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Folklore Books from Nepal, Tibet,
the Himalayas and India
from Pilgrims Publishing, Varanasi,
India and Pilgrims Book House, Kathmandu, Nepal.
*** Asian Folklore ***
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Folk Tales from the Far East
Retold by Charles H Meeker
Folk stories, myths and tales of old have always existed in many
different cultures. Each of these folktales from the Far East
tells a different story; each brings a moral tale to life and
gives a short lesson to be learnt.
There are beast fables, in which animals speak and otherwise
act as men in order to drive home the prospect of morality or
wordly wisdom. "Suddenly a door opened from the side of
the great trunk and a beautiful wood fairy came out..'Sahib'
began the fairy ' I see you like stores, do you like riddles
too?'..."
You will adore these stories and riddles from India and the Far
East, exquisitely retold and delightfully illustrated. Through
humour and satire, each story can suggest a deeper meaning for
the more perceptive.
So read on and be amused by these tales and riddles from another
world!
Paperback. 152 pages. B&W drawings.
Pilgrims Folk Tales Series.
Weight: 300 g (10.5 oz).
Item No: 8177691171.
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Shadow Forms: A Collection of Occult Stories
by Manly P Hall.
Haunted by the shadows in our mind tales of the occult feed
upon these deep recesses incessantly. They Conjure up the devils
of our own sub-conscious to haunt us during our waking moments.
The inexplicable and the horrific have as always confounded the
simplicity that is man. Call if warped imagination; morbid fear
in the mind or just ghastly nightmares; the power of the occult
and horror stories have entranced people since man first walked
the earth. Long ago the demons of the night in dark forests,
in empty deserts and in brooding canyons, haunted man in his
darkest hour. Today in the long dark shadows lurk unseen shapes
and destructive ghostly vibrations. Is this some unknown power,
or the forces within our minds, that dare to creep into our conscious
state?
Shadow Forms is a collection of stories from around the
world, mostly from the East, which have been passed down through
the ages by word of mouth and coalesced into both fancy and morality.
Each story will surprise you and provoke your thoughts perhaps
casting its own shadow form on your mind.
The author, Manly Hall, is also well known for this more serious
works on esoteric subjects and has written several books, which
delve into the world of the occult. Through this collection of
tales he successfully represents the shadow world of the occult.
Paperback. 75 pages.
Pilgrims Folk Tales Series.
Weight: 200 g (7 oz).
Item No: 8177691198.
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*** Burmese Folklore ***
Burmese Folk Tales
by Htin Aung.
The village storyteller in Burma considered a tale as a tale
and no more, and would not distinguish or classify the stories
that he told.
But actually tales told in Burmese villages could be divided
into three categories: (i) folktales; (ii) folk legends; and
(iii) jatakas (or Buddhist birth tales).
This collection of Burmese folktales is highly coloured and exotic.
The stories illustrate universal human truths. The atmosphere
of these is the same kind as their European counterparts. Some
of the tales are highly significant in courts of law and often
contain pointers as to how certain situations should be dealt
with. They form the foundation of many decisions taken in courts
of law.
Paperback. 235 pages.
Pilgrims Folk Tales Series.
Weight: 400 g (14 oz).
Item No: 8177691147.
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*** Indian Folklore ***
Ancient Indian Tales
Edited by C N Burchett
India is a land of age-old traditions and storytelling is very
deeply rooted in its popular culture. Till the recent introduction
of television throughout the country, storytelling remained a
significant means of amusement in which both young and old participated
with zeal. Even now some of the most popular television serials
are based upon stories and legends of mythical heroes.
The anthology of tales in this volume deals with love and philosophy,
adventure as well as morality and religion. They cover the whole
spectrum of India's great spiritual heritage. These stories have
the native purity of folk art and are yet shaped with rare sophistication.
