The stories you are about to read come from all over the world. Some are thousands of years old, some were written only a few hundred years ago, but they all have one thing in common: they capture the imagination and linger long after these pages are closed. You may know some of the stories already, others may be new to you. One thing that might surprise you is how different cultures, separated by thousands of miles and hundreds of years, came up with such similar tales. It seems that everyone loves stories of bravery and trickery, rewards, and revenge, magic, and mischief.