23 h 35 minAudiobook4 minSummaryRead it, hear it, the 15-minute summary, and print and large print at costPaperback · 6 × 9 in · printing soonHardcover · 6 × 9 in · printing soonAbout this book
What if quick wit could outmatch wealth and power, and a slow turtle could answer a monkey’s tricks?
In Filipino Popular Tales, edited by Dean Spruill Fansler, clever tricksters, talking animals, kings, princes, and ordinary people share the stage. These folk stories come from several peoples and languages of the Philippines. Wit and luck offer ways through trouble, even when someone else holds the power.
Meet Juan Pusong, who thinks his way out of trouble, and a monkey and turtle who quarrel and cheat each other. Alongside the tales, Fansler’s introduction and comparative notes explore connections with stories from other lands. The collection brings the islands’ rich oral tradition into view without reducing it to a single story.
What you’ll discover
- Wit against power Follow Juan Pusong as quick thinking helps him outsmart people with greater wealth or power.
- A quarrel of animals Watch a clever turtle answer a boastful monkey’s cheating with tricks of his own.
- A rogue in trouble Meet Pedro de Ordimalas, a rogue who lives by his wits through mischief.
- Stories across the islands Explore tales from different Philippine peoples and languages, with ordinary people beside kings and princes.
- Threads beyond the Philippines Let Fansler’s introduction and notes guide you toward connections with tales from other lands.
Who will love it
For readers who love folk tales, clever tricksters and talking animals, and anyone curious about Philippine culture. Teachers and parents will find short stories to share aloud.
What’s inside
The key ideas, in the 15-minute summary
- A gathering of tales from many islands
- Tricksters and clever fools win the day
- Animals talk, quarrel, and teach
- Old threads from Spain, Asia, and beyond
Who’s who
- Juan PusongA sly trickster who uses quick wit to escape trouble and outsmart those with more wealth or power.
- The MonkeyA boastful and quick animal who tries to cheat his neighbor and gets caught in his own greed.
- The TurtleA slow but clever animal who answers the monkey's tricks with tricks of his own.
- Pedro de OrdimalasA rogue hero of Spanish folk origin who lives by his wits and keeps getting into and out of mischief.
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- Large print paperback
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- Large print hardcover
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Read and hear Filipino Popular Tales in 25 languages and switch at any time. Or read two side by side, paragraph by paragraph: the way to learn a language with a book you love.
Filipino Popular Tales
by Dean Spruill Fansler (editor) · 1921
Meet Juan Pusong, a sly trickster who uses quick wit to escape trouble and outsmart those with wealth or power.
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In short
Filipino Popular Tales is a collection of folk stories from the Philippines, gathered and edited by Dean Spruill Fansler and published in 1921 by the American Folk-Lore Society. Fansler was an American scholar who worked on Philippine folklore.
From the 15-minute summary · Key idea 1
A gathering of tales from many islands
The Philippines is made of thousands of islands and many peoples, each with its own language. Fansler's book reflects that variety. Its tales were collected from different regions and traditions, so the reader meets a patchwork of voices rather than one national story.
The tales were told by ordinary people long before they were printed. Like most oral stories, they were shared at gatherings, in homes, and between neighbors. They are short, direct, and built to be remembered, with simple turns and clear lessons.
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What is Filipino Popular Tales about?
It is a collection of folk tales from different peoples of the Philippines, including trickster stories, animal fables, and tales of kings and poor heroes.
Who collected Filipino Popular Tales?
Dean Spruill Fansler, an American folklorist, edited the collection. It was published in 1921 by the American Folk-Lore Society as a record of stories told across the Philippines.
Who is Juan Pusong?
Juan Pusong is a well-known trickster in Filipino folk tales. He is a clever, sly young man who gets out of trouble and outwits others, often those richer or more powerful than himself.
The author
Dean Spruill Fansler
American folklorist
Dean Spruill Fansler is the scholar behind Filipino Popular Tales, a collection first published in 1921 that gathered folk stories, fables, and legends from oral tradition across the Philippines.
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