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Asian Folktales

At Old Folktales, we share traditional stories from across the entire Asian continent, including: India, China, Japan, South Korea, North Korea, Vietnam, Thailand, Myanmar (Burma), Laos, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Iraq, Iran, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, Palestine, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Oman, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Israel, Turkey, Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan. These folktales include: Epic myths and heroic journeys. Trickster monkeys, talking dragons, and wise elders. Tales of karma, family honor, and spiritual lessons

The Tiger and the Persimmon – A Korean Folktale About Fear

by Aanu Adegun

July 20, 2025

Asian Folktales

One winter evening in a Korean village, a mother tried to calm her crying baby by warning, “Be quiet, or the tiger will come!” But the baby kept crying. Then she added, “Look, a persimmon!” The baby stopped. Outside, a tiger had been sneaking near the home and overheard everything. He was confused. “I am the great predator, yet the

Asian Folktales

The Fire Rooster and the Sunless Day

Long ago, in a mountain village of northern Vietnam, people awoke to find the sun had vanished. The sky was not dark like night, but gray and heavy, as if a lid had been placed over the world. No rooster crowed, no bird sang. Fields began to wither, and elders