Oyebode Ayoola

Parchment-style artwork of a golden mango tree beside a peasant and king, Sri Lankan folktale scene.

The Golden Mango: Sri Lankan Folktale of Purity and Humility

October 13, 2025

Asian Folktales·South & Central Asian Folktales

In the heart of ancient Sri Lanka, where green fields rippled like waves beneath the sun, there lived a humble peasant. Each morning, he rose before dawn, working the soil with patience and reverence. His fields were small, his hut simple, yet he carried a calm joy born of honest labour and gratitude. One summer day, while wandering along the

Parchment-style artwork of a fisherman facing the makana sea spirit, Maldivian folktale scene.

Asian Folktales·South & Central Asian Folktales

The Obstinate Makana: A Maldivian Folktale That Teaches Lessons on Courage and Respect for Nature

In the calm waters of the southern Maldivian atolls, life followed the rhythm of the tides. The people lived by the sea’s mercy, fishing, mending nets, and whispering prayers before each voyage. Yet beneath those tranquil blue waves lived a mischievous sea spirit, the makana, half-fish, half-spirit, whose joy was

Parchment-style artwork of a woodcutter freeing a silver bird under a tamarind tree, Sri Lankan folktale scene.

The Woodcutter’s Daughter: Sri Lankan Folktale

In the misty valleys of old Sri Lanka, where thick tamarind trees

Parchment-style artwork of a hungry jackal lunging toward palace food beside the royal dog, Sri Lankan folktale scene.

The Jackal and the King’s Dog: A Sri Lankan Folktale of Envy and Wisdom

In a quiet village that nestled near the royal palace of an

Parchment-style illustration of Alpamysh returning to Barchin on the Uzbek steppe.

Alpamysh (The Epic of Courage and Loyalty): An Uzbek Folktale That Teaches Lessons on Love, Honor, and Unbroken Resolve

December 18, 2025

Asian Folktales·South & Central Asian Folktales

Among the wide grasslands of Central Asia, where the horizon stretches without end and the rhythm of hooves once marked the passage of time, the name Alpamysh has long been spoken with reverence. Sung by bards and remembered by generations, his story is not only that of a warrior, but

Parchment-style illustration of a Kazakh shepherd returning lost livestock.

The Shepherd’s Honesty: A Kazakh Folktale That Teaches Lessons on True Wealth

December 17, 2025

Asian Folktales·South & Central Asian Folktales

Across the open Kazakh steppe, where grasslands stretched beyond sight and a lone rider could travel for days guided only by stars and wind, a young shepherd lived a quiet and modest life. His wealth was small: a few animals, a simple shelter, and a reputation for steady work. Like

Parchment-style illustration of a Kazakh bai seeking help from a poor man.

The Greedy Bai and the Poor Man: A Kazakh Folktale That Teaches Lessons on Wealth and Honor

December 17, 2025

Asian Folktales·South & Central Asian Folktales

On the broad Kazakh steppe, where herds moved with the seasons and a person’s name carried as much weight as their possessions, there lived a bai, a wealthy landowner whose herds were vast and whose storehouses were full. His yurt stood large and well furnished, a sign of his status,

Parchment-style illustration of a Kazakh elder judging a dispute on the steppe.

The Wise Aksakal: A Kazakh Folktale That Teaches Lessons on Judgment and Harmony

December 17, 2025

Asian Folktales·South & Central Asian Folktales

Across the wide Kazakh steppe, where the horizon stretches without boundary and the sky itself feels like a witness to human conduct, there lived a respected aksakal, a white-bearded elder known for his calm judgment and deep understanding of people. His yurt stood apart from the bustle of villages, open

Parchment-style illustration of a Kazakh musician playing a sacred dombra.

The Singing Dombra: A Kazakh Folktale That Teaches Lessons on Truth and Integrity

December 17, 2025

Asian Folktales·South & Central Asian Folktales

On the wide Kazakh steppe, where stories are carried by wind and memory is preserved through song, there lived a poor musician whose only treasure was an old dombra. Its wooden body was worn smooth by generations of hands, its strings darkened by age. To strangers it seemed ordinary, even

Parchment-style illustration of the Snow Girl on the Kazakh winter steppe.

