The King of the Copper Mountains - Paul Biegel

At the end of his thousand-year reign of the Copper Mountains, old King Mansolain is tired and his heart is slowing down. When his attendant, the Hare, consults The Wonder Doctor, he is told he must keep the King engaged in life by telling him a story every night until the Doctor can find a cure. The search is on for a nightly story more wonderful than the last, and one by one the kingdom's inhabitants arrive with theirs; the ferocious Wolf, the lovesick Donkey, the fire-breathing three-headed Dragon.

Last to arrive is the Dwarf, with four ancient books and a prophecy that the King will live for another thousand years - but only if the Wonder Doctor returns in time.