North India
Explore stories associated with northern Indian traditions, including Punjab, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh where identified by the source. Village and court settings, regional collections and travelling plots all appear; the page notes provide the more specific connection.
47 stories are in this region right now.
Indian Folk Tales
Ages 9-12
Sir Buzz
A soldier’s son pulls a thorn from a tigress’s paw and is given a box, and out jumps a tiny, bad-tempered man who can fly like a bee.
The Barber’s Clever Wife
A lazy barber begs the king for something and gets a field of waste land, but his sharp-witted wife turns it, and seven thieves, to good use.
Indian Folk Tales
Ages 6-8
The Bear’s Bad Bargain
A bear carries a huge load of wood for a promised share of khichri, but the couple eat it all. A sneeze later leaves them with his wood and a pot of pears.
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
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.
Indian Folk Tales
Ages 6-8
The Wrestlers: A Story of Heroes
A giant wrestler sets out to fight India's strongest man, but meets a girl who sweeps away an elephant and an old woman who lets them wrestle on her palm.
Indian Folk Tales
Ages 9-12
Valiant Vicky, the Brave Weaver
A weaver mistakes a lucky hit on a mosquito for proof of heroism. Further accidents bring him fame, though the reader sees the fear behind his boasts.
Indian Folk Tales
The Snake-Woman and King Ali Mardan
King Ali Mardan falls under the spell of a weeping girl he finds in the forests of Kashmir, until a wise jogi tells him what she truly is.
Indian Folk Tales
Ages 6-8
The Tiger, the Brahman, and the Jackal
A Brahman releases a tiger that immediately threatens to eat him. A jackal pretends to be confused and persuades the tiger to demonstrate the story inside the cage.
Indian Folk Tales
Ages 9-12
The Ruby Prince
A Brahmin's red stone becomes Ruby Prince; married to a princess, he is claimed by a snake-king until she wins him back by a dance.
Indian Folk Tales
The Snake Prince
A poor woman finds a snake in her brass pot that turns into jewels, then a baby prince—whose bride’s curiosity later sends him back into the river.