Containing simple truths, common sense, and the promise that people can benefit from past generations' experience, this book is a collection of 50 metaphorical folk tales and parables selected with a global perspective and retold by a professional storyteller. Includes traditional stories reflecting the cumulative wisdom of Sufi, Zen, Taoist, Buddhist, Jewish, Christian, African, and Native American cultures.

Tales from ancient India. Jataka tales. The talkative turtle ; The wise master ; A flock of birds --

Tales from the Panchatantra. The lion makers ; The blue jackal who showed his true colors ; The lion and the rabbit --
The blind men and the elephant.

Tales from China : Taoist parables. Blinded by greed ; The stolen ax / based on a tale by Lieh Tzu --
The best fit / based on a tale by Han Fei --
The powerful fighting cock ; Whose dream is this? ; The useless tree / based on a tale by Chuang Tzu --
A farmer's horse ran off / based on a tale by Lui An.

Zen stories from Japan. A monk with heavy thoughts --
The wild strawberry --
Empty-cup mind --
A dispute in sign language --
Giving the moon.

Tales from ancient Greece. Aesop's fables. Antlers ; Everyone agrees to peace ; Mice in council --
Tales of Mount Olympus. Baucis and Philemon ; Echo and Narcissus.

Tales from the Middle East : Sufi stories of Mulla Nasrudin. The boatman --
The smuggler --
Feeding his clothes --
Looking for the key.

Tales from the Jewish tradition. Feathers (Eastern European, Hasidic) --
This too shall pass (Ancient Israel, a King Solomon legend) --
The wooden sword (Afghanistan).

Tales from the Christian tradition. The legend of St. Genesius --
Amazing grace : the story of John Newton (1725-1807) --
The prodigal son : a parable from the New Testament.

Tales from Africa. Fire, water, truth, and falsehood (Northeast Africa, Ethiopia) --
The red and blue coat (Central Africa, Congo) --
Tongue meat (East-Central Africa, Swahili) --
Why wisdom is everywhere (West Africa, Ashanti).

Tales from Asia and Southeast Asia. The parts of the house argue (Philippines) --
The tiger's whisker (Korea) --
Little Lizard's sorrow (Vietnam).

Tales from Europe. The three wishes (England) --
The wooden bowl (Germany) --
The happy man's shirt (Italy) --
The dancing lass of Anglesey (Scotland).

Tales from the Americas. How war was ended (North American Arctic, Central Yup'ik Eskimo) --
How the quetzal got its red breast (Central America, Maya) --
Old Dog and Coyote (Mexico, Otomi) --
Paca and Beetle (South America, Brazil) --
Gluscabi and the magic game bag (North American eastern woodlands, Abenaki).

Proverbs from around the world