Indian Folktales

The folklores and folktales have been an eternal part of every culture since ages. When it comes to Indian folk tales, the country of diverse religions, languages and cultures has a complete range of tales and short stories. Indian folklore has a wide range of stories and mythological legends, which emerge from all walks of life. The interesting stories range from the remarkable Panchatantra to Hitopadesha, from Jataka to Akbar -Birbal. Not only this, the great Indian epics like Ramayana, Mahabharata and Bhagvad Gita are full of didactic stories inspired from the lives of great souls. Being full of moralistic values, Indian folklore makes perfect stories for children, who are required to be, instilled with right values. All these ancient stories have been passed from generation to generation, creating bondage of traditional values with present-day generation. Hitopadesha Tales The Hitopadesha is a remarkable compilation of short stories. Composed by Narayana Pandit, Hitopadesha had its origin around a thousand years ago. In Indian Literature, the Hitopadesha is regarded more or less similar to the Panchatantra. In the vein of Panchatantra, the Hitopadesa was also written in Sanskrit and following the pattern of prose and verse. Hitopadesh tales are written in reader-friendly way, which also contributed to the success of this best seller after Bhagwad Gita in India. Since its origi n, Hitopadesa has been translated into numerous languages to benefit the readers all over the world. Jataka Tales In 300 B.C, the Jataka Tales were written for the mankind to gain knowledge and morality. Ever since, Jataka tales have become story books that are both enjoyable as well as knowledgeable. Originally written in Pali language, Jataka Buddhist tales have been translated in different languages around the world. The luminous fables of Jataka are intended to impart values of self -sacrifice, morality, honesty and other informative values to people. Panchatantra Tales The Panchatantra is a legendary collection of short stories from India. Originally composed in the 2nd century B.C, Panchatantra is believed to be written by Vishnu Sharma along with many other scholars. The purpose behind thecomposition was to implant moral values and governing skills in the young sons of the king. The ancient Sanskrit text boasts of various animal stories in verse and prose. During all these centuries, many authors and publishers worked hard to make these fables accessible and readable by a layman. The grand assortment has extraordinary tales that are liked, perhaps even loved by people of every age group.

Hitopadesha Tales

Beware of Mean Friends

This is one more interesting story from the Hitopadesha Tales. Once upon a time, there lived a Lion by the name of Madotkata in a forest. Among his followers, a Jackal, a Crow and a Wolf had developed friendship with him. However, all the three had a selfish motive behind this so-called friendship. They knew that the Lion was the King of the forest andfriendship with such fierce creature would always help them. To meet their selfish ends, they started obeying and were always available at the service of the Lion. They didnt have to make any efforts to search for their food, as the Lion used to give his leftover meals to them. Moreover, they became powerful as they were next to the King of the forest. So like this, all the three selfish friends were passing their days happily being the friends of the Lion. One day, a Camel, who came from some distant land, lost his way and entered the same forest where these friends lived. He tried his best to find out the way, but could not make it. In the meantime, these three friends happened to pass through the same way where the Camel was wandering. When they saw the Camel, at once it came to their mind that he didnt belong to their forest. The Jackal suggested to his other two friends, Lets kill and eat him. The Wolf replied, It is a big animal. We could not kill him like this. I think, first we should inform our King about this Camel. The Crow agreed upon the idea given by the Wolf. After deciding, all of them went to meet the Lion. On reaching the Lions den, the Jackal approached the Lion and said, Your Majesty, an unknown Camel has dared to enter your kingdom without your consent. His body is full of flesh and he could make a nice meal for us. Lets kill him. The Lion roared loudly on hearing this and said, What are you saying? The Camel has come for refuge in my kingdom. It is unethical to kill him like this. We should provide him the best shelter. Go and bring him to me. All of them got dispirited to hear such words from the Kin g. They unwillingly went to the Camel and told him about the desire of the Lion, who wanted to meet him. The Camel was scared to know about the strange offer. He thought that his last moment had come and in a little while he would become the meal of the Lion. As he couldnt even escape, so he decided to meet the Lion and left everything on the destiny. The selfish friends escorted the Camel to the Lions den. The Lion was happy to see the Camel. He welcomed him warmly and assured him of all the safety in the forest during his stay. The Camel was totally amazed to hear the Lions words. He got very happy and started living with the Jackal, the Crow and the Wolf. One day, when the Lion was hunting for food, he had a struggle with a mighty Elephant. The Lion got badly injured in the struggle and became incapable of hunting for his food. Stricken by bad luck, the Lion had to sustain without food fordays. Due to this, his friends too had to go hungry for days as they totally depended on the Lions kill for their food. But the Camel was satisfied grazing around in the forest. All the three friends got worried and discussed the matter among them. On reaching a conclusion, they approached the Lion and said, Your Majesty, you are getting weak day by day. We cant see you in this wretched condition. Why dont you kill the Camel and eat him? The Lion roared, No. How can you think such thing? He is our guest and we should not kill him. Dont give such suggestions to me in future. As the jackal, the crow and the wolf had set their evil eyes on the camel; they met once again and devised a plan to kill the Camel. They went to the Camel and said, Dear Friend, you know our King has not eaten anything from the past many days. He is unable to go for hunting due to his wounds and sickness. Under such circumstances, it becomes our duty to sacrifice ourselves to save the life of our king. Come with us, we will offer our bodies to make his food. The Camel didnt understand their plan, but innocently he nodded in favor of the ir plan. All of them approached the den of the Lion. First of all, the Crow came forward and said, Your Majesty, we didnt succeed in getting any food for you. I cant see you like this. Please eat me and make me obliged. The Lion replied, Dear, I wil l prefer to die than to perform such a sinful deed. Then, the Jackal came forward and said, Your Majesty, Crows body is too small to satisfy your appetite. I offer myself to you, as it is my duty to save your life. The Lion politely rejected the offer.

As per the plan, now it was the turn of the Wolf to offer himself to the King. So, the Wolf came forward and said, Your Majesty, Jackal is quite small to gratify your hunger. I offer myself for this kind job. Please kill me and satisfy your hunger. Af ter saying this, he lay prostrate before the Lion. But the Lion didnt kill any of them. The Camel, who was watching the whole scene felt reassured of his safety and also decided to go forward and complete the formality. He marched forward and said, Your Majesty, why dont you kill me. You are my friend. A friend in need is a friend indeed. Please allow me to offer you my body. The Lion found the offer quite appropriate, as the Camel himself had offered his body for food, his ethics were maintained. The Lion attacked the Camel at once, ripped open his body and tore him into pieces. The Lion and his friends ate the delicious flesh to their fill. They feasted on the poor Camel for days together. Moral: Beware of Mean Friends.

The Birds and the Shivering Monkeys

This is another interesting tale/ story from the collection of Hitopadesha Tales. Once upon a time, there was a huge tree on the banks of a river. The tree made a comfortable home for the family of birds who had built their nests on its branch. The birds were living there happily as the tree with its widespread branches sheltered them from scorching sun and heavy rains. One day, when the sky was overcast with dark clouds, it rained very heavily. Some monkeys who were playing nearby the tree got drenched and ran for shelter under the tree. All of them were shivering with cold. When the birds saw the monkeys in the pitiable condition, one of the birds said, O Monkeys, you would not have to shiver like this, if you had built a home like us. You would not have to suffer like this. If we can build our nest with small beaks, then why cant you. By Gods grace, you have two hands and two legs. Why dont you make a nice shelter for yourselves? On hearing this, the monkeys got annoyed and swore to teach a lesson to the birds. They said to themselves, These birds are not afraid of the rain or of cold wind. They are living comfortably that is why they are criticizing us like this. Let the rain stops, well show them how to build home. As soon as the rain sto pped, the monkeys climbed up the tree and destroyed the nests of the birds. They also broke the birds eggs and threw the young ones down. The poor birds flew here and there in misery. They were full of regret for their words and realized that they should not have given advice that was not asked. Advice should only be given to learned, wise and to those who ask for it. Moral: Never give advice to fools.

The Blind Vulture

The Blind Vulture is one of the most interesting stories/ tales from the collection of Hitopadesha Tales. Once upon a time, there was a hill that sloped down to the banks of a river. At the bottom of the hill, there was a tree which made the shelter for many birds. One day, a blind old Vulture came to live in the hollow of the tree. The birds welcomed the blind vulture and decided to give him a share of their food since he was old. When the Blind Vulture saw birds concern for him, he was overwhelmed with gratitude. He thought to himself, As these birds are being so kind to me, it has become my duty to protect their young ones when they are away gathering food. After this, the Vulture used to get his food from the birds and in return, he took care of their young ones while they were away. So like this, all of them were passing their days happily. One day, a cat passed by that tree when the birds were away. Hearing the noise of the young ones, she came

near the tree with the hope of catching and eating the baby birds. But when the young ones saw her coming, they made a chirrup. The blind Vulture heard them and shouted, Who is there? On seeing the Vulture, the Cat got frightened and said to herself, O God! I am as good as dead. But I need to be brave. I should try to gain his confidence. At once, the Cat replied, O wise one! I just came to pay my homage to you. The Vulture asked, Who are you? The Cat answered, I am a Cat. The Vulture shouted, Go away otherwise Ill eat you up. The Cat was clever and she made quick responses to the Vulture. She innocently said to the Vulture, Sir, Listen to me first then you can decide further. It is not good that you are discarding me as I belong to a particular race. The Vulture decided to listen to her. The Cat said, I live on the other side of the river. I dont eat meat and take bath everyday in the river. I am doing great penance for my sins. I have heard much about your intelligence from the birds on the banks of the river. They told me that I should learn more about religion from you as you possess all knowledge. So, I came here to become your disciple and seek your blessings. She further said, But, I dont feel what the birds told me is true, when you got ready to kill a poor cat. You should have treated me well, after all guests are form of God. Even if you dont have any food to offer me, at least you could say something kind to me. The Old Vulture replied, How can I trust you since you are carnivorous and young birds reside here. The Clever Cat was well-versed in tantrums. She touched the ground and her ears as a sign of her honesty and replied, I've read all scriptures and came to know that killing is immoral. The entire forest is full of herbs and vegetables. So why should I commit sin by killing birds?" The Vulture believed her and allowed her to stay with him in the hollow of the tree. With the passing days, the Cat started eating the young birds one by one without the knowledge of the Vulture. When the birds found that their young ones were missing, they started looking for their kids. As soon as the Cat realized that situation is not in her favor, she quietly slipped away. Unknown about the happening, the blind Vulture lay down near the hollow of the tree where the Cat had thrown the bones of some of the birds eaten by her. When the Birds saw the bonesof their young ones, at once they shouted, The blind Vulture has eaten our innocent kids. All of them got enraged by the ingratitude of the Vulture and they pecked him to death. The poor Vulture didnt even get the chance to defend himself. Moral: Never treat someone whom you hardly know as a friend.

The Elephant and the Jackal

This is a nice tale / story from the collection of Hitopadesha Tales. Once upon a time, there lived an Elephant by the name of Karpuratilaka in a forest. He was brutal and haughty by nature. He used to roam in the forest without restraint. All the animals of the forest were afraid of this wild Elephant. Without any purpose, he used to pull down the trees and ripped thebranches. In this way, he destroyed innumerable nests with eggs and crushed the nestlings under his massive feet. In short, he had created all round chaos in the forest. Fierce animals like Lions and Tigers also kept themselves at a safe distance from this Elephant. Once it happened that he destroyed the burrows of the jackals in his merciless stroll. This action of Elephant was not tolerable to the animals and all of them wanted to kill the Elephant. They had a conversation regarding this but thought it was nearly impossible to kill the Elephant due to his gigantic size. The Jackals were full of rage and planned to call a separate meeting. They were ready to do anything to get rid of the mighty Elephant. But killing the huge Elephant was not a tiny task to do. All of them had a discussion that how could they kill the Elephant. Suddenly, an old Jackal said,Leave everything on me. I will cleverly bring about his death. Everyone gave his consent to the idea of the old Jackal.

