Best-Loved Folktales of the World

Joanna Cole

Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group, Aug 9, 1983 - Fiction - 816 pages

This collection of over two hundred folk and fairy tales from all over the world is the only edition that encompasses all cultures. Arranged geographically by region—West and East Europe, British Isles, Scandinavia, and Northern Europe, Middle East, Asia, the Pacific, Africa, North America, the Carribean and West Indies, and Central and South America—and lovingly selected from the personal favorites of folklorists and writers, this book is a major anthology in its field.
Gathered together in this wide-ranging collection are familiar classics like "Snow-White" and "Sleeping Beauty," and stories that equal them from all major cultures. Together they offer magic, adventure, laughter, reflection, vivid images, and a throng of colorful characters. More important, they offer insight into the oral traditions of different cultures and deal with universal human dilemmas that span differences of age, culture, and geography. Animal fables, proverbs, ghost  stories, funny tales, and tales of enchantment provide a unique reading experience for all ages.
A category index groups the tales by plot and character, e.g., humorous, supernatural, and "pourquoi" tales, married couples, enchanted sweethearts, etc. Like all great literature, these tales can be read with fascination on many levels, making Best-Loved Folktales of the World a classic and enduring collection.

Contents

• Cinderella France: 3
• Beauty and the Beast France: 8
• Puss in Boots France: 24
• Blue Beard France: 28
• The White Cat France: 32
• Drakestail France: 45
• The Doctor and His Pupil France: 50
• SnowWhite Germany: 53
• The Brave Little Tailor Germany: 61
• Ashenputtel Germany: 68
• Rapunzel Germany: 75
• The Devils Three Gold Hairs Germany: 78
• Darling Roland Germany: 84
• The Fisherman and His Wife Germany: 88
• The Frog Prince Germany: 95
• The Goosegirl Germany: 98
• Tom Thumb Germany: 104
• The Wolf and the Seven Little Kids Germany: 109
• Little Red Riding Hood Germany: 112
• The Juniper Tree Germany: 115
• The Golden Goose Germany: 122
• ThousandFurs Germany: 126
• Rumpelstiltskin Germany: 131
• Mother Holle Germany: 134
• Sleeping Beauty Germany: 137
• The Queen Bee Germany: 140
• The Bremen Town Musicians Germany: 142
• Hansel and Gretel Germany: 145
• The Merman and the Farmer Germany: 151
• Crab Italy: 152
• Bastianelo Italy: 154
• The Cock and the Mouse Italy: 157
• The Thoughtless Abbot Italy: 158
• Don Demonios Motherinlaw Spain: 160
• Toñino and the Fairies Spain: 166
• Ate the Loaf Spain: 170
• The HalfChick Spain: 171
• A Legend of Saint Nicholas Holland: 174
• The Hare and the Tortoise Ancient Greece: 177
• The Fox and the Grapes Ancient Greece: 178
• The Man the Boy and the Donkey Ancient Greece: 179
• Eros and Psyche Ancient Greece: 180
• The Twelve Months Modern Greece: 186
• British Isles: 191
• Jack and the Beanstalk England: 193
• Jack the GiantKiller England: 198
• Tom Tit Tot England: 207
• The Boggart England: 211
• Good and Bad News England: 212
• The Hand of Glory England: 213
• Lazy Jack England: 214
• Molly Whuppie England: 216
• TeenyTiny England: 219
• The Three Wishes England: 220
• Dick Whittington and His Cat England: 221
• The Pied Piper England: 228
• Master of All Masters England: 231
• Munachar and Manachar Ireland: 232
• The Field of Boliauns Ireland: 235
• The Fishermans Son and the Gruagach of Tricks Ireland: 237
• The Thirteenth Son of the King of Erin Ireland: 247
