Excerpt from The Ocean of Story, Vol. 1 of 10: Being C. H. Tawney's Translation of Somadeva's Kathā Sarit Sāgara (or Ocean of Streams of Story) Have been asked by Mr Penzer to write a Foreword to the first volume of his great work on the Katha Sarit Sagara, but when I observe the research that he has bestowed upon it and read the lists of those whose assistance he has secured, I cannot but feel much diffidence in comply ing with his request. I can, however, take this opportunity of saying what it has long been in my mind to say about the books and papers that this gigantic collection of Indian folk-tales has from time to time called forth. I am also somewhat encouraged to do this by the attitude of Mr Penzer towards his own important efforts, as it is clear that he does not look on them otherwise than as a continuation of the research that has been already devoted to the collections; for despite the exhaustive nature of his Appendix IV to this volume, his last paragraph - the very last of the whole volume - runs thus More than this it is impossible to say. Much research still remains to be done on this highly important anthropological problem. It is in this spirit that I, too, propose to approach the subject of the Katha Sarit Sagara - the Ocean of Story-and what I am now about to say points to further research being necessary, a proposition Mr Penzer would, I take it, be the last person to controvert. Nevertheless, I wish to say at once that Mr Penzer's notes to the text, short and long, and the four fine appendices on folk-lore to this volume - viz. On Mythical Beings, the Use of Collyrium and Kohl, the Cravings of Pregnant Women motif, and Sacred Prostitution - fulfil to my mind the purpose for which they are written, and must always be a mine into which students can delve with profit. They are a good augury for the value of the information he has in store for scholars in the volumes that are to follow. Anything that I may remark, therefore, which savours of criticism is said only with the Object Of assisting the research he has so gallantly and so usefully undertaken to promote. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.