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.