In this traditional Muslim tale, a man invents the game of chess and presents it to his king, who is so pleased with the board game he offers the man any reward he desires. The man asks for 1 grain of rice on the first square of the chessboard, 2 on the second, 4 on the third, 8 on the fourth,...

Often associated with the Chinese Qixi Festival (also known as Chinese Valentine’s Day), this legend tells the story of two star-crossed lovers who are forced to separate, but are able to be together once a year thanks to the kindness of magpies, who form a bridge in the sky allowing the two to...