Looking for a myth or folk tale

February 3, 2015 8:03 PM

A friend of ours loves mythology and folk tales. For a birthday present, we're trying to pick a story to illustrate and make a tiny book out of. From any culture, though Asian would be particulary nice. We'd like an interesting but old story with some humour or a twist at the end. Maybe something unusual. I'd love to hear your ideas and suggestions and favourites!
posted by miaow to Writing & Language (11 answers total)

"Asian" is pretty broad -- South Asia, like India? Southeast Asia, like Vietnam? China? Japan? Korea? Philippines?

Apparently Tikki Tikki Tembo has its roots in a Japanese story called Jugemu, which sounds like it could be fun to adapt.
posted by Madamina at 8:34 PM on February 3, 2015 [1 favorite]

I always liked Urashima Taro.
posted by LionIndex at 8:45 PM on February 3, 2015 [1 favorite]

I've always loved Baba Yoga and her cottage that dances through the forest on chicken legs.
posted by BoscosMom at 9:38 PM on February 3, 2015 [1 favorite]

First, apologies for typos, I'm on my phone and it doesn't speak Japanese. Ok this is definitely unusual, but Ryunosuke Akutagawa (Japanese Author, wrote In a Grove and Roshamon which provided the source material of the same name) wrote A Spider's Thread which is kind of the Japanese Buddhist version of a fractured fairy tale.
posted by KernalM at 9:47 PM on February 3, 2015

Asian? (That's not only broad, but also offensive.)

What is the relevance of the culture? It might help us with more ideas.
posted by taff at 9:49 PM on February 3, 2015

Peach Boy! It's a Japanese folktale and was in a book of folktales from around the world I had and was beautifully illustrated. Also, it's quite a nice folktale. :)
posted by lesbiassparrow at 10:01 PM on February 3, 2015

I always loved The Boy Who Drew Cats (Neko wo egaita shōnen). It's been illustrated before, but no reason you can't have your own take on it!
posted by Athanassiel at 10:38 PM on February 3, 2015 [1 favorite]

I love the very strange story of Hoishi the Earless, which tells the tale of a blind musician forced to play music for a ghost king.
posted by noonday at 5:08 AM on February 4, 2015 [1 favorite]

Not Asian, but some fairy tales were re-discovered in Germany only 3 years ago, so they're less well-known then the Grimm ones.
posted by Alexandra Michelle at 5:18 AM on February 4, 2015 [1 favorite]

God, the Kalevipoeg is bizarre as fuck. Just take a canto and go nuts. I would love to see this actually.
posted by Young Kullervo at 4:47 PM on February 4, 2015

Ashinagatenaga may hit the spot.
posted by mr. digits at 8:56 AM on February 5, 2015