Persia is rich in folk lore. For hundreds and hundreds of years the stories in this book, and many others as well, have been told to the wondering boys and girls of that country… The belief in the “Ghool,” or “Old Man of the Desert,” is still prevalent in Persia, which probably accounts for the popularity of the story of “The Son of the Soap Seller.” The other stories selected for this volume are great favorites, but the story of “The Cat and the Mouse” is perhaps the most popular of all.