Introduction
India is undoubtedly the home of the fairy-tale. Of those now in existence, probably one-third of them came from India. Gypsies, missionaries, travelers, and traders carried them to other countries where they were told and retold until much of their original form was obliterated, and many of their titles lost.
The "Jatakas," or birth-stories of Buddha, form the earliest collection of fairy-tales in the world, and were gathered together more than two thousand years before the Brothers Grimm—well and justly beloved of children—began to write the stories which have delighted a world of readers, young and old.
It is from these, and from others told by native nurses, or ayahs, to children in India--where the belief in fairies, gnomes, ogres, and monsters is still widespread--that five stories most likely to interest young people have been selected to form this volume. They are stories which have aroused the wonder and laughter of thousands of children in the far East, and can hardly fail to produce the same effect upon the children of America.
H.J.
[The Magic Bed]
[The Wise Jackal]
[The Four Brothers]
[The Fish Prince]
[The Talking Turtle]
[The Princess Lalun]
["A tiger stood roaring"]
["Sitting under a tree"]
["'Cannot I have supper with you?'"]
["Spread it gently over the Princess"]
["The Prince told her who he was"]
["The Princess sits on the roof"]
["The Rajah sent for the Prince"]
["His tigers came in"]
["He beat the kettle-drum loudly"]
["They came to a beautiful palace"]
["'I am going to run away'"]
["They found a beautiful marble tank"]
["Nala cried out 'Oh, oh!'"]
["The Rakshas is on his way home"]
["Twined red lotus flowers in her hair"]
["'They are my father's flowers'"]
["A diamond shining in his forehead"]
["The monkeys taught him to climb trees"]
["All the animals loved him"]
["Four men cutting up a deer"]
["Chimo dropped the firebrand"]
["'Have you got husbands for us?'"]
["Their clothes on their heads"]
["'You have broken my enchantment'"]
["'The kingdom ought to be mine'"]
["Threw some powder on his head"]
["He was caught in a net"]
["The Queen became fond of him"]
["'I will find you a wife at once'"]
["'You can take her and welcome'"]
["The cobra put out his seven heads"]
["'I want to see my wife!'"]
["Changed into a handsome prince"]
["'Two wild ducks are carrying a turtle!'"]
["'Tells the cranes where our hiding-places are'"]
["'Where are you going?' he asked"]
["Hanging from the stick by his mouth"]
["Hazar ran to pick him up"]
["A golden turtle was set up in the palace"]