My Dear Children:

These old, old tales from India have been favorites for many, many years; some have come down to us from the early days of Buddha, and were taken from a book, called the “Jataka Tales,” telling of the Buddha’s previous existences. Some of these old tales have been translated from the Pali by Eugene Watson Burlinghame, and they have also been retold for us in attractive form by Ellen C. Babbitt.

These stories are somewhat similar to stories which we have all known in another form; for instance, our first story of “The White Elephant” is somewhat like the story of Androcles and the lion. While the story of “The Timid Little Rabbit” is like the old English tale of “Chicken Little.”

“The Story of the Grain of Corn” (which is repeated from “Tales of the Punjab” by Flora Annie Steel) compares with our well-known version of “The Old Woman and the Pig.” In this same book, we find the story of “The Bear’s Bad Bargain,” and we learn how a stupid and clumsy bear is outwitted by a grasping old woman and her greedy husband. Even if they have the best of the bargain, our sympathies are all with the poor old bear.

“The King of the Mice,” “The Bold Blackbird,” and “The Kid and the Tiger” (retold from “The Talking Thrush and Other Tales from India,” collected by W. Crooke and retold by W. H. D. Rouse) are all stories of the triumph of the weak and cunning over the brutish and strong. “The Bold Blackbird” may remind you of the old French tale of “Drakesbill and His Friends.”

In many of these old tales, the little Jackal is the hero, and, like Reynard the Fox of European folk lore, and our own Bre’r Rabbit in the “Uncle Remus” tales, we find the Jackal through his wit and strategy overcoming the larger, stronger animals.

For example, in the stories of “Singh Rajah and the Cunning Little Jackals,” “The Alligator and the Jackal,” and “The Brahmin and the Tiger,” the Jackal wins his victories by his cunning. These stories of the little Jackal have been retold from “Old Deccan Days” by M. Frere, a most interesting book of tales collected from oral tradition. “The Valiant Chattee-Maker” is also from the same book.

The pictures drawn by our artist, Frederick Richardson, will delight you. Mr. Richardson always makes each illustration true to life: his people dress in the costumes of the country, and his animals are real animals; you can almost hear the big beasts roaring with rage when the little jackal tricks them.

All these tales I have told to you many times over the radio; now I am glad to place them in your own hands to read and retell yourselves.

Your Story Lady.