3 Review(s)

"Twenty-Two Goblins" is a collection of Indian folktales translated into English by Arthur William Ryder, an American Sanskrit scholar and translator. The original text, titled "Vetalapancavimsati," is a classic collection of Indian stories and legends that belong to the genre of "Vetala Tales."The central framework of the stories involves a king who encounters a ghost (vetala) and is then compelled to listen to a series of tales and solve the puzzles within them. The ghost inhabits the body of a dead body hanging from a tree and poses riddles and challenges to the king, which often have moral and ethical dimensions.Each of the twenty-two tales in the collection presents a unique narrative with its own characters, settings, and themes. These tales include elements of fantasy, magic, humor, and moral lessons, making them a rich and diverse collection of folklore.Arthur William Ryder's translation of "Twenty-Two Goblins" is renowned for its literary quality and ability to capture the essence of the original Sanskrit tales. His work has made these Indian folktales accessible to English-speaking readers, preserving the cultural and storytelling traditions of India.