A Tailor and the Elephant

Once there lived a tailor in a village. An elephant also lived in the same village. The elephant visited the tailor's shop every day. The tailor fed him with something or the other.

They lived like good friends. One day the tailor was not in a good mood. When the elephant came to his shop he pricked its trunk with a needle. The elephant went to the river and filled his trunk with plenty of mud and dirt.

He came running to the tailor's shop. He emptied his trunk all over the tailor and his shop. The tailor was splashed with dirt.

Next day, the tailor asked forgiveness from the elephant and fed him with fresh fruit and vegetables.

Moral: Do not expect any good in return of bad.

Lion and the Mouse

Part of a story is given below: you have to complete it. Once a lion was sleeping in a jungle. He was woken up by a mouse. The lion became angry. The mouse pleaded for his life. He promised to help the lion. The lion let it go. Once the lion got caught in a trap.

Once there lived a lion. He was sleeping under a shady tree. A mouse lived in a hole nearby. It came out of its hole. It began to move up and down on the body of the lion. The lion woke up from his sleep. He was very angry. He wanted to kill the mouse. The mouse prayed for its life. It said, "Please spare my life. I will pay back your kindness". The lion took pity and set the mouse free.

One day, the lion was caught in a net. He began to roar. The little mouse heard his roar and came there. It saw the lion caught in a net. It cut the net with its sharp teeth. The lion was free. He thanked the little mouse for its timely help.

Moral: Do well and have well.

Fox and the grapes

Once a hungry fox went about in search of food and reached a vineyard. He stopped near one of the trees that bore beautiful ripe grapes which were hang­ing in bunches. His mouth watered. He thought that he would eat the ripe grapes to satisfy his hunger.

So he tried to catch hold of the grapes. He jumped as high as possible to hold at least one of the bunches which was not so high. But still it was beyond his reach. When his repeated efforts failed to get even a single grape, he was upset.

So he consoled himself by thinking that these grapes must be sour, which he should not taste. And it is better to leave the vineyard and look for food somewhere else. So the fox went away.

A Monkey and Two Cats

Once a cake was stolen by two cats from a house. But they did not want to share it.

Each of the cats claimed that it was his earning and that he was not prepared to give a share to the other. When their quarrel reached the climax, a monkey appeared on the scene. He offered himself to solve the dispute. He heard the case and opined that as they were good friends, they should share the cake equally. And he offered himself to divide the cake into two equal parts for them.

Somehow the cats agreed to his suggestion. Then the monkey took and 'divided the cake into two parts. He weighed each of the parts separately, and found that one was heavier than the other. So he gave a good bite to the heavier piece to make it of lesser weight, and weighed it again. Now he found the other part heavier. So again, he gave a good bite to the heavier piece and put it one the scale. Now it appeared to be of lesser weight. Again, he gave a good bite to the presently heavier piece to make it equal in weight to the other. But none of the two pieces appeared to be perfectly equal in weight.

Now the cake was almost eaten up by the clever monkey this Way. So the cats wanted the remaining parts back from the monkey. At this, the monkey said that they cannot get them back, because he claims them as remuneration for his service to them. So saying, the monkey swallowed the tuning two small pieces of the cake and jumped high to of a tree, beyond the reach of the cats.

A Thirsty Crow

There was a crow. At a very hot summer day he was feeling very thirsty. He flew from place to place in search of water, but he could not find it anywhere. He was very sad and disappointed at not getting a drop of it.

At last he saw a jug of water. He flew down to the jug and sat on its edge. When he craned his beak to quench his thirst, he, saw to his great discouragement, that the water was just at the bottom.

His beak could not reach such a low level of water. He even tried to overturn the jug but could not. It was too heavy for him to move.

When he was just about to fly in despair, he thought of a plan. Suddenly his eyes fell upon some pebbles lying near the jug. He flew to them, picked up the pebbles one by one and dropped them into the jug.

Slowly and slowly the level of water rose and came up to the neck. The crow was overjoyed to see this. He dipped his beak, quenched his thirst and flew away.

Moral :

Where there is a will there is a way.

The Fox and Crow

Once a fox was feeling very hungry. He roamed here and there in search of food but could not find anything to eat.

To take rest it sat under a tree. When the fox looked up, he saw, to his great joy, a crow sitting on one of the branches of the tree. He was holding a piece of meat in his beak.

On seeing this, his mouth began to water and started thinking about the piece of meat. At last he hit upon a plan to get the piece of meat from the crow.

