The Serpents and the Porcupine by Yoko Mitsuhashi
The Naga Prince is just one of 38 Thai folktales included in this new edition that editor Kermit Krueger gathered in Northeastern Thailand fifty years ago.
Originally published as “The Serpent Prince” in 1969, this new edition includes additional folktales from Mr. Krueger’s original research and organized the tales by time and location.
They begin with the most ancient legends going back to the times of the Khmer Empire (700-1,300 AD) and even beyond to prehistoric times.
The next three sections explore the folk tales of Isan, beginning in the north in Loei and Nong Kai, traveling to the central region of Mahasarakham, Roi Et and Khon Kaen, and then going to the southern towns of Surin and Pimai, where ancient temples still stand.
| Title | Location |
| The Serpents And The Porcupine | Ping and Moon Rivers |
| The Temple of the Four Friends | |
| The Odd Disappearance of Prince Bantud | Sisaket ศรีสะเกษ |
| The Tree that Grew a City | Khon Kaen ขอนแก่น |
| The Treachery of the Lion Prince | Kantarawichai กันทรวิชัย |
| Return of the Brother | Phimai พิมาย |
| How Pimai Temple was Built | Pimai |
| The Naga Prince | Pimai |
| The Black Pool | Loei เลย |
| Yai the Hunter and the Sacred Deer
| Bell Mountain, Loei เลย |
| Yai and the Rice Spirits | Loei เลย |
| The Twin Tales of Tao To
| Nong Bualamphu, Udon หนองบัวลำภู |
| Princess Phen and the Four Foolish Ministers | Phen เพ็ญ, Udon Thani อุดรธานี |
| Tar-Sa’s Luck | Kalasin กาฬสินธุ์ |
| The Many Children of Mr. And Mrs. Twelve | Gosumpisai โกสัมพี |
| The Little Priest of Mahasarakam
| Chiang Yuen เชียงยืน Mahasarakham มหาสารคาม |
| The Pet Crocodile of Mit and Mut | Takonyang, ท่าขอนยาง Mahasarakham มหาสารคาม |
| Nang Yai The Girl Who Weaves By Night
| Nang Yai Mahasarakham นางใย มหาสารคาม |
| Jungle of the Giants
| Phayakkhaphum Phisai พยัคฆภูมิพิสัย |
| Beloved Baby River | Village of Don Nong, just up the Chi river from Takonyang |
| The Girl Who Wore Too Much
| Kamalasai (south part of Kalasin province) กมลาไสย |
| The Friendless Pavilion | Roi-Et ร้อยเอ็ด |
| The Blind Man Who Could See
| Roi-Et ร้อยเอ็ด |
| Yama and the Horse Race Challenge
| Lake Yama, Roi-Et |
| Sumlee’s Broken Stick | “Muangtong” AKA Roi-Et |
| The Plain of the Trader Who Cried | Roi-Et ร้อยเอ็ด |
| The Spirit Drum
| Selapum, Roi-Et เสลภูมิ ร้อยเอ็ด |
| Pibaaboon’s Mountain of Gold
| Selapum, Roi-Et เสลภูมิ ร้อยเอ็ด |
| Monsalai and the Golden Dowry | Selapum, Roi-Et เสลภูมิ ร้อยเอ็ด |
| The Little Sticky Rice Basket
| Tard Tong, Ubon Ratchathani อุบลราชธานี |
| The Lesson of Mango Mountain
| Surin สุรินทร์ |
| The Twin Hills of Ta Tum | Ta Tum, Surin ท่าตูม Mun River แม่น้ำมูล |
| The Woman Who Saved Korat | |
| Siengmieng, The Minister
| |
| Bau’s Pool | Muangnam เมืองน้ำ
|
| Two Friends | |
| The Legend of Seven Golden Flowers | Si Khoraphum ปราสาทศีขรภูมิ |
| The Hunter and the Tigress |
