The ten stories in this book are from different parts of Asia, the largest continent in the world. Asia is made up of many countries, peoples, languages, and of course cultures. From the second century BCE to the fifteenth century CE, the Silk Road—an incredible network of trade routes between East Asia and Europe—enabled the exchange of goods, ideas, and stories. As people migrated to different regions, they took their stories with them. Many of these folktales, myths, and legends continue to pass on from generation to generation and often reflect their cultures' values and beliefs.