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 Indian merchant’s son kneeling before serpent prince as magic ring glows near palace

The Merchant’s Son and the Magic Ring

October 16, 2025

Asian Folktales·South & Central Asian Folktales

A prosperous merchant once decided it was time for his son to learn the ways of trade and make his fortune. He counted out three hundred rupees, a substantial sum, and placed the coins in his son’s hands. “Take this money,” he said, “travel to another country, and try your

Parchment-style illustration of Indian prince slaying serpents from cursed princess’s nostrils in moonlit palace

Three Pieces of Advice

October 16, 2025

Asian Folktales

In a small village lived a blind Brahman and his equally blind wife, who depended entirely on their son for survival. Each day, the young man would venture out into the streets with his begging bowl, gathering whatever scraps of food or coins kind souls would offer. This existence weighed

Parchment-style illustration of Indian prince gazing at glowing Princess Labam on palace rooftop at night

The Radiant Princess

October 16, 2025

Asian Folktales·South & Central Asian Folktales

In a prosperous kingdom, there lived a Raja who had but one son, a young prince who loved nothing more than the thrill of the hunt. Each day he would ride out with his bow and arrows, exploring the wild lands that surrounded his father’s palace. His mother, the Rani,

Parchment-style illustration of East Timorese old woman calling to crocodile in river as monkey warns from tree

The Crocodile’s Betrayal

October 15, 2025

Asian Folktales·Southeast Asian Folktales

In a village tucked along the riverbanks of East Timor, where the water flowed swift and cool between jungle-clad hills, there lived an old woman who made her daily journey to fetch water for her household. Her life followed the familiar rhythms known to all village women rising with the

King Civet Cat and King Monkey

October 15, 2025

Asian Folktales·Southeast Asian Folktales

In the villages nestled among the lush green hills of East Timor, where tall trees reached toward the heavens and morning mist clung to the valleys like silk veils, there lived two sisters. They were young women of beauty and spirit, the elder and the younger, neither yet bound to

Parchment-style illustration of Dog Spirit speaking to East Timorese villagers in sacred covenant scene

The Sacred Dog of Timor-Leste

October 15, 2025

Asian Folktales·Southeast Asian Folktales

A grandfather’s dying wish creates an eternal bond between his people and their loyal canine companions Long ago, in the rugged hills of what is now East Timor, where morning mists rise from the valleys like the breath of ancestors and rivers run as clear as truth itself, there lived

Parchment-style illustration of Timorese boy carrying dying crocodile toward the sea under tropical sun

The Boy Who Saved a Crocodile

October 15, 2025

Asian Folktales·Southeast Asian Folktales

A dying crocodile transforms into an island to repay a boy’s kindness in this creation legend from East Timor Many years ago, in a time when the world was still young and taking shape, a small crocodile lived in a murky swamp in a far away place. The swamp was

Parchment-style illustration of angry alligator confronting villagers in Philippine folktale scene

The Alligator’s Fruit

October 15, 2025

Asian Folktales·Southeast Asian Folktales

A careless woman’s disregard for warnings leads to a deadly confrontation with an angry alligator In a small village nestled along a winding river in the Philippines, where the water flowed dark and slow beneath overhanging vines, two women set out one morning on a familiar errand. They walked along

Parchment-style illustration of Philippine god Captan raining silver fire on Moro ships in Manila Bay.

The Silver Shower

October 15, 2025

Asian Folktales·Southeast Asian Folktales

Every evening in Manila, as the church bells toll the Angelus and twilight settles over the city, a curious ritual unfolds. Thousands of people make their way toward the bay, some in carriages drawn by spirited Filipino ponies, others on foot through the lamplit streets. They gather at the Luneta,

Parchment-style illustration of Philippine crabs marching to ocean as shrimp flees and wave rises behind them.

The Battle of the Crabs

October 15, 2025

Asian Folktales·Southeast Asian Folktales

Long ago, in the coastal lands of the Philippines where the jungle met the sea and coconut palms swayed in the salty breeze, there lived a community of land crabs. These crabs made their homes in burrows dug deep into the sandy soil, well away from the water’s edge. They

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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 Merchant’s Son and the Magic Ring

Three Pieces of Advice

The Radiant Princess

The Crocodile’s Betrayal

King Civet Cat and King Monkey

The Sacred Dog of Timor-Leste

The Boy Who Saved a Crocodile

The Alligator’s Fruit

The Silver Shower

The Battle of the Crabs

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