Books in Hoopoe Teaching Stories series

Because she fails to follow the precise instructions given to her by Arif the Wise Man, the Queen of Hich-Hich gives birth to a half-boy. That Neem is able to make himself complete by an act of cleverness, negotiation and compromise teaches children much more than the expected, usual lesson of bravery. This tale is one of the many hundreds of Sufi developmental stories collected by Idries Shah from oral and written sources in Central Asia and the Middle East. For more than a thousand years this story has entertained young people and helped to foster in them the ability to examine their assumptions and to think for themselves.

The Magic Horse is the story of two brothers, one skilled in all the practical arts, and the other, Prince Tambal, considered by most people to be only a dreamer. Their father, the King, announces a competition to produce "interesting and useful devices" – the entry produced by a woodcarver appears to be a simple wooden horse – apparently of little value. Prince Tambal discovers, however, that the horse is able to magically transport its rider to whatever place is in his mind. In this way, Prince Tambal comes to learn a great many things, and eventually, comes to know "his heart's desire." The Magic Horse is one of the hundreds of stories collected by Idries Shah from sources in the Middle East and Central Asia. In the Sufi tradition there is a continuum between the children’s story, the entertainment or folklore story, and the instructional or instrumental story. A story can help children deal with difficult situations and give them something to hold on to. It can, at the same time, stimulate a deeper understanding in adults. Through the instrumental function of this rich body of oral and written material, we and our children can now learn to develop the capacity to be more flexible and to understand many more things about ourselves and about life.

Some two hundred and fifty years ago the great King Ahmad Shah Durrani ruled Afghanistan. His magnificent empire extended from eastern Iran to northern India, and from the Amu Darya to the Indian Ocean. Known to his people as Ahmad Shah Baba (Ahmad Shah, our father), the king was an outstanding general and a just ruler. But he was vexed with troubles and needed to find someone with the right qualities to help him — but how? Among other things the story provides a framework through which young readers can consider and discuss the qualities needed for a useful and happy life. Additional pages include a short biography of Ahmad Shah, a map of the Durrani Empire, and suggested discussion points.

The Stranger's Farewell is a very old story, one that has entertained people all over the world for hundreds of years. A stranger visits a young couple – he has been traveling for many days – and asks for a glass of water and a place to rest. The young couple make him welcome and invite the stranger into their home to share their meal. As we know, small actions sometimes have large consequences, and this one did. As the stranger is leaving to go on his way, he says, "May the next thing you do last until you say, 'Enough'." These parting words reward their generosity in an amazing way. News of the young couple's changed status travels fast and prompts a greedy merchant to seek out the stranger in the hope of gaining a similar reward for himself. But, of course, the result is very different. This story can teach us – in a very assessable way – something about the nature of giving and receiving. This tale is set here in Afghanistan where the story is known by many people. This setting effectively introduces children to a culture and people who may be unfamiliar to them. The story is retold here or young people by the Afghan storyteller and teacher Palwasha Bazger Salam and beautifully illustrated by Marie Lafrance.

On the day a boy is born, his parents receive a visit from a wise man who says, "This is a very, very important boy, and I'm going to give him something marvelous one day, but I will have to give him his name first. So please don't give him a name yet." The story tells how the boy seeks and eventually finds his own name – and also discards and an old dream he doesn't want for a wonderful new dream. This book is one of a series of illustrated Teaching-Stories by Idries Shah which of captivated hearts and minds for more than a thousand years. Among the many insights this story gives children is the idea that it takes patience and resolve to achieve one’s goals in life. Mona Caron's beautiful watercolor illustrations embellish this unusual and captivating story. Un niño busca y finalmente encuentra su propio nombre y consigue asimismo deshacerse de un sueño viejo y cambiarlo por otro nuevo y maravilloso. Este es uno de la serie de cuentos ilustrados para niños escritos por Idries Shah, cuya colección de narrativas e Historias de Enseñanza™ ha cautivado los corazones y las mentes de todo tipo de gente. Pertenece a una tradición cuentística del Medio Oriente y Asia Central que tiene más de mil años. Entre muchas de las ideas que esta historia presenta a los niños está la noción de que lleva paciencia y resolución el alcanzar las metas que tenemos en la vida.

The Farmer's Wife – the story of how a woman retrieves an apple from a hole in the ground – is one of the many Sufi tales for children. For over a thousand years it has entertained young people who join in the chant of this cumulative tale and, at the same time, learn its valuable lessons about the nature of problem solving and discovery. For more than 30 years Idries Shah's collections of Teaching-Stories and narratives from the Sufi tradition have captivated the hearts and minds of people from all walks of life. Shah selected the majority of these tales from oral sources. They are repeated in homes, courts and caravanserais throughout the Middle East and Central Asia. La esposa del granjero y la manera en que saca la manzana del hoyo de la tierra es uno de los muchos cuentos Sufis para niños. Durante más de mil años este cuento ha entretenido a gente joven que al unirse en un canto recitan este cuento acumulativo, y al mismo tiempo, aprenden las valiosas lecciones sobre la naturaleza de un problema y cómo llegar a resolverlo. Durante más de 30 años la colección de historietas de enseñanza y las narrativas de la tradición Sufi de Idries Shah han cautivado los corazones y las mentes de todo tipo de personas. Shah eligió la mayoría de estos cuentos de la tradición oral. Se repiten en las casas, las cortes y las caravanas a lo largo del Medio Oriente y el Asia Central.

