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.
Indian Folk Tales
Ages 6-8
The Brahmarakshas and the Hair
A greedy landlord calls up a giant demon servant who must always have work, and when the work runs out, only his wife knows how to keep it busy.
Indian Folk Tales
The Brahmin Girl Who Married a Tiger
A tiger disguises himself as a learned young man and deceives a family into marriage. Threatened and isolated in the forest, the young wife sends a crow to summon her brothers.
Indian Folk Tales
Ages 9-12
The Charmed Ring
A merchant's son spends all his money saving a dog, a cat and a snake, and when his magic ring is stolen, the cat and the dog set out to bring it back.
Indian Folk Tales
Charity Alone Conquers
A kind prince keeps forgiving the cruel friend who blinded him and left him for dead, until that friend’s own wicked schemes catch up with him in the end.
Indian Folk Tales
A Lac of Rupees for a Piece of Advice
A poor Brahmin sends his wife to the king with three pieces of advice written on a scrap of paper, and tells her they are worth a lac of rupees.
Indian Folk Tales
Ages 6-8
A Lesson for Kings
Two good kings, each searching for someone to tell him his faults, meet head-on in a narrow lane where neither chariot can get out of the way.
Indian Folk Tales
The Royal Thief-Catcher
A holy man in Sravasti secretly hoards his gifts under a tree, and when they vanish, the king finds the thief by asking doctors about their patients.
Indian Folk Tales
Bopoluchi the Clever Girl
Tricked into going off with a robber who claims to be her long-lost uncle, an orphan girl must rely on her quick wits and her courage to get away from him.
Indian Folk Tales
The Two Brothers
Two princes flee abuse by their stepmother and father. Magic birds predict their futures, but the younger must survive betrayal before a shared memory brings the brothers together.
Indian Folk Tales
Ages 9-12
The Wise Jackal
Two runaway princesses find a marble palace in the jungle, and a friendly jackal promises to warn them when the ogre who owns it comes home.
Indian Folk Tales
The Wonderful Mango Fruit
A pet parrot fetches youth-giving mangoes from beyond seven oceans; a rash king’s cruelty costs the bird, though age and sight are restored.
Indian Folk Tales
The Wonderful Ring
A spendthrift uses his wife's last jewel to buy four animals. A serpent's ring brings a palace and a new marriage, but recovering the abducted princess requires the animals' help.