Myth-Folklore Unit: Tutinameh, or Tales of a Parrot

Overview. This famous collection of stories is known as the Tutinama in Persian, or the Tales of a Parrot (tuti means "parrot" in Persian). The book is an adaptation of an earlier book written in Sanskrit, and it has a frametale that might remind you of 1001 Nights. The storyteller this time, though, is a parrot, a parrot whose master is away on business and whose mistress is getting ready to go meet her lover, committing adultery in her husband's absence. Each night, though, the parrot tells her a story that delays her; she is so curious to hear the story that every night she stays at home listening to the parrot and thus does not have time for the tryst with her lover. This unit contains twenty of the parrot's stories, along with an account of the surprising events that take place when the master of the house finally comes home!

Language. This is an early 19th-century English version of the Tutinameh, so the language is a little old-fashioned but should not pose any real problems.

Story Length. This unit contains only single-page stories.

Navigation. You will find the table of contents below, and you can also use this link to see the story posts displayed on two pages total: Tales of a Parrot. Click "Older Posts" at the bottom of that page to see the second page.

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READING A:

1. Miemun and Khojisteh
2. Khojisteh and the Parrot
3. The Parrot of Ferukh Beg
4. The Goldsmith, the Carpenter, the Taylor, and the Hermit
5. The King of Kinoje and his Daughter
6. The Fowler, the Parrot, and her Young Ones
7. The Merchant and His Wife
8. The Old Lion and the Cat
9. The Commander of the Frogs, and the Snake
10. Four Rich Persons who Became Poor
11. Besheer and a Woman Named Chunder

READING B:

1. Of a King and His Sons
2. The Merchant whose Daughter Was Lost
3. Of a Brahmin Falling in Love
4. The Son of the King of Babylon
5. The Merchant's Daughter
6. The Nobleman who Concealed a Snake in His Sleeve
7. The Soldier and the Goldsmith
8. Of the Merchant and the Barber
9. The Frog, the Bee, and the Bird
10. The Elk and the Ass
11. A King Falls in Love, and the End of Khojisteh

(Mughal Tutinama)