The next day, old Jackal went to the Elephant, bowed respectfully before him and said, My Lord! Favor me with your royal glance. The Elephant looked at him and said in a loud voice, Who are you? Why you have come here? The intelligent Jackal replied, I am only a poor Jackal. Your Majesty, no one can deny your greatness. You are kind-hearted, gentle and possess all qualities of a ruler. Taking these things in the mind, all the animals have chosen you to be their King. Please acc ept this offer and make us obliged. The Elephant appeared to be happy with all the praise thrown by the Jackal. Jackal found the time to be appropriate and further acclaimed, Your Highness, all the animals are eager to see your kingship ceremony. It will be held in the middle ofthe forest, where thousands of animals have already gathered to get your glimpse. Our astrologers have told this is the auspicious moment for your crowning. Time is slipping fast. So, please come with me without any delay. The Elephant was really pleased by the Jackals talk. He always dreamt to become a King. He contemplated that the kingship ceremony will be matter of honor to him. Instantly, he got ready to accompany the Jackal to the place whereceremony was to be held. The Jackal took the Elephant deep into the forest. On the way, they had to walk through a swampy area by the side of a lake. The Jackal walked across the swampy region easily. But as soon as the Elephant stepped on the swamp, he got stuck in it. He tried his best to come out of the swamp, but to no avail. The more he tried to move out, the more he went deep into it. He got frightened and called out the Jackal, Friend, Please help me to come out of this mud. I am sinking deep into the mud. Call other animals quickly to help me otherwise I will die. The Jackal replied, I am not going to save you. You deserve this conduct. You are a cruel, arrogant and a merciless creature. You killed our siblings and kids. You have destroyed our burrows and nests of poor birds. You knew everything, but remained indifferent. I am sorry to say that your end has come. The Jackal left the place immediately and the Elephant kept shouting for help. In a little while, the Elephant disappeared from the scene, sinking into the deep mud. Moral: Every despot has to meet his doom.

The Jackal and the Arrow

This is another nice story/ tale from the collection of Hitopadesha Tales. Once upon a time, there lived a hunter in a village. He was living there happily with his family. One fine morning, he set out from his home with the intention of hunting a deer in the nearby forest. It was a fortunate day as he saw a deer and killed him instantly. He hung the carcass of the deer over his shoulder and happily started for his home. The Hunter had barely walked a distance, when he saw a wild Boar. He quickly dropped the dear on the ground and shot the boar with an arrow. The arrow pricked the Boars neck projecting through his back. Before collapsing, the Boar gave a fearful groan and killed the Hunter with his pointed tusks. In no time, the Hunter and the Boar, both were lying dead at the same spot. After some time, a Jackal happened to pass through that place. He saw a man and a boar, both lying dead at the same spot. At a distance, he also found a dead deer. The hungry Jackal got crazy to find so much to eat at the same time and that too without any effort. He was overjoyed at the sight of mouth relishing flesh and said, Ah! What a luck I have! It looks as if I am going to have a feast, but I'II eat only a little at a time so it will last longer. He began to think that with whose flesh to start his feast, the man or the animal. He decided to lick the blood first and taste a little flesh stuck around the arrow. But, as soon as, he put the pointed arrow in his mouth, it pricked his jaws and went through his head. The Jackal died a greedy death on the spot. Moral: Greed never pays.

The Monkeys and the Bell

This is another nice story from the collection of Hitopadesha Tales/ Stories. Once upon a time, there lived a robber in a village. One day, he stole a temple bell and ran towards the forest. A Tiger heard the jingle of the bell and became curious to locate the sound. As soon as, he saw the robber, he jumped upon him and killed him at once. The bell fell on the ground. After a few days, a group of monkeys passed through that way. They spotted the bell and carried it to their home. They found the jingle of the bell very interesting. Subsequently every one of them became very fond of the bell and started playing with it. After every tiring day, in the night monkeys would sit on the top of the hill in the forest and enjoy the melodious sound of the bell. The people of the village were afraid of the noise. Soon afterwards, the people from the villagefound the body of the robber and proclaimed, Certainly there is an evil spirit around here that kills human beings and then rings the bell to celebrate. When the people heard this, they thought that some demon was haunting their village. Without giving any second thought, People started leaving the city in terror. There was an intelligent and bold woman in that village. She thought to herself, I dont believe that some demon is haunting this village. I will find out that who is ringing the bell. At late night, she went intothe forest bravely and found that a group of monkeys were playing about and ringing the bell. Now as the woman knew the secret about the bell, she went to the King and said, Your Majesty! I'm sure this evil spirit can be conquered by worshipping the Gods. But this will cost money. If you can grant me some money, I will kill the demon and bring happiness to the village. The King, who was too afraid to get rid of the demon, granted the request of the woman. On receiving the money, the woman bought some peas, groundnuts and fruits. She arranged a worship of the Gods. She made a circle on the ground, placed all the eatables and started worshipping the Gods. After the ritual, she picked up all the eatables and went into the forest. She placed the fruits and other things under a tree near the hill. She kept a watch of the monkeys from a distance. As and when the monkeys saw the eatables, they dropped the bell just as the old woman had expected out of them. They ran to pick the eatables. The woman picked up the bell quickly and rushed towards the village. She gave the bell in the court of the King. The King was happy with the brave woman and everyone in the village admired her bravery. The pleased King rewarded the woman for her bravery. Since that day, there was no noise and people lived happily ever after. Moral: One must not be afraid of trifles. Intelligence and courage succeed against all odds.

An Old Tiger and a Greedy Traveler

This is another interesting story / tale from the Hitopadesha collection. Once upon a time, there lived a Tiger in a forest. With the passing years, he became too old to hunt. One day, the Tiger was walking by the side of a lake and suddenly, agold bangle came across his sight. Quickly he picked up the bangle and thought that he could use it as an allure to catch someone. As he was under the thought process, a traveler happened to pass through the opposite side of the lake. The Tiger instantly thought to himself, What a delicious meal he would make? He planned a scheme to attract the traveler. He held the bangle in his paw making it visible to the traveler and said, Would you like to take this gold bangle. I dont require it. At once, the traveler wanted to take the bangle, but he hesitated to go near the Tiger. He knew that it was risky, yet he sought the Gold Bangle. He planned to be cautious, so he asked the Tiger, How can I believe you? I know you are a beast and would kill me. The Clever Tiger innocently said, Listen Traveler, in my youth, I was wicked unquestionably, but now I have

changed myself. With the advice of a Sanyasi, I have left all evil. Now I am all alone in this world and have engaged myself in kind deeds. Moreover, I have grown old. I have no teeth and my claws are blunt. So, there is no need to fear from me. The travelers was taken in by this smart talk and his love for gold soon overcame his fear of the Tiger. He jumped into the lake to wade across the Tiger. But as per the plan of the Tiger, he got trapped in the marsh. On seeing this, the Tiger consoled him and said, Oh! You need not worry. Ill help you. Gradually he came towards the traveler and seized him. As the traveler was being dragged out, onto the bank, he thought to himself, Oh! This beast's talk of saintliness took me in totally. A beast is always a beast. If only I had not let my greed overcome my reason, I could be alive. However, it was too late; the Tiger killed the traveler and ate him up. Like this, the traveler became victim of greed and Tiger was successful in his evil plan. Moral: Greed never goes unpunished.

The Rabbits and the Elephants

This is another nice story from the Hitopadesha collection. Once upon a time, there lived a herd of Elephants in a forest. A mighty Elephant by the name of Chaturdanta was their king. There was a big lake in the middle of the forest where all the animals used to go to drink water and to take a bath. Once it so happened, that there was no rain for the whole year and the lake dried up. Many of the birds and the animals died of thirst. The Elephants got worried that if they didnt get water soon many of them would die of thirst. The Elephants decided to take the matter to their king, Chaturdanta. So they approached their king and said, You Majesty, as you know there is no water in our forest, many of the birds and animals have died due to thirst. We require water in order to survive. If we will stay here soon many of us will die. We have to find out water as soon as possible. The King Elephantconsidered the idea and asked the Elephants to go in different directions to find water. Fortunately, one of them found a large lake full of water in another jungle far away. The King Elephant got happy to hear this news. He ordered all his followers to make their way towards the lake. This lake was full of water and never went dry even if it didnt rain. On the way to this lake, there was a settlement of Rabbits. The Elephants had to pass through this settlement of Rabbits. Thousands of Rabbit got crushed under the heavy feet of the Elephants and many of them got wounded. The Rabbits fled in terror. The situation was getting severe, so the King of the Rabbits called up a meeting. In the meeting, the King said, A herd of Elephants is passing through our area. They have killed thousands of our friends. We are in a critical need to avoid more deaths. I want all of you to think of a way to save our race. All the Rabbits underwent a thought process. Suddenly, a little Rabbit derived a plan and said to the King, Your Majesty, if you will send me as your messenger to the King of the Elephants, I might find a solution to this problem. The Rabbit King gave his approval to the idea. The little Rabbit rushed towards the lake. When he saw the herd of Elephants returning from the lake, he realized that it was impossible to get near to them. Then he thought that how could he talk to the King of Elephants. Thus, he climbed up a hill and shouted, O, King of the Elephants. Please listen to me. On hearing the Rabbits voice, Chaturdanta stopped for a while and replied, Who are you? From where have you come? The smart Rabbit answered, I am a messenger sent to you by the Moon God. The King of the Elephants said, Why you have come here? The Rabbit replied, Moon God has sent a message for you. A messenger speaks only truth. Please consider that a messenger is never punished for what he has to say. He is only doing his job so you must not be angry with me. Chaturdanta confirmed him that he wont be harmed in any way. The little Rabbit said, The Moon God is angry with you because you have brought your herd to his holy lake and have disturbed the peace. You have crushed thousands of Rabbits to death on the way to lake. Rabbits are under the special protection of Moon God. Since you have bothered the Moon God and his special creatures, he is extremely annoyed with you and wants you to leave his kingdom at once. If not, then you might face terrible consequences.

The King Elephant was scared to hear this message from the Moon God. He said, You are right. We have killed many rabbits on our way to the lake. But really that was done in ignorance. I will see that you do not suffer anymore. I want to request the Moon God to pardon me for my sins. Please advise me what I should do. The Rabbit replied, Ok. I will take you to the Moon God. Pay your homage to the God and ask him to forgive you for the crime you have committed. Come with me. At night, the Rabbit led the King of Elephants to the lake. Both, the Rabbit and the Elephant stood near the bank of the lake. There they saw the reflected image of the Moon in the still water. Just then, a mild breeze blew disturbing the waters of the lake and the moon seemed to move to and fro. When Chaturdanta saw this, he thought that the Moon God was really angry with him. He bowed to the Moon God in panic. The Rabbit said, Oh Moon God, The King of Elephants has done a sin in ignorance. Please forgive him. He is taking away his herd from here and promising never to come back. Frightened Chaturdanta bowed once again to the Moon God and left the place with his herd immediately. And the Rabbits lived happily in their settlement ever after. Moral: Wit can win over might.

The Sages Daughter

It is another interesting story / tale from the Hitopadesha album. Once upon a time, there lived a Sage on the banks of a river. The sage and his wife didnt bear any children. They were unhappy about this fact of their life. One day, when the sage was engaged in penance, a kite dropped a she-mouse and it happened to fall in the lap of the Sage. The Sage thought that the God might have sent this mouse to him. He thought that if he would take the mouse to his home, people would laugh at him. So he decided to change the mouse into a girl. The Sage brought the girl to his home. On seeing the Girl, the Sages wife asked, Who is she? From where did you bring this girl? The Sage narrated to her the whole story and said, I would bring her back to her original form. The Sages wife stopped him instantly and said, I beg of you. Please dont change her into a mouse. You have given her life so you have become her father. Since you are her father, I am her mother. God must have sent her to us because we dont bear any children. The Sage accepted the request of his wife. They started bringing up the Girl child as their own daughter. Soon the Girl grew into a beautiful maiden. By the age of sixteen, the Sages wife decided to get her daughter married. She asked her husband to find a suitable match for their daughter. The Sage liked the idea and suggested that the Sun God would make the best match for their daughter. The wife agreed upon this and the Sage prayed to the Sun God to appear. When the Sun God appeared, the Sage asked him to marry his daughter. But the Girl refused the idea and said, Sorry! I cant marry the Sun God as he is burning hot. I will be reduced to ashes in his warmth and light. The Sage got disappointed to hear this from the Girl. He asked the Sun God if he could suggest a groom for his daughter. The Sun God said, The Lord of Clouds could make a good match for her, as he is the only one, who can easily stop the rays of the Sun. The Sage then prayed to the Lord of Clouds to appear and asked him to marry his daughter. But the Girl once again rejected the proposal and said, I dont want to marry a dark person like him. Besides this, I am terrified of the thunder he generates. The Sage was disheartened once again and asked the Lord of Clouds if he could suggest a possible groom. The Lord of Clouds said, Wind God can make a possible match for her as he can easily blow me away. The Sage then prayed to the Wind God to appear and asked him to marry his daughter. The Daughter declined the idea and said, I cant marry a frail person like the Wind God who is always stirring. Once again the sage got sad and asked the Wind God to give some suggestion. The Wind God replied, Lord of Mountain is soli d and can stop the hard blows of wind easily. He can make a suitable match for your daughter. As per the kind suggestion made by the Wind God, the Sage went to the Lord of Mountain and asked him to marry his daughter. But the Girl once again declined th e proposal and said, I cant marry the Lord of Mountain

because he is too cold-hearted. She asked the Sage to find a softer groom for her. The Sage sought Mountain Lords suggestion for the same. The Mountain Lord replied,A mouse will make a perfect match for her as he is soft and can easily make holes in the mountain. The daughter approved the idea of marrying a he-mouse. Moreover, she was pleased at this proposal. The Sage said, This is destiny. You came as a mouse and you were fated to marry a mouse. Saying this, the Sage converted the Girl back to a female mouse. The female mouse got married to a male mouse and lived happily thereafter. Moral: Destiny cannot be changed.

