🌸The Lion
King Leopard happily ruled over his Kingdom.
However, one day, a Lion Cub was born in a distant part of the Kingdom. The Leopard felt sorry because the poor cub had no father. But the Prime Minister, the Fox, knew that when the Lion Cub grew up, there would be trouble. Lions always respect friendship and never fight needlessly with other animals. So, he advised the Leopard, “It is wise to be friendly with the Lion Cub to control his power.”
King Leopard did not listen. Many years passed. The Cub grew into a big Lion! He was brave, watchful and clever. He began to show his power. The Fox begged the Leopard again, “Before he destroys us fully, please give the Lion a part of the Kingdom, some oxen and other animals to feed on. We can live safely in the other part of the Kingdom.”
“No, I will not give him any part of my Kingdom!” the Leopard again refused the Fox’s advice.
Very soon, the Lion became so powerful that he slowly won the Leopard’s Kingdom and became King, instead!
🔥If there is a strong person in your life, make sure he is your friend!
🏰 🏡 🏜 🏕 ⛪️
🌸The Two Parrots
Once upon a time, there lived a King, his Son and two Parrots. The Prince and the Baby Parrot were very fond of each other and grew up together.
The Prince was fond of birds. So, one day, he petted a Sparrow in the garden. The Parrot did not like it, as the Sparrow was his enemy.
One day, while they were playing together, there arose a fight and the Parrot pecked the Sparrow. The shocked Prince picked the dead Sparrow and in anger, killed the Parrot.
The father of the Baby Parrot heard the sad news that his son was dead. He attacked the Prince and pierced both his eyes. Then he flew to a tall tree for safety.
The Prince requested the Parrot, “Forget all that has happened, and please return.”
The King added, “It is destiny that has brought such a sad tragedy. That your child should die and mine become blind.”
The Parrot replied, “How can I trust you, after what has happened? It’s better for me to be far from you, than to experience your love turned to hate.”
🔥Do not trust a revengeful person.
🏰 🏡 🏜 🏕 ⛪️
🌸A Hunter, a Deer, a Pig, a Snake and a Jackal
Once upon a time, a Hunter lived in a forest. One morning, he set out hunting, hoping to find a deer.
Soon, he saw a Deer and hunted him down. The Hunter slung him over his shoulder and merrily started home.
On the way, he came across a fat Pig. He dropped the Deer on the ground and shot the Pig with an arrow.
The Pig gave a fearful grunt and charged at the Hunter. He hit the Hunter hard in the stomach and killed him instantly. Then the wounded Pig also fell down dead.
During the fight, a Snake that was passing by got trampled and died.
All this time, a Jackal was sitting behind a tree.
When he saw the Hunter, Deer, Pig and Snake, all lying dead, he was overjoyed and said to himself, “Ah! What luck! It looks as though I am going to have a feast, but I shall eat only a little at a time so it will last me longer.”
Then, the Jackal dragged each body to his cave, one by one. He had a feast for a long time!
🔥Be patient and think wisely.
🏰 🏡 🏜 🏕 ⛪️
🌸A Rich Mouse and a Holy Man
Once, there lived a Holy Man. He was poor and depended on alms. He would eat a little food and keep the rest in a begging bowl, hung high up on a peg. A Mouse had seen this, and used to jump up and help himself to the food.
One day, a friend of the Holy Man visited him. After they had eaten, they started chatting. The Holy Man could not concentrate and kept tapping on the ground with a stick to scare the Mouse away.
The friend asked, “What are you doing? Why don’t you listen to me, properly?” “Excuse me!” said the Holy Man. “It’s just that dreadful Mouse! He eats away whatever food I manage to save.” Wondering how the Mouse could jump so high, the friend said, “The Mouse must have put aside a lot of food, which must give him extraordinary energy to jump so high.”
They then, dug and found the hoard of food that the Mouse had gathered and took it away.
The Mouse returned and found his hoard of food missing, and was very sad. He lost all interest in stealing food from the Holy Man’s bowl.
🔥Identify the enemy’s source of strength to defeat him.
🏰 🏡 🏜 🏕 ⛪️
🌸An Old Tiger and a Greedy Traveller
Once, there was an old Tiger that could no longer hunt. One morning, he stood in a lake and held a blade of holy grass in one paw and a gold bracelet in the other. He was shouting, “Ladies and Gentlemen! A gold bracelet for charity.”
A Traveller, passing by, liked the gold bracelet. However, he was scared of the Tiger.
The Traveller said, “How can I believe that you would not harm me?”
The Tiger replied, “I admit that when I was young, I was wicked and killed many cows and human beings. Then a holy man advised me to give alms. So, now I take a bath and give things for the sake of charity. Besides, I’ve gone old. My teeth and claws have fallen off. So, what have you to fear from me?”
The Traveller believed him and went into the lake, but got struck in the deep mud.
When the Tiger saw this, he comforted him. “Oh! Don’t worry. I’ll help you,” he said, and slowly waded towards the Traveller and grabbed him.
Soon after that, the Tiger killed the Traveller and ate him up.
🔥You must not risk your life at the cost of greed.
🏰 🏡 🏜 🏕 ⛪️
🌸The Four Travellers
Once upon a time, a Merchant, a Noble, a Shepherd and a Prince were travelling on the sea. Suddenly, a storm occurred. The four travellers were thrown by the waves on an unknown island.
Their clothes were torn and they had lost all their belongings.
The Prince started crying, “This is all because of our sad fate.”
The Shepherd said, “Forget about what has happened. Now think of what to do next. We will not gain anything by crying, but if we work hard, we could go home or maybe live here and make a good home here.”
The other three, at once, agreed with the Shepherd. They started thinking what they could do best. The Merchant and the Prince decided to teach. The Noble said he would open schools for the subjects they taught.
The simple Shepherd then said, “Why talk so impractically, are we to starve till then? Think of something you can do now and here!”
Then he went into the forest and brought a bundle of twigs and took it to the market to sell. With the money from the sale they were able to buy some food.
🔥We need to be practical to solve problems.
🏰 🏡 🏜 🏕 ⛪️
🌸A Wizard and a Mouse
Long ago, there lived a great Wizard. One day, as he was walking through the village, a Mouse fell to the ground from the beak of a crow. He picked up the Mouse and fed him some rice.
Then, one day, the Wizard saw a Cat chasing the Mouse around the village. Scared that his pet Mouse would be killed by the Cat, he turned the Mouse into a Cat so that it could defend itself.
The next day, the Wizard saw his Cat frightened by a Tiger and immediately changed him into a
Tiger.
The villagers said, “That’s not a Tiger! It’s just a Mouse that the Wizard changed into a Tiger. He won’t eat us or even scare us.”
When the Tiger heard this, he was furious with the Wizard. He thought, ‘As long as the Wizard is alive, the truth about my real nature will always be spoken!’
But as soon as the Wizard saw the Tiger coming, he understood his plan and shouted, “Get back into the
form of a Mouse.”
The Tiger shrank and became a little Mouse, once again.
🔥Whoever we grow up to be, we should always be humble.
🏰 🏡 🏜 🏕 ⛪️
🌸The Mice and the Owl
Once, there lived a Wise Owl. He made his nest in the hollow of a tree.
He would fly to a particular tree, every day and pick up his food. Then, he would fly back home and slowly enjoy his meal, there.
One day, the other birds asked him how he got his food so easily.
The Wise Owl said, “I was flying one day, when I saw the half chopped-down bark of a tree. It was full of insects and Mice. When I tried to catch the Mice, some of them ran away too quickly. So, I thought of an idea. I began to feed the Mice with wheat, every day. The Mice became fat and healthy. Then I bit off all their feet!”
The Birds understood that the footless Mice now could not run. They waited each day for the Owl to bring them wheat.
The Owl brought them food faithfully each day.
