Treasury of Tales from the Kathasaritasagara

Jayashree Bhat

Fantastic Fables and Where to Read Them. Pssst... come here. A little closer. Yes, yes, right here. Now, what sort of story are you looking for? One with action and adventure, wily villains and valiant warriors? Or something that will make you laugh till your stomach hurts? Or perhaps you’d prefer a tale with some good old-fashioned magic? Well, whatever it is, you’ll find it all here — in this delightful trove of stories picked from one of India’s oldest classics, Somadeva’s Kathasaritasagara (The Ocean of the Streams of Story), dusted and polished for a new generation of readers. Go on, step in, but be careful — the shape-shifters aren’t quite what they seem (obviously), the tricksters are always looking for someone to fool, and don’t be shocked if you meet a talking animal. Oh, and one last thing — make sure you ace the vetala’s quiz. Or else...