• The Birth of Fin MacCoul Ireland: 256
• Fin MacCoul and the Fenians of Erin in the Castle of Fear Dubh Ireland: 264
• Black Brown and Gray Ireland: 270
• The Brownie of Blednock Scotland: 275
• The Midwife Scotland: 280
• The Wee Wee Mannie Scotland: 281
• The Cow on the Roof Wales: 283
• Scandinavia and Northern Europe: 285
• East of the Sun and West of the Moon Norway: 287
• Boots and the Troll Norway: 296
• Gudbrand on the Hillside or What the Good Man Does Is Always Right Norway: 300
• The Giant Who Had No Heart in His Body Norway: 304
• The Lad Who Went to the North Wind Norway: 310
• The Master Thief Norway: 313
• The Three Billygoats Gruff Norway: 326
• The Mastermaid Norway: 327
• Not a Pin to Choose Between Them Norway: 340
• Princess on the Glass Hill Norway: 345
• Why the Bear Is StumpyTailed Norway: 353
• Why the Sea Is Salt Norway: 354
• The Tinderbox Denmark: 358
• Peter Bull Denmark: 364
• Maid Lena Denmark: 368
• The Old Woman and the Tramp or Nail Broth Sweden: 377
• Salt and Bread Sweden: 381
• The Seals Skin Iceland: 383
• The PigHeaded Wife Finland: 384
• The Forest Bride Finland: 387
• God and the Devil Share the Harvest Latvia: 394
• The BulBul Bird Latvia: 395
• East Europe: 401
• The Fool of the World and the Flying Ship Russia: 403
• The Baba Yaga Russia: 411
• The Firebird the Horse of Power and the Princess Vasilissa Russia: 414
• The Story of King Frost Russia: 422
• Prince Hedgehog Russia: 425
• Salt Russia: 428
• The Treasure Russia: 438
• Woe Russia: 441
• Clever Manka Czechoslovakia: 447
• Intelligence and Luck Czechoslovakia: 452
• Czar Trojans Ears Yugoslavia: 455
• A Stroke of Luck Hungary: 457
• It Could Always Be Worse Yiddish: 459
• Chelm Justice Yiddish: 460
• Saint or Horse Yiddish: 461
• When Hershel Eats Yiddish: 462
• Middle East: 465
• Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp Arabian Nights: 467
• Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves Arabian Nights: 478
• The Fisherman and the Genie Arabian Nights: 485
• The Donkey Driver and the Thief Arabia: 488
• The Farmer and His Hired Help Afghanistan: 490
• Dont Throw Stones from NotYours to Yours Israel: 495
• The Three Hares Turkey: 497
• Asia: 501
• Momotaro or The PeachBoy Japan: 503
• The Old Woman Who Lost Her Dumplings Japan: 506
• The Sparrow with the Slit Tongue Japan: 509
• The Tale of the Oki Islands Japan: 512
• The Stonecutter Japan: 516
• The Wifes Portrait Japan: 519
• Urashima Japan: 521
• The Magic Kettle Japan: 523
• A Taoist Priest China: 526
• Simple Wang China: 528
• Faithful Even in Death China: 531
• The Young Head of the Family China: 534
• The Most Frugal of Men China: 537
• The Magic Brocade China: 539
• Planting a Pear Tree China: 545
• The Grooms Crimes China: 546
• A Clever Judge China: 547
• Money Makes Cares China: 548
• Drinking Companions China: 550
• The Kings Favorite China: 554
• The Clever Thief Korea: 555
• The Tigers Whisker Korea: 558
• Hats to Disappear with Korea: 561
• Why the Parrot Repeats Mans Words Thailand: 563
• Mister Lazybones Laos: 565
• The Fisherman and the Gatekeeper Burma: 567
• The Little Lizards Sorrow Vietnam: 569
• The Fly Vietnam: 572
• The Valiant ChatteeMaker India: 575
• The Tiger the Brahman and the Jackal India: 581
• How the Rajas Son Won the Princess Labam India: 583
• How Sun Moon and Wind Went Out to Dinner India: 592
• The Monkey and the Crocodile India: 593
• Tit for Tat India: 595
• The Pacific: 597
• How Maui Fished Up the Great Island Hawaii: 599
• Why There Are No Tigers in Borneo Indonesia: 602
