PUFFIN BOOKS THE PUFFIN BOOK OF WORLD MYTHS AND LEGENDS
Anita Nair is the author of the best-selling novels The Better Man and Ladies Coupé. Her books have been translated into twenty-one languages around the world. This is her first book for children and is part of a two-book series on myths and legends.
The Puffin Book of
World Myths and Legends
ANITA NAIR
Illustrations by Sujasha Dasgupta
PUFFIN BOOKS
For Maitreya Joy to the world and me
And for Dhanush, Siddarth and Sugar
| Contents | |
|
Why People Began to Live in Houses |
1 |
|
The Story of Nanna, the Moon |
5 |
|
How Marshlands Came to Be |
11 |
|
The Hungry Ghost |
17 |
|
The Story of Dhruva |
23 |
|
The Hare on the Moon |
29 |
|
The Snake's Secret |
35 |
|
How the Sky Went So High |
41 |
|
The Story of Taliesin |
47 |
|
Clouds in the Sky |
53 |
|
How the Ping River and Moon River Came to Be 59 |
|
|
Why All Living Creatures Began to Weep |
67 |
|
Why the Warau Indians Seldom Bathe |
73 |
|
The Story of the Sun and the Moon |
79 |
|
The Noble Dog |
85 |
|
Horus, the Dutiful Son |
91 |
|
Ossian's Sorrow |
97 |
|
Wishpoosh and Coyote |
103 |
|
The Eagle's Egg |
109 |
|
How Isis Became a Constellation |
113 |
|
Why the Day Always Returns |
119 |
|
Why Man Did Not Become Immortal |
125 |
|
Why We Have Spit in Our Intestines |
131 |
|
How Japan Became the Land of the Rising Sun |
137 |
|
How Death Came to Stay |
141 |
|
Why the Bear's Tail Is Just a Stump |
145 |
|
The Balance between Life and Death |
151 |
|
Talking Brought Me Here |
157 |
|
How Food Came to Be Cooked |
163 |
|
How Mount Fuji Became a Volcano |
169 |
|
How Whales, Seals and Fish Were Born |
175 |
Acknowledgements
As reference pointers I have drawn from:
A Classical Dictionary of Hindu Mythology and Religion by John Dowson, Rupa & Co., India;
A Dictionary of World Mythology by Arthur Cotterell, Book Club Associates, London;
Swedish Folk Tales and Legends edited by Lone Thygesen Blecher and George Blecher, Pantheon Books, New York;
The Serpent Prince: Folktales from Northeastern Thailand told by Kermit Krueger, The World Publishing Company, New York and Cleveland;
Myths of the Hindus and Buddhists by Ananda K. Coomaraswamy and Sister Nivedita, George G. Harrap & Company.
Dear Child,
Just as the myths and legends in this book are slowly losing their place in our lives, many animals too will soon disappear from our forests. With this book, it is my endeavour to do my little bit for keeping alive both the animals and the myths. I hope you will enjoy reading this collection of myths from around the world . . . and I'm sure you will treasure the thought that by buying this book you have helped in preserving some of the endangered species of Indian wildlife. [A certain amount of the sum you pay to acquire this book will go to the Wildlife Trust of India.]
I'm glad you have joined hands with me in this project.
Happy Reading.
Bangalore January 2004
Anita Nair
All the people on earth get together to push the sky up with giant poles because it is too low and they keep bumping their heads against it. The crafty snake gets to know God's secret message to man and becomes immortal by shedding its skin. An emperor's sorrow bursts forth as flames and lava and turns Mount Fuji into a volcano.
These are just some of the fantastic and magical myths and legends from all over the world—Africa to Japan and Thailand to Alaska—that have been brought together in this exquisite collection. Charming and simple, yet profound in their wisdom, the stories encompass a diverse range. Some recount unforgettable tales of love and adventure, of dutiful sons and scheming gods, of enchanted lands and giant serpents. Others tell us how the world was created, why the sun and moon never meet each other though they live in the same sky, how clouds appeared to save mankind from the sun's scorching rays, and why living creatures shed tears when they are in pain.
A Puffin Original
