Once upon a time there were a man and his wife who had lived together for years, but they had no children to look after them in their old age. This was very sad for them, but they had no idea what to do about it. You can neither make nor order children, nor do they...
This tale is about a woman who lived in the Old City of Jerusalem about a century ago. Washing clothes for a family then was a chore of almost unimaginable difficulty. So after six hours of backbreaking labor, this pious housewife hung her laundry out to dry in the...
Central Asian (Khirghiz) Tale: The khan (leader) gives instructions on who is to follow him at his death. His white falcon lands on the shoulder of a poor shepherd, who turns out to be a wise and just leader. The shepherd chooses a wife by declaring a contest of riddles. Wisdom and kindness are not the province of the elite alone.
Everything in life is a circle. Everything is alive—the animals, the birds, the plants of Earth and the plants of the seas, the water, the air and the stones—and everything must be respected. All things are part of Earth, which gives us everything we need. When we...
One of the disguises which Pele, the goddess of fire, was fond of assuming was that of an aged hag. In fact, it was hardly a disguise at all, for Pele was as old as the hills themselves; besides her quick tem-per and natural jealousy had furrowed her face with deep,...
Once, long ago, the Buddha was born as a little parrot. One day a storm fell upon his forest home. Lightning flashed, thunder crashed, and a dead tree, struck by lightning, burst into flames. Sparks leapt on the wind and soon the forest was ablaze. Terrified animals...
Once there lived a very poor woman who lived alone with her only child. One day the son, who was only ten, decided to seek work. “Mother,” he said, “let me go out and look for work.”
His mother would not permit him to go because he was too young....
There was a monastery in a certain place. The monks residing there went out daily to beg their food. One day a monk, while out for his alms, saw a landlord beating a man mercilessly. The compassionate monk stepped in and asked the landlord to stop. But the landlord...
Native American (Ojibwa) Tale: Although physically deformed, Bokwewa is gifted in supernatural ways and has a very generous and loving spirit. When his brother goes after his wife’s kidnapper, Bokwewa warns him to resist temptations that will divert him. He doesn’t obey and Bokwewa attempts to rescue him. Good for discussion on benevolence and self-sacrifice versus temptation and vanity.
At the time of the Buddha, Benares had been the holy city of India for many centuries, and Hinduism was its ancient religion. The city was famous for fine temples, many built in beautiful leafy parks with pools of clear, undisturbed water, while the streets of...
