This collection of fifty folktales and parables was selected from diverse story traditions such as Sufi, Zen, Taoist, Buddhist, Jewish, Christian, African, and Native American. Comprised of ancient plots both poignant and comical, this anthology contains simple truths, common sense, and the promise that we can benefit from past generations' experience. By metaphorically suggesting constructive strategies for living, these ancient tales resonate with a universal appeal. "The characters in these stories may gain wisdom by observing a good example or by bumbling through their own folly," Heather...

Two hungry travelers arrive at a village expecting to find a household that will share a bit of food, as has been the custom along their journey. To their surprise, villager after villager refuses to share, each one closing the door with a bang. As they sit to rest beside a well, one of the travelers observes that if the townspeople have no food to share, they must be "in greater need than we are." With that, the travelers demonstrate their special recipe for a magical soup, using a stone as a starter. All they need is a carrot, which a young girl volunteers. Not to be outdone, another...

Walking along a winding road, a man finds himself swept into a magical world where a contest of strength between the sun and the wind takes place. The sun and the wind compete to see who can remove the man's coat. The howling wind boasts and bullies, but the shivering man tightly clutches his coat. With warmth and light and a bit of gentle persuasion, he encourages the man to remove his own coat This timeless tale from the fables of Aesop offers a poignant portrait of the power of gentleness. With a storyteller's sense of the spoken word, Heather Forest's dynamic retelling captures the...