�Griet approached the house via the kitchen and poured the potion into a glass, put it on a tray, and brought it into the hall. She offered it to the doctor with her characteristic little Victorian curtsy. He smelled it � wonderful herbal scent. But what, he thought for a moment, if it�s poisonous?� First published in 1989, Guy Butler�s Tales from the Old Karoo is considered to be one of the classics of South African literature. In celebration of the author�s birth in 1918, this centenary issue is newly packaged and designed to appeal to a modern audience. The short stories in this collection are all set in the old Karoo � in a place and time before tarred roads, television and the internet replaced horse-drawn carriages, steam-engine trains and fireside storytelling. In his characteristically dry, humorous style, Guy Butler captures the essence of the people and landscape of the Karoo. It is a collection of delightful yarns and reminiscences about real ghosts, imaginary people, stubborn farm animals, and events that never happened � stories so strange they can only be true.