Eric Linklater

The Wind on the Moon

Major Palfrey is off to war. He warns his two daughters, Dinah and Dorinda, that while he is away they must behave themselves: "When there is wind on the moon, you must be very careful how you behave. Because if it is an ill wind and you behave badly, it will blow straight into your heart, and then you will behave badly for a long time to come." And so it proves: before long the girls are drinking a potion provided by the local witch and turning into kangaroos, getting stuck in the zoo, and staging an escape along with their new friends, a golden puma and a silver falcon.

Samson and Delilah

A tale of passion and betrayal in which Samson, a judge of Israel who fled with his tribe during the Great Exodus from Egypt, uses his herculean strength in the fight against the Philistine oppressors. He is seduced by Delilah, a Philistine courtesan, who uses her cunning to discover the secret of her lover's great power and then betrays him.

Laxdale Hall

A starchy parliamentary delegation is sent to a remote Scottish Highlands community, where the residents are protesting the poor condition of their road by withholding their taxes, and spend a few days among the locals.

Private Angelo

Angelo has been drafted into the Italian Army in World War II. He does not like people shooting at him, so he tries all sorts of tricks to avoid being caught up in the action. However, events always seem to lead him back to the fighting.

Poet's Pub

A loosely structured comedy allowing for a series of vignettes based around an ancient coaching inn. The story was adapted from the 1929 novel by Scottish writer Erik Linklater.