Readers will find selections from the Mahabharata, Ramayana,
Puranas, Subandhu's Vasavadatta, Bana's Kadambari
and Harshacharita, not to mention Dandin's Tales of
Ten Princes (Dasakumaracharita), and finally the work of
the 11th century Kashmiri poet, Soma Deva's The Ocean of Streams
of Story (Katha Sarit Sagar).
Paperback. 343 pages.
Pilgrims Folk Tales Series.
Weight: 500 g (17.5 oz).
Item No: 8177691201.
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Animal Fables of India: Narayana's Hitopadesha, or Friendly
Counsel
by Francis G Hutchins. Illustrated by A Ramachandran.
The Hitopadesha (or Friendly Counsel) is a wonderful
rendering of India's animal fables. These fables were originally
written in order to instruct young Indian princes in their duties
as rulers.
The fables here involve characters from the animal world who
think, speak and act like human beings. Each fable involves traits
like love, hate, envy or jealousy and has a moral or philosophical
theme which retains its appeal to the present day. The book gives
us an insight into human nature, shows us how to choose our friends
and how to meet life's obstacles wisely, and how to live a life
of peace and harmony in an imperfect world.
Adults and children will both enjoy these ancient but timeless
tales.
Paperback. 269 pages. B&W illustrations.
Weight: 395 g (13.8 oz).
Item No: 81-7303-130-4.
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The Baital Pachisi: Twenty Five Ghost Stories
Retold by Captain W Hollings
These immortal tales of chivalry and skullduggery, wisdom and
foolishness, honesty and deceit, are about Baital, a mythical
wraith-like figure, credited with supernatural powers, and King
Vikramaditya whose wisdom is matched only by King Solomon of
the Biblical fame.
This wise yet evil spirit which hangs upside down in a tree,
challenges Vikramaditya to hold his silence while he narrates
his tales and then asks for the king's opinion as to the morality
of the characters. The minute the king answers, the spirit files
away once more to his place in the tree, forcing the king to
clamber up and drag him down again.
Thus we are entertained and at the same time discover:
-- what strange deeds have been done
-- what beautiful princesses and handsome princes have searched
far and wide to fine their true loves
-- what wicked men have woven complex tales of deceit and confusion
-- what devotees and yogis have proclaimed moral truth and sought
to define the nature of humankind.
The Baital Pachisi is written as a series of simple stories.
Each story has a moral and a philosophical theme, which has stood
the test of time and is relevant to modern times. For those interested
in the ancient sayings, riddles, fables and stores of India,
these short tales will prove highly entertaining and instructive.
Paperback. 105 pages.
Pilgrims Folk Tales Series.
Weight: 250 g (8.8 oz).
Item No: 8177691163.
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Indian Fairy Stories
Selected and retold by Donald A Mackenzie.
This book is an anthology of some of the best stories ever
produced on the Indian subcontinent.
The stories here are presented in a style that all ages can appreciate
and understand and they will enlighten and entertain readers
who wish to go back and remember things as they were. They are
stories of speaking animals, fairies and beasts, of princes and
princesses, of love, happiness and sometimes extreme sorrow.
They teach us to have a moral code acceptable not only to man
but also to nature. They also reveal to us the Indian way of
life, and give us glimpses of the true Indian character.
Paperback. 110 pages. B&W illustrations.
Pilgrims Folk Tales Series.
Weight: 250 g (8.8 oz).
Item No: 817769121X.
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Indian Fairy Tales
Selected and edited by Joseph Jacobs.
Indian Fairy Tales is an exciting and entertaining collection
of stories, full of the colour and enchantment of India.
These stories have a universal appeal. There are often striking
similarities between Indian tales and the tales of European myth
and legend, with the Indian fairy tale characters often having
close counterparts in Western traditional tales.
Specially selected and retold to offer the best of India, the
stories in Indian Fairy Tales speak of snow-capped mountains,
meandering rivers, the ocean, the blue heavens, the exquisite
flora and fauna, and characters from paupers to princes.