Fatima’s life is beset with what seem to be disasters. Her journey leads her from Morocco to the Mediterranean, Egypt, Turkey and, finally, to China. It is in China that she realizes that what seemed at the time to be really unfortunate events were an integral part of her eventual fulfillment. This Teaching-Story is well known in Greek folklore, but this version is attributed to Sheikh Mohamed Jamaludin of Adrianople (modern-day Edirne) in Turkey who died in 1750. It was first published by Idries Shah in 1967 in his classic work, Tales of the Dervishes, Teaching-Stories of the Sufi Masters over the past thousand years.

The Silly Chicken is a delightful and humorous tale about a chicken who learns to speak as we do – with surprising and unexpected consequences. The events that follow intrigue young children and, and at the same time, alert them in a very amusing way to the dangers of being too quick to believe everything you hear. Illustrator Jeff Jackson creates a lively and amusing world, rich in color and expression, in which anything can happen. This tale is one of the many hundreds of Sufi developmental stories collected by Idries Shah from oral and written sources in Central Asia and the Middle East. For more than a thousand years this story has entertained young people and helped to foster in them the ability to examine their assumptions and to think for themselves. Éste es un encantador cuento de un pollo que aprende a hablar como nosotros. Esta historia va a intrigar a los niños pequeños y, al mismo tiempo, va a alertarlos, de forma graciosa, sobre los peligros de ser demasiado crédulos. Este es el primer libro para niños del ilustrador/animador Jeff Jackson. Expresa su inusual habilidad para crear un mundo vívido y entretenido, rico en color, en el que cualquier cosa puede ocurrir.

When a boy visits another village, he is surprised to find the townspeople terrified of something that — just because they have not seen it before — they mistake for a terrible, dangerous animal. With his own knowledge and by demonstration, the boy helps them overcome their fears. This story is part of an oral tradition from the Middle East and Central Asia that is more than a thousand years old. In an entertaining way, it introduces children to an interesting aspect of human behavior and so enables them to recognize it in their daily life. One of many tales from the body of Sufi literature collected by Idries Shah, the tale is presented here as part of his series of books for young readers. This is the second book of the series illustrated by Rose Mary Santiago, following the award-winning best-seller, The Farmer’s Wife. Cuando un chico visita otro pueblo, se sorprende al ver que la gente está aterrorizada por algo que — como nunca lo han visto antes — creen ser un terrible y peligroso animal. Usando su conocimiento y demostración, el chico los ayuda a sobreponerse al miedo. Esta historia es parte de una tradición oral del Medio Oriente y Asia Central que tiene más de mil años. De forma entretenida, esta historia presenta a los niños un interesante aspecto de la conducta humana, capacitándolos así a reconocerlo en la vida diaria. Es uno entre muchos otros cuentos pertenecientes al cuerpo de literatura Sufi coleccionados por Idries Shah y presentado aquí como parte de una serie de libros para los pequeños lectores. Las ilustraciones son de Rose Mary Santiago. Es su segundo título en esta serie de libros para niños de Idries Shah, después del premiado best-seller La esposa del granjero.

The Magic Horse is the story of two brothers, one skilled in all the practical arts, and the other, Prince Tambal, considered by most people to be only a dreamer. Their father, the King, announces a competition to produce "interesting and useful devices" – the entry produced by a woodcarver appears to be a simple wooden horse – apparently of little value. Prince Tambal discovers, however, that the horse is able to magically transport its rider to whatever place is in the mind of the rider. In this way, Prince Tambal comes to learn a great many things, and eventually, comes to know "his heart's desire." The Magic Horse is one of the hundreds of stories collected by Idries Shah from sources in the Middle East and Central Asia. In the Sufi tradition there is a continuum between the children’s story, the entertainment or folklore story, and the instructional or instrumental story. A story can help children deal with difficult situations and give them something to hold on to. It can, at the same time, stimulate a deeper understanding in adults. Through the instrumental function of this rich body of oral and written material, we and our children can now learn to develop the capacity to be more flexible and to understand many more things about ourselves and about life. El caballo mágico es una de las cientos de historias recogidas por Idries Shah. En la tradición sufí hay un continuo entre la historia para niños, la historia folclórica y de entretenimiento, y la historia de instrucción o instrumental. Un cuento puede ayudar a los niños a manejar situaciones difíciles y darles algo a que atenerse. Puede, al mismo tiempo, estimular una comprensión más profunda en los adultos. A través de la función instrumental de este rico cuerpo de material oral y escrito, nosotros y nuestros hijos podemos ahora aprender a desarrollar la capacidad de ser más flexibles y de entender mucho más sobre nosotros mismos y sobre la vida.