Tales of the Punjab, Folklore of India

"Here are the tales, told by the people over the centuries in India, collected and transcribed in all their original rough ready wit, drama and poetry, together with illustrations by J. Lockwood Kipling." This collection is a treasure, for young and old. Classics such as The Rat's Wedding, Bear's Bad Bargain, The Brave Weaver, The Grain of Corn, Peasie and Beansie, The Tiger the Brahman and the Jackal... over 40 stories authentically translated from the original 1984 Tales of The Punjab. Inside dust cover: "At the turn of the century, Flora Anne Steel traveled through India, and spending countless hours, listened to the village storytellers and gathered their tales into this brilliant and definitive collection, sifting and carefully selecting the most vivid stories in their best form, but not doctoring them in any way, not even in their language. She preserved the rough, ready wit, their drama, poetry, and humanity. In addition, J. Lockwood Kipling (Rudyard Kipling's father) designed a host of ingenious and charming illustrations to accompany them, full of the flavor of India. ..." This is a collection that has been in my family's library right along side other story collections and many are paralleled with western versions of similar themes, such as "The Sparrow and the Crow" which echos the western "Three Little Pigs" I enjoyed these stories when then shared them with my children, and now with my grandchildren. They are timeless and classic. (This review refers to the 1983 Greenwhich House hardcover edition by Crown Publishing)

The book was intended for children and thus the tales are devoid eroticism of the Arabian nights, but Steele was a great writer and translator. If you can pick up the addition with illustrations by Kipling's father.