Why The Crocodile Has A Wide Mouth
"Come to my kingdom whenever you will," said the goddess of the water to the king of the land. "My waves will be calm, and my animals will be gentle. They will be as good to your children as if they were my own. Nothing in all my kingdom will do y... Why The Deer's Teeth Are Blunt
Although it was not the Deer's fault that the Rabbit lost the prize, the Rabbit was greatly provoked and laid his plans to get even. Cutting a stout grapevine almost in two with his teeth, he laid it across the Deer's path and began leaping back and... Why The Dove Is Timid
A spirit called the manito always watches over the Indians. He is glad when they are brave, but if they are cowardly, he is angry. One day when the manito was walking under the pine-trees, he heard a cry of terror in the forest. "What is that... Why The Evergreen Trees Never Lose Their Leaves
Winter was coming, and the birds had flown far to the south, where the air was warm and they could find berries to eat. One little bird had broken its wing and could not fly with the others. It was alone in the cold world of frost and snow. The fo... Why The Face Of The Moon Is White
An Indian chief had a fair young daughter. One day the wind came to him and said, "Great chief, I love your daughter, and she loves me. Will you give her to me to be my wife?" "No," answered the chief. The next day the maiden herself went to ... Why The Goat Lives With Mankind
In early times the goat lived in the jungle, leading a free and independent life, like all the other animals. The following story gives an account of her flight from the animals to make her dwelling with Man. One fine spring day, when the young... Why The Hare's Nose Is Slit
The curtains had not yet been drawn nor the shutters closed, and little Jan looked with wide serious eyes at the full moon sailing serenely in the cold sky. Then he sighed as though thoughts too big for expression stirred within him, and turned ab... Why The Heron Has A Crooked Neck
The flames leapt gaily upward in the wide fireplace, throwing strange shadows on the painted walls and gleaming on the polished wood of floor and beam and cupboard. Little Jan basked contentedly in the warmth, almost dozing--now absently stroking ... Why The Hoofs Of The Deer Are Split
The manito of the Indians taught them how to do many things. He told them how to build wigwams, and how to hunt and to fish. He showed them how to make jars in which to keep food and water. When little children came to be with them, it was the man... Why The Hyena Is Lame
"It was Tante Hyena that Jakhals cheated more than anyone," said Outa. "She always forgot about the last time he had played a trick on her, so she was quite ready to believe him when he came along with another story. Some people are so, my baasjes... Why The Juniper Has Berries
Three cranberries once lived together in a meadow. They were sisters, but they did not look alike, for one was white, and one was red, and one was green. Winter came, and the wind blew cold. "I wish we lived nearer the wigwam," said the white cran... Why The Lip Of The Elephant Droops
In the days when the earth was young lived a poor man and his wife who had twelve daughters, whom they no longer loved and no longer desired. Day after day the father and mother planned to be free of them, and upon a day, the father made ready a bas... Why The Magpie's Nest Is Not Well Built
A long time ago all the birds met together to talk about building nests. "Every Indian has a wigwam," said the robin, "and every bird needs a home." "Indians have no feathers," said the owl, "and so they are cold without wigwams. We have feat... Why The Parrot And The Minor Bird But Echo The Words Of Man
Long ago people caught and nourished the sao bird, because it learned the language of man more readily than either the parrot or minor bird. While they had to be taught with much care, the sao bird had but to hear a word and it could readily utter i... Why The Parrot Repeats The Words Of Men
In the olden times when the earth was young, all the birds knew the language of men and could talk with them. Everybody liked the parrot, because he always told things as they were, and they called him the bird that tells the truth. This bird t...

Hadassah's Guest The White Stone Canoe The Maiden Wiser Than The Tsar Crickets Horse And Hattock Idas And Marpessa Beowulf And Grendel Y Fuwch Frech The Freckled Cow

AristÆus The Bee-keeper The Children Of LÎr DeirdrÊ The [horned] Owl The Stepmother And Her Stepdaughter The Enchanted Crow Why The Cock Cannot Fly The Position Of The Private Parts