He got up and said to crow, "Good morn­ing. I am glad to meet you. How handsome you look! What a nice beak you have! But if you could sing so sweet as you are beautiful, you could win for yourself the title of the 'Queen of the birds'."

The foolish crow was taken in by the oily talk of the fox. He felt happy. He at once opened his beak to sing. As he gave out a loud caw in his cracked voice, the piece of meat fell down on the ground.

The fox picked it up and ate it up at once. The poor crow had to repent on his foolishness.

Moral:

Do not give way to flattery.

Dishonesty meets dishonesty

It was a stormy night. A traveler reached an inn. As the hour was very late, he found the door locked from within. He knocked at the door.

The gate-keeper responded to the knock, saying, "I have lost the key and the door cannot be opened unless you have a silver key with you."

The traveler understood what he meant by the silver key. He immediately slipped a silver coin through the hole, and the door opened.

As soon as he got in, he said to the gate keeper, "I have left my box outside, please bring it." As the gate-keeper went out to bring the box, the traveller closed the door behind him.

The keeper asked him to open the door so that he may come in. Now the traveller replied from within, "I have lost the key and a silver key is needed to open the door." Soon the coin was pushed again through the hole and the dishonest man was let in.

Moral:

Dishonesty meets dishonesty.

Bad habits

A rich man had only one son. The son fell into the bad company. He developed many bad habits.

The man was much worried about the habits of his son. He tried his best to mend his habits but he could not succeed. One day he thought of a plan to teach his son a lesson.

He went to market and purchased some fresh apples and a rotten one. He came back to his home and called his son. He asked his son to put all the apples along with the rotten one in the almirah.

The son did the same. After some days father asked his son to bring the apples. As he opened the door of almirah he was surprised to note that all the apples had become rotten. He felt sad.

At this his father told him to see how one rotten apple had spoiled all the rest. In the same way one bad companion could spoil all others. The father's advice had the desired effect. The boy gave up bad com­pany and became good again

Half profit

A rich man wanted to give a great feast to his friends. He got all kinds of dishes prepared but he could not get fish. He offered a reward to the man who would bring it.

After some time a fisherman brought a big fish. But the gate keeper would not let him in till he had promised to give him half the reward.

The fisherman agreed. The rich man was highly pleased and wanted to give him a lot of money, but the fisherman refused to take it. Instead, he demanded a hundred lashes on his back. All were surprised.

At last the rich man ordered a servant to give him a hundred lashes. When the fisherman had received fifty, he asked them to stop as he had a partner in the business.

It was the gate keeper. The rich man understood the whole thing. He was given the remaining fifty lashes dismissed from the service. The rich man gave the fisherman a handsome reward.

Two Friends and the Bear

Once there were two fast friends in a village. Their names were Raju and Ramu. One day both of them set out on a journey.

They-promised to help each other in trouble. Their way lay through a forest. As they were passing through a forest, they saw a big bear. The bear was coming towards them. They were much frightened to see such a deadly sight.

Ramu at once climbed up a nearby tree to save his life. He was unaware of his friend's safety. Raju did not know how to climb up a tree.

But he was wise and intelligent. He had heard that bears do not touch the dead. So he lay on the ground, held his breath and appeared to be dead. The bear came near him and sniffed the whole body of Raju. Thinking him dead, he went away.

When the bear had gone quite far Raju got on his feet. Ramu also came down the tree. He asked Raju to tell him what the bear had whis­pered in his ear. Raju said that the bear had advised him to beware of false friends like him.

Moral:

Beware of false friends or do not lose your wits.

The Selfish Dog

A farmer had an ox and a dog. The ox helped him in his fields and the dog watched the house at night.

One evening the ox returned home very tired. He was very hungry He went to the manger to eat hay. But he found the dog sitting on it.

The dog barked at him and would not let him eat it. The ox said to the dog, "Please, get aside and let me eat the hay. It is of no use to you."

But the4H natured dog replied, "Since I myself cannot eat the hay. I will not let anyone else have it." So the ox had to go hungry that day.

There are some selfish people in the world also. They would not let others have what they themselves cannot get. They follow the "Dog in the Manger Policy."

The Lost Camel

Once two merchants lost a camel. They met a traveller and asked him if he had seen it. The man replied he had not." But was your camel blind in the right eye?" Said he to them.

"Yes, he was", replied the merchants. "Was it lame in one left foot?" The man asked again. "Cer­tainly it was", said the merchants.

