The classic themes of good versus evil and rewarded bravery are told in "The Feathered Ogre," a short Italian folk tale about a man who seeks a feather from an ogre to heal a king. The man ultimately gains the ogre's wisdom for the acquaintances he has made along the journey.

As the story begins, the king's doctors tell the ruler that in order to regain his health he must obtain a feather from an ogre. This is not an easy job because the ogre eats every human in sight. Only one of the king's attendants is brave enough to volunteer for this dangerous mission, and he is armed only with the information that the ogre lives in one of seven caves on the mountaintop.

The king's emissary walks until dark. He seeks shelter at an inn, and the innkeeper, when learning of the man's...