AROUND THE GLOBE TALES

Africa

• Friends
• The Root of the Matter
• The Three Runners
• Uncle Spider
• Royal Servant
• The Tailless Dassie

Bhutan

• Family Misfortunes

Birbal story

• Birbal Catches A Thief

China

• Gasping Grasper
• The Short-sighted Brothers
• Moment of Madness
• Secret Of Casket
• Chicken Feed
• Why Cats Chase Rats
• Struck by Lightning
• Sound Advice
• The Generous Student
• The Naming Game
• Butterfly Lovers

Europe

• Force of Habit
• The Fisherman Who Rose Too High

France

• Wish List

Indonesia

• Double Trouble

Italy

• Advice

Japan

• Learning from the Enemy
• The Witch in the Tower
• Little One Inch
• Not True
• Coloured

Korea

• The Tiger's whisker
• The Sun-Goddess of Korea

Malaysia

• Totally Useful Youth

Myanmar

• Immune to Flattery
• Stomach Problems
• Why Crows are Black

Nepal

• Top Answers
• Dreams

Persia

• Disputed Waters

Philippines

• Making Haste Slowly

Rome

• The Dissatisfied Devotee

Russia

• Passport

West Africa

• Tug of War

Coloured

A folktale from Japan:
In the days when the world was young, an enterprising owl ran a dyeing shop which birds visited in large numbers.
One day a crow, his feathers stylishly curled at the ends hopped in and said he wanted to be dyed in a colour that would set him apart from all other birds.
Crows were white in those days. The owl led his customer into the dyeing room and put him into a pot of indigo. When he was taken out, the ends of his feathers had straightened out and he was glossy black. The crow was furious. The owl reminded him that he had asked to be dyed in a unique colour but the crow refused to listen and gave the owl a vicious peck. Alarmed, the owl abandoned his business and fled. From then on he began to come out only at night to avoid the wrath of his dissatisfied customer.