Fools and Wise Men

Fools and Wise Men gathers British folk tales shaped to carry lessons about judgement, kindness, family, courage and the consequences of foolish behaviour. Mike O’Connor draws on English, Welsh, Scottish and Cornish traditions, presenting stories associated with fireside storytelling and oral transmission.

The collection ranges from ‘The Ant and the Dove’ and ‘Canute and the Tide’ to Cornish accounts of the Piskey Thresher and the Changeling of Brea Vean. Fairies, changelings, giants, talking animals and wise or foolish rulers appear across sections devoted to personal qualities, family, otherworlds and facing eternity. The tales include both familiar narratives and lesser-known regional material, retold in contemporary form while retaining their folkloric settings and moral purpose.