Folktales from India [Paperback]

An enchanting collection of 110 tales, translated from twenty-two different languages, that are by turns harrowing and comic, sardonic and allegorical, mysterious and romantic. Gods disguised as beggars and beasts, animals enacting Machiavellian intrigues, sagacious jesters and magical storytellers, wise counselors and foolish kings—all inhabit a fabular world, yet one that is also firmly grounded in everyday life. Here is an indispensable guide to India's ageless folklore tradition.

With black-and-white illustrations throughout
Part of the Pantheon Fairy Tale and Folklore LibraryPreface xi
Introduction xiii
Twenty-two Languages of India (map) xvii
 
Tell It to the Walls (Tamil) 3
Untold Stories (Gondi) 4
Gopal Bhar the Star-Counter (Bengali) 5
Bopoluchi (Punjabi) 7
The Jasmine Prince (Tamil) 11
Sona and Rupa (Hindu/Malwi) 12
Brother’s Day (Rajasthani) 15
The Brahman Who Swallowed a God (Bengali) 20
One Man’s Virtue (Oriya) 23
A Crow’s Revenge (Kannada) 25
 
A Story in Search of an Audience (Telugu) 26
The Clay Mother-in-Law (Tamil) 30
The Clever Daughter-in-Law (Kannada) 33
The Barber and the Brahman Demon (Bengali) 39
Why the Fish Laughed (Kashmiri) 41
A Parrot Called Hiraman (Bengali) 46
A Plague Story (Bengali) 51
The Monkey and the Crocodile lӆ