Tales Told in Tents: Stories from
Central Asia by Sally Pomme Clayton
Tales Told In Tents Is Magical
Why are some carpets magic? What is a wish tree? And where can the
fountain of eternal life be found? Internationally acclaimed storyteller Sally
Pomme Clayton provides the answers to these and many other intriguing
questions in this enchanted journey through Central Asia. Traveling
through the region herself, she accumulated a wealth of folklore and
knowledge of nomadic cultures. Now, retracing her steps through
Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and
Afghanistan, the author recounts 12 exotic tales that were shared with her
in storytelling tents. Sophie Herxheimers brilliantly patterned artwork,
together with a glossary and brief notes, add to the collection to reveal the
richness of these little-known, faraway lands.
Personal Review: Tales Told in Tents: Stories from Central Asia
by Sally Pomme Clayton

"Tales Told in Tents: Stories from Central Asia" serves as a nice little
reminder that there were storytellers who lived in the region between the
Middle East and the Far East. Sally Pomme Clayton takes her dozen
stories from the steppes, mountains, deserts and cities of Turkmenistan,
Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgystan, Tadijkistan and Afghanistan. These
are lands that have been in the news in recent years more than before, but
we hardly hear about stories from their culture. That these twelve tales
were told in tents signifies that they represent nomadic cultures, who
endures sorching summer suns and driving winter snows by living in tents
that could keep them cool in one season and snug in another. However,
like all other cultures, the storyteller was an important figure and the stories
that were told were treasured.
"A Whole Brain" (Kazakhstan) tells what happened on the seventh day
when God finished making the world and realized he had forgotten to give
human beings brains. "The Secret of Flet" (Turkmenistan) is what two
brothers discover when one stubs his toe on a sharp rock. "Blue Sky,
White Wing" (Central Asia) is is a poem reflecting the old saying, "The sky
is your father, the earth is your mother." "The Girl Who Cried a Lake"
(Kyrgyzstan) is what happens when the Khan's daughter falls in love with
the young hunter who catches her when the girls play kiss-chase on
horseback (think Romeo & Juliet). "The Carpet of Dreams" (Afghanistan)
is the story of Arif, who dreams of traveling the silk road and explains the
tradition of always weaving a mistake into a carpet on purpose, to show
that only God can make something that is truly perfect. "Riddle Bazaar"
(Uzbekistan) are eight riddles, such as "One eye and a sharp tooth") (yes,
the answers are provided in the back).
"The Bag of Trickness" (Kazakhstan) tells how the trickster Aldar-Kose with
his coat of seventy holes and ninety patches, tricks a rich man. "Zarina's
Orchard" (Tadjikistan) is about Zarina and her thirty-nine sisters, and how
she wishesd they could bring the river to them, instead of them all going to
the river. This story involves a Dev, which is not a good thing. "The Heart
of Your Friend" (Kazahkstan) is a poem based on a Kazakh folksong.
"Father of Stories, Horse of Songs" (Central Asia) tells of Korkut, a young
man who wanted his horse to carry him away from Death. Korkut would
live a long time and become known as Dede Korkut, father or all the
stories being sung by storytellers today. "The Fountain of Life" (Central
Asia) is the story of Al Khadir (the Green One), whom we met earlier in this
book, and shows that eternal life does indeed exist.
Clayton learned these stories by traveling through Central Asia, talking and
sharing stories with storytellers in different lands. Following their tradition,
she has made these stories her own. Clayton provides notes About the
Stories in the back of the book, to explain where they came from and other
interesting tidbits and additional sources. Sophie Herxheimer, who did the
colorful illustrations for this book, also provides a two-page map of Central
Asia, so that you know where these lands are to be found in relation to
Turkey, Iran, Russian, China, and the rest of their neighbors. A Glossary

of key names and turms, mostly those translates from the native
languages of these people
These twelves tales bring the culture of Central Asia to life and I have little
doubt that for most young readers (and their teachers or parents), this will
be their first exposure to stories from those lands, which is why in the end I
round up on "Tales Told in Tents." Through out the book Clayton provides
proverbs, sayings and assorted words of interest, such as those written on
a bowl in Herxheimer's final painting: "My tales I have told them, your
pocket shall hold them...If they are bitter of if they are sweet carry them
away and bring them back--along with a dish of rice and raisins."
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