The Donkey and the Dog

This is another interesting story / tale from the Hitopadesha Collection. Once upon a time, there lived a Washerman in a village. He had kept a donkey and a dog to serve as his pets. The Dog used to guard his masters house and escort him wherever he went. The Donkey used to carry stack of clothes on his back to and fro the river. Both of them slept in the washermans courtyard. Like this, they were leading their life under the kind shelter of the Washerman. On one unfortunate night, when everyone was sleeping, a thief managed to get into the house. Even after seeing the thief, the Dog didnt bark. When the Donkey saw the thief entering the house, he asked the Dog, Dear Friend, Didnt you see that a thief had entered the house? Why dont you bark to awake our master? The Dog answered, Mind your own business. Don't talk to me about my duties; I know how to guard my master. I have been guarding this house for long, but master doesnt care for me. From the past few days, he doesnt even feed me properly. He doesnt know my worth. I wont wake him up. Whe n this thief will steal valuables from his house then only he will recognize my importance. The Donkey irritatingly said, You fool! This is not the time to complain. This is the time for action. Be fast and do something to wake up the master. The Dog replied angrily, No. As he doesnt care for me even I wont care for him. The Donkey shouted, O wicked creature, you are full of ingratitude towards your master. You are ignoring your duty just when you're required most. Fine, I will do your duty and wake him up. Hence, the Donkey brayed at the top of his voice which made the washerman to wake up. The thief quickly ran away from the scene. The Washerman looked around but could find anyone. He got furious at the Donkey who had disturbed his sleep. The Washerman thrashed the poor Donkey with a stick. The Donkey was left with pain for months. Moral: It is always better to mind your own business.

Jataka Tales

The Cunning Wolf

It is an interesting story from the collection of Jataka Tales. Once upon a time, some people from a certain town went into a forest for an excursion. They want to enjoy the holiday to its fullest. They took baskets full of eatables with them. They ate all the meat they had brought with them till the noon time. They didnt leave anything for the dinner and suddenly realized that what they would eat in the dinner. They wanted to enjoy the vacation and without proper food, it was quite impossible. One of the men said, There is no need to worry. I will bring som e fresh meat. We will make a fire here and roast it. It will be a great fun too. After saying this, he took a club and went to the lake. He knew that the animals would definitely come to the riverside for drinking water. He lay down on the ground with a club in his hand and pretended as if, he was dead. After some time, a group of wolves came down to the lake. When they saw the man lying on the riverside, they kept an eye on him for some time. The King of the wolves said, I think, this man is playing tr ick on us. All of you stay here, while I will go and check whether he is really dead or pretending to be dead. So, the cunning king of the wolves slithered up to the man and pulled his club a little cautiously. The man pulled back his club at once. The King of the wolves ran from the place and shouted, If you had been dead, you would not have pulled back you club when I tried to pull it. I caught your trick. You pretended to be dead so that you may kill one of us for your dinner. The man quickly jumped up and tried to kill the wolf. He chucked his club at the King of the Wolves. Unfortunately, the man missed his aim and the wolf safely ran away. He looked for the other animals, but none of them was visible. All of them ran away. The man got frustrated at this, but could not do anything. Thus, he went back to his friends and said, I tried to get fresh meat by playing a trick on the animals, but the cunning wolf played a better trick on me. I am sorry. I could not get fresh meat for you.

The Elephant and the Dog

This is another interesting story / tale from the Jataka collection. Once upon a time, there was a royal elephant that used to reside in the premises of the kings palace. The elephant was very dear to the king, so he was cared, well-fed and well-treated. There was a Dog who used to live in the neighborhood of the Elephant shed. He was very weak and skinny. He was always fascinated by the smell of the rich sweet rice being fed to the royal elephant. One day, the Dog could not resist the aroma of the rice and somehow, he sneaked into the Elephants shed. He ate the sweet rice that fell from the Elephants mouth. He liked the rice so much, that he started coming daily to eat the rice. For days, the huge Elephant didnt notice the small dog as he was busy in enjoying the delicious food. Gradually, the Dog became bigger and stronger by eating such rich food. He came under the notice of the Elephant. The Elephant used to enjoy the company of the Dog and started sharing his food with him. Both of them also started sharing time with each other and soon, they made good friends. They ate together, slept together and played together. While playing, the Elephant would hold the Dog in his trunk and swing him back and forth. It didnt take long, when neither of them was happy without the other. They became great friends and didnt want to get separated from each other. Then one day, a man saw the Dog and asked the Elephant-keeper, I want to buy this Dog. What price do you seek for the Dog? The Elephant-keeper didnt own the Dog still he sold the Dog and extracted a sum of money

out of this deal. The man took the Dog to his home village, which was quite far away. The Kings Elephant became very sad after this incident. He missed his friend a lot and started neglecting everything. He didnt want to do anything without his dear friend, so stopped eating, drinking and even bathing. Ultimately, the Elephant-keeper reported this to the King; however he didnt tell anything about the Dog. The King had a wise minister, who was known for his understanding of animals. At once, the King asked the minister, Go to the Elephantshed and find out the reason for the Elephants condition. The intelligent minister went to the Elephant shed and found theElephant very sad. He looked the Elephant all over and asked the Elephantkeeper, There is nothing wrong with thisElephants body, then why does he look so sad? I think this Elephant is grief stricken, possibly due to the loss of a dear friend. Do you know if this Elephant shared a close friendship with anyone? The Elephant-keeper said, There was a Dog who used to eat, sleep and play with the Elephant. He has been taken by a stranger three days ago. The Minister asked, Where is the Dog? and he replied,I dont know. The minister went back to the King and said, Your majesty, as per my opinion, the royal Elephant is not sick, but he is lonesome without his dear friend, the Dog. The King said, Youre right, friendship is one of the most wonderful things of life. Do you know where that Dog is? The Minister replied, Elephant-keeper has informed that a stranger took him away and he didnt k now about his whereabouts. The King asked, How can we bring back my Elephants friend and make him happy again? The Minister suggested, Your Majesty, make a declaration, that whoever has the dog that used to live at the royal Elephants shed will be penalized. The King did the same and the man who took the dog, instantly turned him loose when he heard the proclamation. When got free, the Dog ran back as fast as he could to reach the Elephants shed. The Elephant was so delighted to see the Dog that he picked his friend with his trunk and made him sit on his head. The Dog waved his tail, while the Elephants eyes sparkled with happiness. The King was contented to see the happy Elephant once again. He also rewarded the minister for his wise judgment. Both, the Elephant and the Dog lived happily thereafter.

The Hawks and Their Friends

It is another interesting story from the album of Jataka Tales. Once upon a time, there lived a family of Hawks in a lake near a forest. The family included Female-Hawk, Male-Hawk and their Kid-Hawks. All of them were passing their days happily. There also lived a Lion, a Kingfisher and a Turtle on the northern, the eastern and the southern shore of this lake respectively. One day, the Female-Hawk asked her husband, Sweetheart, how many friends do you have near here? The Male-Hawk replied, I do have friends, but not one in this part of the forest. The Femal e-Hawk asked, Dear, you must find some friends. At least, we should have some one who can help us, if ever we are in trouble or in danger. The Male-Hawk asked, With whom shall I make friends? The Female -Hawk suggested, You can make friends with the Kingfisher, the Lion and the Turtle, who lives on the eastern, the northern and the southern shore of this lake. The Male-Hawk liked the idea and went to the lion, the kingfisher and the turtle one by one and made friends with them. Everyone was happy to make a new friend. Everything was going smooth in their life. Suddenly one day, some men came to the forest for hunting. They hunted in the forest from morning till night, but found nothing. They didnt want to go home empty-handed, so they went to the lake in order to see what they could find there. After the whole day, they were tired. When they couldnt locate anything even on the lake, one of them said, let us stay here tonight and see what we can find in the morning". All of them agreed to the proposal. They made beds of leaves for themselves and lay down to sleep. They made their beds under the tree in which the Hawk family had its nest. However, the hunters could not sleep because they were disturbed by the flies and the mosquitoes.

Ultimately, they got up and built a fire on the shore of the lake, so that the fumes would drive away the flies and mosquitoes. The fumes awoke the hawks and the kid-hawks cried out. Hearing the cries of the Kid-Hawks, one of the hunters said to the other, Did you hear that? That was the cry of the birds. They will make well for our breakfast. There are young ones in that nest pointing towards the nest. The Hunters put more wood on the fire and made it blaze up. The Hawks listened to the conversation of the hunters. The Female-Hawk got frightened and said to her husband, These men are planning to eat our young ones. We have to ask our friends to save us. Ask the Kingfisher to help us, as we are in danger. The Male -Hawk flew speedily to the Kingfishers nest and mad e him awake with his cry. The Kingfisher asked the Hawk, Why have you come at this late hour of night? The Male hawk narrated the whole story to the Kingfisher. The Kingfisher consoled the Hawk and said, Dont worry my friend. I will help you. Go back and comfort your mate. I am just coming. The Male-Hawk flew back to his nest quickly and the Kingfisher also came at the location. On arriving, the Kingfisher saw the burning fire and instantly, beating the water with his wings sprinkled water on the fire and put it out. The Hunters made another fire and one of them, tried to climb up the tree. The Kingfisher put out the fire once again. As often as a fire was made, the Kingfisher put it out. By the Midnight, the Kingfisher got very tired. The FemaleHawk noticed the condition of the Kingfisher and said to her husband, The Kingfisher is tired. Go and ask the Turtle to come and help us. In the meantime, the Kingfisher may take some rest. The Male -Hawk quickly flew down and asked the Kingfisher, Rest a while friend. I am going to get the Turtle. Subsequently, the Male-Hawk flew towards the southern shore of the lake and wakened the Turtle. The Turtle asked the Hawk, What happened friend? Why you have come? The Male -Hawk replied, A danger has come to us and told the whole story about the hunters. He also said, The Kingfisher has been working for hours and he is tired by now, that is why I have come to you. At once, the turtle said, I will help you. After this, the Turtle went to the place where the Hawks lived. He dived into the water, collected some mud and put the fire out with it. On seeing the Turtle, the hunters cried, Why to bother for the young hawks? Let us kill this Turtle. It will make a nice breakfast for us. We have to be careful otherwise it will bite us. Let us throw a net over it and turn it over. But they didnt have nets with them, so they took some vines and tore their clothes to make a net. When they tried to put the net over the Turtle, they could not roll him over. Instead, the Turtle suddenly dived down into the deep water making their efforts vain. The hunters got so impatient to get the turtle that they went down into the deep water. When they came out of the water, they said, Half of the night, a Kingfisher kept putting out our fires. Now, we have torn our clothes and got wet while trying to get this turtle. We will make another fire and eat those young hawks at sunrise. With this, they started making another fire. The Female-Hawk was hearing the conversation of the hunters. She said to her partner, I am afraid, sooner or later these men will get our young ones. Go and ask our friend, the Lion to help us. The Male -Hawk flew to the Lion at once. The Lion asked the Hawk, Why have you come at this late hour of night? T he Hawk narrated him the whole story. The Lion said, Dont worry friend. I just come. You go back and comfort your mate and the young ones. Soon, the Lion came roaring at the place. On hearing the Lions roar, the hunters cried, Now, all of us would be killed. They ran away from the scene as fast as they could run. When the Lion approached the tree, not even a single hunter was visible. At that time, the Kingfisher and the Turtle also came on the scene. The Hawks were happy to find the hunters were gone. They appreciated the efforts made by all of the friends and lived happily thereafter. Moral: Friends in need are friends indeed.

