A marionette, a weeping willow, and a house shade - there are more to them than what meets the eye. Written in a style reminiscent of classic European folktales, the three original fairy tale novellas in this collection explore a gay teen's coming-of-age in settings steeped in magic, wonder, romance, and infinite possibilities. In Benedict, a marionette is given a strange puzzle to solve during the king's quarter dance. A cursed tree finds salvation in the love of a homeless, ragged boy in The Weeping Willow. And in Grave's End, a house shade learns what it means to be human. At once whimsical, haunting, melancholy, and ultimately triumphant, these stories offer gay teens fireside tales they can call their own.