When literacy was limited to only a few people in study or nobility, how were stories spread?

1920s
Paper production greatly reduced the cost of books, and literacy became a primary goal in U.S. public education. Also during this time, recreational reading became a popular activity in the United States and Europe, with literacy rates reaching 70 percent in some parts of the United States in the 1920s. Hope this helps!

China plays a major role in population and china is also a well developed country