The Jackal who saved the Lion

Here is another interesting story from the collection of Jataka Tales. Once upon a time, there lived a lion in a forest. One day, when he went to drink water in a river, one of his feet got stuck into the damp mushy mud of the river. He tried a lot to get out of the mud, but to no avail. He had to lie without food for days because he didnt find any help. On one fortunate day, a kind jackal came to drink water from the river. When he saw the lion, he went closer to the lion and said, What is the matter? Why are you resting here? The lion narrated him the pathetic story. The Jackal instantly made a way out from the sand but the lion was unable to move his feet. As he was set in the same posture for last several days, his body became stiff. The jackal understood the condition of the lion and helped him to get out of the mud with an extra effort. The Lion was really thankful to jackal for his kind help. He was very happy to get free after so many days. The Lion appreciated the effort made by the jackal. He offered the jackal to live close to him and also promised to give food to him whenever he caught food. The jackal accepted the offer and started living with the lion. Thus, they lived happily sharing the food. With the passing time, they expanded their families. The lion had cubs and the jackal had kid jackals. Both, the lion and the jackal were passing their days happily. They didnt have any idea that their friendship was not liked by their families. One day after a long time, the lioness, lady of the lion's house, asked her cubs that she didnt like the amity between the jackal and her husband. The cubs conveyed the message to the kid jackals. The kids complained the matter to the lady jackal. The lady jackal conveyed the complaint to her husband. The jackal went to the Lion and asked, I helped you without any consideration in return. You had asked me to live with you, so I started living with you. Now, if you dont want me to live with you, you should have told me yourself. What did you involve your wife and cubs to convey this? . The Lion was shocked to hear such words. He said, My dear friend, what are you saying? I dont find any problem with you or your friendship. He assured the jackal that he had no such ill-feelings for thefriendship between them. The Lion also assured that he would talk to the lioness and solve the whole matter. The jackal was intelligent and understood the situation. He said to the lion, Dear friend, I know you are sincere, but our families could not exactly respond the same level of friendship. So, let us stay apart and meet often as friends. We could also hunt together. It would be better, if our families stay apart. The Lion agreed to the proposal with a heavy heart. The two families parted from each other as friends. The Jackal and the Lion continued to share the friendship. They often met each other and hunt together. Thus, the two friends shared a healthy friendship throughout their life. Moral: Dont expect your family to reciprocate the same level of friendship you have with someone.

The Merchant of Seri

This is another nice story from the collection of Jataka Tales. Once upon a time, there lived a merchant of Seri, who sold brass and tin ware. He used to go from place to place, in order to sell his products. He was usually accompanied by another merchant, who also sold brass and tin ware. The second merchant was greedy. He wanted every thing for free and if he bought something, he paid as little as possible. One day, when they went to a town, they divided the streets between them so that none of them interferes in each others marketing. Both of them moved through the streets they had chosen and called, Tin ware for sale. Brass for sale. People came out of their homes and traded with them. There lived a poor old woman and her granddaughter in a house. Once the family had been affluent, but now a golden plate was the only expensive item left with them. The grandmother didnt know that it was a golden plate. However, she had kept this plate because in the old days, her husband used to eat from it. It was placed on a

shelf among the other pots and pans not in the regular use. The greedy merchant passed this house, calling, Buy tin ware. Buy brass utensils. The grand -daughter heard the cries and said to her grandmother, Grandmother, please buy something for me. The old woman replied, Child, we are too poor to buy anything. Even, I dont have anything to trade. The girl said, We have one old plate. Lets see what the merchant will offer for the old plate. We dont use it often and perhaps, he will take it and give us something that we want. The old woman called the merchant at the door-step of her house. She showed him the plate and said, Sir, will you take this plate and give something in return to this little girl. The greedy man took the plate and scratched its backside with a needle. He found that it was a golden plate. He hoped that he would fetch it without paying anything. He said, Does it worth? Not even a half penny. He went away throwing the plate on the ground. The other merchant was passing through the houses. It was decided that either of them could go through any street, which the other had left. The merchant passed through the same house and called, Buy tin ware. Buy brass utensils. The little girl heard the cries and asked her grandmother to see what the merchant would give for the plate. The old woman said, My child, the merchant who came earlier, went away throwing the plate on the ground. I have nothing else to offer in trade. The girl replied, Grandma, that merchant was bad -tempered. This merchant looks nice. Ask him, might be hell give some small tin ware. The old woman accepted the idea and asked the girl to call the merchant. The girl showed the plate to the merchant. As soon as the merchant took the plate in his hands, he came to know that it was of gold. He said, This plate cant be afforded with what all I have here. This is a golden plate. I am not rich enough to buy it. The grandmother replied, But, a merchant who came here a few moments ago threw it on the ground saying that it was not worth even a half penny and went away. The merchant said, It was worth nothing to him. If you value it, take the dishes you want to take. The little girl took some dishes of her choice but the merchant was not satisfied with the offer. So, he gave all the money and his wares to the old woman. He required eight pennies for the transport, so he asked the old woman for it. The old woman readily gave him the amount. The merchant took the pennies and left the place. He quickly went towards the river and paid eight pennies to the boatman, to take him across the river. Soon, the greedy merchant went back to the house of the old woman. When he reached the desired house, he called up the girl and said, Bring that plate and I will give you something for it". The grandmother replied from inside, No. You considered the plate worthless, but another merchant has paid a hugeprice for it and taken it away. It is a golden plate. Thus, the greedy merchant got angry and left the place. He cried, Due to this other merchant, I have lost a small fortune. That was a golden plate. He ran down to the riverside and saw the other merchant in the boat. He called loudly, Hello, Boatman. Stop your boat. The merchant in the boat asked the boatman not to stop . Accordingly, the boatman didnt stop. The merchant reached the city which was on the other side of the river. He sold the golden plate and got enough money for his living. So, he lived happily thereafter. Moral: Honesty is the best policy.

The Penny Wise Monkey

Here is another nice tale/ story from the Jataka collection. Once upon a time, there lived the King of a big and affluent country. The King was quite fond of traveling. Usually, he didnt like to visit his own country; instead he went to other countries. One day, he assembled his army to move out for a holiday to some distant country. The King and his soldiers walked for the whole morning in the forest. After this, they went into the camp to take some rest.

The horses were also tired, so they were fed with peas. One of the Monkeys, who lived in the forest, was keeping a track of the things done by the kings men from a distance. When he saw peas offered to the horses, he jumped down from the tree at once to get some of them. He quickly gobbled some peas, also filled his mouth and hands with them. Then, he went up the tree and sat down to eat the peas. As and when, he sat there to eat peas; one pea fell from his hand to the ground. The greedy monkey dropped all the peas he had in his hands and ran down to look for the lost pea at once. Unluckily, he could not find that one pea. He climbed up the tree again and sat at rest. He was looking very sad. He said to himself, To get one pea, I threw away what I had. The King was watching the monkey from the camp and said to himself, I would not be like this stupid monkey, who lost much to gain a little. I will go back to my own country and enjoy what I have. Thus, the King and his army marched back to their own country. Moral: Value the things you have.

The Power of a Rumour

This one is a nice story from the album of Jataka Kathaye/ Tales. Once upon a time, it happened in a forest that a hare was resting under a banyan tree. He had an intuition of doom and thought, What would happen to me, if the earth will break? . Suddenly, he heard a weird striking sound. He said, Its happened, the earth is breaking up. He jumped up and ran madly without even observing the direction. When he was running through the forest, a hare saw him and asked, What happened? Where are you going in such a hurry? . The Hare cried, The earth is breaking up. You better run too. The second hare ran so fast that he overtook the first hare. As they were passing the forest, both of them shouted to other hares, The eart h is breaking up. The earth is breakingup. Very soon, thousands of hares were running through the forest. On seeing hares running through the forest, the other animals too got frightened. The news spread from mouth to mouth and soon, everyone came to know that the earth was breaking up. It didnt take much time before all the animals joined the race. All creatures whether reptiles or birds, insects or four-footed animals, everyone was trying to escape and their cries of fear created chaos all around. A lion standing on a hill saw all the animals running and thought, What is the matter? . He ran down the hill rapidly and positioned himself in front of the crowd. He shouted at them, Stop! Stop! . The powerful presence of the lion curtailed the rising wave of fright among the animals. A parrot yelled, The earth is breaking up, alighting on a rock near him. The Lion asked, Who said it? . The parrot replied, I heard it from the monkeys". When the monkeys were asked, they replied that they had heard it from the tigers. When the tigers were asked, it was found that they were informed by the elephants. The elephants told that the buffaloes formed their source. Finally, when the hares were caught up, they pointed one to another until the one, who started this menace was recognized. The Lion asked the hare, What made you think that the earth is breaking up? The hare wavering in fear answered, Your Majesty, I heard it cracking with my own ears. The Lion investigated the matter and explored the sound that the hare had heard. Ultimately, he came to know that the sound had been caused by a large coconut falling from a tree. The coconut fell on a pile of rocks causing a minor landslide. The Lion said to all the animals, Go back to your homes. The earth i s absolutely safe. Next time onwards, check a rumour before acting on it. The animals, which were now looking quite stupid, went back to their homes. Moral: Check a rumour before acting on it.

The Golden Swan

This is another nice story from the album of Jataka Kathaye (Tales). Once upon a time, there was a swan / goose that had striking golden feathers. This swan lived in a pond. There was a house near this pond, where a poor woman lived with her two daughters. The people were really poor and were leading a tough life. The swan found that the poor mother was passing a hard time with her daughters. The swan thought, If I give them one after another my golden feathers, the mother can sell them. She and her daughters can live in comfort with the money raised from it. After thinking this, the swan flew away to the poor womans house. On seeing the swan inside the house, the woman said, Why have you come here? We have nothing to offer you. The Swan replied, I have not come to take anything, but I have something to give you. I know your condition. I will give mygolden feathers one by one and you can sell them. With the money raised through it, you people can easily live in comfort. After saying this, the swan shed one of her feathers and then flew away. This became a regular feature and from time to time, the swan came back and every time left another feather. Like this, the mother and her daughters were happily leading their life by selling the feathers of the golden swan. Eachgolden feather got them enough money to keep them in comfort. But the mother became greedy to get all the feathers as soon as possible. One day, she said to her daughters, Now, we will not trust this swan, possibly she may fly away and never come back. If this would happen, we will be poor again. We will take all of her feathers, when she will come the next time. The innocent daughters replied, Mother, this will hurt the swan. We will not cause any pain to her. But the mother was determined to catch hold the swan the very next time she comes. Next time, when the swan came, the mother caught her and pulled out all of her feathers. Now, the golden feathers of the swan changed into some strange feathers. The mother was shocked to see such feathers. The Golden Swan said, Poor Mother, I wanted to help you, but you wanted to kill me instead. As per my wish, I used to give you the golden feather. Now, I think there is no need to help you. Now, my feathers are nothing more than chicken feathers for you. I am going from this place and will never come back. The mother felt sorry and apologized for the mistake committed by her. The Golden Swan said, Never be greedy and flew away. Moral: Excess greed brings nothing.

The Sandy Road

This is a nice story from the collection of Jataka Tales. Once upon a time, there lived a merchant in a small village. The merchant dealt in different kinds of goods. He wanted to sell his goods in the town, in order to gain good sum of profits. One day, he decided to go to the town to try his fortune. He arranged for some men who could go along with him. During the journey, he had to pass through a desert, so he also arranged for water, rice and firewood. According to the plan, he packed his goods in several carts and set out for the journey along with his mates. When they reached the desert, the sun was shining on the fine sand, making it severely hot. In the day time, no one could dare to walk on it. One could only think of travel through the desert during the night time, when the moon made the sands cool. So, the merchant and his people waited for the night to start their further journey. With the arrival of night, they started their journey. One of them, had knowledge about the stars, so he was guiding the way to other people by reading the position of stars. They traveled for the whole night without taking any break. At daybreak, they stopped and camped. They released the oxen from the carts and fed them. They made fire, cooked the rice and ate the food to their fill. They spread a huge covering over all the carts and the oxen. Subsequently, all the men laid down under it, to rest till the sunset.

