| | Preface | p. xi |
| | Acknowledgments | p. xiii |
| | Note about Diacritical Marks | p. xv |
| | Maps of Poland | p. xvii |
| | General Introduction to Poland | |
| | The Land | p. 3 |
| | Languages | p. 4 |
| | The People | p. 5 |
| | Chronology | p. 7 |
| | Religion | p. 12 |
| | Folk Costumes | p. 13 |
| | Calendar of Holidays with Folk Customs | p. 14 |
| | Storytelling in Poland | p. 21 |
| | Folk Arts and Music | p. 24 |
| | Food, Games, Riddles, and Nursery Rhymes | |
| | Food | p. 27 |
| | Games and Seasonal Activities | p. 42 |
| | Riddles | p. 48 |
| | Nursery Rhymes | p. 51 |
| | Local Legends | |
| | Lech, Cech, and Rus | p. 59 |
| | King Popiel | p. 61 |
| | The Founding of the Piast Dynasty | p. 63 |
| | The Dragon of Wawel | p. 65 |
| | Queen Wanda | p. 66 |
| | The Trumpeter of Krakow | p. 68 |
| | The Warsaw Mermaid | p. 70 |
| | Bazyliszek | p. 72 |
| | The Sleeping Knights | p. 74 |
| | Pan Twardowski | p. 76 |
| | Jurata, the Baltic Queen | p. 79 |
| | Janosik | p. 81 |
| | Morskie Oko (The Eye of the Sea) | p. 82 |
| | Sobotnia Mountain or the Search for the Water of Life | p. 84 |
| | Animal Tales | |
| | The Righteous Rabbit | p. 89 |
| | The Lone Wolf | p. 92 |
| | The Cat and the Fox | p. 95 |
| | The Fox and the Fisherman | p. 96 |
| | Mother Owl and the Hawk | p. 98 |
| | Rabbit Stops Complaining | p. 99 |
| | Magic Tales | |
| | The Flower of the Fern | p. 103 |
| | The Glass Mountain | p. 107 |
| | The Fool Who Searched for Fear | p. 109 |
| | Madej's Bed | p. 112 |
| | The Crown of the Snake King | p. 115 |
| | The Hatchet of Janosik | p. 119 |
| | The Lamb, the Tablecloth, and the Club | p. 122 |
| | The Forbidden Chamber | p. 124 |
| | Majka | p. 126 |
| | Argelus and the Swans | p. 128 |
| | Chain Chants and Cumulative Tales | |
| | The Pear Tree | p. 135 |
| | Hen and Rooster | p. 137 |
| | Ele Mele Joey | p. 140 |
| | The Hairy, Horned Goat | p. 141 |
| | Humorous Tales | |
| | The Goose with One Leg | p. 147 |
| | The Princess Who Would Not Laugh | p. 148 |
| | The King and the Captain | p. 151 |
| | Cobbler Kopytko and His Duck Kwak | p. 153 |
| | How the Papaje Made a Journey | p. 157 |
| | The Very Smart Son | p. 159 |
| | The Inheritance of a Cat | p. 160 |
| | Three Rascals | p. 162 |
| | The Five Clever Girls | p. 164 |
| | The Stork and the Duck | p. 167 |
| | Why Tales | |
| | Two Braids | p. 171 |
| | Why the Bee Makes Honey and the Wasp Has a Sting | p. 173 |
| | The Ages of Man | p. 174 |
| | Why Horses Are Always Hungry | p. 176 |
| | Why the Wolf Hates the Dog, the Dog Hates the Cat, and the Cat Hates Mice | p. 177 |
| | Why February Is a Short Month | p. 179 |
| | Why There Are Ice Flowers on Windows in Winter | p. 180 |
| | Religious Legends | |
| | Saint Magdalene and the Dike | p. 183 |
| | When Jesus Traveled Through Mazovia | p. 184 |
| | Our Lady of Czestochowa | p. 186 |
| | Saint Stanislaus and the Wolf | p. 187 |
| | Supernatural Creatures | |
| | Supernatural Creatures | p. 191 |
| | Sources | p. 193 |
| | Bibliography | p. 203 |
| | Index | p. 211 |