Then, every day he would pick up one Mouse and take it home to eat! In this way the Owl had well-fed meals ready and waiting for him. He did not have to go in search of food ever!
🔥Always make wise plans to make life easy in the future.
🏰 🏡 🏜 🏕 ⛪️
🌸The Hen and the Cat
Once upon a time, there lived some Hens and a Cat on a poultry farm. The Hens were scared of the Cat, since, she was known to eat hens and chickens.
One day, one of the Hens fell ill. She could not move around and sat in her nest, the entire day. The Cat heard about the sick Hen and thought to herself, ‘The sick Hen will be weak. I can easily catch her and eat her for lunch.’
The Cat visited the sick Hen and said, “How are you feeling, dear friend? Is there anything I can do for you?”
The Cat continued to say, “If you need anything or any help, please let me
know, dear Hen. Keep your spirits high and do not worry about your health.”
The Hen was scared that the Cat was trying to get close to her by asking her well-being. Fearing her death, the Hen said to the Cat, “Thank you for your concern. You are the only thing I fear. If you will be kind enough to stay away from me, I will soon feel better.”
🔥Uninvited guests are welcome to leave!
🏰 🏡 🏜 🏕 ⛪️
🌸The Hedge and the Vineyard
once, there was a rich Man who owned large wine estates. He had ayoung careless Son who never helped him with work. The Man tried various methods to make his Son work but, all were wasted.
One day, the Man died and the possession of the large estate came to his foolish young Son. The Boy had never been to the estate and did not know how to take care of it.
One day, while taking a walk in his vineyards, the Boy saw the hedges surrounding the vineyards. He looked at them and said to himself, ‘These hedges are a waste. They do not grow any grapes. Let me clear them off.’
The Boy asked his servants to clear the hedges.
The inexperienced Boy did not know that the hedges were to protect the vineyards from other men and beasts.
One night, after he cleared the hedges, the beasts ran into his vineyards and ate all the vines. Some grapes were also stolen by other people.
The next morning, the boy was shocked to see his ruined vineyards. He realised that the hedges were there to protect his vineyards!
🔥It is important to protect what we possess.
🏰 🏡 🏜 🏕 ⛪️
🌸The Hawk and the Pigeons
A flock of Pigeons had made their dovecote around a lush green field. The field had another frequent visitor, a Hawk. All the Pigeons lived in the fear of the Hawk. They always lived on the alert. Every time, there was an attack by the Hawk, all the Pigeons hid themselves in their dovecote.
The Hawk found himself in a miserable position. He was not able to kill any Pigeon for his food. Finally, he thought of using a cunning trick to trap the Pigeons.
One morning, the Hawk called out to the Pigeons from far, “You all live a life of anxiety and fear. I can keep you safe from the attack of the falcons and the kites. All you have to do is, make me your King and I will not bother you any more.”
The innocent Pigeons believed the Hawk. They discussed among themselves and made the cunning Hawk their King. But, after a few days the Hawk began his royal feast.
He demanded to eat a Pigeon a day.
“It serves us right to believe the evil Hawk,” said all the grief-stricken Pigeons whose chances were yet to come.
🔥Some remedies are worse than the disease, itself.
🏰 🏡 🏜 🏕 ⛪️
🌸The Doctor and his Patient
One day, a Patient went to a Doctor complaining of severe stomachache. The Doctor examined the Patient and told him that the cause of his illness was excessive drinking of wine.
The Doctor prescribed the Patient some medicines and asked him to take them, regularly. The Patient took his medicines on time but did not stop drinking wine. As a result, his stomachache did not go away.
Finally, one day, the Patient died.
The Patient was a powerful man. Thus, a large crowd had gathered for his funeral. The Patient’s friends and relatives were crying over his death. The Doctor had also come for the funeral. He said to the relatives, “If only our dear friend had stopped drinking wine, he would have been
alive now Though he took his medications on time, he could not leave his drinking habit.”
One of the relatives of the Patient had been listening to the Doctor. He said, “Doctor, your advice is of no
use now! You should have asked your patient to stop drinking wine while he was alive.”
🔥If the right advice is given at a wrong time then it is of no use.
🏰 🏡 🏜 🏕 ⛪️
🌸Philomel and Progne
Philomel and Progne were sisters. However, once, a man hurt Philomel, thus, she was scared of men. The two sisters were so beautiful and intelligent that one day, a jealous Witch turned Progne into a Swallow, and Philomel into a Nightingale.
They lived apart from each other for many, many years. Progne, the Swallow, built her nest in the Church towers in a city. Philomel, the Nightingale, lived in a valley, surrounded by a forest.
One day, when Progne discovered where Philomel lived, she went to meet her.
“My darling sister, how are you? I haven’t seen you for a very long time! How long will you live this dull life?” said Progne.
Philomel said, sweetly, “Where else can I find such a beautiful life?”
“Beautiful?” replied an annoyed Progne. `You sing for animals, villagers and trees! Your melodies are wasted on them.”
“Come and live in the city. They will appreciate you and your songs. The forest scares me.”
“Alas,” said Philomel, the Nightingale. “The man hurt me deeply. I cannot forget it if I live in the city. I like to stay in the peaceful forest where I am happy.”
🔥Respect the likes and dislikes of everyone.
🏰 🏡 🏜 🏕 ⛪️
🌸The Bird Catcher and the Lark
One day, a Bird Catcher was setting traps upon a meadow. A beautiful Lark sat on a tree and watched him from a distance.
The Lark became curious and asked the Bird Catcher, “What are you doing?”
The Bird Catcher thought, if he could fool the Lark into his trap, he would be able to sell it for a good price.
He thought for a while and said, “0 Lark, I plan to build a colony for all birds and I am laying the foundation of my first house.”
After laying the trap, the Bird Catcher went to a nearby spot and hid himself in the bushes.
Meanwhile, the Lark who had believed the man, flew down to the trap.
After swallowing the bait, the Lark tried to fly away but found himself caught in the Bird Catcher’s trap.
While the Lark was struggling to get away, the Bird Catcher came and put him in a cage.
“You are a cunning fellow!” exclaimed the Lark. “If this is the kind of colony you are going to build, then you wouldn’t find many birds to settle down.”
🔥Never trust your enemies.
🏰 🏡 🏜 🏕 ⛪️
🌸The Large Tree
Once, three Crows and two Sparrows lived in a forest. They all were good friends. They would meet every day and fly around together from one place to another. The Crows would constantly look for food and the Sparrows for a place to make their nests.
One day, the Crows said, “Let’s explore this part of the forest. Someone told us there is lots of food here.”
The new part of the forest was beautiful and there was, indeed, plenty of food. However, there was only
one large tree. The Sparrows and the Crows wanted to live there.
The Sparrows told their aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents and friends about the new place. Everyone wanted to live there. The Crows also did the same.
Soon, a big fight broke out among the birds. The Crows said, ‘We found the place first, so we will live on
the tree.”
The Sparrows said, “So what? We will live there. We found the tree first.”
After this, the two Sparrows and three Crows also could not be friends.
They constantly fought with each, “You Crows are bad.”
“You Sparrows are fools!”
Thus, they went back to their own kind.
🔥Birds of a feather flock together.
🏰 🏡 🏜 🏕 ⛪️
🌸The Birds and the Ocean
In the shores of an Ocean, there lived a pair of Birds. The female Bird was about to have babies. She told her husband, “Please find me a suitable and quiet place, where I can lay my eggs.”
“This is the right place!” he said.
“Oh no!” she replied. “When the tide is high, this place becomes flooded with water!”
“What! Do you think the Ocean would dare do such a thing?” her husband shouted.
So, the poor female had to lay her eggs on the shore. The Ocean carried off the eggs as soon as they were laid.
“Our eggs are gone!” cried the wife.
“Don’t worry. I’ll get them back,” said the husband. Then, the Male Bird, along with the other Birds,
went to the Lord of the Birds. The Male Bird said to him, “Master! We were living peacefully, and the Ocean has made me and my wife very unhappy by taking away
our eggs.”
