A World of Tricksters

A trick is an action taken for the real (and ideally legitimate, though perhaps illegal) benefit of the trickster or another person against the unjust behaviour of those with the advantage of class, wealth, authority or physical superiority. That benefit can be material - the saving of life, avoiding injury or capture, economic survival - or the preservation of dignity and a positive self-image through mockery or humiliation as a form of psychological revenge: taking the high and mighty down a peg or two. Stories about tricks are entertaining, but they carry a serious message for the young, weak, vulnerable, and socially disadvantaged: it is possible to overcome bullying, whether institutional or personal, or at least counter its effects. The 154 stories come from 29 countries. Most are myths or folk tales; some are factual. The emphasis is on the stories with some background and contextual information."The supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting." The Art of War, Sun Tzu, fourth century BC