Originally published as a short story in The Sunday Times, this rousing tale is set in a town in eastern Europe. In the local library, a boy becomes captivated by the stories he hears read aloud by the librarian, who sits astride a model unicorn. When war comes, the library is burned, but the children manage to rescue the books. They guard the books throughout the occupation, and when the war ends, they resurrect the library, full of their beloved books.