Presents fifteen stories by twentieth-century American author John Steinbeck, set in California's Salinas Valley and capturing the experiences of the country farmer and the town laborer; includes such works as "The Murder," "Chrysanthemums," "Flight," and "The Red Pony."

Tells a story about the strange relationship of two migrant workers, who are able to realize their dreams of an easy life until one of them succumbs to his weakness for soft, helpless creatures and strangles the farmer's wife. Tragic tale of a retarded man and the friend who loves and tries to protect him. With illustrations from the movie starring John Malkovich and Gary Sinise.