"Was its front tooth missing"? said he to them." Indeed I" said they. "Was it loaded with honey on one side and with wheat on the other?" "That is just how it was loaded," they answered. "Please take us to it."

"But I have not seen your camel," said the man "and I do not know where it is" the merchants got angry and said, "Then how could you tell us so exactly everything about our camel?" "That is my secret" said the man.

The merchants took him to the king who asked him where the camel was. The man replied that he had not seen it. At this the king asked him how he knew so much about it.

The man answered that the camel had eaten grass only on the left side of the path. So he knew that it was blind.

The marks of its one left foot were faint. This showed that the camel was lame. While eating grass, it had left a little turf in the middle.

So he learnt that it had lost front teeth. There were ants carrying grains of corn on one side of the path and flies eating honey on the other. The king was satisfied with his explanation and let him go.

The Donkey and The Dog

This Short Story The Donkey and The Dog is quite interesting to all the people. Enjoy reading this story.

A washer man had a donkey and a dog. Both the donkey and the dog helped his master in many ways. One night, few thieves broke in the house of that washer man. The dog heard them and started barking. The washer man got up and so did the neighbors. “What is that? A dog. Let us run,” said the thieves. They feared some dangerous consequences. By that time many people gathered in the street. They tried to run away but they were caught by the people.

The washer man said, “I am glad I had this dog in my house. I am sure the thieves would have looted me if my dog had not barked.” The washer man was highly proud of the dog. Every one too praised the dog.

From that day, the donkey started thinking, “The master thinks that the dog is a more useful animal than me.” The donkey decided he will show his master, the washer man, that he too could be useful just like the dog. Few days passed. One night, it so happened, two thieves again entered the washer man’s house. The thieves became aware of the animals, present in that house. “We should be careful, friend! I have heard that a dog guards this house,” one thief said to the other.

As the thieves peeped in, they saw the dog sitting just outside the main door. “It seems the dog is quite alert,” said one thief.

“It is better to leave this house alone. We had better go at once,” the other thief said and the two thieves fled. But unknown to the thieves, the donkey was watching all this. He thought, “It is a good opportunity for me to show my master that I too can be useful to him. The thieves have run away. If I start shouting, the master will think that I have driven the thieves away and out of this house.” And the foolish donkey started braying loudly.

When the washer man heard the donkey bray at this odd hour, he got angry. He came out with a stick and thrashed the donkey. “This will teach him not to bray at night,” he screamed. The donkey got all the thrashes in silence. It did not know what was taking place.

Just then the dog came to the donkey and said, “It is better to do your duties than try to be like me.” The donkey knew that the dog was right.There after both the donkey and the dog remained peaceful.

The Bird with two heads

A great bird named Bharunda lived on the banks of a lake. He had two heads but a single body. One day, as the bird was wandering on the bank of the lake, he found a very delicious fruit. One of his heads mumbled, “Oh what a fruit. I am sure the heavens have sent it for me. I am so lucky.” Hearing this, the second head said, “O brother, let me also taste the fruit you are praising so much.”

The first head laughed and said, “Both of us have the same stomach. It makes no difference whether I eat it or you eat it. I shall give it to our beloved. She will be very happy.” Bharunda thus gave the fruit to his wife. The second head was disappointed at this action of the first head.

One day, the second head found a poisonous fruit and told the first head, “You treacherous fellow. For what you have done to me, I will eat this poisonous fruit and avenge your insult.” The second head said, “You fool, if you eat that, both of us will die because we have the same body.”

Ignoring his warning, the second head ate the poisonous fruit and both of them died.

MORAL : Those who are not united will perish.

Rabbit and Elephant

One day Rabbit was taking a walk through the jungle and ran into Elephant, who was making a fine meal of the treetops. "Hello, brother," said Rabbit. "Fine day, isn't it?" Elephant paused to look down at the tiny little creature at his feet and snorted. "Leave me be, Rabbit. I don't have the time to waste on someone so small."

Rabbit was shocked to be talked to in such a manner. He wasn't sure what to do so he left quietly to go and think about what had happened. As he walked along, he spied mighty Whale far out to sea and decided to ask her what she thought about Elephant's rudeness. He cupped his tiny paws and yelled as loud as he could, "Whaaaaale!! Come heeeeere!!"

