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A silly woodcutter ends up empty handed. - 09/01/2011
A man took his horse and wagon to gather firewood. As he threw each piece into the wagon, he said, “If the horse can pull this piece, then he can certainly pull the next one.” The man kept loading until the wagon was heaped full of wood. But then he found that the horse could not pull the load. He...
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A trickster gets tricked in this Northwest Coast Indian legend. - 09/01/2011
Raven stars in many stories from Northwest Coast tribes. According to some stories, Raven brought the Sun to the world and salmon to the Northwest. But Raven is also a greedy practical joker. Though a powerful flier and strong fisherman, Raven is lazy. He would rather get food from other animals...
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A fable that shows the evils of greed. - 09/01/2011
One day a farmer was walking by his barn when he heard a loud cackling and squawking. Rushing in, he saw that his goose had laid a shining golden egg. The next day the same thing happened, and the next. The farmer was growing rich. But the richer he got, the greedier he became. “Why wait?” he thought....
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Hodja comes up with a clever way to prove to himself to his friends. - 09/01/2011
Nasreddin Hodja was a real person who lived in Turkey in the thirteenth century. There are many tales about Nasreddin Hodja. In some he’s wise, in some he’s foolish, and in some—as in this tale—he’s a little of both. One bitterly cold winter night, Nasreddin Hodja sipped hot, sweet coffee and gossiped...
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Two brothers learn they must stick together. - 09/01/2011
Two young brothers were always arguing. One day their father called them together. “Bring me a bundle of sticks tied with twine,” said the father. The boys gathered the bundle of sticks. The father asked the older son to break it in half. The older son tried, but he could not even bend the bundle....
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A short story about an ant's and a dove's kindness towards one another. - 09/01/2011
An ant went to a fountain for a drink of water. She tumbled in and almost drowned. A dove, sitting in a nearby tree, saw the ant in danger. She plucked off a leaf and dropped it right in front of the ant. The tiny creature climbed onto the leaf and was saved. Some time later, a hunter was about to...
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How did Turtle get a cracked shell, Frog acquire warts and bulging eyes, and Rat lose the fur from h - 09/01/2011
Many years ago Turtle, Frog, and Rat were great friends and shared a home in a field near the ocean. They spent the afternoons sitting in the sun on their front porch, talking. Turtle would often say to Frog, “What fine, smooth skin you have. How it shines and glistens.” Frog would return the compliment....
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A young prince works to solve the mystery of the three statues. - 09/01/2011
Long, long ago there lived a king in India. One day a messenger from a neighboring kingdom arrived at the king’s court. Bowing before the throne, he held up a beautiful silver box. “Your Majesty,” he said, “my king sends compliments to your respected self. He also presents you with this gift.” The...
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Spiders brought beauty and hope into an old woman's Christmas. - 09/01/2011
Long ago, in a forest clearing not far from a small Ukrainian village, an old woman lived alone. She had no companions except the spiders who wove their lacy webs in the dark corners of her cabin and feasted on the fat flies they caught. She had few possessions: a straw-stuffed mattress to sleep...
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A tale about a spider who inspires a king to not surrender. - 09/01/2011
This tale is as familiar to British children as the legend of George Washington and the cherry tree is to American children. It was the winter of 1306, and Robert Bruce, newly crowned king of Scotland, sat shivering and hungry in a tiny hut on an Irish island. King Edward I of England, who had decided...
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A brave rabbit cleverly tricks the fierce tiger into leaving the forest for good. - 09/01/2011
Rabbit perched quietly at the forest’s edge, cleaning her whiskers. She wanted very much to relax and take her afternoon nap, but she sensed that Tiger, the ruler of the forest, was near. “He could eat me up in one bite,” she said to herself, shuddering at the thought. When Rabbit was younger, she...
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Will the jealous potter be successful in discrediting the washerman in the eyes of the king? - 09/01/2011
Once there was a potter who made his living creating beautiful pottery from fine porcelain. Not far from the potter lived a washerman who earned his living making soiled laundry as bright and clean as new. Both did well in their trades. However, the potter became jealous because he worried that...
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Cat taught Jaguar important hunting skills. Now how will Cat protect himself from his student? - 09/01/2011
Long ago, Jaguar had a problem. He had strong muscles, sharp claws, and sharp teeth, but he didn’t know how to use them well. He was a poor hunter, so he was always hungry. Finally Jaguar asked Cat for help. He had noticed that although Cat was smaller than Jaguar, he always had plenty to eat. “Please,...
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Rabbit shows off his incredible speed--and loses his coat! - 09/01/2011
There was once a rabbit who was known to be the fastest rabbit in the world. The elders often spoke of this rabbit whenever a young boy came of age and it was time to test his hunting skills. One small boy, who had heard the tale of this rabbit many times, decided that he would be the one to finally...
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Long ago in Romania, a prince dealt fairly with a lying merchant and an honest peasant. - 09/01/2011
Once upon a time, a prince known for his intolerance of dishonesty ruled in Romania. During his reign, a greedy merchant from another country traveled through the land. During one journey, the merchant lost a bag containing one thousand Romanian coins called lei. Each time the merchant came to a...
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A faithless man makes a terrible mistake that costs him his youth. - 09/01/2011
A young boy named Urashima Taro was fishing when he heard children yelling farther down the beach. Moving closer he saw they were teasing a baby sea turtle, turning it over and burying it in the sand. “Don’t do that,” he begged. “If you give it to me, I will give you my fish.” Though Urashima was...
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The leprechaun king deals with Maureen's selfish, greedy sisters. - 09/01/2011
Maureen was a hard-working lass who lived with her two sisters, Meg and Peg, in a small Irish town. Every day Maureen went to the meadow with their sheep, carrying the harp that was the only thing of value the girls possessed. Her sisters lay about the house complaining about their poverty. “You’re...
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A young fairy's first tooth exchange gets complicated when she becomes trapped. - 09/01/2011
Holding her mother tightly, Anna watched from the doorway as the angry owl flapped off into the dawn. “I made it home just in time,” said her mother. “But the tooth! Do you have it?” Anna held up the bag her mother had dropped to the floor. It was light and sturdy, woven of the finest spider silk....
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A young boy realizes that with hard work he can earn his own things. - 09/01/2011
Once there was a boy named Olle who always wanted what he didn’t have. “If only I had a shiny knife, I could carve toys to play with,” Olle would say. “If only I had a wagon, I could carry my toys everywhere. If only I had a pony . . .” One day he saw a magpie in a tree. He had heard that if a person...
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Be sure not to lie before crossing the collapsing bridge! - 09/01/2011
Franz and Grandfather were walking to town. A rabbit ran across the road. “What a big rabbit!” said Grandfather. “Why, that was nothing,” said Franz. “Once I saw a rabbit as big as a cow.” “Really?” said Grandfather. “How interesting. And have you heard that the bridge we are coming to breaks...
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