The subtitle is a bit misleading: these 21 selections, drawn from Indian, African, European, Native American, and Chinese sources, include proverbs, riddles, pourquoi and trickster tales, plus the disguised life lessons usually considered fables. Here, we get a funny Czechoslovakian story about a pig and a bear who buy each other's wares at the bazaar with the single nickel they trade back and forth, and a logical puzzle from the Caucasus, its solution given in pictures, as well as a Muskogee version of ``The Hare and the Tortoise.'' There's at least one of Hogrogian's wonderfully appealing animals on most pages; she's also designed the clean, attractively balanced layout. For those who want to go beyond Aesop and La Fontaine: a nice addition to multicultural collections. (Folklore/Picture book. 6-10)