The tales of courage and sacrifice, love and adventure, magic
and death, offer both spellbinding entertainment as well as answers
to fundamental questions of life.
This enchanting book will be treasured not only by children who
enjoy reading of adventure and heroism, but also by parents and
educators looking for new ways to respond to the age-old request
to "Tell Me a Story".
Paperback. 255 pages. B&W drawings.
Pilgrims Folk Tales Series.
Weight: 450 g (15.8 oz).
Item No: 817769006X.
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Jataka Tales: Birth Stories of Buddha
Selected and told by Ethel Beswisk
The Jataka Tales were told by the Buddha during the
forty years following his enlightenment. Today, 2,500 years after
his death, they are still remembered and cherished by readers
of all ages. The 35 stories here are mostly about animals and
the former lives of Buddha. They exemplify Buddhist ethics and
his belief that action and character of the present have their
source in the past. The book is a fascinating introduction to
Indian thought and to the ways Buddhist values apply to the present-day
world.
Paperback. 115 pages.
Weight: 105 g (3.7 oz).
Item No: 81-7303-173-8.
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More Jataka Tales
Selected and retold by Ellen C Babbitt
A selection of Jataka tales in the classic translation by Ellen
C Babbitt.
Contents:
The Monkey and the Crocodile
How the Turtle Saved His Own Life
The Merchant of Seri
The Turtle Who Could n't Stop Talking
The Ox Who Won the Forfeit
The Sandy Road
The Quarrel of the Quails
The Measure of Rice
The Foolish, Timid Rabbit
The Wise and Foolish Merchant
The Elephant Girly-face
The Banyan Deer
The Princes and the Water-Sprite
The King's White Elephant
The Ox Who Never Envied the Pig
Grannie's Blackie
The Crab and the Crane
Why the Owl Is Not King of the Birds
Paperback. 61 pages. B&W drawings.
Pilgrims Folk Tales Series.
Weight: 200 g (7 oz).
Item No: 8177691139.
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Simla Village Tales: Folktales from the Himalayas
Selected and retold by Alice Elizabeth Dracott.
One cannot sojourn for long in the East without hearing strange
stories, all of which are vouched for by the natives. Most would
make one's blood run cold, but they are irresistibly fascinating.
Filled with pathos but almost always showing that every cloud
has its silver lining, these tales carry the reader into the
mythical past that was India. The majority of these tales have
the raw transparency of folk art, whilst others are fashioned
with uncommon sophistication.
Many of the stories have been passed down by word of mouth. Long
before the radio and television ever existed, people spent hours
around fires telling stories for entertainment.
First published in 1906, Simla Village Tales captivates
and preserves some of the old folk tales of a long gone era.
This new version of these same stories will show that little
of their underlying meaning and significance has changed.
Paperback. 146 pages. B&W drawings.
Pilgrims Folk Tales Series.
Weight: 300 g (10.5 oz).
Item No: 817769118X.
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The Tota Kahani Parrot Tales: Translated from Saiyid Haidar
Bakhsh's Hindustani Version of Muhammad Kadiri's Persian Abridgement
of Nakhshabi's Tuti Nama
Translated by George Small
Tales of mystic places and mysterious people pervade the pages
of this book -- to fascinate,, educate and fill our hearts with
pleasurable emotions.
Tales of princes and princesses, their clandestine lovers,
tales of greed and jealousy, are all eloquently told. Steeped
in ancient history and culture, they open up new vistas to brighten
up this seemingly drab and dull world of ours.
Many of these tales are simple and easily understood, whilst
others are more sophisticated and carry a hidden and deeper message
for the reader.
Taken originally from a Sanskrit collection, this version
of these particular tales were first translated and adapted into
Persian and then re-translated into Hindustani.
Their present form thus provides us with a great blend of
many cultures and beliefs. All, however, helpt the reader understand
and take delight in one of the most fascinating of ancient civilisations.
Paperback. 152 pages.
