This collection contains stories of the East and West alike. Shared tales may give us a common basis of relating well and of culturation. Further, stock stories of a culture become common references, and fables and folk tales and proverbs too. In fact, stories build and transmit culture, Jerome Bruner points out in The Culture of Education, in part echoing James Kirk in his Stories of the Hindus. Moreover:
A concerned mother once visited Albert Einstein to get his counsel on how to help her son become really good in maths. Exactly what was she to read for him to help him evolve into a prominent scientist?
"Folk tales," said Einstein.
"Okay," said the mother, "and after that?"
"More folk tales," said Einstein.
"And after that?" the mother asked again.
"Still more folk tales," answered Einstein. [In Zipes 1992, p. 1]
Plenty of good, decent and fair stories help the growing mind to orient itself, and nourish cognitive development. A fine idea is to let the embedded ideas in the tales incubate or rest, and they may eventually turn out to be fruitful and rewarding to the developing mind.
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