"The Bhagawat Purana, from which the stories in Tales of Vishnu have been adapted, abounds in narratives of the benevolent acts of Vishnu. The three stories in Tales of Narada tell us how Narada, although a divine sage, often fell prey to temptation and pride and became conceited. Fortunately for Narada, every time he succumbed to human weaknesses, Vishnu was beside him to pull him through. The story of Prahlad talks of a young boy's unerring devotion to Vishnu despite his father's tyranny. Ultimately, Vishnu destroys young Prahlad's persecutor and rewards his faith. Dhruva and Ashtavakra deals with the loyal Dhruva, Lord Vishnu's five-year-old devotee, and the courageous Ashtavakra, who was born with eight physical deformities and overcame all odds with sheer perseverance and knowledge. The churning of the ocean narrates the story of how the devas procured divine nectar from the Ocean of Milk and became immortal upon drinking it"--P. [4] of cover.