Bear, wolf, fox, bat, eagle, cuckoo, tit, viper, salamander, cicada, ant, spider: most readers will be familiar with most of the animals in this book. But is what you know about them real, or merely the stuff of legend and popular folklore? For around these creatures swirl myriad fantasies, fears, legends, and superstitions that often seem more real than actual, natural fact. This book sets out to tell all the stories about humans and animals in the countryside and bridge the gap between reputation and reality, bringing us one step closer to understanding wild nature.