The Man with Bad Manners (Teaching Stories)

This is the story of a very badly behaved man how a young boy in the village hatches a plan to change the mans behavior - and how with the help of the other villagers the plan succeeds to everyones benefit. Children of course love the idea of an adult behaving badly. At the same time the story helps them learn valuable lessons about initiative negotiation conflict resolution and cooperation. Rose Mary Santiagos illustrations provide delightful and amusing counterpoint to the tale. The Man with Bad Manners is one of an illustrated series of Sufi teaching stories from the Middle East and Central Asia that were collected and adapted for children by Idries Shah and that have captivated hearts and minds for more than a thousand years. The stories are designed to help children learn to examine their assumptions and to think for themselves. In the Sufi tradition there is a continuum between the childrens story the entertainment or folklore story and the instructional or instrumental story. A story can help children deal with difficult situations and give them something to hold on to but it can also stimulate a deeper understanding in adults.