1273-1517

"In medieval Hagenheim, Germany, Aladdin, a poor orphan from the Holy Land, tries to rescue and win the heart of Kirstyn, the Duke of Hagenheim's daughter, his friend since childhood who is now pursued by greedy men seeking her father's fortune"--Provided by publisher.

Elaborates on the tale of "The Pied Piper, " told from the point of view of a boy who is too ill to keep up when a piper spirits away the healthy children of a plague-ridden town after being cheated out of full payment for ridding Hameln of rats.

In the days when Christopher Columbus lived, there was a German banker named Jacob Fugger who, even today, was the richest man in history. Through a mixture of gumption, chicanery, and intellect, Fugger spotted opportunities, pioneered new business strategies, and got the best of opponents in negotiations. He had the savvy to get the pope to legalize money lending. He had the nerve to stare down kings and make them pay back their loans with interest. And he had the intellect to run his business empire with great skill and therefore keep his head, literally, in an age where power and wealth sometimes meant death for the owner.

In medieval Germany, fifteen-year-old Conrad, a court jester, and his beloved Christa, a servant girl, escape from a cruel master and journey through the countryside on a quest to find a kind lord who will give them sanctuary.

Elaborates on the tale of "The Pied Piper," told from the point of view of a boy who is too ill to keep up when a piper spirits away the healthy children of a plague-ridden town after being cheated out of full payment for ridding Hameln of rats.

Elaborates on the tale of "The Pied Piper," told from the point of view of a boy who is too ill to keep up when a piper spirits away the healthy children of a plague-ridden town after being cheated out of full payment for ridding Hameln of rats.