MacDonald, Margaret Read.

An old woman complains about all the housework she has to do, but when some fairies come to help her she finds that they are more trouble than they are worth.

When Jouha counts the ten donkeys carrying his dates to market, he repeatedly forgets to count the one he is riding on, causing him great consternation. Includes numbers written out in Arabic and in English transliteration, as well as the numerals one through ten, and a note on the origins and other versions of the story.

A bragging contest between Whale and Sandpiper turns into a battle over the beach and sea, until both parties realize that the beach and the sea, as well as sea creatures and shorebirds, are interdependent.

Malaysia, situated in the heart of southeast Asia, is home to more than twenty million people, who belong to a number of diverse cultural groups, including the Malay, Dusun, Iban, Penan, Sungai, Dyak, and others. Until now, few tales from Malaysia, Brunei, and Singapore have made their way into print in English. Renowned folklorist Margaret Read MacDonald has worked with archival material as well as with local storytellers to collect traditional tales from these people, including 15 tales from the ethnic peoples of Borneo. Organized broadly by region, and then by specific groups and themes, this book offers more than 50 tales, including animal tales, stories of magic, trickster tales, humorous stories, place legends and more. Like other titles in the World Folklore Series, it also includes general information about the geography, peoples, and history of Malaysia and surrounding areas; as well as proverbs, songs and games, color photos, and notes on the stories. All levels. - Publisher.

Worried that Little Boy will be frightened if she fails to return home before dark, an old woman enlists the aid of some passing animals to coax her new pig across the bridge.

In this British variant of a traditional tale, a great smelly, slobbery, small-tooth dog rescues a rich man from bandits and demands that the man bring his beautiful daughter to live in his castle.

Upon finding a gold coin, a lonely woman trades it for a pig, then a succession of smaller, less troublesome pets.

When Little Boy is frightened by a squeaky bedroom door, his grandmother brings in various animals to help him feel secure enough to sleep. Includes notes on the story's origins.

In this folktale from Panama, a little rabbit and his Tia Monica outwit a fox, a tiger, and a lion, all of whom want to eat him for lunch.

A childless woman's prayers are answered by the arrival of a talking pot, but the new mother knows that Little Pot must learn right from wrong just like any child.

A cumulative tale from Chile that begins with a hen and ends with sixteen different animals and a guitar.

An African folktale about a mouse who pays close attention to her surroundings and avoids being tricked by the cat.

A greedy cat grows enormous as he eats everything in sight, including his friends and neighbors who call him fat.

Because a pesky rabbit picks peas from her garden, a little girl catches it and puts it in a box, but that doesn't solve the problem.

Spoiled and vain, Aree cannot decide which of her many silken dresses and lavish jewels to wear to the dance, so she wears them all.