To the many wonderful storytellers in my family, especially my father, Ed Griesbaum, who has preserved the stories of two families and carved a magical village of his own.
To the memory of my grandmother, Ella Hinson Mohrmann, who enthralled and delighted my sister and me with her stories of growing up in the country.
To the memory of my mother, Ella Mohrmann Griesbaum, and my grandfather, Herman Mohrmann, who both loved to tell a good story.
To my editor, Caitlyn Dlouhy, the Eighth Wonder of Sassafras Springs!
And, finally, to good storytellers everywhere.
-B. G. B.