Henryk Sienkiewicz won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1905, but as he wrote in Polish many English-speakers are unfamiliar with his work. This short story collection is a sampler of five myths and legends which he collected. The "Life and Death" of the title is a Hindu legend, the rest of Polish stories. All are short and together form a little taste of this great author who is too often unknown to English readers. - Summary by Beth Thomas