Diverse cultures, diverse mythologies, diverse tales: but we are really all that different from one another? People from every part of the globe tell stories that, while distinctive, are also remarkably similar: the creation and destruction of the universe, trees of life, great floods, explanations for good and evil - call them motifs, archetypes, or themes, these appear in the traditions of every group throughout recorded history. This work puts the riches of world mythology at the disposal of the practicing storyteller. Gracefully retold versions of favourite and little-known tales from Africa, Asia, Europe, the Americas, Australia and Oceania are accompanied by a rich store of information on their historic and cultural background.