A twelfth-century Sanskrit parallel to Hans Christian Andersen’s ‘The Princess and the Pea’ is just one of the surprises in this unusual collection of fairy tales from the Indian subcontinent. There are animal fables that recall both Aesop and Uncle Remus, and long wonder tales with all the strange enchantments of the Arabian Nights. Wily peasants, scheming rajahs, and saintly brahmans mingle in stories full of spice and wit. Luck and fate are the chief concerns, but magic an