India
Explore stories associated with Indian traditions, including the Panchatantra, Jataka narratives and regional collections. A tale’s setting, the place where a version was recorded and the history of its publication are different kinds of evidence. Read the source note for the connection supported on each page.
219 stories are in this region right now.
Jataka Tales
Ages 6-8
The Hawks and Their Friends
When hunters camp beneath their nest and plan to eat their chicks, two hawks call on a Kingfisher, a Turtle and a Lion, and each friend comes to help.
Indian Folk Tales
Ages 9-12
Krishna Tames the Serpent Kaliya
When a many-headed serpent poisons the river Yamuna near Vrindavan, young Krishna climbs a tree, leaps into its whirlpool and dances on its hoods.
Indian Folk Tales
Ages 9-12
Baby Krishna and the Demoness Putana
Sent by Kansa to kill members of the Yadu family, Putana disguises herself as a cowherd woman and approaches baby Krishna with a poisoned offer of care.
Indian Folk Tales
Ages 9-12
Kupti and Imani
A princess who vows to make her own fortune is sent to live with a poor old fakir, and a misheard word brings her a magic fan and a royal friend.
Indian Folk Tales
Ages 9-12
Light Makes Prosperity
Her mother breaks a vow to marry her daughters to their ruined uncle's sons, so the youngest weds one anyway and uses one lamp-lit night to bring wealth home.
Indian Folk Tales
Little Anklebone
A little shepherd boy is given up to a hungry wolf by his own aunt, yet his tiny anklebone goes on to scare off robbers and make a pond of milk.
Indian Folk Tales
Loving Laili
Laili searches for Majnun through years of enchantment, then repeatedly rescues him when he dismisses her warnings; their reunion ends in a palace they cannot leave.
Indian Folk Tales
Ages 9-12
Mr. Mighty-of-His-Mouth
Mr. Mighty-of-his-Mouth uses nothing but quick words to scare off a whole tribe of goblins, proving to his strong friend that wit beats muscle.
Indian Folk Tales
How Raja Rasalu Played Chaupur with King Sarkap
Rasalu stakes his armour, his horse and his own head in a game against a cheating king, and a kitten he rescued from a potter’s kiln helps turn the tables.
Indian Folk Tales
Ages 9-12
How Raja Rasalu Swung the Seventy Fair Maidens, Daughters of the King
A rescued cricket helps Rasalu separate millet from sand. His next encounter with Sarkap's daughters turns violent before poisoned food reveals the king's treachery.
Indian Folk Tales
How Raja Rasalu Was Born
Puran returns after his father's brutal punishment and confronts Queen Lona. His promise of a son is followed by a separate prophecy that shapes Rasalu's hidden childhood.
Indian Folk Tales
Ages 9-12
How Raja Rasalu Went Out into the World
Rasalu leaves his underground home a year early, damages the townspeople's water pots and misreads his frightened father's silence before a painful farewell.