World mythology & recorded folktales500 entries / 10 collections
Reading journeys / 4 stops

Who can help whom?

Reciprocity, rescue, exploitation, and the different abilities of small creatures.

1
Indian

The mice who released the elephants

Start with a petition granted before the stronger party has any need of a favor.

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2
Indian

Spot’s two captivities and the rescue of Slow

Follow four friends whose rescue plan makes room for different ways of moving.

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3
Indian

How Supersmart gained the elephant carcass

Compare cooperation with a plan that uses another creature’s work and then excludes it.

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4
Indian

The plovers who challenged the ocean

Track the shift from solitary boasting to collective action and an appeal through a hierarchy.

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After the last stop

Which detail changed when you returned to the source? Keep that question with you as you choose another route.

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