When the sun set in the early evening, they again built fire and cooked rice. After the meal, they folded the covering and tied the oxen to the carts. As soon as, the sand became cool, they again started their journey across the desert. Night after night, they traveled in such manner and rested during the day time. On the last morning, the one who was guiding the group said, In one more night, we will cross the desert. Every one was happy to hear this, as all of them were tired. After taking meal in the evening, the merchant said, Now, you people can throw the water and the firewood because tomorrow we will reach the town. Tie the oxen and start. The Guide took his position at first in the line of the carts, but instead of sitting and guiding the drivers, he laid down in the cart on the cushions. Soon, he was in a deep slumber because he had not slept for many nights and in the daytime, the sun had been so strong that he had not slept properly. The oxen went on, for the whole night. Near daybreak, the guide awoke and looked at the last stars fading in the light. He said to the drivers, Stop! We are in the same place where we were yesterday. The oxen must have turned about while I slept. They released the oxen, but there was no water for them to drink, as they had thrown away the water the previous night. They spread out the covering over the carts and the oxen rested tired and thirsty. The men lay down too, saying, Without wood and water, we are lost. Every one was tired and sat down. The merchant thought, This is no time for me to sleep. I have to find water. The oxen cannot start unless they get water to drink. The people need water other wise they cannot cook rice. If I give up, we will lose. There must be water somewhere below. He walked down and down, keeping a close watch of the ground. Finally, he saw some grass and thought, There must be wat er somewhere below otherwise that grass would not be there. He ran back, shrieking to the people, Get the spade and the hammer. All of them jumped up and ran with the merchant to the spot where he saw the grass. They started digging and after much toil, they struck a rock. After this, they could dig no further. The merchant jumped down into the hole they had dug and kept his ear to the rock. He called to them, I can hear water running under this rock. We must not give up. Then, the merchant came out of the hole and said to the serving boy, My boy, if you give up, we are lost. Please go down and try. The boy stood up raising the hammer high above his head and hit the rock with his full strength. He didnt give up, thinking the words of the merchant. Every time the hammer came down, he thought that everyone must be saved. Ultimately, the rock broke, the boy hardly got any time to come out of the hole and it was full of water. All the men drank water, as if they could never get enough. They watered the oxen and took bath. After drinking and bathing, they split the extra wooden yokes and axles from their carts. They made a fire out of it and cooked their rice. They had their meal and rested through the day. They also placed a flag on the well, so that the passing travelers could see and have water. After the sunset, they started their journey and reached the town in the morning. They sold the goods making huge profits and happily returned back to their village. Moral: Will and Determination can achieve anything.

The Wind and the Moon

Here is another nice story from the collection of Jataka kathaye / tales. Once upon a time, there lived two friends in the shade of a rock. It would sound strange, but one of them was a lion and the other was a tiger. They were friends since their childhood. They knew each other from the time, when they were too small to understand the difference between the lions and the tigers. Thus, their friendship was not at all strange to them. Moreover, the part of the mountain under which they lived was peaceful; it could be due to the presence of a monk who lived under the same rock. He was a hermit, one who lives far away from worldly affairs. One day, the two friends got into a stupid argument for some unknown reason. The Tiger said, Everyone knows that cold comes when the moon decreases from full to new. The Lion said, You are a stupid fellow. From where did you hear such nonsense? Everyone knows that cold comes when the moon increases from new to full.

The argument between them became stronger and stronger. Both of them were firm at their own opinion. They could not arrive at any conclusion to resolve the growing disagreement. They even started calling ill names to each other. Suddenly, they thought that like this they would lose their friendship. At last, they decided to go and ask the learned monk, who would definitely know about the actual answer. Both of them went together to the peaceful monk and bowed respectfully before him. The hermit asked them the reason for their sudden arrival. They put their question to him and said, Sir, only you can answer to this problematic question. The hermit thought for a while and said, It can be cold in any phase of the moon, from new to full and back to new again. It is the wind that brings the cold, whether from west or north or east. Therefore, both of you are right and neither of you is defeated by the other. The hermit also said, Both of you share healthy friendship since your childhood. It is not good to get into arguments and think about separation. The most important thing is to live without conflict, to remain united. Unity is best by all means. The Lion and the Tiger understood the message of the wise monk. They thanked him for the kind suggestion given by him. Both of them lived happily thereafter as good friends. Moral: Weather comes and weather goes, but friendship remains.

Panchatantra Tales

The Bird with Two Heads

Here is another story from the album of Panchatantra. Once upon a time, there lived a strange bird named Bharunda. He lived on a banyan tree near the banks of a river. The strangeness of the bird lies in the fact, that he had two necks, but shared a common stomach. One day, the bird was wandering on the banks of the lake and found a red-golden fruit, which appeared delicious at the first sight. One of the two heads mumbled, Oh what a fruit. I am sure the heavens have sent it for me. I am so lucky. He started eating the fruit with immense pleasure and claimed that it was the most delicious fruit he had ever eaten. Hearing this, the other head said, O dear, let me also taste the fruit you are praising so much. The first head laughed and replied "You know that we've only one stomach, whichever head eats, the fruit will go to the same stomach. So, it makes no difference whether I eat it or you eat it. Moreover, I'm the one who found this fruit. So I've the first right to eat it". The other head became silent and disappointed after hearing the first head. This kind of selfishness, on the part of the first headpinched him very much. Later one day, the other head found a tree bearing poisonous fruits. He took the poisonous fruit and told the first head, You deceitful fellow. I will eat this poisonous fruit and avenge your insult which you have done to me. The first head yelled, "Please don't eat this poisonous fruit. If you eat it, both of us will die, because we've a commonstomach to digest it." The other head replied, Shut up! As I have found this fruit, I have the every right to eat it. The first head started crying, but the other head didnt bother and ate the poisonous fruit. In the consequence of this action, both of them lost their lives. Moral: Sharing of a good thing with others is always good.

The Blue Jackal

It is another nice story from the Panchatantra collection. Once, there was a jackal in a forest by the name of Chandaraka. One day, Chandaraka, driven by hunger, went to a nearby village in search of food. He was extremely hungry. Unfortunately, he met a group of dogs and they started chasing him. The jackal got frightened and fled in panic. He entered a washer mans house in a hurry. While trying to hide himself, the jackal slipped and fell into a tub full of blue color, which the washer man had kept ready to dye the clothes. Soon the bark of the dogs ceased and jackal came out of the tub. There was a big mirror fixed on the wall of the house. Jackal saw himself in the mirror and was surprised to see his blue colored body. He came out of the house and quickly ran back to the forest. When Chandraraka reached the forest, every animal failed to recognize this new creature. Infact they got frightened and ran in all directions. Taking advantage of the situation, the jackal planned to ke ep the situation in his favor. He asked, Why are you running like this? There is no need to panic. I am a unique creation of God. He told me that the animals in this jungle had no ruler and he had nominated me as your king. He had named me, Kakudruma and told me to rule this forest. Therefore, all of you can live safely under the cover of my protection. The innocent animals believed the shrewd jackal and accepted him as the king. The jackal appointed the lion as his minister, the tiger as his chamberlain and the wolf as the gatekeeper. After allotting positions to the animals, the new king Kakudruma banished all the jackals in the forest for the fear of being recognized. Now, the animals hunt food and brought it to the self-proclaimed king. After taking his share, the king would distribute the remaining food equally among his subjects. So like this, he was leading a luxurious life.

One day when the blue jackal was holding his court, a herd of jackals were passing by howling to their glory. Suddenly blue jackal forgot that he was a king and not an ordinary jackal anymore. Unable to control his natural instinct, Kakudruma howled at the top of his voice. Soon, the animals realized that they had been fooled by a jackal. In a fit of anger, all the animals, at once pounced on the blue jackal and killed him. Moral: The one who abandons ones own folk will perish.

The Brahmin's Gift

Here is one more interesting tale from the album of Panchatantra. Once, there lived a pious Brahmin in a small village, by the name of Mitra Sharma. He used to perform religious rituals. On one occasion, he was rewarded with a goat for his services by a wealthy man. The Brahmin was happy to get a goat as the reward. He happily slung the goat over his shoulder and began the journey towards his home. On the way, three cheats (Thugs) saw the Brahmin taking the goat. All of them were lazy and wanted to cheat the Brahmin so that they could take away the goat. They said, Th is goat will make a delicious meal for all of us. Let's somehow get it. They discussed the matter amongst themselves and devised a plan to get the goat by befooling the Brahmin. After deciding the plan, they got separated from one another and took different hidingpositions at three different places on the way of the Brahmin. As soon as, the Brahmin arrived at a lonely place, one of the cheats came out of his hiding place and asked Brahmin in a shocking manner, Sir, what are you doing? I don't understand why a pious man like you needs to carry a dog on his shoulders?" The Brahmin was surprised to hear such words. He screamed, Can't you see? It's not a dog but a goat, you stupid fool". The cheat replied, Sir, I beg your pardon. I told you what I saw. I am sorry, if you dont believe it. The Brahmin was annoyed at the discrepancy, but started his journey once again. The Brahmin had barely walked a distance, when another cheat came out of his hiding place and asked the Brahmin, Sir, why do you carry a dead calf on your shoulders? You seem to be a wise person. Such an act is pure stupidity on your part." The Brahmin yelled, "What? How can you mistake a living goat for a dead calf?" The second cheat replied, ""Sir, you seem to be highly mistaken in this rega rd. Either you dont know how does goat look like or you are doing it knowingly. I just told you what I saw. Thank you". The second cheat went away smiling. The Brahmin got confused, but continued to walk further. Again the Brahmin had covered a little distance when the third cheat met him. The third cheat asked laughingly, "Sir, why do you carry a donkey on your shoulders? It makes you a laughing stock. Hearing the words of the third thug, the Brahmin became really worried. He started thinking, Is it re ally not a goat? Is it some kind of a ghost?" He thought that the animal he was carrying on his shoulders might really be some sort of a ghost, because it transformed itself from goat into a dog, from dog into a dead calf and from dead calf into a donkey. The Brahmin got frightened to such an extent that he hurled the goat on the roadside and ran away. The three tricksters laughed at the gullible Brahmin. They caught the goat and were happy to feast on it. Moral: One should not be carried away by what others say.

The Crows and the Serpent

Here is another interesting tale from the collection of Panchatantra. Once upon a time, there stood a huge banyan tree on the outskirts of a small village. In this, tree there lived a pair of crows with their young ones. One day, a snake came to live in the hole at the bottom of the tree. The crows were not happy at the arrival of the snake, but they could do nothing. After a few days, the female crow hatched a few more eggs and some more baby crows were born. When the

crows went out in search of food, the snake crawled up the tree and ate up the babies. When the crows came back, they could not locate their babies. They chased high and low, but to no avail. The crows were full of grief on the sad loss of their young ones. After a few months, the female crow hatched some more eggs. This time female crow stayed in the nest while the malecrow went out in search of food. The snake was greedy and ignoring the presence of the female crow, he crept up the tree and attacked the babies. The female crow who was keeping a watchful eye on her babies, tried to fight with the snake, but she was weak. Hearing the shriek of the female craw, other crows came to help her, but the snake had already eaten the young ones and slithered back into his hole. This killing became the feature of their life. Every time the crows laid their eggs, the snake crawled up the tree and ate all the young ones. Due to this, the crows were never able to raise their young ones. The crows were sad, but they didnt know how to get free from this killer snake. One day, the female crow asked the male crow that she wanted to leave this tree at once. The male crow consoled her by saying that the tree had been their home from the past many years and they should reside here. He considered of asking a wise fox for help in order to get rid of the snake. With this thought, both of them went to the place of the wise fox. The fox welcomed her friends and said, Both of you seem to be very sad. What happened? The crows replied, We are in a big problem. A snake is after us and he eats up our eggs and the young ones. We seek your help in this matter. They narrated the whole story to the fox. The fox was intelligent; she thought for a few minutes and then laid out a brilliant plan before them. She said, Listen carefully and do it as per the plan. In the morning, go to the river bank where the ladies of the royal family would be bathing. They keep their ornaments in a tray on the river bank. The guards keep a watch on th em from a distance. The fox suggested the crows to pick up a necklace from the tray and fly away making a loud noise. This would make the guards to chase them to the tree where the crows would drop the necklace into the hole of the snake. In order to get the necklace, the guards would kill the snake to save themselves and take the necklace. The crows liked the plan and swore to execute it the next morning. So, the next morning, the crows were ready with their plan. The crow couple flew to the river bank; the female crow picked up the necklace and flew off. While, the male crow shrieked loudly to attract the guards attention. The guards ran after the crows brandishing their sticks and swords. Soon, they reached the banyan tree where they saw the crows dropping the necklace into the snake hole. As the guards were trying to take the necklace out with the help of a stick, the snake came out of the hole. The snake hissed at them and afraid of him, they killed the snake by sticks and swords. They took the necklace and returned to their place. The crows were happy to see the sight from a distance. They thanked the fox for her help. Thereafter, the crow couple lived happily with their young ones in the banyan tree. Moral: Intelligence is greater than strength.