Whale swam over to see who was calling her and looked about. After a few minutes she spied tiny little Rabbit jumping up and down on a cliff. "Rabbit," Whale said impatiently, "Did you just call me over here?" "Of course," said Rabbit. "Just who do you think you are? You are far too small and weak to have anything to say to me." And at that she turned, flipped her huge tail, and set off back into the deep ocean. But just then Rabbit had an idea.

He called out to her one more time, "Whale! You think that I am weak, but in fact, I am stronger than you! You wouldn't be so quick to ignore me if I beat you at Tug-of-War." Whale looked at him for a moment before falling into a fit of laughter. "Very well little one," said Whale. "Go get a rope and we will see who is stronger."

Rabbit ran off to gather up the strongest and thickest vine he could. When he found it, he went to Elephant and said to the giant animal, "Elephant, you had no cause to treat me with such discourtesy this afternoon. I shall have to prove to you that we are equals. Elephant looked down between chews and chuckled. "And how will you do that, small one?" Rabbit stood up as high as he could, looked Elephant right in the eye and said, "By beating you at a game of Tug-of-War." Elephant laughed so hard he nearly choked on his leaves, but agreed to humor the tiny animal. He tied the vine around his huge, hefty waist, snickering the whole time.

Rabbit took the other end and started off into the jungle. He called back to Elephant, "Wait until I say 'pull' and then pull with all of your might." Rabbit took the other end of the rope to Whale and said, "Tie this to your tail and when I say `pull' you swim with all of your might." Whale tied the vine to her tail, all the while smirking at Rabbit's foolishness.

"I will now go and tie the other end to my own waist," said Rabbit, and hopped off into the jungle. Rabbit hid in the bushes and then called out, at the top of his lungs, "PULL!!" Elephant started to walk away with a smile on his face, but the smile soon turned to a look of surprise when the vine stopped following him. "My goodness," he said to himself, "Rabbit is much stronger than I expected!" The look of surprise soon became a frown as Elephant pulled harder and harder, unable to make the tough vine budge any further.

Meanwhile, Whale began to swim away from the shore, but almost lost her breath when the vine pulled tight and refused to come with her. She pulled harder and harder, but she could not pull it any further. "That little Rabbit could not possibly be stronger than me," she said in outrage. Soon the vine could take no more strain and, with an ear-splitting sound, snapped into two pieces.

When this happened, poor Elephant went sailing through the jungle and tumbled head over heels down a steep valley. The end that was tied to Whale caught up to her suddenly and she went sailing through the ocean and smashed into a very scratchy and very uncomfortable coral reef.

Rabbit left without a word and never mentioned the matter again. Elephant and Whale were completely confused and never did figure out how such a tiny creature as Rabbit could have beaten the largest of the animals. And to this day, they are very careful to greet little Rabbit with great respect whenever they meet.

The Ass Story

Once upon a time, there lived an old lion who was, of course, the king of the jungle. However, he was old and he could not hunt for food. With each passing day he grew weaker and weaker. He realized that he needed an assistant to bring him his food, else he would surely die.

He thought that a fox would be the best person to hire in this situation. He summoned the fox and offered him the post of Minister because he was so clever. The fox did not trust the lion, but he could not refuse the king. He agreed and the lion was pleased.

The old lion told the fox that as he was the king of the jungle, he should not have to hunt for his food. Therefore, the fox's first duty as Minister was to bring him an animal to eat every day.

The fox went out to find an animal and came across a fat ass. He told the ass that the king of the jungle had invited the ass to act as his Chief Minister and had been searching for him for days. But the ass was scared of the lion and told the fox that he was not fit to be Chief Minister. The fox flattered the ass, praising the fact that he was so wise and hardworking. And so he convinced the ass to go along with him.

When they reached the lion's den, the poor ass's nerve failed him again and he refused to move forward. The fox informed the lion that his new Chief Minister was feeling shy. So the lion himself came forward. The poor ass ran for his life. The lion was very angry. The fox told him to be patient and leave it to him. The fox went back to the ass and told him that if the lion had wanted to kill him, he could easily have done so before. He said that the lion had approached him to share some secret that he did not want the fox to hear. He tempted the ass telling him that he would be very powerful as the lion's second in command. In this way, the fox managed to entice the ass to go back to the lion.

The lion welcomed them graciously. As the ass drew nearer, the lion pounced on him and killed him. He then thanked the fox. As the lion sat down to eat, the fox suggested that the lion take a bath before his meal. The lion thought it was a good idea and went off to have a bath. He instructed the fox to watch over the carcass of the ass.

