Winner of PLA/ALLS Best New Books for New Adult Readers and the Storytelling World AwardThis collection of fifty folktales and parables was selected from diverse story traditions such as Sufi, Zen, Taoist, Buddhist, Jewish, Christian, African, and Native American. Comprised of ancient plots both poignant and comical, this anthology contains simple truths, common sense, and the promise that we can benefit from past generations' wisdom and experience.By metaphorically suggesting constructive strategies for living, these ancient tales resonate with a universal appeal. "The characters in these stories may gain wisdom by observing a good example or by bumbling through their own folly," Heather Forest observes. "I hope these stories will provide discussion and offer insight into joys, sorrows, fears and farce of human experience." Wisdom tales offer useful insights into life's joys and sorrows that all of us experience.