Aimiton Precious

Parchment-style illustration of Indonesian Malin Kundang rejecting his mother at harbor before storm .

Malin Kundang and His Mother’s Curse

October 14, 2025

Asian Folktales·Southeast Asian Folktales

In a small fishing village on the rugged coast of Sumatra, where the waves crashed against black volcanic rocks and palm trees swayed in the salty breeze, there lived a poor widow and her only son, Malin Kundang. Their home was a simple bamboo hut with a thatched roof that leaked during the monsoon rains, and their meals consisted of

Parchment-style illustration of Mahsuri pierced by keris, white blood flowing, villagers stunned in Malaysian folktale.

Asian Folktales·Southeast Asian Folktales

The White Blood of Mahsuri

More than four hundred years ago, on the verdant island of Langkawi, where emerald waters kissed white sandy shores and rice paddies stretched like golden carpets across the land, there lived a maiden of extraordinary beauty. Her name was Mahsuri, and she was renowned throughout the island as the most

Parchment-style illustration of Malaysian tiger and Siamese cat facing each other beside jungle waterfall.

The Malay Tiger and the Siamese Cat

Deep in the emerald heart of the Malayan jungle, where ancient trees

Parchment-style illustration of Malay king lifting goldfish from river as queen cradles newborn Bidasari nearby.

How a Goldfish Saved a Princess

In ancient times, when mythical creatures still walked the earth and magic

Parchment-style illustration of Malaysian elephant, wild boar, and frog preparing to cross Johor straits.

The Elephant, Pig, and Frog

October 18, 2025

Asian Folktales·Southeast Asian Folktales

Long before the towering buildings of modern Singapore rose against the sky, before the busy port hummed with ships from across the world, the waters between Singapore and Johor were quiet and mysterious. In those ancient times, when the boundary between the mortal and magical realms was thinner than gossamer

Parchment-style illustration of Radin Mas shielding father from kris attack in traditional Singaporean folktale.

The Golden Princess

October 18, 2025

Asian Folktales·Southeast Asian Folktales

In the ancient kingdom of Java, where volcanic mountains touched the clouds and rice terraces cascaded down verdant hillsides like emerald staircases, there lived a prince named Pangeran Adipati Agung. He was the brother of the sultan himself, a warrior of extraordinary courage and intelligence whose name was spoken with

Parchment-style illustration of Singaporean Minah swimming through stormy sea toward the rising islands.

The Sisters’ Islands

October 18, 2025

Asian Folktales·Southeast Asian Folktales

In a small coastal village on the shores of what would one day become Singapore, there lived a poor widow who had been blessed with two daughters as beautiful as they were devoted to one another. Minah, the elder, had eyes that sparkled like the morning sun on water, and

Parchment-style illustration of Singaporean villagers attacking giant snake beneath ancient banyan tree.

The Giant Snake of the Banyan Tree

October 18, 2025

Asian Folktales·Southeast Asian Folktales

Long ago, in the northwestern reaches of Singapore, there stood a banyan tree so ancient and enormous that its gnarled roots seemed to grip the very soul of the earth. Its massive canopy spread like a dark umbrella at the entrance to a small village, casting shadows that grew longer

Traditional ink and watercolor illustration on parchment showing a brave orphan boy holding a fishing line and facing a crouching tiger by a river, with misty mountains in the background.

The Orphan Boy and the Tiger

October 18, 2025

Asian Folktales·South & Central Asian Folktales

In a remote village tucked away in the mountain valleys of Bhutan, where mist clung to the hillsides like silver scarves and the roar of rivers echoed through the gorges, there lived an orphan boy named Daw Butshu. He had no mother to cook his meals, no father to protect

Parchment-style illustration of Meme Haylay Haylay trading with a young musician in the Bhutanese mountains, ink and watercolor style.

The Wise Fool and the Turquoise

October 18, 2025

Asian Folktales·South & Central Asian Folktales

In the village of Dangphu Dingphu, nestled high in the mountains of Bhutan where white clouds drifted between peaks like wandering sheep and prayer flags snapped in the crisp mountain wind, there lived an old man known to everyone as Meme Haylay Haylay. His back was bent from decades of

Parchment-style illustration of Bhutanese man tricking dye merchant’s wife beside cave with mountain loom

The Charkhab and the Foolish Couple

October 18, 2025

Asian Folktales·South & Central Asian Folktales

High in the mountains of Bhutan, where prayer flags flutter in the thin air and yak herds graze on steep hillsides, there lived a poor couple named Thonglay Tashi and his wife Bugizom. Their stone cottage was small and humble, perched on a mountainside where cold winds whistled through the

Parchment-style illustration of Nepali angel offering three magical axes to honest woodcutter Ramhari beside forest pond

The Honest Woodcutter

October 18, 2025

Asian Folktales·South & Central Asian Folktales

In a small village nestled among the rolling hills of Nepal, where terraced fields climbed the mountainsides like green staircases and morning mist clung to the valleys, there lived a woodcutter named Ramhari. He was a simple man with calloused hands and a weathered face, marked by years of hard

Parchment-style illustration of Nepali woodcutter sealing tree to trap Death in carved forest chamber

The Woodcutter and Death

October 18, 2025

Asian Folktales·South & Central Asian Folktales

In the misty mountains of Nepal, where towering pine trees reached toward the heavens and morning fog wrapped the valleys in silvery veils, there lived an old woodcutter. His back was bent from years of hard labor, his hands were rough and calloused, and deep lines of hardship carved valleys

Parchment-style illustration of Nepali sparrow and ant confronting king atop elephant on village bridge

The Sparrow’s Lost Bean

October 17, 2025

Asian Folktales·South & Central Asian Folktales

In the verdant hills of Nepal, where rivers sang their ancient songs and morning mist clung to the valleys like silk scarves, there lived a sparrow who was known throughout the countryside for being exceptionally neat and clean. This little bird took great pride in maintaining its nest, which was

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Aimiton Precious

Malin Kundang and His Mother’s Curse

The White Blood of Mahsuri

The Malay Tiger and the Siamese Cat

How a Goldfish Saved a Princess

The Elephant, Pig, and Frog

The Golden Princess

The Sisters’ Islands

The Giant Snake of the Banyan Tree

The Orphan Boy and the Tiger

The Wise Fool and the Turquoise

The Charkhab and the Foolish Couple

The Honest Woodcutter

The Woodcutter and Death

The Sparrow’s Lost Bean

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