The Folktale Project

'Eve's Various Children' provides us a divine rationalization for some very serious classism.

From: Household Tales

Author: The Brothers Grimm

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At first blush 'The Grey Mare in the Garret' seems like a ghost story, but in reality it's a love tale set during The Plague in "Folklore and Legends: German".

From: Folklore and Legends: German

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In 'The Bright Sun Brings it to Light' the Brothers Grimm bring us a story about the strength of a guilty man's conscience.

From: Grimm's Household Tales

Author: The Brothers Grimm

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In the Korean folktale of 'The Rabbit's Eyes' we find a turtle who has nefarious plans and a bunny who is (thankfully) as smart as he is trusting.

From: The Unmannerly Tiger, and Other Korean Tales

A…

In 'A Bridegroom for Miss Mole' we meet a father determined to find the best husband in the entire world possible for his beautiful daughter. But nobody feels worthy.

From: The Unmannerly Tiger, and …

'The Unmannerly Tiger' is our very first folklore from Korea and the story of a very hungry, very proud tiger named "Mountain Uncle" 🐯.

From: The Unmannerly Tiger, and Other Korean Tales

Author: Will…

'The Story of a Monkey' is a Filipino progressive folktale with a surprising twist at the end.

From: Philippine Folk Tales

Author: Mabel Cook Cole

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'The Story of the Creation' from Mindanao is an amazing creation tale, and that's not just that I love creation folklore.

From: Philippine Folk Tales

Author: Mabel Cook Cole

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The Filipino folktale of 'The Flood Story' isn't an adaptation of the Judeo-Christian Flood. It's so, so much better.

From: Philippine Folk Tales

Author: Mabel Cook Cole

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'Morozko' is a tale of the Russian Jack Frost, a good daughter and a bad daughter, and the world's smartest talking dog.

From: Russian Fairy Tales from the Skazki of Polevoi

Author: R. Nisbet Bain

H…

It seems like we all end up knowing someone like Demyan from 'The Tale of the Peasant Demyan'. Someone who is hard hearted and always ready to both be right and to quarrel.

From: Russian Fairy Tales …

This week is a visit to Russia for three new tales, beginning with Bain's 'The Brave Labourer', a story all about the bravery we find when we really don't have a choice in our actions.

From: Russian …

In 'The Halos of The Saints' we discover that saints and scholars have halos that can blind people. and that foxes are scared of them both!

From: The Chinese Fairy Book Editor: R. Wilhelm

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'The Three Rhymesters' is a fun story that praises intelligence and a quick wit. And it praises (to an extent) a young woman, which is unfortunately rare in folklore.

From: The Chinese Fairy Book Edi…

We start off our week of Chinese folklore with a short tale chock full of schadenfreude, 'Who Was the Sinner?' from "The Chinese Fairy Book".

From: The Chinese Fairy Book

Editor: R. Wilhelm

Translato…

Today we have our annual reading of Charles Skinner's 'Consecration of Washington'. Because nobody deifies their leaders quite like Americans.

From: Myths and Legends of Our Own Land

Author: Charles …

'The Phantom Dragoon' is a rare tale from the Revolutionary United States that praises the ingenuity of a young English scout. A rare story indeed.

From: Myths and Legends of Our Own Land

Author: Cha…

This week, in honor of Independence Day here in the United States we're reading three tales from "Myths and Legends of Our Own Lands". 'The Party from Gibbet Island' is a tale about Ellis Island long…

In 'The Two Humpbacks' we have another tale that explores the difference in fates between two individuals. However, in this case, there's no clear good or bad person but definitely good and bad outco…

'The Bucket' is a story that should feel terribly familiar. However, unlike other versions, a lesson is learned where is wasn't before.

From: Italian Popular Tales

Author: Thomas Frederick Crane

Hel…