8 h 8 minAudiobook14 minSummaryRead it, hear it, the 15-minute summary, and print and large print at cost
Audiobook edition · 8 h 8 minPaperback · 6 × 9 in · printing soonHardcover · 6 × 9 in · printing soonAbout this book
Kings face trials, animals show their cunning, and wise fools have lessons to share.
Tales of the Sun; or, Folklore of Southern India brings together stories passed through generations of storytellers. In this collection by Mrs. Howard Kingscote and Tamil scholar Pandit Natesa Sastri, you enter a world of kings, princes, clever animals, spirits and gods.
There is no single plot to follow. Instead, tales of royal trials sit alongside stories of cunning and wisdom, each carrying a small lesson about courage, kindness or pride. Behind them lies a tradition of telling stories aloud in homes and villages, from elder to child and storyteller to storyteller.
What you’ll discover
- Kings and princes tested Meet royal figures who face tests and trials in tales passed down through generations.
- Clever animals, wise fools Discover stories where cunning and wisdom belong to more than kings and princes.
- Courage, kindness and pride Find small lessons woven into tales, with human choices at their heart.
- Spirits and gods Enter a folklore world where spirits and gods appear alongside animals and royal figures.
- Stories shared aloud Explore tales once told by grandmothers and travelling storytellers in southern Indian homes and villages.
Who will love it
Readers who love fables, proverbs and trickster stories will find plenty here, and so will anyone curious about village life, customs and festivals in Southern India.
What’s inside
The key ideas, in the 15-minute summary
- Proverbs hide inside small stories about blunders
- A soothsayer's son tests his father's horoscope
- A faithful guardian protects a prince through one night
- Charity and its opposite travel the same road
- Wit beats strength in goblin, tiger and warrior tales
- Clever women outwit rogues, thieves and flatterers
- A lost camel leads to a king's three dangers
- Stories within stories teach a king to judge slowly
- Good deeds, light and fortune shape ordinary lives
- The tales work as teaching, comedy and folklore
Who’s who
- GangadharaA soothsayer's second son who fears his father's horoscope and tries to dodge its warnings, helped by a tiger, a serpent and a rat.
- SundaraA prince kept close by his guardian while a wicked minister holds his throne, he slips out one night to learn who his enemies are.
- RanavirasingThe old servant whom the dying king names guardian of the prince, he guards the boy against the minister's plots.
- SubuddhiA kind prince whose motto is that charity alone conquers, he forgives a false friend again and again.
- ChandralekhaA learned dancing girl's daughter who refuses her teacher's insult and outwits eight robbers with a knife, chili powder and a clever plan.
- BodhadityaThe first of four wise ministers, he works in secret to save King Alakesa from three deadly dangers foretold by Kali.
- SuguniA rich merchant's daughter who marries her poor cousin to keep a family vow and lights her house to bring luck.
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Geschichten der Sonne; oder: Volkskunde Südindiens
by Mrs. Howard Kingscote; Pandit Natesa Sastri · 1890
A deaf husband, a deaf shepherd and a lost calf open twenty-six tales of wit and fortune from Southern India.
Medium level5–10 hours to readDeutsch
Excellent
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In short
What happens when a deaf husband, a deaf wife and a deaf shepherd all try to talk to one another? A cow goes missing, a calf is offered and refused, and a clever stranger walks home with the calf.
From the 15-minute summary · Key idea 1
Proverbs hide inside small stories about blunders
Many tales in this book exist to explain a Tamil proverb. The story of the three deaf men comes first for that reason. When someone acts on a mistaken idea and makes a mess, Tamil speakers say the matter ended like the story of the three deaf men.
A deaf husband asks his deaf wife for his favorite dish, but she does not hear and cooks the usual one. He throws the food at the wall and sits at a crossroads to cool down. There a deaf shepherd who has lost a cow and calf takes him for a fortune-teller. The husband points in anger, and the shepherd follows the pointing and finds his cattle. He offers the calf as payment, but its tail is crooked, and the husband thinks he is being blamed.
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Which edition is right for me
- 15-minute summary
- The key ideas of the whole book in about 14 minutes. A good first look, or a refresher.
Details
- First published
- 1890
- Language
- Deutsch
- Level
- Medium level
Cite this edition
Kingscote, Howard, Mrs., and Natesa Sastri. Tales of the Sun; or, Folklore of Southern India. Library of Alexandria, 2026, libraryofalexandria.com/products/tales-of-the-sun-or-folklore-of-southern-india.
Kingscote, H., Mrs., & Sastri, N. (2026). Tales of the sun; or, folklore of southern India. Library of Alexandria. https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/tales-of-the-sun-or-folklore-of-southern-india (Original work published 1890)
Kingscote, Howard, Mrs., and Natesa Sastri. Tales of the Sun; or, Folklore of Southern India. Library of Alexandria, 2026. https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/tales-of-the-sun-or-folklore-of-southern-india.
@book{kingscote2026tales,
author = {Kingscote, Howard, Mrs. and Sastri, Natesa},
title = {Tales of the Sun; or, Folklore of Southern India},
publisher = {Library of Alexandria},
year = {2026},
url = {https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/tales-of-the-sun-or-folklore-of-southern-india},
note = {First published 1890}
}
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What is Tales of the Sun about?
It is a collection of twenty-six folktales from Southern India, about clever wives, tricked kings, loyal ministers, goblins and talking animals. Many tales explain a Tamil proverb, and the notes compare them with versions from other lands.
Who are Mrs. Howard Kingscote and Pandit Natesa Sastri?
Georgiana Kingscote gathered the tales and wrote the introduction. Pandit Natesa Sastri corrected her versions and added tales he had collected, some first printed in The Indian Antiquary. Together they made the collection.
What does the title Tales of the Sun mean?
The book gives no long explanation of the title. It points to stories of Southern India, a land of strong sun, told for ordinary households. The subtitle identifies the collection as folklore from Southern India.
The author
Mrs. Howard Kingscote
1860–1908 · English novelist
Mrs. Howard Kingscote was an English novelist, born in 1860 and died in 1908. She wrote under her married name. With Pandit Natesa Sastri, she collected Tales of the Sun; or, Folklore of Southern India, published in London in 1890.
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