The Foolish Lion and the Clever Rabbit

This is one of the most famous stories of the Panchatantra. Once upon a time, there lived a cruel lion by the name of Bhasuraka, in a dense forest. He was very powerful, ferocious and arrogant. He used to kill the animals of the forest to gratify his hunger. This action of the lion became the cause of worry for the animals of the forest. They were worried that after sometime none of them would be left alive. They discussed this problem among themselves and came upon the decision to hold a meeting with the lion. They wanted to arrive on a friendly settlement with the lion and to put an end to the problem. One day, as per the plan, all the animals of the forest gathered under a big tree. They invited the King Lion to attend the meeting. In the meeting, the representative of the animals said, Your Majesty, it is our happiness, that we got you as our king. We are all the more happy that you are attending this meeting. The King lion thanked them and replied, What is the matter? Why we have gathered here?

All the animals started looking at each other. They were recollecting enough courage to start the topic. One of the animals stood up and said, Sir, its natural that have to kill us for your food. But, killing more than what is required is not a good approach. If you go on killing the animals without any purpose, very soon a day will come, when there will be no animal left in the forest. The king lion roared, So what do you want? One of the animals replied, Your Majesty, we have already discussed the problem among ourselves and have come upon a solution. We have decided to send one animal daily to your den. You can kill and eat it, the way you like. This will also save you from the trouble of hunting. The lion replied, Fine. I agree to this proposal, but make sure that the animal must reach to me in time, otherwise, I'll kill all the animals of the jungle." The animals agreed to this proposal. From that day onwards, daily an animal was sent to the lion to become his food. The lion was very happy to have his food right before him without taking any pains of hunting. So, everyday it was the turn of one of the animals. Once, it was the turn of a rabbit to go to the lions den. The rabbit was old and wise. He was un willing to go, but the other animals forced him to go. The rabbit thought of a plan which would save his life and the lives of other animals of the forest. He took his own sweet time to go to the Lion and reached the lions den a little late than the usual time. The Lion was getting impatient on not seeing any animal by the time. The Lion got extremely furious when he saw a small rabbit for his meal. He swore to kill all the animals. The rabbit with folded hands hesitatingly explained, Your Majesty. I am not to be blamed for that. Actually, six rabbits were sent to make your meal, but five of them were killed and devoured by another lion. He also claimed to be the king of the forest. I have somehow escaped to reach here safely." The king lion howled in great anger and said, Impossible, there cannot be another king of this forest. Tell me. Who is he? Ill kill him. Take me to the place, where you saw him. The intelligent rabbit agreed and took the Lion towards a deep well, filled with water. When they reached near the well, the rabbit said, This is the place where he lives. He might be hiding inside. The Lion looked into the well and saw his own reflection. He thought it was the other Lion. The Lion was furious and started growling. Naturally the image in the water, the other Lion, was also equally angry. In order to kill the other Lion, he jumped into the well. The Lion darted his head against the rocks and drowned in the deep well. The wise rabbit, with a sigh of relief went back to other animals and narrated the whole story. All the animals got happy and praised the rabbit for his wit. Thus, the jubilant rabbit saved all the animals from the proud Lion and they all lived cheerfully thereafter. Moral: Intelligence is superior to physical strength.

The Girl Who Married a Snake

Here is another interesting story from the Panchatantra album. Once upon a time, there lived a Brahmin with his wife in a village. Both of them were sad, as they had no children. Every day, they prayed to God in the hope, that one day they would be blessed with a child. Ultimately, the god blessed them with a child. The Brahmins wife gave birth to a baby, but the child came to be a snake. Everyone was shocked and advised them to get rid of the snake as soon as possible. The Brahmins wife remained firm and refused to listen to any one. She loved the snake as her son and didnt care that her infant was a snake. She brought up the snake with love and care. She fed him with the best food she could arrange for. She made a comfortable bed in a box and made him sleep on it. The snake grew up and his mother loved him all the more. On one occasion, there was a wedding in the neighborhood; the Brahmins wife began to think of getting her son married. But the question aroused, which girl would marry a snake? Although, she had a belief that she would definitely get a girl for her son. One day, when the Brahmin returned home, he found his wife in tears. He asked her, What happened? Why are you crying? She didnt answer and kept on crying. The Brahmin asked again, Tell me what hurts you so much?" Finally, she said, I know you dont love my son. You are not taking any interest in our son. He is grown up. You dont even think to get him a bride.

The Brahmin was shocked to hear such words. He replied, Bride, for our son? Do you think any girl would marry to a snake? The Brahmins wife didnt respond, but she kept on crying. On seeing her crying like that, the Brahmin decided to go out in search of a bride for his son. He traveled to many places, but found no girl who was ready to marry a snake. At last, he arrived in a big city where one of his friends lived. As the Brahmin had not met him for a long time, he decided to meet him. Both of the friends were happy to see each other after a long time and spent a good time altogether. During the conversation, the friend happened to ask the Brahmin that why he was traveling round the country. The Brahmin said, I am looking for a bride for my son. The friend told him not to go any further and promised his daughters hand in marriage. The Brahmin was shocked and said, I think , it would be better if you see my son before deciding this. His friend refused saying that he knew him and his family, so it was not necessary to see the boy. He sent his daughter with the Brahmin in order to get married with his son. The Brahmins wif e was happy to know this and quickly started making preparations for the marriage. When the villagers heard about this, they went to the girl and advised her not to marry the snake. The girl refused to hear to them and insisted that she had to keep her fathers word. Accordingly, the marriage between the snake and the girl took place. The girl started living with her husband, the snake. She was a devoted wife and looked after the snake like a good wife. The snake slept in his box at night. One night, when the girl was going to sleep, she saw a handsome young man in the room. She was frightened and was about to run for help. The young man stopped her and said, Dont fear. Didnt you recognize me? I am your husband. The girl didnt believe him. The young man proved himself by entering into the snakes skin and then came out of it once again as the young man. The girl was really happy to find her husband in a human form and fell at his feet. From that night onwards, every night the young would come out of th e snakes skin. He used to stay with his wife till daybreak and then would slip back into the snakes skin. One night, the Brahmin heard voices from his daughter-in-laws room. He kept a watch and saw the snake turning into a young man. He rushed into the room, seized the snakes skin and threw it into the fire. The young man said, Dear Father, thank you very much. Due to a curse, I had to remain a snake until somebody without asking me, destroy the snakes body. Today, you have done it. Now, I am now fre e from the curse." Thus, the young man never became snake again and lived happily with his wife.

The Gold Giving Serpent

Here is another interesting story from the collection of Panchatantra. Once upon a time, there was a poor Brahmin named Haridatta. He used to work hard in the fields, but could not get the result out of it. One day, after the tiring working hours, he laid down in the shade of the tree, in the middle of the field. Just then, he saw a terrible snake with a big hood coming out of an anthill. The poor Brahmin thought that the serpent might be the guardian deity of the field and he had not paid homage to it for once. This could be the reason for the barrenness of the field. Instantly, he went to bring some milk and offered the milk to the serpent in a bowl. While offering the milk with due regard, he addressed the serpent, O, Guardian of this field! I didnt know that you reside here thats why I never offered you anything. Please forgive me. After the whole event, he went to his home. Next day, when the farmer came to plough the field, he found a gold coin in the bowl near the anthill. Now this became a regular feature of Brahmins life. Daily he served milk to the serpent and found a gold coin. One day Brahmin had to go to the foreign lands and due to this reason, he asked his son to take care of the serpent. The son brought the milk to the anthill and offered it, to the serpent. Next day, when he came back found a gold coin in the bowl. After taking the gold coin, he thought, This anthill must be full of gold coins. I would kill

the serpent and take them all. Brahmins son decided the plan and next day came to the field with the milk and a stick. He offered the milk to the snake and struck its hood with the stick. The snake escaped the blow of the stick and bit the boy to his death. The whole village mourned over the sad death of Brahmins son. Two days later, the Brahmin returned to his village and came to know about the death of his son. He came across the whole incident and again went to the field to serve the milk to the serpent. He praised the snake in a loud voice and kept the milk near the anthill. The snake came out of the anthill and replied, Brahmin, you have come here from greed, even you have left your grief for your son who has just passed. Now onwards, the friendship between you and me is not possible. Your youthful son who lacked understanding struck me and I bit him. How can I forget that sticks blow? How can you forget the pain and grief for your son? . After saying t his, the serpent gave him a diamond and said, Never come to me again. That is why; I am giving you a costly diamond. The serpent disappeared into the anthill. The Brahman took the diamond and returned home, cursing the lack of understanding of his son. Moral: Excess of greed is harmful.

The Heron and the Crab

Here is another interesting story from the collection of Panchatantra. Once upon a time, there lived a crane by the side of a pond. He used to catch the fish from the same pond. The crane always had a full meal, but with the growing age he got older and weaker. He became so weak that he could not arrange for his food. The condition was that the fish swam around him, but he could not catch them. One day, he was extremely hungry. He hadnt eaten an ything for the past many days. To satisfy his hunger, without much toil and trouble, he devised a plan. In order to start off with his plan, he went to the side of a pond with a gloomy face without any intention to catch a fish. The fish, frogs and crabs thought why he was not trying to catch any food. One big crab, on seeing the sad crane asked him what the matter was. The crane replied, Alas! I am worried that the pond is soon going to be devoid of any fish, which are in turn my source of food. I have heard that some people are going to fill the tank with mud and grow crops over it. All the creatures of the pond got worried after hearing the crane. Founding the situation in his favor, the stork said, I know of a pond somewhat far away, where all the creatures will be safe. If the creatures are interested, I can carry a few each day to the other pond where they will be safe. Everyone in the lake was eager to take the help of the crane. The crane also confirmed that he required rest between trips due to his age. Also, he would be able to carry a few fish at a time. The creatures were ready to go with the crane on his condition. In the very first trip, the crane took some fish in his beak, but instead of taking them to another pond, he took them to a nearby hill and ate them. After taking rest for sometime, again when he felt hungry, he took the second trip. In this manner, the crane was getting a continuous supply of fish without any effort. Within a few days, he regained his health and became fleshy. The big crab also wanted to be saved. One day, the crab requested the crane to take him to the other pond. The crane thought it was a nice idea to try different food. He agreed to take the crab on the next trip. On the next trip, the crab happily went with the crane. During the trip, when some time had passed, the crab asked, How far is the pond now? The crane found that the crab was quite an innocent creature and would never know about his evil plans. So, he said angrily, "You fool, do you think I am your servant? There is no other pond around here. I made this plan in order to be able to eat you all. Now you too be prepared to die." The crab realized the foul play of the crane. Without loosing his senses, he quickly tightened his sharp claws around the neck of the crane. The crab snapped off the head of the crane. Thus, the crane died a selfish death. The crab somehow dragged himself back to the pond and narrated the whole incident to all the creatures of the pond. Every one of them thanked the crab for his effort and they lived happily thereafter. Moral: Excess of greed is harmful.

