Tales of Tricksters - Paperback

by Pleasant DeSpain (Author)

Nine short traditional and very entertaining folktales about tricksters, featuring selections from around the world.Trickster is a marvelous, mischievous, and energetic character found in various disguises in folktales from all around the world. Tricksters do things that are both foolish and wise, often at the same time. Best of all, a trickster's adventures can inspire us to use our own cleverness to outsmart the bullies of the world while creating some fun along the way.The nine tricksters in this volume come from all points of the globe, including: Persia ("The Smuggler"), India ("The Alligator and the Jackal"), Poland ("The Court Jester"), and France ("Reynard and the Fisherman").

Author Biography

Pleasant DeSpain Bio:

Pleasant DeSpain has a most unusual but true name and an equally unusual but true profession - writer and storyteller. He travels the world collecting, researching, writing and retelling traditional tales from native cultures. Born in Colorado, he wrote his first original story at age eight. It was published as "The Mystery Artist" in 1996. Pleasant taught speech-literature-drama for six years at three universities, and wrote-produced-hosted an award-winning TV show called "Pleasant Journeys" on KING TV, Seattle. Now, the author of eighteen award-winning, multicultural story collections and picture books, published by August House, has a home in Troy, NY and frequently travels to spend extended periods of time in Thailand. Pleasant continues to travel the world having amazing adventures. While living in Thailand he has continued to collect more stories and is working on a new book.