The fox obediently sat down to keep watch. But the fox was hungry and his mouth watered as he looked at the ass just waiting to be eaten. He thought to himself that since he had taken all the trouble to bring the ass to the lion, he was entitled to the best portion of the meal. So he ate the ass's brain.

When the lion returned, he felt that there was something amiss. The fox reminded him that he had given the ass a powerful blow on his head. Satisfied with this explanation, the lion settled down to his meal. He soon realized that the ass had no brain. He questioned the fox about this. The fox replied that if the ass had had a brain, he would never have returned with the fox to meet the lion.

The Wild Elephant

One of the many lives of the Bodhisattva was spent as an ascetic. This one time, he came back as the most superior ascetic in the whole order and everyone used to follow him. There was another ascetic in the same order who was jealous of the Bodhisattva. So, to remove the Bodhisattva from his path, he asked some elephant keepers to intoxicate a ferocious elephant by giving it liquor and then letting it loose on the Bodhisattva’s path. The ferocious and drunk elephant was let loose on the street and people ran in every direction to save their lives. The Bodhisattva continued walking down the path and looked calm. Suddenly, a woman, who was very frightened, accidentally dropped her child at the feet of the Bodhisattva. The wild elephant walked up to them and as it was about to trample them, the Bodhisattva placed his hand on its forehead and gently stroked it. Suddenly, the wild elephant became calm and bowed in front of him. Everyone was amazed to see this miracle.

The Wise King

Once upon a time, the Bodhisattva was born to King Buddhirama of Mithila and was named Fruitful. Prince Fruitful grew up to become a handsome young man. By the time he was sixteen, he had mastered religion and literature and was a skilled warrior. He decided to sail to Burma to make his fortune. There was a fierce storm at sea and the ship began to sink. Fruitful soaked his clothes in oil, so that it would help him float on water, then jumped into the sea and swam with all his might in the direction of Mithila. The Sea Goddess, pleased with his undying spirit and courage, flew to Mithila and lay him down on a sacred stone in a mango garden.

Now, King Buddhirama had died before his son was born and his kingdom had been usurped by his brother, Suddhirama. And now, King Suddhirama had died. The royal priest set a white horse free and declared that the first person the horse would stop by, would be crowned the new king of Mithila. The royal horse roamed for many days, reached the mango garden and stopped by Prince Fruitful! The priest anointed the prince with holy water and took him to the palace to Princess Sivali, King Suddhirama’s daughter. She said, “My father’s final wish was that the future king would have to pass two tests. He will have to string a bow that can only be strung by a thousand men and he will have to find sixteen hidden treasures, the first of which is the treasure of the Rising Sun. Only then can he become king.”

Fruitful strung the bow effortlessly. For the second test, he remembered that the Silent Buddhas – the holy men who never preached – were often compared to the glory of the sun. So, he went to the place there where King Suddhirama used to go to give alms to the Silent Buddhas, dug the ground and just as he had thought, found the first treasures. Reasoning similarly, he found all the hidden treasures and passed both tests. Thus, Prince Fruitful became the king of Mithila.

The Rat that ate Iron

    

  

Jveernadhana was a merchant's son who was not successful. He faced a loss in his business and lost all his money.

He thought of travelling to a different part of the country to seek success.

He had inherited a very costly iron balance from his ancestors. When leaving, he mortgaged the iron balance to a nearby merchant in exchange of money for his travels.

He travelled all over the country, and had a successful travel. The merchant's son then decided to return to his home town.

After his return, he went to the nearby merchant's place and asked for his iron balance, "O Friend! Please return the iron balance that I had kept with you."

The other merchant did not want to return it, he said, "I do not have it anymore. We have a problem with rats. The rats are eating up everything. They have eaten up your iron balance, too!"

At once, the merchant's son knew the truth. He replied, "If the rats have eaten it up, there is nothing that you can do. Anyway, nothing can last forever!"

He continued, I am eager to go for a bath in the river, please ask your boy to help me carry my belongings, and to look after them while I take my bath"

The other merchant agreed, and called his son, "Son, this is your uncle. Please accompany him to the river and keep watch so that none of his belongings get stolen."

So, the merchant's son and the boy went to river. After he had taken a bath, the merchant's son took the boy to a nearby cave. He kept the boy inside the cave and blocked the entrance of the cave with a big rock. He then returned to the other merchant's place.

When the other merchant saw his friend returning alone, he asked, "Where is my boy? Why have you returned alone?"

