This is about a really superb collection of folktales which I thought
would be of interest to this group. They were collected in the region
between north-west Pakistan and Afghanistan from a traditional
story-teller about thirty years ago. See
http://www.pashtun.tk
for more information and reviews. But even aside from cultural
interest, it's just a really great read.
Best wishes All!
P.S. Here's a table of contents, which cannot be found on the site
above:
I. Wit and Intelligence 21
Luck and Intelligence 23 (4)
The King and the Clever Vizier 27 (5)
Sweeter than Salt 32 (8)
The Gardener's Daughter 40 (12)
Sass Begum 52 (6)
The Clever Princess 58 (17)
II. Virtues and Vices 75
The Greedy King 77 (5)
The Sin of Pride 82 (4)
The Two Viziers 86 (6)
The Lion of the Jungle 92 (3)
III. Miracles and Magic 95
The Great Saint 97 (3)
The Saint of Baghdad 100 (3)
The Fakir and the Princess 103 (4)
Musa Khan Deo 107 (6)
Khurram Deo 113 (4)
The Man-eater 117 (4)
The Prince and the Fairy 121 (6)
IV. Court****p and Infidelity 127
The Parrot and the Starling 129 (23)
The Prince and the Fakir 152 (6)
The Dancing Dolls 158 (3)
The Merchant and the Parrot 161 (16)
Gul and Sanobar 177 (6)
The Three Friends 183 (6)
V. Epic and Romance 189
The Shy Prince 191 (13)
The King's Dream 204 (15)
Prince Bahram 219 (20)
Hazrat Ali Sahib 239 (30)
The Simurgh 269 (2)
VI. Comedy and Farce 271
The Woodcutter 273 (9)
The Swindlers 282 (13)
The Barber's Son 295 (4)
The Shepherd 299 (5)
The Weavers 304 (3)
Nasruddin, the Holy Man 307 (8)
The Barber and the Farmer's Wife 315 (6)
Folkloristic Analysis 321 (34)
Notes 355 (5)
Glossary 360 (6)
Bibliography 366 (6)
Index of Tale Types 372 (2)
Index of Folk Motifs 374