The Lion that Sprang to Life

Another story from the album of Panchatantra goes like this. Once upon a time, there were four friends in a village. Three of these four friends were learned in all sciences, but had no common sense. The fourth friend by the name of Subuddhi was not much learned in scriptures or sciences, but had common sense. He was quite practical in his approach towards life and knew what was good or bad for him. One day, the three learned friends thought that there was no use of their learning, unless it brought them money to fulfill their needs. They decided to travel to all distant towns and cities in order to try their luck. They didnt want to take their fourth friend with them, as he was not learned. However, they agreed to take him along with them, taking into account that he was their friend since childhood. After this, the four friends set out on a long journey. They wandered from one town to another, looking for an opportunity to earn money. One day, during their journey, they had to cross a dense forest. While passing through the forest, they saw a heap of bones lying under a tree. On seeing the heap, one of the learned friends said, Friends, this is a good opportunity to test our skills. I think these bones are of a certain animal. Let us bring it to life using the knowledge we have acquired. The first friend said, Fine. I will use my skills to assemble the bones into a skeleton. Then he chanted some mantra and ordered all the bones to come together forming a skeleton. When the skeleton was ready, the second friend chanted some other mantra, commanding flesh and blood to fill the skeleton and skin to cover it. Now, it looked like a lifeless lion. As the third learned friend stood up to do the final act of putting life into the lifeless body of the animal, the fourth friend shouted, Stop! This looks like the body of a lion. If it comes to life, he will kill all of us. The friend, who was to put life into the body of the animal said, You are a fool. What do you know in the field of learning and knowledge? Do you think I will lose this opportunity to test my learning? It would be better, if you keep your mouth shut. Ignoring what the fourth friend had said, the learned friend started chanting the mantra to bring the animal back to life. The fourth friend shouted, Wait a minute and quickly climbed up a tree nearby. The three learned friends laughed on the act of their friend. The third friend put life in the lifeless body of the lion. The lion sprang to life and killed all the three learned men. The fourth friend safely went back to his village. Moral: Knowledge without common sense is useless.

The Little Mice and the Big Elephants

It is one of the interesting stories from the Panchatantra collection, giving the idea that a friend in need is a friend indeed. Once upon a time, a village was ruined by a strong earthquake. The houses and roads got totally damaged. The villagewas shattered on the whole. Due to this, the villagers were forced to leave their houses and settle somewhere else. Finding the place vacant, the mice began to live in the ruined houses. Soon their number grew into hundreds and thousands. There was a big lake located near the ruined village. A herd of elephants used to visit the lake for drinking water. This was the only way available to them, to reach the lake. On their way to the lake, the elephants crushed hundreds of mice daily under their heavy feet. By this action of the elephants, the population of the mice was affected. The problem was getting bigger and bigger day by day. In order to find a solution to this problem, the mice held a meeting. It was decided that a request should be made to the king of the elephants regarding the problem. The King Mice met the King Elephant and asked, Sir, we live in the ruins ofthe village, but every time when your herd crosses the village, thousands of my subjects get crushed under the colossal feet of your herd. Kindly change your route. We promise to help you in the hour of

your need, if you keep my term. The king elephant laughed on hearing this and replied, You mice are very small to be of any help to giants like us. But doesnt matter, we would favor you by changing our route to reach the lake and making you safer. The King mice thanked the king elephant and returned home. One day a group of elephant-hunters came and trapped the group of elephants in huge strong nets. The elephants struggled hard to free themselves, but all in vain. Suddenly, the king of elephants remembered the promise of the king of mice, who had talked earlier about helping the elephants when needed. He summoned one of the elephants of his herd which had not been trapped, to go and contact the king of rats. On listening to the elephant, the rat king immediately took his entire group of mice to rescue the herd. He found the elephants trapped in a thick net. The mice set themselves on the task. They nibbled the thick net at thousands of spots making it loose. The elephants broke the loose net and got free. They were grateful to the mice for their great help and became friends for ever. Moral: Sometimes a weak looking person may prove stronger than others.

The Mice that ate Balance

Here is another interesting story from the album of Panchatantra. Once upon a time, there lived a rich merchant in a village, by the name of Jveernadhana. He was the owner of a big business. The village, in which he lived, was situated near a river. Once, due to heavy rains the river was flooded. The whole village got submerged in neck deep water. The crop, houses and factories in the village were damaged and hundreds of people and cattle perished in the flood. Due to this flood, the merchant had to suffer heavy losses in the business. He decided to leave the village and try his luck in a new place. His plan was to earn a lot of money and then come back to his native village to restart his business. With this intention, he sold off all his possessions and paid off his debts. Now, Jveernadhana was only left with a heavy iron balance that belonged to his ancestors. It was not possible for him to carry such a heavy iron balance. Jveernadhana went to say goodbye to his friend Janak and requested him to keep the balance for him till he returned. Janak readily agreed to his friend's request and said, "Don't worry; I'll keep it safe for you. You can take it back after you return home." Jveernadhana thanked Janak for his helping attitude and kept the balance with him. Jveernadhana left the village in order to accomplish his target. For many years, Jveernadhana traveled far and wide, trying his luck. By this time, Jveernadhana had done good business and earned a lot of money. He returned to his village. He started his business again. He went to visit his friend Janak, who greeted him warmly and both of them talked for hours. When it was time to leave, Jveernadhana asked his friend to return his iron balance. Janak replied, Friend, I am sorry to say that I don't have your balance with me anymore. There are a lot of mice in my house. They ate up your balance." Janak knew that the balance would fetch him good money so he was reluctant to return it. Jveernadhana was amazed to hear Janak's explanation. He thought, How can mice eat iron. Still, he kept calm and said, "Don't feel sorry, Janak. The mice have always proved a threat to everyone. Let us forget about it." Janak was happy to hear such words from Jveernadhana. While leaving the place of Janak, Jveernadhana said to Janak, Can you send your son with me? Actually I have brought a gift for you and your son will come with me, Ill handover the gift to him. Janak happily sent his son Ramu wi th Jveernadhana. Jveernadhana locked up Ramu in a room of his house. By the night, Janak got worried and came to ask about the whereabouts of his son. Jveernadhana replied, Im sorry friend. When we were on the way, a hawk swooped down and carried away the boy. Janak shouted, How can a hawk carry off a young boy? Janak accused Jveernadhana of lying. He insisted that a hawk could not carry off a fifteen year-old boy.

Jveernadhana repeatedly claimed that a hawk carried away Janaks son. A big fight ens ued and ultimately, the matter was taken to court. When the magistrate heard Janaks side of the story, he ordered Jveernadhana to return the boy to his father. Jveernadhana said, "My Lord, How can I, when a hawk has already carried away the boy." The judge reprimanded Jveernadhana, "Shut up! How can a bird carry away a young boy in his talons?" Jveernadhana politely replied, It can, my lord. If mice can eat my iron balance, why can't a bird carry away a grown up boy." The magistrate got confused and then Jveernadhana narrated the whole story to the judge. Everyone in the courtroom burst out laughing. At last, Janak apologized for his mistake. The judge ordered him to return the iron balance to Jveernadhana and asked Jveernadhana to return the boy to Janak. Moral: Never try to deceive a friend

The Mongoose and the Brahmins Wife

This is another good story from the collection of Panchatantra. Once upon a time, there lived a Brahman by the name of Deva Sharma with his wife. His wife delivered a son and they were happy to have their first child. The Brahmin wanted to have a pet animal to protect the child which would also be a companion to the child. The Brahmin kept his proposal before the Brahmani. She found the proposal acceptable and the Brahmin went to bring a pet. Deva Sharma went round the village and after much toil, got a mongoose as an escort to his child. Brahmani didnt like the idea to keep a mongoose for her child. But as the pet was alread y brought, so she accepted it. Now, both of them started loving the mongoose as their own child. Yet, the Brahmani never left her son alone because she did not trust the mongoose, fearing that it could harm her son. One day, the farmer and his wife had to go out of the house leaving the child at home. The farmer confirmed that the mongoose would take care of the child while they would be away. So, they left the mongoose and the child at home and went out. Soon after they left, a cobra entered the home. Finding danger to the son of the Brahmin, the mongoose attacked the cobra. They had a bloody combat and the mongoose succeeded in killing the cobra. After this, mongoose heard the footfalls of Brahmins wife and went at the door to greet her. Brahmani was trembled to see the blood stained mouth of the mongoose. She inferred that the mongoose had killed the child. Without a second thought, she threw a heavy box on mongoose and the mongoose died at the spot. Brahmani quickly entered the house to see her child and to her great surprise, she found her child sleeping quietly in the cradle. As soon as, she saw a snake bitten into pieces lying near the cradle, she realized that the mongoose had saved her child. The Brahmani was struck by grief that she had killed the mongoose that was like a sibling to her son. She cried loud at her hasty action. Moral: Dont act in haste. Think and Act.

The Monkey and the Crocodile

Here is another interesting tale from the Panchatantra collection. Long ago, there lived a monkey named Raktamukha, on a Jamun (Black-berry) tree by the side of a river. The tree was always full of fruits, which were as sweet as nectar. The Monkey used to eat fruits from the tree. Raktamukha was happily passing his days jumping from one tree to another. Once, a crocodile named Karalamukha came out of the waters and took rest under the tree on which the monkey lived. Raktamukha, who was sitting high on a branch, saw the crocodile taking rest under the tree. The monkey became very eager to talk to the crocodile. Since he had no friends, he wanted to make friends with him. Addressing the crocodile, Raktamukha said, As youre taking rest under the tree, youre my guest and its my duty to offer you food. The monkey gave a lot of Jamuns to the crocodile to eat. The crocodile ate them to his fill. He thanked the monkey for his generosity and went home.

Karalamukha started coming ashore everyday and enjoy the fruits offered by the monkey. Soon they became good friends. Both of them started spending time with each other discussing the world. One day, the crocodile asked the monkey for some Jamuns to take for his wife. The Monkey happily gave the fruits to the crocodile. The crocodile took the fruits cheerfully to his wife and also narrated the whole story to her. After eating the fruits, the crocodile's wife was overjoyed and said to her husband, "Dear, if these fruits are so tasty, then the monkey who eats these fruits must be ten times tastier. Why don't you bring the heart of this monkey for my meals? The crocodile was stunned to hear such words from his wife. He replied, Sweetheart, the monkey is my friend. It would not be fair to take his heart. The crocodiles wife was shrewd and pleaded with her husband to bring monkeys heart for her. The crocodile was unwilling to deceive his friend, but then she insisted on not eating anything till he brought her monkeys heart. The Crocodile was left with no other option, but to bring monkeys heart for his wife. He wa s afraid that how could he ask for such thing from his friend. He devised a plan and rushed to the monkey. Raktamukha was waiting for his dear friend for the daily meeting. Reaching ashore, Karalamukha asked the monkey in a sad tone, "My wife and I invite you to our home for adinner. My wife is very angry with me for not having invited you earlier". He stated that his wife is anxious to meet such a nice friend. Poor monkey didnt know about the plan and believed the story of crocodile. He asked the crocodile, I accept your invitation, but how will I go with you? I dont know how to swim? The crocodile replied, Dont worry. Come and sit on my back. Ill take you to my house. The monkey happily sat on the back of the crocodile and they started their journey. The crocodile entered in the deep waters with an intention to kill the monkey. The monkey got scared to see water all around and asked the crocodile to move slowly. The crocodile thought that now he could reveal his real intentions to the monkey, as it was impossible for him to escape from the middle of the river. The crocodile gullibly said to the monkey, I am taking you to my home to please my wife. She wants to eat your heart. She says that since you eat tasty fruits day and night, your heart must be ten times tastier than those fruits." The monkey was taken aback to hear these words. He had never expected this type of a request from a friend. He kept cool and said wittingly, "Oh dear! Why didnt you tell me earlier? It would be my privilege to offer my heart to your charming wife. I usually keep my heart safely in the burrow of the tree. In order to serve my heart to your wife, I have to go back to get my heart. The foolish crocodile swiftly then swam back to the tree where the monkey lived. On reaching the bank the monkey quickly jumped off the crocodiles back and climbed up his home tree. The crocodile was in a hurry and realized that the monkey was taking too long in getting his heart. Impatiently he asked, What is the delay? Get you heart. My wife will be very happy. By the time, the monkey had realized that this was a rebirth for him. The monkey laughed and answered, "My dear foolish friend. You've deceived me as a friend. Can any one take out his heart and keep that in a burrow. It was all a trick to save my life and teach a lesson to an unfaithful friend like you. Now go away and dont ever come back." The crocodile was ashamed for his act and went home with his head bent down. Moral: At times, presence of mind pays well.