The merchant's son replied, "I feel sorry for you. When I was taking my bath, your boy was standing on the bank. Just then, a flamingo flying above swept down and carried your boy off in its claws. I could do nothing!"

On hearing this, the other merchant got angry. He said, "You are a liar! A flamingo can never carry a boy as big as him, in its claws. I shall complain about you to the village elders."

At once, the other merchant dragged the merchant's son to a nearby village elder and started complaining

The other merchant said, "He is a disgraceful man, who has kidnapped by son."

The village elder instructed, "How can you do this? Return his son to him immediately!"

But the merchant's son was unmoved. He said, "There is nothing that I can do. A flamingo swept down and carried him off in its claws from the riverbank!"

Hearing this, the village elder got angry. He shouted, "How can a flamingo carry a child? You are lying!"

The merchant's son replied, "Sir! In a city where rats eat iron, why cannot a flamingo carry a child?"

The village elder was amazed to hear this, "Where does a rat eat iron? What is the meaning of what you say? Please explain yourself clearly!"

The merchant's son narrated the entire sequence of events to them and explained how he had hidden the merchant's boy in a cave to get his iron balance back.

When the village elder, and everybody else who had crowded there heard the story, they started laughing. The other merchant was embarrassed.

The village elder instructed the other merchant to return the iron balance to the merchant's son immediately, and recover his son from the cave.

The wise indeed say:

'Tit for tat' is the best policy in life.

The Cobra and the Crows

      

There was a big banyan tree, where two crows - husband and wife, had prepared a nice nest and made it their home. In the hollow of the same tree, lived a black cobra.

Cobra and Crows - Panchatantra Story PictureThe crows had a problem because the black cobra would climb up the tree and eat the newborns, whenever the female crow hatched her eggs. They could do nothing to save them.

The crows went to a jackal, who lived in a nearby banyan tree, to seek his advice. They narrated everything to him and requested his advice for them to get rid of their problem.

They said, "O Friend, It has become dangerous to live here. Please tell us how we can protect our children from being eaten up by the wicked black cobra."

Cobra and Crows - Panchatantra Story PictureThe jackal replied, "Please don't give up. Even powerful enemies can be overcome with the use of wit."

On hearing this, the crows requested, "O Friend, please tell us how we can overcome and destroy this wicked cobra."

The jackal told them a plan, "Fly into the capital of the kingdom, not far from here. Visit the house of someone who is wealthy and careless at the same time. Notice if something of value is lying around. If you find so, pick it up when the servants are watching you."

He continued, "You will need to fly slowly so that the servants can follow you. Return back to your tree and drop it in the hollow of the tree where the cobra lives. When the servants reach, they will kill the cobra when they see it."

Cobra and Crows - Panchatantra Story PictureThe crows decided to follow the jackal's advice and flew off immediately according to his plan.

As they flew above the capital, the female crow noticed wealthy women swimming in a lake. They had left gold and pearl necklaces on the banks of the lake, which were guarded by royal servants.

At once the female crow swooped down, and picked up a big necklace in her beak, and started flying slowly.

When the royal servants noticed her, they picked up sticks and stones, and started throwing at her, and ran to chase her.

Cobra and Crows - Panchatantra Story PictureAs planned, she dropped the necklace in front of the hollow of the tree, where the black cobra was asleep. She sat on one of the branches for the royal servants to notice.

When the royal servants arrived, the black cobra came out of the hollow of the tree to see what all the noise was about. The black cobra confronted the king's servants with swelling hood, but the servants attacked the cobra with sticks and stones to recover the necklace.

They killed the wicked cobra, and returned with the necklace. And the crows, having gotten rid of the cobra, lived happily.

The wise indeed say:

Even a very powerful enemy can be destroyed through deceit.

Tale of the Three Fishes

Three fishes named Anagatavidhata, Pratyutpannamati and Yadbhavishya lived in a certain pond, along with many other fishes.

One afternoon, some fishermen were passing by the pond. They investigated the pond, and agreed that the pond was full of fishes. Since, they were already returning after catching fishes, and already had a big haul, they decided to come back the next morning.

They discussed, "This pond is full of fishes, and there are many big ones too. We have never caught fishes in this pond. Let us come back tomorrow morning."

The three fishes were swimming on the surface when they heard the fishermen discuss their plans.

