3 Review(s)

The Wicked Queens and other collection of stories in this book were translated into Persian, and thence into Syriac and Arabic. It is probable the Arabs carried some of them into Europe, and that European invaders, like the Crusaders, imported fragmentary portions into their countries. Many of the tales are purely Kashmiri, in origin, while few are undoubtedly variants of popular tales current in India, which have been adapted and modified to suit the language, style of thought, and social usages. These stories also became very popular in the West during Middle Ages and adopted by Western Monks and other religious teachers for the sake of the impression thus made on the minds of illiterate hearers.