The Lord of the Birds told Jupiter, the Preserver of the World, all that had happened. Jupiter ordered the
Ocean to return the eggs to the Birds.
The Ocean obeyed Jupiter’s order and returned the eggs.
🔥Where there is a will, there is a way.
🏰 🏡 🏜 🏕 ⛪️
🌸The Man and Apollo
There once lived a Man in a village. He was very cunning and often cheated the villagers. He did not believe in God and thought he was cleverer than God.
One day, the Man went to the temple of Apollo.
He called all the villagers to the temple. He said to them, “I will prove that I am much more intelligent than Apollo.”
The Man had a plan. He took a silver ring coated with gold paint with him. He held out the ring in his hand and said, “Oh, Apollo, if you are a God, then tell me what I hold in my hand…silver or gold?”
The Man thought if Apollo said “silver” he would not do anything, but, if he said “gold,” he would quickly wipe off the paint. Apollo could answer anyway he liked. It would be the wrong answer.
The mighty, all-knowing Apollo understood his trick.
He thundered, “Show me the ring now I know that it is of silver and painted gold. You dare to challenge the Gods! Your tricks will lead you to misfortune. If you displease the Gods, they will make you very unhappy!”
🔥It is foolish to challenge God.
🏰 🏡 🏜 🏕 ⛪️
🌸The Monkeys and a Bell
Once, there lived a Thief in a kingdom. One day, he stole a Church bell and ran into the forest. Soon, a Tiger saw the Thief, pounced upon him and killed him. The bell dropped to the ground.
Some Monkeys found the bell and started playing with it. When the people found the Thief’s body they
thought, ‘A monster must have killed him and then rung the bell? He will kill all of us now!’
They got scared and started leaving the kingdom.
One day, a brave and clever woman was passing through the forest and saw the Monkeys playing with
the bell.
She had a plan and told the King, “Your Majesty! The monster can be conquered. But it will cost money.”
The King agreed to pay her a large sum of money as he was concerned about the safety of his people.
Then, the woman collected a lot of fruits and pretended to pray. Later, she kept them under a tree in
the forest, and waited, nearby. When the monkeys saw the fruits, they dropped the bell and rushed down.
She quickly picked up the bell and ran back to the city.
🔥Intelligence and courage will bring success.
🏰 🏡 🏜 🏕 ⛪️
🌸The Hawk and the Nightingale
A hungry Hawk had spent his entire day searching for food but had found nothing. In the evening, just before he was about to go home, he saw a Nightingale sitting on the branch of a tree.
He thought, ‘Finally, I will not have to go to sleep hungry.’
The Hawk flew down to the tree and caught the Nightingale tightly in his claws and flew to a rock. The Nightingale was terrified in the Hawk’s clutches. She said to the Hawk, “Great Hawk, I sing very sweetly. I will sing beautiful songs for you. Kindly spare my life.” The Hawk replied, “Oh no! No music can sound pleasing on an empty stomach!”
The Nightingale said again, “Oh Mighty Hawk, please do not kill me. I am such a tiny bird. I will not be able to satisfy your hunger.”
The Hawk smiled wickedly and said, “It is better to have something in my stomach then not have anything at all. Besides, a little bird I have is more important to me than a bigger one I have not caught.”
Saying this, the Hawk swallowed the Nightingale in one gulp!
🔥It is useless to plead before the cruel enemy!
🏰 🏡 🏜 🏕 ⛪️
🌸The Gnat and the Bee
One cold morning, a Gnat flew all over in search of food. The Gnat had spent the entire spring singing and dancing in the fields. He had not collected any food for the cold winter season.
The Gnat was cold and starving. Flying, he came to a beehive. He met the Queen Bee and said to her, “Oh kind Bee, I haven’t had anything to eat, since morning I do not even have a warm place to rest. Please be kind enough to give me some honey and a place to rest.”
The Bee politely refused to help the Gnat.
The Gnat spoke again, “I will teach your children music in exchange of food and shelter. Please take pity on me and help me.” The Bee said to the Gnat, politely, “I am sorry for your sad state, Gnat, but I prefer to teach my children honey collection. You would teach them music but it will not fill their stomachs. I do not want my children to suffer, like you, in the cold winter weather.”
The Gnat was ashamed of his carelessness and flew away from the bee-hive.
🔥It is important to be useful rather than just skilful!
🏰 🏡 🏜 🏕 ⛪️
🌸The Fox in the Well
On a rainy day, an unlucky Fox slipped into a well. The Fox was able to keep his head above the water, with much difficulty. He placed his claws on the wall of the well for support but kept slipping back again and again.
A Wolf was passing by the well. He heard some noise coming from inside and peeped in.
The Wolf was a good friend of the Fox and was shocked to see him fallen in the well.
Seeing the Fox in the unfortunate situation, the Wolf asked him, “Dear brother, how come you are down in the well? You must be feeling so cold? How did you fall in there and how long has it been? I am so unhappy to see you down there. Please do tell me all about this!”
The Fox interrupted the Wolf and said, “My kind brother, if you could throw in a rope, it will be of more help than your questions. Once I have my feet on the ground, I’ll tell all about the incident.”
🔥In crisis, actions are more helpful than questions!
🏰 🏡 🏜 🏕 ⛪️
🌸The Fox and the Ass
One morning, a Fox was crossing a farmyard. The Farmer had laid a trap for the Fox in which he got caught.
An Ass was watching the Fox struggling to free himself from the trap. The Ass knew that since the Fox was trapped, it was safe for him to take a closer look.
When the Fox saw the Ass, he addressed him in the most polite manner saying, “Dear cousin, how have you been? See, what an unfortunate situation I am trapped in, all because of you.”
The Ass did not understand why!
The Fox continued, “You see brother, I was quietly going to my house but I heard you bray, loudly. I thought you might be in trouble and turned around to see if I could be of help. But, I got trapped myself. Now, you must help me out of it. Please fetch me a pointed stick from the farm to open the trap.” The Ass heard the Fox and ran to tell the Farmer about it. The Farmer immediately took a sturdy stick to teach the Fox a lesson against all future mischief!
🔥Never trust cunning people.
🏰 🏡 🏜 🏕 ⛪️
🌸The Eclipse
One day, the Moon was under the eclipse of the Sun. There was darkness all over the Moon and she was not able to glow in the light of the Sun. Many hours passed but the darkness stayed.
The Moon did not like being dark, therefore, she complained to the Sun, “My dearest friend, what has stopped you from shining upon me like always? Did I do something wrong? I am so dark and gloomy without your sunlight.”
The Sun replied, “I have not stopped shining upon you, dear friend, I am sure there is some other problem.” The Moon and the Sun could not understand the reason behind this mysterious problem. Suddenly, the Moon saw Planet Earth standing in between him and the Sun.
Angrily, the Moon said to the Sun, “It is Planet Earth standing between us. He has blocked all the light that comes to me from you.”
Planet Earth saw the Moon angry and gave him a naughty smile. Instead of moving out of the way quickly, Planet Earth further slowed down its pace.
The Moon became angrier while the Sun and Earth laughed, loudly!
🔥We must all follow the rules of Nature.
🏰 🏡 🏜 🏕 ⛪️
🌸The Blind Man and the Lame Man
Once, a Blind Man was walking along a rough road. He found it very difficult to walk alone as he could not see the bumps and the puddles on the road.
Just then, someone touched the Blind Man’s arm. It was a Lame Man.
The Blind Man introduced himself to the Lame Man and said, “Dear friend, I am facing difficulty walking on the road alone. Will you please guide me and help me complete my journey?”
The Lame Man replied sadly, “I would have readily helped you, my friend, but I am lame and cannot move
even an inch without help. How will I guide you?”
