Encyclopedia of Fable

The Encyclopedia of Fable explores the regional and formal traditions that make up this rich, folk-created canon, as well as fables by literary masters such as Chaucer, Shakespeare, Kipling, Rumi, and Goethe. The author recounts and explores the context of classic stories of foolish errors, social blunders, and personal overreaching by the world's favorite rascals and dolts: Anansi, Till Eulenspiegel, Brer Bear, Ysengrim, Simple, El-ahrairah, and Chauntecleer. She also examines trickster lore, cruelty jokes, admonitory tales, allegories, fabliaux, and pourquoi stories and analyzes an armload of classic fables including Aesop's fables, Animal Farm, the Brer Rabbit tales, the Canterbury Tales, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, the fables of Marie de France, Old Man Coyote stories, "The Sorcerer's Apprentice", A Thousand and One Nights, and Watership Down.