The first fish panicked. He immediately assembled all other fishes and told them what they had heard. He said, "Tomorrow morning, the fishermen will arrive to catch us. I do not want to die like this. So, I will leave with my family at the earliest. I advise all of you to follow me. It will not be wise for anybody to stay here any longer!"

The second fish agreed, "I shall follow you, my friend, for what you say is correct. It will be unwise to remain here anymore!"

But the third fish disagreed. He laughed at the two fishes, and said to the fishes assembled, "See how cowardly these two act! This pond belonged to our forefathers, and it is our home now. For so long, no harm has ever come to the fishes of this pond."

He continued, "Just because some fishermen were discussing their plans, is no reason for us to panic and leave our home. Those who agree with me, I advise them to stay where we belong and not go to some unknown place."

He further said, "O Friends, the scriptures state that when the time for one's death arrives, one is not spared. If death has to come, let us rather die bravely in our home!"

Thus, the fishes of the ponds got divided into two groups. The group that wanted to stay laughed at the other group. However, within the very evening, the families of the first two fishes started their journey to a different pond through a small outlet. They were followed by many who believed them.

The next morning the fishermen arrived as they had planned, and trapped all the fishes that remained in the pond by casting net all over the pond.

Not a single fish was spared, and the fishermen were overjoyed with the big haul of fishes that they had caught.

The wise indeed say:

When you see a danger coming, act immediately.

The Lion, the Camel, the Jackal and the Crow

      

There was once a jungle that was ruled by a lion called Madotkata, who had a leopard, a jackal and a crow at his service, along with other animals.

The Lion, The Camel, The Jackal And The Crow - Panchatantra Story PictureAs they did regularly, they were wandering about the jungle one day, when the lion saw a camel at a distance. This camel had separated from its caravan and was feeding itself on the green grass of the jungle.

The lion took a fancy on this animal that he had not seen before, "Let us go and ask this extraordinary animal, where he comes from."

The crow, who flies to far-off places was aware and replied, "Master, it is called a camel and this animal lives in villages. The flesh of this animal tastes good, let us kill it and eat it."

But the lion disagreed, "He does not belong to the jungle, so he is our guest. I will not kill it. Please go and assure him that no harm will be done, and bring him to me".

The Lion, The Camel, The Jackal And The Crow - Panchatantra Story PictureAs per the lion's instruction, they went to the camel and assured him that they were to bring it to the lion. They won its confidence, and they brought the camel to the lion.

The camel stood before the lion and bowed. He also narrated how he had gotten separated from his caravan and how he had reached the jungle.

On hearing this, the lion said, "Oh Camel, if you return to the village you will be made a beast to carry burden again. Stay in the jungle under my kingdom instead. You can feast on the abundant green grass of the jungle without any fear."

The camel accepted the offer, and they began to live together in peace.

The Lion, The Camel, The Jackal And The Crow - Panchatantra Story PictureLater one day, the lion got severely wounded in a fight with a mad elephant. Such were his injuries that he could not take a few steps, let alone go out of his for hunting.

Due to lack of food, the lion became weaker. The animals who served him were also starving since they were dependent on the lion for their food.

When the lion could not bear anymore, he called them and said, "Go and find any animal that I can prey upon even in my weak condition. This way I can provide food for you, and also for myself."

All the animals wandered about the jungle without any success to find such an animal. On their way back, the jackal had a plan.

He said to the crow, "There is no point wandering about the jungle when the food is right in front of us. The camel can provide us with the food for all of us for a long time."

The crow replied, "Indeed, what you say is correct. But the master has assured the camel of his safety under his rule. He will refuse to kill him."

The jackal said, "Leave that to me. I will influence the master in a manner that he will agree to feast on the camel. You wait till I return after a discussion with the lion".

The Lion, The Camel, The Jackal And The Crow - Panchatantra Story PictureThe jackal met the lion and said, "Master, we have been looking all around the jungle but could not find an animal for you. All of us have not had food for so long that we can hardly walk properly. Under this circumstance, if you agree to kill the camel, his flesh can provide food for all of us".

The lion disagreed, "Shame on you! How can I kill the camel when he has my assurance that his life will be safe under my kingdom. It is a sin to think likewise."

But the jackal continued, "Master, it would indeed be a sin to kill him after you have given him the assurance of his safety. But if he offers himself as your food by himself, it would then not be a sin to kill him and accept his offer."

The jackal continued, "What good are we, if we cannot be of our master's service in his time of need. Please kill one of us for yourself, and the others to save the rest of us from dying of hunger."