• How Platypuses Came to Australia Australia: 605
• The Bunyip Australia: 608
• Africa: 611
• Talk AfricaAshanti Tribe: 613
• Anansis Hatshaking Dance AfricaAshanti Tribe: 615
• Anansi and His Visitor Turtle AfricaAshanti Tribe: 618
• How Spider Obtained the SkyGods Stories AfricaAshanti Tribe: 620
• Younde Goes to Town West Africa: 623
• How Frog Lost His Tail AfricaSukuma Tribe: 626
• The Rubber Man AfricaHausa Tribe: 627
• The Origin of Death AfricaAkamba Tribe: 631
• Man Chooses Death AfricaMadagascar: 632
• The Woman and the Children of the Sycamore Tree Africa Masai Tribe: 633
• The Wise Dog AfricaYoruba Tribe: 634
• The Hunter and His Magic Flute AfricaYoruba Tribe: 638
• The Funeral of the Hyenas Mother AfricaYoruba Tribe: 642
• Oni and the Great Bird AfricaYoruba Tribe: 644
• The Wooden Spoon and the Whip AfricaYoruba Tribe: 649
• Why There Are Cracks in Tortoises Shell AfricaBaila Tribe: 652
• The Fire on the Mountain Ethiopia: 653
• Why the Sun and the Moon Live in the Sky AfricaEfikIbibio: 657
• A TugofWar AfricaFan Tribe: 658
• North America: 661
• People Who Could Fly Black American: 663
• Baby in the Crib Black American: 665
• The Wonderful TarBaby Story Uncle Remus: 666
• Paul Bunyans Cornstalk Western United States: 668
• The Two Old Womens Bet Southern United States: 671
• Jack in the Giants Newground Southern United States: 674
• Señor Coyote and the Dogs Mexico: 686
• The Talking Cat French Canada: 688
• The Indian Cinderella Canadian Indian: 694
• The Deserted Children American IndianGros Ventre Tribe of Montana: 697
• The Girl Who Married a Ghost American IndianThe Nisqualli Tribe of Southern Washington: 699
• The Lost Woman American IndianBlackfeet Tribe: 704
• The Theft of Fire American IndianChippewa Tribe: 712
• Manabozho and His Toe American Indian: 718
• The Raven Brings Light Alaskan Indian: 719
• The Sedna Legend Eskimo: 721
• Caribbean and West Indies: 725
• The Magic Orange Tree Haiti: 727
• Greedy Mariani Haiti: 731
• Uncle Bouqui and Little Malice Haiti: 734
• Bouki Rents a Horse Haiti: 738
• Anansi Play with Fire Anansi Get Burned Jamaica: 741
• How El Bizarrón Fooled the Devil Cuba: 745
• The Story of the Smart Parrot Puerto Rico: 748
• Central and South America: 751
• How the Devil Constructed a Church Honduras: 753
• Three Magic Oranges Costa Rica: 756
• The Lucky Table Costa Rica: 760
• Brer Rabbit Businessman Costa Rica: 763
• The Search for the Magic Lake Ecuador: 767
• The Deer and the Jaguar Share a House Brazil: 774
• The Five Brothers Chile: 776
• Index of Categories of Tales: 781
• Index of Titles: 789

About the author

Joanna Cole has taught elementary school, worked with a news magazine, and was for several years a senior editor of children’s books. Today she is a full-time author writing for children. She is best known as the author of the Magic School Bus series. She has written more than 90 nonfiction and fiction books for children, and she is the winner of the 1991 Washington Post /Children's Book Guild Nonfiction award for the body of her work. She lives in Connecticut with her husband and daughter.

Bibliographic information

• Title: Best-Loved Folktales of the World; Anchor books; Anchor folktale library
• Author: Joanna Cole
• Edition: illustrated, reprint
• Publisher: Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group, 1983
• ISBN: 0385189494, 9780385189491
• Length: 816 pages
• Subjects: Fiction / Anthologies (multiple authors); Fiction / Fairy Tales, Folk Tales, Legends & Mythology; Fiction / Fantasy / Paranormal