Pilgrims Folk Tales Series.
Weight: 200 g (7 oz).
Item No: 8177691155.
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Twenty Jataka Tales
Retold by Princess Noor Inayat Khan
This collection of of Jataka tales (animal stories originally
told by the Buddha) tell gentle stories of animal kindness and
sacrifice, which will appeal to both children and adults alike.
Twenty Jataka Tales are here retold by Princess Noor Inayat
Khan, the great-great-great-granddaughter of Tipu Sultan, the
Indian Muslim ruler who died fighting the British in the eighteenth
century. Born in Russia in 1914, she later lived in England and
later France. She studied music and medicine, and became a writer
of children's stories. During World War II she died fighting
the Germans in occupied France.
Paperback. 70 pages. B&W drawings. First published in 1939.
Pilgrims Folk Tales Series.
Weight: 200 g (7 oz).
Item No: 8177691120.
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Nepalese
Folklore ***
The Golden Umbrella: Nepalese Folktales
Compiled by Eva Kipp, Hem Rai, Dilip Sapkota, Rajendra Bajracharya
and Parmeswari Shrestha
The Golden Umbrella is like a multicoloured lantern.
The folktales included in this collection cover almost the entire
spectrum of human emotions and situations. Some of them have
the mellow fragrance of love, while some others reek of hatred
and jealousy. Some tales have ghosts and apparitions as their
main characters, while in some others one will find people indulging
in cannibalism.
All the tales have been picked up from small villages. They express
various aspects of country life, offer an insight into the complexities
of the human mind and provide a panoramic view of the cultural
and social life of Nepali villages. Also reflected in them are
many local lifestyles, activities, beliefs, feelings, superstitions,
customs and inhibitions, as well as a deep faith in the supernatural.
The Golden Umbrella has everything: love and revenge,
miracles and magic, infidelity and betrayal, greed and magnanimity,
you name it!
Paperback. 77 pages. B&W drawings.
Weight: 140 g (4.9 oz).
Item No: 81-7303-162-2.
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Limbu Folklore: A Collection of Oral Folklore from the Limbu
People of Northeast Nepal
by Melanie Pappadis
Limbu Folklore is a firsthand study of the traditions
and culture of one of the many ethnic groups that constitute
the Nepali nation. This survey traces the origins and gradual
development of these people within the framework of the greater
Nepalese nation.
Working closely with Nepali scholars the author visited and lived
with the Limbu people over an extended period. She has enjoyed
their hospitality and observed them at work and play. Her study
is a candid compilation of their complicated folklore, delving
deep into their socio-religious activities. Through this study
she has been able to discover their history, traditional lifestyle,
eating habits, religious beliefs, social traits, and close association
with their adopted habitat. It also shows the inner aspects of
the life of the Limbu people and how these have remained undisturbed
over the years, allowing them to maintain their individual identity
within the whole gamut of cultures that have become mixed together
in the collage of what we now know as Nepal.
The author, Melanie Pappadis, studied with the School for International
Training in Nepal in 1993 and completed her Independent Research
Project: to collect and translate Limbu oral folklore. She later
moved to Cuenca, Ecuador, where she spent time teaching English.
Originally from Chicago, Illinois, she is currently living and
teaching in New York City where she obtained her MFA in Creative
Writing from the New School. She has completed her first novel
and is continuing to work on translation projects.
Paperback. 97 pages. Colour photographs.
Weight: 200 g (7 oz).
Item No: 8177691899.
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Lore and Legend of Nepal
by Kesar Lall
Giants and demons, Bungadeo, the God of Mercy, and Bandhu Achaju,
the Tantric Master, feature in thirty-one traditional folktales
from Nepal. Entertaining and illuminating reading.
Several of these stories confirm the old theory of the German
orientalist Max Muller about the migration of tales from country
to country. The Adivasis of Bihar can find at least half
a dozen of them retold with changes of names and places.
