the countryside he stumbles across an enchanted land and its melancholy, ageless ruler -- a land full of color and magic, and a bond that defies everything he’s always known. "Erl-King" is a retelling of Goethe’s ballad by the same title.

Clouds' Illusions:

Five-year-old Simon, along with his parents and older sister Amy, go to a carnival one day. When a sudden deluge separates the family and leaves Simon alone and frightened, the child undergoes a journey of maturation as he searches for his parents and sister.

The Bridge:

Remy Pepin is orphaned, poor, and bullied by his employer. His only source of hope is a superstition about a lit candle sitting by a window, which is said to attract luck. Day after day, Remy lights his
candle and waits. One snowy evening, a boy appears at his doorstep, seeking shelter.

The Water-Irises:

Hugh LaCaille’s quiet, scholarly life is interrupted one day by a wealthy but obnoxious businessman who hires Hugh as a tutor to his young son, whom he wants to see grow up to be just as successful as
his father in commerce. When Hugh finally meets Aubin, he realizes there’s a great deal more than what meets the eye as far as the boy’s concerned ... particularly his curious and outlandish stories
involving a strange kingdom found at the bottom of a pond filled with water-irises.

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