Here are fifteen witty and appealing folktales from countries that are now mostly behind the Iron Curtain—brilliantly and simply retold by two noted authors.

A companion volume to TALES OF FARA-WAY FOLK (see back flap), the stories in this collection are from central Asia and the Caucasus, from Karelia, Estonia, and eastern Russia. They tell, among other things, of how the bee got his bumble, why the hare's lip is split, what  happens to men who are insatiably greedy, and when the time is right for laughter, tears, or work.

One northern tribe has a saying that in ancient times, to keep men from being weary-hearted, a kind god created  the storyteller. And the stories he told have remained fresh and spellbinding throughout the ages. Janina Domanska's beautiful pictures perfectly capture the flavor of each tale and make the book a visual as well as a literary delight.

From the dust jacket