The Buffalo Boy and the Banyan Tree
Look up — there, in the moon, is a spreading banyan tree and a young man. The man's name is Cuoi, and when he was young, long before he lived on the moon, he was a regular boy who lived on Earth like other boys. And like many boys, Cuoi liked to tell little white lies, and sometimes he told big lies, too. As time passed, he became known as a troublemaker. One day, when Cuoi was supposed to be tending the buffalo of a rich farmer, he decided he would rather play. And so, as he often did, he escaped into the forest where no one would find him. He soon forgot about his chores and tasks. Instead he wandered, staring idly at the footprints he left in the damp earth as he walked. When he grew tired, he lay down beneath a banyan tree and squinted up at the sun and at the birds dancing in the cool autumn wind. Presently a whimpering noise coming from a nearby thicket attracted his attention. Cautiously he stood up and tiptoed toward the sound. He pushed aside some leaves and spotted four li
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Many centuries ago, in Southeast Asia, the priests of the ancient Khmer people believed in reincarnation and in the magical ability of animals to embody the souls of the departed.
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The Lost Moon
Once each month, in a desolate land of marshes and pools of black water, strange creatures slipped out of their hiding spots to play.
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Rangi and Papa
Long ago, out of a shell, the world emerged. The shell began to open slowly, letting a sliver of light inside, and the top of that shell became Rangi, or sky, the bottom Papa, earth.
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Queen of the Crows
Once upon a time, on the beautiful, windy island of Curacao, there lived a young girl named Toewi. Like her friends and family, Toewi was a hard worker. But one thing distinguished Toewi from all others, and that was her astonishing voice.
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The Children of Cronus
In the beginning there was nothing but chaos in the world, surrounded by unending water, and a god known as Oceanus ruled over all. The goddess Eurynome wished to make order, and so she separated sea from sky from land, and soon three new gods ruled.
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