Review: Timeless tales
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 11 17, 2013
The Indian Sub- Continent had some of the oldest civilizations known.  It has a rich cultural heritage. The art of storytelling in the Sub- Continent is as old as time itself. Even before the human race knew how to read and write, it could tell a tale. In the beginning, these stories were passed on orally from one generation to another. Grandmothers would entertain their grandchildren with such stories while mothers would lull their children to sleep with them. Stories would be narrated at meal times to hold the children’s attention so that they ate more.  Whenever each person told these stories, they made some changes and thus there grew several versions.Later when humans learned to read and write, many of these stories were recorded. In India, thousands of years ago Sanskrit was the language used to compose texts. There were also several scripted common languages. Literature in these languages grew. When Sanskrit was discovered in the western world, a whole world of fascinating stories was found. Origins of some popular western tales could also be traced back to folktales from the Sub-Continent. This book has a variety of timeless folktales from the Sub-Continent. The author is presenting the traditional stories for today’s children and adults in simple and entertaining language.Some of the stories are popular while others are little known. These tales span heaven and earth and many have their origin in age-old tribal lore.This book is a timeless gem that I thoroughly enjoyed reading, and one that I recommend very highly.