A couple of them are variations of stories found in distant Vietnam.
A few of the stories belong to the reigns of particular kings
of Nepal and as such can be dated. Almost all of them illuminate
some aspects of life in and around Kathmandu.
"Even people with sophisticated tastes will enjoy these
tales" - The Times of India
Paperback. 73 pages. B&W illustrations.
Weight: 130 g (4.6 oz).
Item No: N000005015.
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Nindra Maya
Retold by Eva Kipp
Nindra Maya is the story of an orphan's journey from
poverty to princedom. It is replete with interesting happenings
- kings and queens transforming themselves into birds; palaces
vanishing into thin air; and birds coming to the rescue of men.
The romantic ambience of the tale will certainly captivate the
hearts of children of different age groups. Nindra Maya
is one of the most popular folktales from Nepal.
Paperback. 13 pages. Colour paintings. Nepali and English
text. 21 x 27 cm.
Weight: 70 g (2.5 oz).
Item No: 81-7303-171-1.
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Real Love
by Eva Kipp
Folktales always fascinate children, irrespective of the country
they belong to. They stir their imagination and enable them to
establish a relationship with nature and the animal world. Real
Love is a memorable story from the Himalayan kingdom of Nepal.
It is a tragicomic account of affection, jealousy, separation
and reunion, and has the genuine fragrance of a folktale narrated
with a great deal of tenderness. Its lucid style and simplicity
of tone will have an immediate appeal for children of all ages.
Paperback. 24 pages. Colour paintings.
Weight: 70 g (2.5 oz).
Item No: 81-7303-164-9.
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Real Love; followed by: Helpers of Madhukar and Nindra Maya
(Small Format)
by Eva Kipp
These three folktales retold by Eva Kipp are among the most
beautiful folktales of Nepal. They have romance, suspense, intrigue,
separation, reunion - all the ingredients of fascinating folktales
that will captivate the hearts of children everywhere.
Hardback. 30 pages. Colour paintings.
Weight: 150 g (5.3 oz).
Item No: 81-7303-158-4.
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Tales of Old Bhaktapur
by Jim Goodman
Tales of princes, gods, fierce demons and stupid tigers, merchants
and farmers, rich folk and poor, lucky younger brothers and rewarded
devotees, giant serpents and flying horses. Full of striking
imagery, pathos, humour, irony, fantasy and romance, these tales
represent the cream of Bhaktapur's oral narrative tradition.
The stories contained in this volume were collected by the author
in the autumn and winter of 1982-83 during his first visit to
the unique and fascinating town, an old urban settlement in Nepal.
Charmed by the brick streets, the traditional buildings and temples,
and the way of daily life of Bhaktapur, the author returned to
this unique town often to explore, to observe, to photograph
and to listen to folks who talked about their city, its people,
culture and history.
Paperback. 72 pages.
Weight: 120 g (4.2 oz).
Item No: N000005191.
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Tibetan
Folklore ***
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Beauty of High Hills: Tales of the Turquoise
by Barbara Bingley
Sikkim, Bhutan and Tibet, these are the lands of fairy forests,
strange and beautiful lands inhabited by kindly talkative folk
who will on occasion tell a traveller of the miraculous. These
stories all recount the prowess of the Lord Buddha, who, when
he rose from his Lotus Throne in the mountains beyond the Shali,
came to the lands of the Thunderbolt in order to subdue the evil
who dwelt there.
These are the nursery tales of the Land of Snow. They have been
repeated again and again by innumerable story tellers, each of
whom presented them in his own fashion. In this little book Barbara
Bingley has sought not so much to retell old tales as to recount
the manner in which she heard them, and thereby reveal something
of the spirit of the mountain people who possessed both the simplicity
of children and the grave wisdom of ancient sages.
Paperback. 82 pages. B&W wood engravings.
Weight: 140 g (4.9 oz).
Item No: 81-7624-046-X.