The Lame Man then thought for a moment and said to the Blind Man, “You seem to be strong and healthy. If you carry me on your shoulders, we can both complete our journey. I will guide you as I can see and you can carry me as you have strong legs.”
The Blind Man readily agreed to the solution offered by the Lame Man.
Both men helped each other and completed their journey, safely and with pleasure.
🔥We all can achieve our goals by helping one another in times of need.
🏰 🏡 🏜 🏕 ⛪️
🌸The Moon and her Mother
One night, the Moon was shining quietly in the sky. From high above, she suddenly started noticing that the people on Earth looked very colourful and different from each other. She realised that this was because they all wore beautiful clothes!
She thought, ‘0, I wish I could also have a nice cloak made from the colours of the rainbow!’
As morning drew near, the Sun came up. It was time for the Moon to sleep. But, she went to her Mother and said, “Dear Mother, people look beautiful in colourful clothes. How I wish to have a colourful cloak for myself, too! Will you please make one for me?”
The Moon’s Mother smiled at her and said, “My dear child, I would love to make a cloak for you but how can I do so? Right now you have a new body but soon you will start increasing in size and finally, become bigger. Because of your changing size, you will not fit into anything I make for you.”
The Moon, sadly, agreed with her Mother. She, then, went to bed till the arrival of night.
🔥It is always good to think about our wishes from a practical point of view.
🏰 🏡 🏜 🏕 ⛪️
🌸The Lion and the Goat
all the animals of the forest were suffering from heat on a hot summer’s day. There was no water anywhere!
A Lion and a Goat were in search of water. Both of them reached a pond at the same time to quench their thirst.
The Lion said to the Goat, “I came to the pond first, so I will drink water, first.” The Goat said the same thing and they both started to quarrel.
A flock of Vultures was flying above the pond. They were waiting for the fight to end, so that they could feast on the loser.
The Lion and the Goat fought for some time. None of them gave up. After a while, they stopped to take breath and noticed two Vultures on a rock. They heard them talking to each other,
“The Lion and the Goat will fight and die. We will then
eat them.”
The Goat said to the Lion, “Let us not fight,
anymore, Mighty Lion! It is better to become friends and drink water, than fight and become food for the Vultures.” The Lion agreed.
🔥In times of need, talking to enemies can get you out of the problem.
🏰 🏡 🏜 🏕 ⛪️
🌸The Cormorant and the Fish
An old Cormorant lived by a pond. His eyes had become weak and he could not spot his prey easily. The Cormorant started scheming to meet his daily need of food.
One day, he saw a Fish swimming on the surface of the pond. The Cormorant called out to him and said, “Dear friend, the fishermen are going to come here in a week’s time to catch all the fish. You must immediately warn your brothers.”
The Fish quickly swam to its brothers and told them the news. All the Fish of the pond got worried. They went to the Cormorant and asked him for help.
The Cormorant told them that he had found a shallow pond near his house. Since no fisherman knew about the pond, all the Fish could stay there. The Cormorant offered to take the Fish to the new pond one at a time.
All the Fish agreed, happily.
The cunning Cormorant carried the Fish to the shallow pool of water where he could easily see till the bottom of the pool. There, he caught them, every day, to satisfy his hunger.
🔥Do not agree to an enemy’s plan without knowing the truth.
🏰 🏡 🏜 🏕 ⛪️
🌸The Hermit and the Bear
There was an old Hermit who lived in the forest. One day, a Bear came to him and said, “Hermit, please pull the thorn out from my paw! I am in much pain!”
The kind Hermit readily agreed and pulled out the thorn from the Bear’s paw.
The Bear was so grateful that he offered to work as servant for the Hermit.
The Hermit accepted the Bear as his companion. They stayed together in the same cell, ate together and worked together. One very hot day, the Hermit lay down on his mat to sleep. The loyal Bear sat next to the Hermit, driving away all the files from his face. But, there was one mischievous one, which sat on the Hermit’s nose. The Bear said to himself, ‘I will definitely get hold of you now’ Saying this, the Bear slapped the Hermit’s nose with the intention of killing the fly. But, by mistake, he bruised the Hermit’s face, too.
The Hermit woke up, terrified. Then, he drove the Bear away in anger.
🔥A foolish friend can cause more harm than an enemy.
🏰 🏡 🏜 🏕 ⛪️
🌸The Bear and the Gardener
Once upon a time, there was a mountain Bear who lived in a cave in the forest. The forest had no other bears, so this Bear was all alone.
The Bear got used his lonely life. But he would sometimes miss having company.
`I will go and look for some friends,’ the Bear thought.
After a while, the Bear saw, from afar, an old Gardener who also lived alone. He would spend time with his flowers whenever he got lonely. The Bear was excited to find a friend. However, he was afraid that the Gardener would get scared of him. So, he put on a mask.
The Gardener mistook him for another man. “Welcome to my home. I am a lonely man. It would be nice if you could stay with me,” the Gardener said. The Bear and the Gardener were happy to live with each other.
However, one day, the Bear saw a beehive on a tree in the garden. He climbed up the tree and broke the hive. The angry bees attacked him and the Gardener. The Bear ran away to the forest but the poor Gardener was badly hurt!
🔥It is better to be alone than to have foolish friends.
🏰 🏡 🏜 🏕 ⛪️
🌸The Mouse and the Oyster
There was once a Mouse that lived on a farm. He always had enough to eat and lots of room to run around. Life was easy.
However, the Mouse was bored.
Every day, he would sit by the fence to take a peek at the outside world. He would gaze at mole hills and imagine them to be mountains.
I wonder what it would be like to travel the world,’ the Mouse thought. ‘I could ride the seas in big ships like an explorer!’
“It’s too risky,” warned his friend, the Pig.
“You know nothing about the world,” said the Sheep.
But the Mouse decided to explore the world. He said good-bye to his friends and home.
After many days of travelling, the Mouse reached a beach.
What a wonderful place!’ thought the Mouse. ‘I can smell the sea!’ Then, he saw an Oyster that the tide had washed on to the beach. The Mouse had never seen an Oyster
before.
`This must be the ship that explorers travel on!’ thought the Mouse.
The Mouse put his head inside the Oyster’s shell. The Oyster, at once, closed its shell and killed the foolish Mouse.
🔥Little knowledge can be harmful.
🏰 🏡 🏜 🏕 ⛪️
🌸The Man and the Snake
Once, a Man found a Snake coiled on the ground. He became scared and was about to kill it. Just then, the Snake cried out, “If you wish to kill me, you may, but before that please listen to how ungrateful man has been!”
The Man agreed.
Soon, a Cow came by. The Snake asked the Cow what she thought of man. The Cow said, “I have denied milk to my little
calves and given man milk for years. In return, I do not get even a ‘Thank you’.”
The Man said, “We are fools to listen to this old, silly Cow, let’s ask the Ox.” The Ox said, “I have worked hard on the fields most of my life, but all I got from my master in return is only beating!”
Next, they asked a Tree. The Tree said, “I gave fruits, flowers and shelter to man. But, one day, my branches were chopped down by the same man for firewood.”
After Man had heard them, he thought, We have been so selfish! Snake, you are free to go. I am sorry for all the trouble we have caused the animals and the trees.”
🔥Be grateful to all who help you.
🏰 🏡 🏜 🏕 ⛪️
🌸The Couple and Goddess Discord
Once, a Farmer lived with his Wife in a village. They loved each other and never fought.
One day, God threw out Goddess Discord from Heaven. The Goddess, whose name meant argument and quarrel, caused everybody in Heaven to fight and argue. God knew that if she stayed amongst them, all the people in Heaven would keep fighting.
Thus, Goddess Discord came down to live on the Earth. She entered the Farmer’s house and decided to live in it.
Soon, the couple started fighting over small things. They argued every day and the peace of the house was destroyed. One day, the Man decided to throw his Wife out of the house.
