Summary

In “The Wildness of Stories,” Conor is upset by what Grandma told him; he falls asleep that night and has “the” nightmare. When he wakes up screaming, it is 12:07 a.m. and the monster is standing in his backyard. They discuss the first story, but Conor walks away from the monster, seemingly without use for him because he has scarier things to think about. The monster promises he is not there to help Conor, but to share stories with him.

In “The First Tale,” the monster begins to spin his story: in a kingdom long ago, a king reigns alone with his infant son. He remarries and eventually dies himself before his son is old enough to reign. The kingdom is suspicious of the queen, but she is a good queen. The prince is nearly of age and has fallen in love with...