A Short History of Folktales in India Folktales are Oral stories that are passed down by the elders to the younger generation. For centuries, folktales have been a crucial medium for preserving cultural traditions and teaching the youth to understand the world around them. Bopoluchi- The Bride’s Revenge: A Folktale from Rural Punjab A number of young girls were drawing water at the village well and telling each other their fantasies of when and whom and how they would marry. One of them said, My uncle will come loaded with wedding presents and dress me in a brocade, and I will get married in a palace.’ Another said, ‘My uncle is coming soon with a camel-load of sweets.’ The third said, ‘Oh, my uncle will be here in no time in a golden carriage filled with jewels.’ Bopoluchi was the prettiest of them all and she looked sad- she was an orphan and had no one in the world to arrange a marriage for her or give her a dowry. Still, not to be outdone …