Fools and Wise Men

Before schooling was widely available, for most people the classroom was at the fireside, the field and the country lane, where the bards told their tales.

Many such folk tales exist to convey life-lessons in an entertaining way. These stories are not the pontifications of ancient philosophers: they are the gleanings of countless storytellers, everyday men and women with hard-won life experiences and pockets full of folklore. The tales reflect the times and places of their origin, but have been handed down from generation to generation, evolving to meet changing times. Some are amusing; some are thought-provoking; all have been polished and honed for so long that their message slips, almost imperceptibly, into the mind.

Fools and Wise Men retells these stories for new generations - repaying our debts to the bards of old.

Auteur

Mike O'Connor is a respected folklorist, storyteller and folk musician. He has given many performances and lectures in the UK and overseas in the last 50 years. He has worked with numerous radio and TV companies as a music advisor, composer and arranger, notably Poldark. He and his tales have appeared many times on local radio in SW England, and he is the author of three volumes of folk tales for The History Press. He lives in Cornwall.