What are some interesting old folk stories?

One interesting old folk tale is 'Cinderella'. It's about a young girl who is mistreated by her stepmother and stepsisters but, with the help of her fairy godmother, goes to the ball and wins the prince's heart. Another is 'Little Red Riding Hood', which warns children about the dangers of talking to strangers in the form of a wolf in the woods. And 'Jack and the Beanstalk' is also great, where Jack climbs a beanstalk to a giant's lair and outwits the giant to bring back treasures.

One famous Chinese old folk story is 'The Cowherd and the Weaver Girl'. It's about a love story between a cowherd and a fairy weaver girl. They fell in love but were separated by the Milky Way. Only on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month can they meet by crossing a bridge made of magpies. It shows the Chinese people's yearning for true love.

One well - known old German folk story is 'Hansel and Gretel'. It's about two children who are left in the forest by their stepmother. They find a house made of gingerbread, which is owned by a wicked witch who wants to eat them. Another is 'Rumpelstiltskin', where a little man helps a girl spin straw into gold in exchange for her first - born child. There's also 'The Pied Piper of Hamelin' who lures the rats away from the town with his music and then, when not paid, takes the children as well.

One interesting old folk tale is 'The Tortoise and the Hare'. It teaches the lesson that slow and steady wins the race. The hare, being overconfident, takes a nap during the race while the tortoise keeps moving forward steadily and ultimately wins.

One old folk love story is 'The Cowherd and the Weaver Girl'. In this Chinese story, the Cowherd was a poor but kind man, and the Weaver Girl was a fairy. They fell in love and got married. However, their love was opposed by the Goddess of Heaven. As a punishment, they were separated by the Milky Way and could only meet once a year on the Qixi Festival.

In these stories, the character of Vasilisa the Beautiful is quite remarkable. She is known for her beauty, kindness and intelligence. There are also various animal characters such as the talking wolf or the helpful bear. These characters add a lot of charm and depth to the old russian folk stories.

One interesting character is Odysseus. He is known for his long and arduous journey home in 'The Odyssey'. Another is Pandora. She opened the box that released all the evils into the world. And there's also Perseus, who slayed the Gorgon Medusa.

One interesting theme is the importance of family. In many old Punjabi folk stories, family values are highly emphasized. For example, stories often show how family members support each other through difficult times. Another theme is the connection with nature. These stories might describe how people in Punjab lived in harmony with nature, like depending on the fertile land for farming. Also, moral lessons are a big part of it. They teach about honesty, kindness, and hard work through the characters' experiences in the stories.

One interesting aspect is the rich mythology. These stories are filled with gods and goddesses like Zeus and Athena, which gives a peek into the ancient Greek belief system.

One well - known Malay old folk story is the 'Bawang Merah Bawang Putih'. It's about two step - sisters, Bawang Merah (Red Onion) who was mean and Bawang Putih (White Onion) who was kind. Their stepmother treated Bawang Putih badly. One day, when Bawang Putih was crying by a river, a fish offered to help her. This story is full of moral lessons about kindness and how good deeds are rewarded.