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One human characteristic is apparent from the beginning of time: We are storytellers. The need to recount experiences in life lies at the very origin of language and human interaction. Folktales serve as social markers. They explore a community’s origins, sense of identity, and worth. The simplest of stories carry warnings against unwise conduct and affirm qualities that can prove valuable, thereby helping to cultivate individuals and communal behavior. Every culture has its unique collections of myths and legends, but the lessons taught can be understood by all.

Our Worldwide Folktales collection is a compilation of over a hundred myths and legends from around the world. These stories and many more have been collected and retold by some of the foremost scholars in the field and by those who learned them at a parent’s knee. What is striking is how universally significant many are, even though they are peculiar to specific cultures. Our hope is that this folktales collection will be a great asset in helping our readers and students gain new insight into the shared aspects of humanity that make us all one family of man.

Here, for AOL@SCHOOL users, we present four folktales of this collection from the following parts of the world: Asia, Iran, Eastern Africa, and United States.

Corresponding Teachers Guide
and Crossword Puzzle

	Summon the Wind: The Origin of Asian Temple Chimes More than a thousand years ago, a king in China wandered alone in his bamboo grove. It had been a stressful day. There were problems in his country. The rainy season had been exceptionally dry, with just one shower in three months. Water was scarce.
	'Abd al-Qadir's Fables 'Abd al-Qadir al-Jilani (born A.D. 1077, died 1166 in Baghdad) is probably the best-known saint of Islam and certainly the most widely venerated. A visit to his tomb in Baghdad, over which Sultan Suleyman built a fine monument in 1535, is still the goal of many pilgrims.
	Three Clever Fish: A Swahili Fable Three big fish lived in a lagoon that was connected to the nearby ocean by a narrow creek. The three fish found plenty of smaller fish and creatures to eat in the lagoon. They had no wish to venture out into the sea, which might be full of dangers.
	The Fiddlers' Duel A folktale common throughout North America originally crossed the Atlantic with the Dutch settlers of New Amsterdam. When European colonists first settled the New World, they brought with them more than mere physical possessions; they brought their beliefs, customs, and folklore as well.