Then the old woman said, &#147;Ruthie, I have a cake and some cookies baking in the oven. They may be almost done. I am getting old and feeble. It hurts me to bend over. Would you kindly open the oven door, lean in, and see if the cake and cookies are done?&#148;</p>

Ruthie opened the oven door and stuck her head way inside while the woman stood behind her peering over her shoulder.</p>

Grandpa was so frightened that he closed his eyes and covered them with his hands. He could not bear to watch.</p>

When six-year-old Ruthie embarked on an adventure with her grandfather, she got more than she bargained for. Her grandfather, magically transformed into a six-year-old, is as stodgy as an old man. Ruthie leads him into situations that seem familiar, such as the story of Jack and the Beanstalk and Hansel and Gretel. But the familiar characters turn out to be much more interesting than they appear in this wonderful world where things are not always what they seem to be. Along the way, both Ruthie and the little boy named Grandpa learn some valuable lessons about trust and prejudice.</p>