The Musical Donkey

Here is one more interesting story from the Panchatantra collection. Once upon a time, there lived a washer man in a village. He possessed a thin donkey by the name of Udhata. The donkey used to work for the washer man and carry loads of clothes to the river bank by the day. The donkey was not satisfied with the food that was provided by the washer man. Inthe nights, he usually wandered in the fields nearby and ate the crops stealthily. One night, he met a jackal and made friends with him. Both of them went out in search of food. They found a field full of cucumbers and had them to their full. They were happy to found a nice place for their food and decided that they would come daily to eat cucumbers. Now daily, they came to the field to have cucumbers. Soon, the donkey

started looking healthyand fat. Once, after a tasty meal of cucumbers, the donkey was extremely happy. He was so happy that he got an intense desire to sing a song. He told the jackal that he was overwhelmed and wanted to express his happiness in a melodious song. The jackal immediately replied, "Don't be a fool. If you sing, the guards sleeping in and around this field will wake up and beat us black and blue with sticks. The donkey insisted on singing. The jackal again warned him not to do any foolish act. The donkey said, You are a dull fellow. Singing makes one happy and healthy. No matter what comes, I'll definitely sing a song." The jackal told him that his voice was not sweet. The donkey thought that jackal was jealous of him. The jackal once again warned him that if he would sing, the guards would come and reward him in the way, might be that he would not like. But the donkey could not stop himself from singing. Seeing the donkey singing, jackal said to the donkey, "Friend, wait a minute. First, let me jump over to the other side of the fence for my safety." The jackal decided to wait outside the garden. On hearing a donkey braying in the field, the guard woke up from his sleep. He picked up his stick lying by his side and rushed out to beat him. The donkey was braying happily, unknown about the danger. The angry guard found the donkey and beat him so mercilessly that the donkey was physically incapacitated temporarily. Somehow, the donkey managed to drag himself out of the field to the waiting jackal. The jackal looked at the donkey and said in a sympathetic tone, I am sorry to see you in this pathetic condition. I had already warned you, but you didn't listen to my advice." The donkey realized his mistake and felt sorry for not listening to the good advice of jackal. Moral: Think before you act.

The Brahmins Dream

Here is another interesting story from the Panchatantra collection. Once upon a time, there lived a poor Brahmin by the name of Swabhavakripna in a village. Swabhavakripna was all alone and had no friends or relatives. He was known for his miserliness and used to beg for his living. Whatever food he got as alms, he kept in an earthen pot and hung it beside his bed. Whenever he felt hungry, he took out some food from the pot and ate it. One day, the Brahmin got a quantity of rice gruel, so much that even after eating to his full, a pot full was left. Brahmin was very happy to get such quantity of food. As the night progressed, the Brahmin lay on his bed but he could not take his eyes from the pot. Soon, he was fast asleep. He began to dream that the pot is overflowing with rice gruel. He dreamt that if a famine came to the land, then he could sell it for a hundred silver coins. With these silver coins, he would buy a pair of goats. They would have kids in every six months and soon he would acquire a herd of goats. Then he would trade the goats for buffaloes and cows. Then they would have their young ones. They would grow up and give lots of milk. He would sell the milk in the market and make lots of butter and curd from it. Then he would sell that butter and curd in the market. Like this, he would become richer than ever before. With this money, he would buy a large house with four buildings in a rectangle. A wealthy Brahmin after seeing his affluence would marry his daughter to him. Soon, the wife would deliver a son and he would name him Soma Sharma. The Brahmin would scold Soma, when he would play around all day making noise. But Soma would not listen and anxiously the Brahmin would pick a stick and run after him. Buried in his dream, Brahmin picked up the stick lying near his bed. He started hitting in the air with the stick. While doing so, he hit the earthen pot with the stick, the pot broke and all the contents spilled over him. The Brahmin woke up to find that he was dreaming the whole situation. All his dreams got shattered at once. Moral: One should not build castles in the air.

The Sparrow and the Elephant

This is a nice fable from the album of Panchatantra. Once upon a time, there lived a sparrow with her husband on a banyan tree. They built a nest and the sparrow laid her eggs in the nest. One afternoon, a wild elephant came under the tree unable to bear the heat of the sun. Suddenly in a fit of rage, the elephant broke a branch of the tree on which the nest was built. Unfortunately, all the eggs of the sparrow got crushed though the parents were saved. The she-sparrow was full of grief and began weeping for her eggs. A woodpecker, a close friend of the sparrow, heard her crying and moved by her grief asked her, Why are you crying, my friend? The she-sparrow said, The wicked elephant has destroyed my offspring. If you are a true friend of mine suggest a way to kill him. The woodpecker consoled her and told her that he knew a fly and she would definitely help them, to kill theelephant. Both of them together went to seek the help of the fly. On meeting the fly, the woodpecker said, This is my dearest friend. A wild elephant has crushed her eggs. You have to find a way to kill that elephant. We need your help. The fly replied, One ofmy friends is a frog. Let us go to him and take his help too. The she -sparrow, the woodpecker and the fly went to the frog and narrated the whole incident. The frog said, What can an elephant do before a united crowd like us? Do what I tell you. Dear Fly, you go to the elephantwhen the sun is high in the sky and hum a sweet tune into his ears. When he closes his eyes in delight, the woodpecker will scoop his eyes out. Like this, he will become blind. When he will get thirsty, he will look for water. I will go to a marshy land and begin croaking there. Thinking that there is water, the elephant will come there. He will sink into the marshy area and die. The next day in the noon, all the three played out the plan and the elephant was killed, when he drowned into a marshy area after being blinded by the woodpecker, when he closed his eyes in response to the music. Thus, with the smartness of all the three animals, the sparrow took her revenge on the elephant. Moral: Wit is superior to brute force.

The Talkative Tortoise

This is one more interesting story from Panchatantra. Once upon a time, there was a tortoise by the name of Kambugriva and two geese by the name of Sankata and Vikata. The tortoise lived in a pond and he made friends with two geese who used to come and visit him at the pond. All of them were happy for the past many years. Once they faced a drought that lasted for several months. Due to this, all the rivers, lakes and ponds went dry. There was not a drop of water to drink for the birds and the animals. They began to die of thirst and scorching heat. Many of them decided to migrate to some fertile lands. The three friends also decided to leave the pond and to go to some distant lake, full of water, to settle down there for ever. But it was quite difficult to shift at a distant place. Although, was quite easy for the geese as they could fly but the problem was for tortoise. The poor tortoise could not fly and to cover that distance on foot was really difficult. All of them had a conversation, as to what could be a possible solution for this problem. The geese suggested a plan, according to which, tortoise would have to hold a piece of stick by his mouth and which would be carried slowly while holding its two ends by them. The only condition was that the tortoise should not speak; otherwise he would fall and die spontaneously. The geese were worried because they knew that tortoise was very talkative and it was difficult for him to keep his mouth shut. The tortoise got the logic and promised not to open his mouth during the entire journey. Before starting their journey, the geese again cautioned their friend not to open his mouth in any case. With this instruction, the geese held the stick ends in their beaks and the tortoise held the stick in the middle with his teeth.

Thus, they started their journey. They flew higher and higher, over hills, valleys, fields and plains. Ultimately, they flew over a town. The people of the town were surprised to see such a strange scene. They started laughing and clapping, to see the geese carrying tortoise like that. The peoples shouting and laughing annoyed the tortoise. He thought why these people were making such a noise. Unable to control his anxiety, he opened his mouth to speak. But as soon as he opened his mouth, he lost his grip on the stick and fell to his death. So, the poor tortoise got killed because of his stupidity and impatience. Moral: Always listen to friendly advices.

The Two Headed Weaver

It is another funny story from the Panchatantra collection. Once upon a time, there was a weaver by the name Mantharaka. One day when he was weaving the cloth, the wooden frames of his loom broke. He took an axe and went to the forest to bring wood in order to make new frames. He went round the forest but didnt find the adequate wood for the frames. Fromthe forest, he drifted towards the seashore where he saw a huge tree. He thought that if he could cut wood from the tree, he would have enough wood for all frames and would stay throughout his life. As the weaver raised his axe to cut the tree, a spirit living on that tree said, O weaver, this tree is my home and it must be spared in any event, because it prevents my body from the cool breeze which comes from the sea. Mandharaka said, Sir, if I dont cut the tree and take its wood home, then my family will starve and die. So, please go somewhere else as I have to cut this tree. The spirit answered, If you do not cut the tree, I will give you a boon of your choice. The weaver said, Sir, in that case, I will go home and ask my wife and friends. When I will return, you must give me what I ask for. The spirit agreed to it and the weaver returned home with joy. While coming back to the city, he met his friend, the barber and said, Friend, a spirit has given me a boon of my choice and gave me time to consult friends and my wife. Tell me what I should demand from him". The barber replied, My dear friend, demand a kingdom where you could be the king and Iwould be your Prime Minister. You would be having a palace, where we can enjoy the pleasures of this world. Like this, both of us can enjoy life here and hereafter. Mantharaka said, True. But let me ask my wife too. The barber said, A wise man should never ask women for advice. He can give a woman food, clothing, jewelry and above all the duties of marriage, but should never ask for their advice. As women think only of their own benefit and they have low wits. The weaver replied, Even though this is true, still I would consult my wife, as she is my better half. After this, the weaver quickly went to his home and narrated the whole story of the spirit and his boon to his wife. He also told her that his friend, the barber had advised him to ask for a kingdom. His wife said, O my lord, what do barber understands? No wise man would consult children or barbers or servan ts or beggars. A kings life is full of hardships. He is always worried about friendships, animosities, wars, servants, defense alliances, and duplicity. He never gets a minutes rest because anyone who rules hardly gets anytime. The same container that is used for comfort can also be used to pour out bad luck. Never envy the life of a king." The weaver said, "You are right. But you havent told me what boon I should choose. She answered, Every day you are able to weave a single piece of cloth which is barely enough to meet our daily needs. You should ask for another pair of arms and another head so that you can work on two pieces of cloth at once, one in front of you, and one behind you. The first piece will help us meet our daily needs. The second one will help us meet special needs. Thus, we can sail our life comfortably and happily. After listening to his wife, he said, You are a faithful wife and you have spoken well. I will do what you have suggested. The weaver happily went to the spirit and said, Sir, you have kindly given me a choice. I request you to give me two more hands and an extra head. He had hardly spoken before he was two -headed and four-

armed. Rejoiced, he began his homeward journey. People on the way saw him and considered him as a kind of demon. They hammered him with stones and sticks. The poor weaver died at the spot. Moral: One who has no wits of ones own will perish.

The Hunter and the Doves

This is one more nice fable from the collection of Panchatantra. Once upon a time, there was a flock of doves that flew in search of food. This flock was led by their king. Once, it happened as such that the flock had flown a long distance and all the doves got tired. The king of doves encouraged the doves to fly a little more. One of the doves picked up pace and found some rice grains scattered under a banyan tree. All the doves were happy to find the food and happily landed on the ground. As soon as they began to eat the grains, a huge net fall over them and all of them got trapped. The doves fluttered their wings desperately trying to come out, but it was of no avail. Just then, they saw the hunter coming towards them. He appeared quite happy to find a huge number of doves trapped inside the net. The whole flock was frightened on seeing the fowler. However, the king of doves was very intelligent and clever. He didnt loose his patience and devised a plan to come out from this adverse situation. He advised to other doves, In order to get free from the net of this hunter, we should all fly up together clutching the net in our beaks. There is strength in unity. We will decide our next course of action later. Now, come on and lets fly. Hearing to the king, each dove picked up a portion of the huge net and they flew up together, carrying the net with them. The hunter was surprised to see the birds flying, along with the huge net. He ran after the birds, shouting madly, but could not catch them. Soon, they flew high over hills and valleys getting out of his sight. When the king dove saw that the hunter had given up the chase, he said to his friends, "Now we all have to get out of this net. A mouse lives on the nearby hill. He is good friend of mine. Let's go to him for his help." They flew to a hill near a city of temples where the mouse lived. When the mouse heard the loud noise of doves approach, he got frightened and hid himself deeper into his hole. The King dove asked, Dear friend, I have come, the king dove. Were in great difficulty. Please come out and help us. Hearing the voice of the king dove, the mouse came out of his hole and saw the king dove and his friends trapped in the net. The mouse said, Oh! Whos done all this to you? The king dove explained the whole story to the mouse. He told him that they require mouses help to nibble the net and set them free. The mouse immediately started nibbling the net around the king dove. The king dove said, No, dear. First set my followers free. A king cannot keep his subjects in pain and enjoy the freedom for himself." The mouse understood the kings feelings and praised the king for his nobleness. As per the kings wish, the mousenibbled at the portion of the net and one by one all the doves got freed including the king dove. All the doves were happy to get free. They thanked the mouse for his effort and flew away together happily to their destination. Moral: Strength lies in unity.