Algonquin Indian Tales
In all ages, from the remotest antiquity, the story-teller has flourished. Evidences of his existence are to
be found among the most ancient monuments and writings in the Orient. In Egypt, Nineveh, Babylon,
and other ancient lands he flourished, and in the homes of the noblest he was ever an honored guest.
The oldest collection of folklore stories or myths now in existence is of East Indian origin and is
preserved in the Sanskrit. The collection is called Hitopadesa, and the author was Veshnoo Sarma. Of
this collection, Sir William Jones, the great Orientalist, wrote, "The fables of Veshnoo are the most
beautiful, if not the...
