- Rooted in the medieval ballad tradition and recounted to the author by a Spanish goatherd, The Three-Cornered Hat relates a madcap series of romantic misadventures. The basis of Manuel de Falla"s popular ballet of the same name, it appears here with Captain Poison, a witty "taming-of-the-shrew" tale that reverses the sexual roles. Presented in the original Spanish with an excellent new English translation, an informative introduction to Stanley Appelbaum and his work, and footnotes by the author.