Indian Fairy Tales

Abstract

Most of the twenty-nine selections here are indeed fairy tales, heavy on magic, demons, fairies, and angels. One poor Brahman after another runs into long, episodic adventures full of prophecies and beautiful princesses. The best examples might be Lambikin (23) and his protective drum, Punchkin (27), and The Soothsayer's Son (86). In the midst of these fairy tales, there are Jatakas and Kalila and Dimna materials like The Cruel Crane Outwitted (57) and TT (123). There are also Aesopic materials, like The Crane and the Lion (not wolf, 1), The Gold-giving Serpent (136), and DLS (182). The Broken Pot (49) works the same as the Aesopic MM.