Discord was very happy with her success but God could not see the lovely couple separated. He sent the God of Marriage, Hymen, on Earth to settle the matter.
Hymen went to the couple and explained, “Your relationship is getting spoiled because Discord has entered your house. You should not leave space for any arguments and fights in your relationship.”
The couple understood and threw Goddess Discord out of their house. Since then, both of them lived in peace and harmony.
🔥Discord can spoil all relationships.
🏰 🏡 🏜 🏕 ⛪️
🌸The Man who fooled the King
once, a Man lived in a country.
One day, he went to the King’s palace. He said, “I can train animals to speak wisely like men.” The King was very surprised and asked, “Can you train my Horse to speak like human beings?”
The Man thought for a minute and said, “Yes, I can! But, I will need ten years to do so.”
The King gave him a large tuition fee and sent the Horse with him.
A Courtier met the Man when he was leaving the palace with the Horse. He said, “It is impossible to teach a horse to speak like human beings. If you are unable to train him, the King will get you killed, immediately.”
The wise Man smiled and said, “The King has given me enough money to live in luxury for the rest of
my life. And Death cannot be controlled by anybody. One cannot guarantee if I, the King or the Horse will live for the next ten years. So, I want to be comfortable till I am alive!”
The Courtier was shocked and told the King about this Man’s plan. The King punished the man.
🔥Too much cleverness may result in foolhardiness.
🏰 🏡 🏜 🏕 ⛪️
🌸The True Friends
Once, two Friends lived in a city. They loved each other and shared their joys and sorrows. Their friendship was praised by everyone who knew them, “Look at them! What faithful friends!”
One night, one of the Friends was fast asleep in his house. Suddenly, he heard a knock on his door. He woke up with a start and looked outside his window. He saw his Friend banging on the outside door.
The first Friend ran down to the door and opened it.
“What’s wrong? Why are you here so late at night?” he asked.
“I needed to see you, urgently,” the second Friend said.
The first Friend asked,
“Has someone been troubling you? Tell me his name and I will kill him with my sword.”
His Friend replied, “No, no one has troubled me.” “Then, do you need money? I have silver and gold. How much do you need?”
The second Friend said, “No, my dear. I do not need your silver or gold. I saw a dream in which a bear had attacked you. I had to come and check, and see that you were all right.”
🔥True friends always care for you.
🏰 🏡 🏜 🏕 ⛪️
🌸The Heron
One day, a beautiful Heron was walking by the side of the river. He had a long slender neck, which held his long sharp beak as a weapon to pierce through the fish. The river was full of a variety of fish like the Carp, the Pike, the Tench and many more. It was so easy to catch fish there that the Heron could have made great profits if he were in the fishing trade!
The Heron, however, did not find those fish suitable for eating. ‘What are Carp or Pike or Tench for a Heron! I can’t eat such mean little fish,” said the Heron. He, then, saw a Snail approaching and got furious at its sight. “I will never open my beak if the Gods offer me such miserable food,” he said, proudly.
After some time, the fish in the river died, from some mysterious disease. The Heron did not get a single fish to eat now He got very hungry and wished he could get anything to eat. So much so, that the once fussy Heron was happy to see a snail and quietly ate it!
🔥If you are proud and choosy in life, you may lose even the simple things.
🏰 🏡 🏜 🏕 ⛪️
🌸The Mouse that Retired from the World
Once, there was a Mouse who had many problems in his life. He left his native place and went to live in Holland. There, he got plenty to eat. He worked hard and built a house for himself. He also stored a lot of food to make his old age comfortable. He grew fair, fat and round.
In Holland, the Mouse lived all alone and as a hermit. There, he came be known as a religious and kind Mouse.
One day, a delegation from the United Council of Mice was on its way to foreign countries. The delegates were on the holy mission of the Great Cat War. They were out to seek aid for their poor Republic in its fight against the Cats.
The delegates also approached the Mouse for help. “Dear friends,” said the Mouse, “I am no more concerned with the things of the world, now How can a poor and lonely person like me be of any help to you? I can only pray for you and that I will.”
Saying this, the Mouse shut the door on them.
🔥You cannot be a good person if you do not help your own family and neighbours.
🏰 🏡 🏜 🏕 ⛪️
Once upon a time, there lived a mighty Lion in a cave on top of a mountain. Whenever he went to sleep, a Mouse used to come out of his hole and nibble at his mane.
As soon as the Lion woke up, the Mouse would run away and slip off into his hole. The Lion was very angry with the Mouse.
The Lion wanted to stop this and thought of an idea. He went to the nearby village and brought a Cat back with him.
The Lion fed the Cat well and let her loose in the cave. The Mouse saw the Cat and was frightened; he would not come out of his hole. The Lion was able to sleep, undisturbed as the Cat stood guard. This went on for some time. Then, one day, the Mouse was very hungry. He decided to risk his life and came out of his hole looking for food. The Cat pounced on him and killed him. When the Lion saw that the Mouse was dead, he stopped feeding the Cat. The poor Cat grew weaker and finally starved to death.
🔥Treat everyone with respect, not only when you need their help.
🏰 🏡 🏜 🏕 ⛪️
🌸A Lion, a Mouse and a Cat
Once upon a time, there lived a mighty Lion in a cave on top of a mountain. Whenever he went to sleep, a Mouse used to come out of his hole and nibble at his mane.
As soon as the Lion woke up, the Mouse would run away and slip off into his hole. The Lion was very angry with the Mouse.
The Lion wanted to stop this and thought of an idea. He went to the nearby village and brought a Cat back with him.
The Lion fed the Cat well and let her loose in the cave. The Mouse saw the Cat and was frightened; he would not come out of his hole. The Lion was able to sleep, undisturbed as the Cat stood guard. This went on for some time. Then, one day, the Mouse was very hungry. He decided to risk his life and came out of his hole looking for food. The Cat pounced on him and killed him. When the Lion saw that the Mouse was dead, he stopped feeding the Cat. The poor Cat grew weaker and finally starved to death.
🔥Treat everyone with respect, not only when you need their help.
🏰 🏡 🏜 🏕 ⛪️
🌸A Crow, a Deer and a Jackal
Once upon a time, there lived two friends in a forest, a Deer and a Crow. One day, a Jackal saw the Deer and wanted to trick him. “I live alone and have no friends. May I be your friend?” asked the Jackal.
“Well, all right,” said the Deer.
The Crow was not happy as the Jackal was a total stranger and they did not know him, at all.
The Jackal showed the Deer a corn field. The Deer began going there, daily.
One day, the Deer was caught in a trap set by the farmer. The Jackal saw what had happened and thought, This is what I wanted.’
The Deer called out to the Jackal for help, but he pretended not to hear. In the morning, the farmer returned with a stick in his hand. The Deer lay still pretending to be dead. When the farmer saw the Deer, he thought it was dead and was very happy.
As soon as he undid the trap, the Deer jumped up and ran away as fast as he could.
The farmer threw his stick at him. It missed the Deer but struck the Jackal, who was watching, and killed him on the spot.
🔥Do not trust strangers.
🏰 🏡 🏜 🏕 ⛪️
🌸The King, the Kite and the Falconer
Once, a Falconer lived in a kingdom. He went to the forest, every day, to catch birds and sell them. One day, he saw a rare Kite. The Kite was magnificent and strong. But the Falconer was lucky and captured the Kite, while it was taking a nap in its nest.
The Falconer decided to gift the precious bird to the King.
`If I give this Kite to the King, he might give me a reward,’ the Falconer thought. When the Kite was taken to the King, it flew and sat on his nose. The people in the King’s court could not control their laughter at the funny sight. The King remained silent. He could not scream or shout.
“Come here, you silly bird! That is no place to sit,” cried the Falconer. He was afraid of being punished. The Kite refused to move.
“I will beat you, black and blue if you don’t move!” warned the Falconer.
