Folk tales from the Serendib

the long version

"A wonderful collection of tales about villagers and talking animals and their day-to-day problems in a pastoral Sri Lanka. Many stories are similar to the ones heard in other South Asian lands, a testimony to the foreign influences that blew across the island over the centuries through interaction with invaders, adventurers and peaceful travellers. These folktales do not, however, offer moral lessons. They are hilarious, with characters who find themselves in awkward situations and end up exhibiting the many tragic and comic aspects of our transient lives."--