When a poor fisherman discovers a priceless gold ring inside a fish, he can't believe his luck. He takes the ring to the king and is richly rewarded.
His nosy neighbour - greedy to get rich himself - tries to find out how the fisherman came by his wealth and spies on him. But the neighbour is partially deaf. And when he tries to replicate the fisherman's success based on what he thinks he's overheard, things don't quite turn out as he'd hoped.
Part of a rich body of literature from Central Asia and the Middle East, The Fisherman's Neighbour is one of many hundreds of tales collected by the late Afghan author and thinker, Idries Shah.
'These teaching-stories can be experienced on many levels. A child may simply enjoy hearing them, an adult may analyse them in a more sophisticated way. Both may eventually benefit from the lessons within.' ALL THINGS CONSIDERED, NPR
The books aim to inspire creative thinking, and to help children develop a lifelong love of literature. Beautifully illustrated, thought provoking, and a pleasure to share with children.
'Shah has collected hundreds of Sufi tales... In this tradition, the line between stories for children and those for adults is not as clear as it seems to be in Western cultures... the lessons are important for all generations.' SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL