This book, which was first published in 1916, was compiled by anthropologists so there are not a lot of embellishments to the stories - which is a good thing. Anyone interested in Filipino literature and history should have a copy of this book. This is a very interesting collection of folk tales from across the islands that give some insight into the origins of their culture. The folktales are in their original form and have not been "polished" but appear to be direct translations into English. This is a valuable book for those wishing to understand the Philippines on deeper levels. It has traditional Filipino stories but also some that will be new to some readers.