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Folk Tales from Tibet
Compiled by Capt. W F O'Connor.
Folk Tales from Tibet is a collection of some of the most
exquisite stories from Tibet recorded by Captain W F O'Connor.
These tales were collected during his tenure as secretary and
interpreter with the Lhasa Mission of 1904 -- a time when the
western world knew little or nothing about this mystical and
exotic country.
Hidden high up in the trans-Himalayan Plateau, Tibet separates
two of the most ancient cultures, namely China and India. Both
have played a big part in its development. The introduction of
Buddhism from India changed the life styles and beliefs of the
Tibetan people and helped them to develop into a highly conscious
Buddhist society. Still its Bon Po origins and traditions are
evident in the Buddhist way of life. This is clearly reflected
in the psyche of the Tibetan peoples. It is also evident whilst
reading these stories.
Carefully selected, the stories in Folk Tales from Tibet give
a complete picture of the life and styles of the Tibetan peoples
of the times. Like all folk tales they are very representative
of the cultures that they attempt to portray. Even though most
of the tales according to the author find their origins in both
India and China, they have been moulded by time to be representative
of the Tibetan culture as well. With the addition of some Tibetan
love songs and poetry this volume provides excellent reading
for all.
Paperback. 176 pages. Colour illustrations.
Pilgrims Folk Tales Series.
Weight: 400 g (14 oz).
Item No: 817769202X.
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Gessar Khan: A Legend of Tibet
Retold by Ida Zeitlen. Illustrated by Thoedore Nadejen.
This is a tale of Gessar Khan, a legendary folk hero of Tibetan
or Mongolian origin, whose story was passed down by word of mouth
until in Beijing in 1716 it was published in the Mongolian language.
Later it was translated into Russian, and from there into
German and finally into English.
"The epic of Gessar of Ling has been described as the Iliad
of Central Asia. The hero is a deified warrior king who, with
his magic weapons and riding on his winged horse, triumphs over
the forces of evil and injustice. Many of the stories and points
involve demons, spells and magic creations but, like many of
the Greek myths, it is thought that they have some basis in historical
fact. Originally orally transmitted, later some of the stories
were written down and grouped in a subject order." - John
Whelpton, Tibet (Clio Press)
Hardback. 203 pages. Chocolate and ochre linocut illustrations.
Weight: 700 g (24.5 oz).
Item No: 81-7624-008-7.
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Paperback. 203 pages. Chocolate and ochre linocut
illustrations.
Weight: 350 g (12.3 oz).
Item No: 8177690841.
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Tibetan Folk Tales
Collected and retold by A L Shelton
Tibet is a land of mystery and mysticism that has for centuries
hidden itself from the outside world. Tibetan folktales are steeped
in mystical imagery and give the fertile imagination plenty of
scope to work and for this reason they have always attracted
a vast audience.
The author, A L Shelton, collected the fifty tales in this book
from wandering herdsmen of the trans-Himalayan regions of Tibet
as they sat around their campfires at night. As such, they reflect
the true culture and psyche of the Tibetan people.
Whether you are old or young, the stories in Tibetan Folk
Tales will fascinate and entertain you time and time again.
As with all Eastern tales, Tibetan folktales have deeper meanings
that may not be immediately understood and you can ponder over
each tale and discover deeper and hidden meanings under the surface.
Paperback. 192 pages. B&W drawings.
Pilgrims Folk Tales Series.
Weight: 350 g (12.3 oz).
Item No: 8177692011.
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Tibetan Tales: Stories from the Dsangs Blun (The Wise and
the Foolish)
Translated by Antoinette K Gordon
These delightful tales, taken from the Tibetan Buddhist canon,
are traditional stories that the Buddha told his disciples and
are in the form of parables which illustrate common incidents
in life, point a moral and impart important aspects of Buddhist
teachings.
Paperback. 72 pages. B&W illustrations.
Weight: 80 g (2.8 oz).
Item No: N000004700.
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