The Kite still did not move.
Finally, the King announced, “Kite, you are free to go. You are no longer a prisoner of the Falconer.”
Hearing this, the Kite left the King’s nose and flew away to its freedom.
🔥Freedom is precious to all creatures.
🏰 🏡 🏜 🏕 ⛪️
🌸A Trader and his Luck
There was a Trader who carried goods, to and from far off places. Luck smiled on him and he grew rich. Whatever he touched turned into gold. His ships reached their destinations without any shipwreck. His partners, agents and vendors proved faithful. His goods were sold at the highest prices. He earned more money than he could spend.
One day, one of the Trader’s friends asked him,
“How did you get so much wealth?”
“It was all because of my skill, hard work and sound judgement,” he replied proudly. “I knew exactly when and where to invest,” he added.
Then the Trader put in all his money in new businesses. This time he did not succeed. It was because of his ill judgment. One of his ships was wrecked on high seas, another was plundered by Mice. His wares did not sell because of the change in fashions. He lost all the wealth and money he had!
The Trader’s friend asked him again, “How did you lose all your wealth and money?”
“It is because of bad luck!” he answered, sadly.
🔥We should not blame luck for our failure, if we do not thank it for our success.
🏰 🏡 🏜 🏕 ⛪️
🌸The Wishes
Once upon a time, there was a good Spirit who worked selflessly for his master and mistress. With time, he got very attached to them. He loved them so much that he decided to stay with them much longer.
Jealous of him, the other spirits provoked their Chief against him. The mischievous Chief ordered the Spirit to go and serve in a house in the far-off Norway.
Before leaving, the Spirit spoke to his Master, “I do not know for what fault I am being sent away, but to leave this place is in my destiny.
However, I can fulfill three wishes of yours before I go.”
Without losing any time, the Master wished for riches and wealth. It was promptly fulfilled. The wealth brought along the fear of thieves, beggars and taxes by the King. The Master lost his peace and was always worried, ill-tempered and unhealthy. He then made his second wish, to be a simple, ordinary man again. The Spirit made him ordinary, again.
The Master finally made his last wish and asked for wisdom, peace of mind and a life free of worries.
🔥Peace of mind is more valuable than all the wealth in the world.
🏰 🏡 🏜 🏕 ⛪️
🌸The Maid
Once, there lived a beautiful and proud lady. One day, she thought of finding a husband for herself. She thought, ‘The man who wants to marry me should be young, polite, calm and supportive. He must also have rank, wealth and wit to match my graceful personality.’
It was difficult to find so many qualities in one person. However, proposals from able suitors poured in. The proud lady found no one suitable for her. One had a nose too short or long! The other was too dull or stupid! She mocked, “What fine suitors! Poor souls! I pity them.” She rejected all the men she had met.
She tried to console herself, ‘I will not regret not marrying any one of these unworthy men. I am content being counted among the most beautiful women in history!’ Time passed. The lady’s beauty faded away. She lost the grace she once had. She realised her folly and wanted to marry soon. But, now no one offered to marry her. She got so scared with the thought of living alone that she finally married a disabled man.
🔥To judge people by looks is wrong. Looks do not stay forever.
🏰 🏡 🏜 🏕 ⛪️
🌸The Crab and his Mother
One day, a Mother Crab and her baby were walking together. The Baby Crab was walking a little ahead of the Mother.
After a while, the Mother Crab said, “Why do you bend towards one side when you walk, my child?”
The Baby Crab turned back and looked at its Mother and asked, “Why Mother, what is wrong with the way I walk?”
The Mother Crab replied, “It does not look good.
You look much better when you walk straight and forward.” The young Crab said, “This might be quite true, Mother. But I do not know how to walk straight. So, if you will show me how to walk straight, I will promise to do so, too.”
His Mother readily agreed and said, “Look carefully now
When the Mother tried to walk straight, it was impossible for her also to walk that way.
She kept trying, but she could not walk straight. Tired, she said to her son, “I am sorry for scolding you. I myself cannot walk in a straight manner. How can I ask you to do so?” She then told her son, “You continue to walk the way you do!”
🔥Example is more powerful than speech.
🏰 🏡 🏜 🏕 ⛪️
🌸The Eagle, the Cat and the Sow
Once, at the top of an oak, lived an Eagle. In the middle of the trunk lived a Cat and in a hollow at the foot, lived a Sow with her young ones.
The Cat was very cunning and wanted the whole tree for herself. She planned to drive away the other two.
She went to the Eagle and said, “Can you see the Sow digging at the roots of the tree? The tree will soon fall and she will eat our families!”
The Cat then went to the Sow and said to her, “The Eagle is waiting for a chance to feed your children to her babies.”
The clever Cat secretly went out at night, got food for her kittens and fed them. She pretended to be
scared and kept watching out for danger the whole day.
The Eagle was so scared that she did not fly anywhere. The Sow, too, was terribly afraid and did not
move out of her hollow at all. Both of them, along with
their families starved and died. The Cat and her family now had plenty of food to eat.
🔥Always try to clear misunderstandings with friends, rather than blindly believing others.
🏰 🏡 🏜 🏕 ⛪️
🌸The Heifer and the Ox
A Heifer and an Ox lived with a Master. One day, the Heifer saw the Ox harnessed to aplough. He went to the Ox and said, “How do you keep working so hard all day? I would have felt so unhappy doing so much work.” He then started boasting, “Look at me, I am completely free. I can do whatever I feel like. The Master cannot force me to work.”
The Ox kept working quietly. Just as the Heifer was about to leave, the Ox said, “I may be working hard right now but the Master is a good man. He will definitely reward me.” Shortly afterwards, at the harvest festival, the Master set the Ox free to roam around. He praised him and said, “You are a hard worker and I am proud of you.” The Master then walked away to find the Heifer. On finding him, the Master bound the Heifer with ropes and led him to the altar to be killed in honour of the occasion.
The Ox was watching quietly. He smiled and said to the Heifer, “You were allowed to live in idleness, because you were to be sacrificed.”
🔥Hard work always pays.
🌸The Cat and the Cock
There was once a very hungry Cat. He kept searching for something good to eat. He said, “Oh! I have to eat something. My stomach is making strange noises.”
Then suddenly the Cat saw a Cock. The Cock was pecking at some grains. The Cat thought, “Ah! There is a good Cock. I wish I could eat him!’
But then he thought, ‘Oh, how can I just eat him? What reasonable excuse should I find to do so?’
After thinking for some time, the Cat had an idea. He went to the Cock and accused him, “You are a nuisance to men. You start crowing in the night time. You don’t let them sleep.”
The Cock was a little surprised. He defended himself by saying, “I crow only to help people. I do it for the benefit of men. I crow so that they might rise in time for their work.”
But the Cat was very hungry. So he replied in anger, “You have given me enough apologies. But I am hungry and I shall not remain supperless.”
The Cock started to run. But the Cat pounced on the Cock and ate him up.
🔥Unnecessary talk with the enemy does not help.
🏰 🏡 🏜 🏕 ⛪️
🌸The Angler and the Salmon
Once, an Angler was fishing at the riverside. His fishing hook was a very delicate one and was meant to catch small fish only. That day, he kept sitting for many hours but did not catch any fish. H
e thought,
This has not been a good day for me. I have not been able to catch any fish! I should go home now’
Just when he thought of returning home, a large Salmon was hooked to his fishing rod. The Angler thought, Well, it is a big catch, but of no use! Pulling it out would mean breaking my delicate fishing rod. Oh, what should I do now?’
The Angler did not panic and remained very calm. He then thought, If I handle my fishing hook with care and patience, I can catch this fish!’ Then the Angler turned around the hook, with great care, and at last pulled out the Salmon. The Salmon could not free itself from the thin hook for it was very tired. The Angler was very happy about his catch and returned home with the Salmon.
🔥Even in the midst of problems, we can have success if we act with a calm mind.