The Girl Born of Snow: A Kazakh Folktale That Teaches Lessons on Fragile Wonder

December 17, 2025

Asian Folktales·South & Central Asian Folktales

On the silent winter steppe, where the earth sleeps beneath endless white and even the wind speaks softly, there once lived an elderly couple in a solitary yurt. Their days passed quietly, marked by the care of animals and the tending of fire, yet an unspoken sorrow lingered between them.

Parchment-style illustration of the Golden Yurt on the Kazakh steppe.

The Golden Yurt: A Kazakh Folktale That Teaches Lessons on Greed and True Worth

December 17, 2025

Asian Folktales·South & Central Asian Folktales

Across the wide Kazakh steppe, where the land stretches endlessly beneath the sky and wealth is measured by honor rather than gold, strange wonders are said to appear to test the hearts of humankind. Among these wonders, none is more remembered than the Golden Yurt, a dwelling that shone like

Parchment-style illustration of a grey wolf guiding a child, Kazakh folktale.

The Grey Wolf Guide: A Kazakh Folktale That Teaches Lessons on Ancestral Protection

December 17, 2025

Asian Folktales·South & Central Asian Folktales

Across the boundless Kazakh steppe, where the horizon melts into the sky and the wind carries the voices of ancestors, the Grey Wolf has long been honored as more than an animal. It is remembered as a guide, a protector, and a living bond between the human world and the

Parchment-style illustration of a hero facing a seven-headed dev, Kazakh folktale.

The Seven-Headed Dev: A Kazakh Folktale That Teaches Lessons on Wisdom and Patience

December 17, 2025

Asian Folktales·South & Central Asian Folktales

Across the wide and wind-swept Kazakh steppe, where the land stretches farther than memory and silence carries ancient warnings, there once arose a terror unlike any other. From the most remote wastelands emerged a seven-headed dev, a monstrous being feared not only for its size and strength, but for its

Parchment-style artwork of hero holding Samruk’s feather across the Kazakh steppe.

The Feather of Samruk (A Quest for Wisdom): A Kazakh Folktale That Teaches Lessons on Integrity, Courage, and Responsibility

December 17, 2025

Asian Folktales·South & Central Asian Folktales

In the boundless steppes of Kazakhstan, where the wind carries both song and story, a young hero discovered a glowing feather drifting from the sky. It was no ordinary plume, it had fallen from Samruk, the sacred bird of the World Tree, and radiated warmth and soft light that seemed

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Oyebode Ayoola

The Golden Mango: Sri Lankan Folktale of Purity and Humility

The Obstinate Makana: A Maldivian Folktale That Teaches Lessons on Courage and Respect for Nature

The Woodcutter’s Daughter: Sri Lankan Folktale

The Jackal and the King’s Dog: A Sri Lankan Folktale of Envy and Wisdom

Alpamysh (The Epic of Courage and Loyalty): An Uzbek Folktale That Teaches Lessons on Love, Honor, and Unbroken Resolve

The Shepherd’s Honesty: A Kazakh Folktale That Teaches Lessons on True Wealth

The Greedy Bai and the Poor Man: A Kazakh Folktale That Teaches Lessons on Wealth and Honor

The Wise Aksakal: A Kazakh Folktale That Teaches Lessons on Judgment and Harmony

The Singing Dombra: A Kazakh Folktale That Teaches Lessons on Truth and Integrity

The Girl Born of Snow: A Kazakh Folktale That Teaches Lessons on Fragile Wonder

The Golden Yurt: A Kazakh Folktale That Teaches Lessons on Greed and True Worth

The Grey Wolf Guide: A Kazakh Folktale That Teaches Lessons on Ancestral Protection

The Seven-Headed Dev: A Kazakh Folktale That Teaches Lessons on Wisdom and Patience

The Feather of Samruk (A Quest for Wisdom): A Kazakh Folktale That Teaches Lessons on Integrity, Courage, and Responsibility

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The Golden Mango: Sri Lankan Folktale of Purity and Humility