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This book contains some three hundred and eighty stories collected in the remote villages, largely untouched by external influence, of the hitherto little known North-East Frontier Agency of India. This great tract of mountain and forest is inhabited by people who have preserved their social organization and cultural institutions almost intact throughout the centuries. Their mythology is thus of absorbing interest, for although the motifs of some of the stories are known elsewhere in India and indeed throughout the world, there are many others which are fresh and original. This book, therefore, will not only be of value to professional students of folklore but will also open a door of exciting surprise to anyone interested in a good story with a new and unexpected flavor.

Contents: Part- I: Heaven and Earth: 1. The Creation of the World. 2. The Firmament. 3. The Sun and Moon. 4. Thunder and Lightning. 5. Water. 6. Earthquake. Part- II: Man and His History: 7. The First men. 8. The tricksters. 9. The Land of Women. Part- III: The Daily Life of Man: 10. The Domestic Life of man. 11. The Comforts of Man. 12. The Discovery of Fire. 13. The beginnings of Religion. 14. The Threat of Disease. 15. The Coming of Death. Part- IV: The World of Animals: 16. Arthropods. 17. Frogs, Leeches and Fishes. 18. Reptiles. 19. Birds. 20. Mammals.