🏰 🏡 🏜 🏕 ⛪️
🌸The Swallow, the Serpent and the Court of Justice
There was once a Swallow, who loved to travel. One day, when the Swallow was on a long journey, she thought, ‘Now I must rest for some time. I will build my nest in this new kingdom.’
The Swallow started to build her nest.
While she was working, a few birds came and told her, “You are building your nest in the wall of a Court of Justice. But be careful, this place maybe dangerous.”
The Swallow did not listen to them and kept making her house. Soon, she had seven young nestlings.
Then one day, the Swallow went away to get some food. Just then, a hungry Serpent glided past her nest. He saw the young
nestlings in the nest. The Serpent quickly moved towards the nest from his hole in the wall and ate up the young nestlings.
When the Swallow returned, she found that her nest was empty! Just then a Hare came that way. The
Swallow said to him, “Woe to me, a stranger, that in this new place where all others’ rights are protected, I alone should suffer wrong.”
🔥We should always listen to advice to be careful and protect ourselves from harm.
🏰 🏡 🏜 🏕 ⛪️
🌸The Playful Mule
Once, there was a very playful and young Mule. He was also very frisky, as he ate a lot of corn. He had a lot of energy but did not work much.
One day, having nothing else to do, the Mule started galloping in the fields. He was galloping around at a good speed and kicking up a lot of dust. He thought that maybe he was a Horse, because he was so good at racing!
The more he thought about it, the more he got excited and said to himself, ‘If I can gallop so fast, then surely, I must be the son of an excellent racer. My father must be great and I have my father’s speed and his skill.’
The next day, the Mule was hitched to a cart full of baggage. His master took him on a long journey. The Mule was not used to hard work and became very tired.
Disappointed with himself, he said aloud, “I have made a mistake. I am a Mule and my father must have also been a Mule. Only a Mule could be so tired doing his work!”
🔥We come to know our true nature only when we test it.
🏰 🏡 🏜 🏕 ⛪️
🌸The Fox and the Pig
One day, a Fox wanted to cross to the other side of a river. He decided to swim across and reach there.
Now, the river was flowing very fast. The Fox tried to swim but was swept away by the force of the water. Tumbling along the bumpy river and rocks, he was finally thrown into a deep ditch.
He could not move, as he was hurt and tired and was feeling very sick. He lay still. Soon, many hungry, bloodsucking flies settled on him.
A Pig, who was passing by, saw the Fox was hurt and was in great pain. He said, “Shall I drive away the flies? They are sucking your blood. You will feel much better when they are gone.” “No! Not at all!” said the Fox. “Do not disturb them.”
The Pig was surprised. “Why won’t you let me drive away the flies?” he asked the Fox.
“You see, kind Pig, these flies are full of blood.
They are hurting me very little. The new ones who will take their place, will drink all the blood I have and I will be worse.”
🔥Think carefully as help offered may not be the help you need.
🏰 🏡 🏜 🏕 ⛪️
🌸The Ass, the Dog and the Wolf
nce, there was a Man who lived in the village. He owned an Ass and a Dog. One day, the Man was returning from the town with his two animals. The Ass was carrying many sacks on his back. The Man was walking behind him. The Dog was walking behind the Man. All three were tired and hungry.
After some time, the Man, the Ass and the Dog stopped at a meadow to rest.The Man lay down under a tree and fell asleep. The Ass started feeding on the green grass of the meadow.
The Dog said to the Ass, “Friend Ass, please bend down a little. I want to take some food from the bag on your back, for I am very hungry”
The Ass said, “Let our master wake up. He will give you your food.” The poor Dog quietly lay down, too.
Suddenly, a Wolf came to the meadow. He saw the Ass and pounced on him. The
Ass shouted, “Friend Dog, please help me!”
The Dog said to him, “Let our master wake up. Then I will save you.” Soon, the Wolf had killed the Ass and eaten him.
🔥What you do, comes back to you.
🏰 🏡 🏜 🏕 ⛪️
🌸The Thief and the Boy
Once, there was a Thief. He did not feel sorry for his bad deeds. He also believed that he was very smart. Often, he thought to himself, ‘I am the smartest of all. No one can trick me!’
One day, the Thief was walking down the countryside, he saw a Boy. The Boy was sitting near a well. The Thief saw that the Boy was crying. The Thief asked him, “Why do you cry, young lad?” The Boy showed him a piece of rope and said, “I came to this well to fill some water. My bucket was tied to this rope. It was made of silver and now it has fallen into the well!”
The Thief thought, `Ah! A bucket made of silver. I shall steal this bucket.’ Thus, he said to the Boy,
“Do not cry! I will find your bucket.” He took off his clothes and jumped into the well. He searched for the silver bucket, but could not find it. As he came out of the well, he saw that the Boy was gone, too. Also, he had stolen all his clothes!
🔥Bad deeds will always be repaid by bad fortune!
🏰 🏡 🏜 🏕 ⛪️
🌸The Power of Fables
Demades was a famous Greek speaker. One day, he was speaking to a crowd of people in Athens, the capital of Greece. He was speaking words of wisdom, but the people were not listening to him.
Demades noticed that the crowd was not paying attention to his speech. He stopped speaking for a few moments.
Then, Demades said, “One day, Ceres was travelling with a Swallow and an Eel.”
Everyone fell silent at once. The crowd was listening to Demades now He continued, “The three of them reached a river. The Eel swam across the river and the Swallow flew over it.”
Then, Demades did not finish his story, but started the speech he was giving before starting the story.
Now, all the people let out a great cry. All of them shouted, “But what about the story? What happened to Ceres? How did she cross the river?”
To this, wise Demades replied, “What about Ceres? She is a Goddess. She was one and she will remain so. All of you want to hear the end of an unnecessary story, but no one was listening when I was speaking words of wisdom.”
🔥Learn the necessary without wasting time in foolery.
🏰 🏡 🏜 🏕 ⛪️
🌸The Fir-Tree and the Bramble
Once, all the trees of the forest started talking among each other. The tall and handsome Fir Tree boasted, “I am the most beautiful tree. Look at my branches. They almost touch the sky!”
He then pointed to the Bramble and said, “You are useful for nothing at all, while I am used for making roofs and houses.” The Fir Tree kept on boasting about himself.
The Bramble was wise and thought for a while. Then he looked at the Fir Tree and replied, “I am happy the way I am, even though I am small. You should be sorry for yourself. You are a poor creature. Don’t forget that soon people will come to cut you down with axes and saws. Then you will not be able to do anything. You will be turned from a beautiful tree into tables and chairs. Then you will wish that you had grown up a Bramble, not a Fir Tree! I may not have much value but at least I am free. People don’t cut me.”
The Fir Tree realised that he was wrong and kept quiet.
🔥Better poverty without care, than riches with troubles.
🏰 🏡 🏜 🏕 ⛪️
🌸The Fly and the Mule
One day, a Mule was dragging a chariot (two-wheeled vehicle used for races). The Mule was so tired, it seemed he was drunk.
While he was walking, a Fly came and sat on the wheel of the vehicle. She said to the Mule, “Oh you drunken Mule, why do you walk so slow? You look like a strong and big beast then why can’t you walk a little faster?”
The Mule was very angry. The Fly’s behaviour made !aim furious. He turned to the Fly and said, “My dear little friend, I am not scared of you. I do not pay attention to what you say regarding me.”
He continued, “I only care about the person who rides the cart. He is my guide. I follow his command and he gives me the direction to walk. If I walk slowly, he increases my speed by beating me with his stick. Therefore, you go away. I don’t want to talk to someone who is rude to me.”
“I know when I have to walk fast and at what time I should walk slowly!”
🔥It is foolish to guide someone who knows his job well.
🏰 🏡 🏜 🏕 ⛪️
🌸The Deer and the Vine
Two Huntsmen were riding around when they saw a Deer and started chasing it.