The lion failed to justify the jackal and said, "Please do what you think would be in the best for all of us."

The Lion, The Camel, The Jackal And The Crow - Panchatantra Story PictureAfter this, the jackal returned to the other animals and declared, "Our master is sick and weak. If something happened to him, there would not be anyone to protect us. We have failed to get any animal after wandering throughout the jungle. The only way now to repay our debts to our master would be to offer ourselves to him. This way the rest of us would be saved from dying of hunger too."

As planned, all of them stood before the lion and bowed. They informed the lion that they did not succeed to find any animal for their food.

The crow said, "Master, we could not find an appropriate animal for your food. So, I offer myself. Please eat me to save yourself from hunger."

The jackal interrupted, "You are too small to provide flesh for the master. Even if he agrees your offer, it will not be enough for his survival. Indeed, you have proven your devotion and by offering yourself, you have already freed yourself from the debts of the master."

He turned to the lion and said, "Please accept my offer instead."

The Lion, The Camel, The Jackal And The Crow - Panchatantra Story PictureThe jackal stood humbly before the lion, "Master, please eat me to save yourself from hunger. If you accept my sacrifice, I will be honoured with a place in heaven".

On hearing this, the lion shook his head in refusal. This way, the other animals started offering themselves, but the lion kept refusing to accept their offer.

The camel who was observing all this thought, "All of them speak beautifully about offering themselves, but the master refuses to kill any of them. I shall seek to impress the master in a similar fashion."

Thinking such, the camel said to the other animals, "You have offered yourself, but the master cannot eat you because all of you are carnivores and belong to the same category as the lion himself. Stand by, for I shall offer myself".

With this, the camel came forward and bowed before the lion.

The Lion, The Camel, The Jackal And The Crow - Panchatantra Story PictureHe said, "Master, you need not kill any of these animals. Please eat me instead. I offer myself in return to your debts. I shall find my way to the heaven, if you may please accept my offer".

No sooner had he made the offer, the other animals cheered. Having already been influenced by the jackal, the lion jumped on him. He was killed, and eaten by all the animals together.

The wise indeed say:

Always be on guard when you are in the company of wicked people. Do not be taken in by their sweet words.

The King and the monkey

The King and the Foolish Monkey

      

Once there was a king, who had a pet monkey.

This monkey was a fool, but was treated royally and moved freely in the king's palace. The King And The Foolish Monkey - Panchatantra Story PictureHe was also allowed to enter the king's personal rooms that were forbidden even for the confidential servants.

One afternoon, the king was asleep, while the monkey kept a watch.

All of a sudden, a fly came in the room and sat on the king's chest.

The monkey swayed her away, but the fly would only go away for some time and return on the king's chest again.

The King And The Foolish Monkey - Panchatantra Story PictureThe monkey got very angry and excited. The foolish monkey started chasing the fly with a sword.

As the fly sat on the king's chest again, the monkey hit the fly with all his might. The fly flew away unharmed, but the king was severely wounded in the chest, and died as a result.

The wise indeed say:

Beware of a foolish friend. He can cause you more harm than your enemy.

Dog Story

Chitranga was a dog, who lived in a certain town which was affected by a famine.

People had no food to eat, and they cared not to give any to the dogs or cattle or any animal. Due to lack of food, along with other animals, the dogs were starving. Some of them even died.

Chitranga was not able to bear the hunger and realizing that the place did not offer conditions to live, he decided to leave for a foreign land in search of food and better conditions.

After travelling a long distance, he came to a certain town. I saw a door open in one of the houses due to the negligence of a rich lady householder. He went into the house, and found abundant food. He had not eaten for a long time, and ate to his heart's content. Then he thought of leaving silently.

No sooner had he come out of the house, he was spotted by other dogs of the neighbourhood. The realized he did not belong to their community and chased him. Since, he had his stomach full, he could not run fast, and they bit him all over with their sharp teeth.

He somehow escaped, and thought, "It is better to live in peace in one's own country, be it affected by famine. I will rather return home."

When he returned to his country, the starving dogs there were curious. His friends and relatives gathered around him to enquire about his findings, "Please tell us about the foreign country you visited. How is it like? How are the people? Is there plenty of food?"

The dog said, "O friends and relatives! What can I say? In the foreign country, the women are careless. They leave doors and windows open. There is lots of food to eat. But, your own kith and kin will not show any sympathy. They will torment you to death."

The wise indeed say:

The outsiders may tolerate your lapses but not your own kith and kin.