The Deer knew that the Huntsmen would kill him, so he ran as fast as he could to save his life. He saw a thick Vine, nearby and hid himself behind the large, leafy Vine leaves. The Huntsmen were riding on very fast horses and were very close behind. They were going so fast that they went past the Vine and the Deer, without stopping.
After a little while, the Deer could not hear the Huntsmen any more. He peeked out slowly and could not see anyone close by.
The Deer thought he was safe. All the running had made him hungry. What could he eat? He saw the Vine and nibbled at a leaf.
The Vine shook as the leaves rustled. But right then, the Huntsmen were returning back and they spotted the Deer at once. One of the men got down on the ground and shot the Deer with an arrow.
🔥The dying Deer said to himself, “It serves me right. If I had not eaten what saved me, I would have been safe right now!”
🏰 🏡 🏜 🏕 ⛪️
🌸Aesop and his Fellow Servants
Once, Aesop’s master was going on a journey. All the Servants, including Aesop had to carry sacks on their backs. Aesop selected a sack that contained bread. It was also the largest and the heaviest sacks. The other Servants laughed at him for choosing the largest sack.
The remaining Servants chose sacks, which were not as large or heavy as Aesop’s sack.
B16Then the journey started and all the Servants carried their sacks on their backs. When they looked at Aesop carrying a heavy sack, they made fun of him. After some hours, everybody stopped for lunch. Aesop was asked to distribute bread from his sack. He distributed the bread to all and this lightened his burden by half.
They all started walking again. Soon, it was time for supper. Aesop was asked to distribute the remaining bread to everybody. He did so and this emptied his sack. For the remainder of the journey, he had nothing but the empty sack to carry. The other Servants’ loads seemed to get heavier and heavier at each step. Now they approved of Aesop’s clever decision!
🔥Think about future gains while taking any decision; even if they require hard work.
🏰 🏡 🏜 🏕 ⛪️
🌸The Man who lost his Axe
Once, there was a Man who was busy digging a ditch in his vineyard. He was tired and wanted to rest. So he put down the Axe for some time. When he had rested enough, he wanted to continue digging. But, his Axe had disappeared!
Soon, he called together all his hired men and asked them, “Have any of you seen my Axe , the one I was using?”
“No,” they replied.
The Man was very angry and said, “I know one of you has taken it. I will find out who the thief is, whatever it would cost me!” He insisted, “Come along to the temple of the famous prophet in a neighbouring city.”
While they were washing their feet at the fountain in the market-place the town-crier came and said in a loud voice, “The sacred shrine has been robbed last night! A
large reward would be given to whoever finds the thief.” At once, the Man told his men, “Let us return home
right away. If the God of the shrine cannot tell who robbed his temple, how would he know who took my Axe?”
🔥It is silly to believe that our problems will be solved on their own.
🏰 🏡 🏜 🏕 ⛪️
🌸Aesop and the Poultry
once, Aesop was standing outside a poultry farm near the road-side. He was looking at the Poultry, very keenly. When people saw him standing there for a long time, they became curious. They started asking each other, “Why is Aesop watching the Poultry so keenly?”
One of them said, “Let us go and ask him what the matter is.” They were like those people who are only interested in what others do.
They approached Aesop, but Aesop did not look at them. He still looked at the Poultry in the farm. One of the men got interested and asked, “Aesop, what is it in this farm that has grabbed your attention?” Aesop then looked at him and replied, “I am amazed to see this Goose.” One of the men in the crowd asked, “How can such an animal amaze you?”
Aesop smiled and said, “I am amazed at how humans readily copy this foolish Goose.”
“In what ways do we humans copy this animal, Aesop?” asked another man from the crowd.
“Well, just like these animals, we humans also brag so much about ourselves and may often harm ourselves badly!”
🔥Never make false claims about your abilities.
🏰 🏡 🏜 🏕 ⛪️
🌸The Leopard and the Shepherds
Leopard was searching for food in a village. There was a big pit in the village, which was covered with dry leaves and sticks. The Leopard did not see the pit and fell into it.
A Shepherd looked inside the pit and said to the other Shepherds, “Look! A Leopard has fallen inside the pit.”
B19Just to have fun, some Shepherds threw stones at the Leopard. However, some kind Shepherds threw some food inside the pit so that the Leopard could stay alive. By nightfall, all the Shepherds returned home. They thought that the Leopard would die at night. At night, the Leopard gathered all his strength and crawled out of the pit and went to his den. After a few days, when the Leopard was strong again he went to the village to take his revenge. The Leopard killed all the Shepherds who had thrown stones at him and ate their cattle.
The other Shepherds were scared and begged the Leopard, “Please take our cattle but spare our lives.” The wise Leopard replied, “I have come to harm only those Shepherds who hit me with stones.”
🔥If we trouble someone who is in distress, we will suffer likewise.
🏰 🏡 🏜 🏕 ⛪️
🌸Aesop at Play
Once, Aesop was playing with some children in his neighbourhood. He was running around and laughing out with those children.
While Aesop played, a Man from Athens, who knew him, walked by the playfield. He saw Aesop playing and was shocked to see his childish play.
The Man laughed aloud at Aesop and said, “Aesop, such kind of play does not suit your age and wisdom. What are you trying to teach these children? Don’t you have better things to do?”B18
hearing the Man’s words, Aesop did not lose his cool. He smiled and ran back to the field to bring a bow. The Man was curious to see what Aesop would do next.
Aesop then tied a string around the bow and kept it at the Man’s feet. Then he said, “Dear friend, if this bow is always kept strained, it would lose its elasticity. And some day, it will snap. We have to sometimes use it or let it go free so that it will be fitter for use when it is wanted!” The Man understood what Aesop said.
🔥Physical activity is important for an active and fresh mind.
🏰 🏡 🏜 🏕 ⛪️
🌸The Eagle and the Kite
One day, an Eagle flew to the branch of a tree. The Eagle was very sad. A Kite saw her and asked, “Why are you sad?”
The Eagle replied, “I am unable to find a strong husband for myself.”
The Kite said to the Eagle, “I am very strong. I am even stronger than you. You can marry me.”
The Eagle asked the Kite, “Will you be able to get me food to eat?” To prove his strength, the Kite said to the Eagle, “I can carry an Ostrich in my claws. If you marry me, I will get you an Ostrich to eat.” The Eagle happily agreed to marry the Kite. One day, after their marriage the Eagle asked the Kite to bring her an Ostrich to eat. The Kite flew into the air and brought a dirty, stinking rat, which was lying on the ground, for the Eagle.
The Eagle was unhappy to see the rat and said to the Kite, `You have not been able to fulfill your promise of getting me an Ostrich.”
The Kite replied, “To be able to marry you, I would have promised and said anything.”
🔥Everything is fair in love.
🏰 🏡 🏜 🏕 ⛪️
🌸The Olive Tree and the Fig Tree
In a forest, there were an Olive Tree and a Fig Tree. The Olive Tree was very beautiful. It was very proud of its beauty, therefore it never spoke to the Fig Tree kindly.
One day, the Olive Tree said to the Fig Tree, “I have leaves on me throughout the year. You are not evergreen and do not have leaves on you in the month of autumn. I am prettier than you.”
The Fig Tree never said anything to the Olive Tree and always quietly listened to it. Soon winter came and it started getting cold. One day, it started snowing Big flakes of snow were falling on the ground. The branches of the Olive Tree had lots of leaves; therefore, the snow could not pass through its branches. The snow settled on the Olive Tree. The branches of the Olive Tree could not take the weight of the snow. The branches started falling to the ground one-by-one, spoiling the beauty of the Tree.
The Fig Tree did not have any leaves, so the snow easily passed through its branches and did not injure the Fig Tree.
🔥Changing our attitude gives us hope to live a better life.
🏰 🏡 🏜 🏕 ⛪️
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