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"&ow ugly I shall look'" moaned the fo(, " wont the

other fo(es laugh at me ?"

#hinking hard, the fo( hit upon a plan to sa!e herself

from being laughed at.She called a

meeting of his friends and said,

"Brothers' ha!e you e!er wondered

why after all, we carry these long

tails?" )et us cut them off and be free

from their nuisance."

But the other fo(es had noticed her cut*off tail. #hey

laughed aloud and replied, "%ou used to say that tails

looked !ery fine when your own was all right. $ow that

you ha!e lost yours, you want us to lose ours too."

MORAL : Dirty tricks seldom work.

+nce a wolf saw a goat atop a hill and said, "ome

down here, -iss oat' #he grass here is greener and

longer."

"#hank %ou," answered the goat, "the grass down there

may be much better. But, if I come down you will get a

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good meal. So, I prefer to stay here * where you cant

reach. At least I am /uite safe."

MORAL : Let not others exploit your gentleness.

#here was once a miser. &e melted all his money into a

block of gold and buried it in a pit. 0!ery day he would

dig it up and smile to see it.

+ne night the gold*block was stolen. So, the miser was

in tears. A friend of his saw him weeping and said, " %ou

should bury a stone in the pit and look at it e!ery day.

%ou ne!er spent moneywhen you had it as it betterthen a stone anyway?"

MORAL : It is a cause to be a miser.

+nce the ind and the Sun came to ha!e a /uarrel.

0ither of them claimed to be a stronger. At last theyagreed to ha!e a trial of strength.

"&ere comes a tra!eller. )et us see who can strip him of

his clock," said the Sun.

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boys will admire me. But I will turn

them away 1ust tossing my head at

them."

)ost in day dreams, she forgot about

the pail on her head. She tossed

her head with a 1erk and the pail of

milk came tumbling down. it was broken and all the milk

got spilt.

"2ear + dear '" she cried, "I ha!e lost my all."

MORAL: Don#t count your chickens be!ore they are hatched.

+nce a hare was roaming near a lake in a forest.

Suddenly he saw a tortoise and mocked at him saying *

"&urry up, you slow coach' 2ont you find life !ery dulltaking so long to co!er a few yards? I could ha!e run to

the other side of the lake by now."

#he tortoise felt teased and dared the

hare to a race. #he race was to be

through the wood to a fi(ed goal.

#he hare agreed laughingly. In a

few minutes he was away and out of

sight.

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"hat a funny race it is'" he said to himself , "I am

already half *way through. But it is

too*too cold3 why not ha!e a nap in

the warm sunshine?"

#he tortoise walked steadily on and

on. In a short time, he passed by the

sleeping hare.

#he hare slept far longer then he had

intended. hen he woke up at last,he looked around in surprise and said

to himself," $ot e!en a sigh of the

poor tortoise anywhere so far3 I had

better trot along and finish the race."

#he hare ran to the goal. &e was amazed to see all the

animals cheering the tortoise who had arri!ed 1usta minute earlier. how ashamed he felt indeed'

MORAL : $low and steady wins the race.

A thirsty crow once found a pitcher with a little water in

it. But when he tired to drink thewater, he could not.

#he pitcher was tall and his beak didnt reach the water.

#he clea!er crow thought and hit upon a plan. &e went

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on dropping pebbles into the pitcher. #he water rose up

to its neck and he /uenched his thirst.

MORAL : %ill !inds the way

+ne day a peacock met a crane and said, "So sorry for

you. %ou ha!e so dull feathers. )ook at the fine colors of

my feathers."

"ell'" replied the crane, "your look are brighter then

mine. but whereas I can fly high up into the sky, all you

can do is to strut about on the ground."

MORAL: &e'er !ind !ault with others.

farmers boy went into his field. #here were some sheepand a pig there. &e picked up the pig

that s/uealed aloud.

"hy are you making a fuss? hen he

catches us, we ne!er cry." said a

sheep.

"Shut up, cried the pig, "the shepherd wants only

wool from you. But this boy is taking me away for my

meat."

MORAL: Li!e is dear to e'eryone.

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fisherman had been fishing for along time but without

luck. At last he tugged at his net and saw a small fish

caught in it.

"4lease let me go," begged the fish, "I

will grow bigger in a few days and

then you can catch me again."

#he fisherman said, "$ow that I ha!e caught you I wont

let you go. If I lea!e you, I may ne!er see you again."

MORAL: A bird in hand is worth two in bush.

A town*mouse paid a !isit to his friend who li!ed in the

countryside. #he country*mouse was happy to see hisfriend. So he prepared a fine feast for him. #he town*

mouse looked at the fruit and the car of corn with

hatred

"Is this how you li!e ?" he asked, "life in the country

does not offer much."

&e persuaded the country*mouse to

accompany him to the town and see

allthe good things there.

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So, the country*mouse packed all his belongings and off

they went to the city. #he country*mouse was really

surprised to see the things there. But as soon as they

settled down to en1oy afine meal of cheese and fruit, a

big cat leapt in through the

window. Seeing the cat, both the

mice ran into their hole to sa!e

themsel!es, so the cat ate up all the

cheese and fruit.

hen the cat had gone away, the

mice came out of their hole.

"I am going," cried the country*mouse, "I like

my simple fare in safety than this grand feast

in such a danger."

MORAL: $a!ety is the !irst importance.

#wo fo(es watched a wild boar sharpening his

tusks on a tree*trunk.

"hy do you do that?" asked one of them, "the

huntsmen are not out today."

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")et that be so," answered the boar, "but whene!er my

life is in danger, I shall need my tusks and there will be

no time to sharpen them."

MORAL: Lost time cannot be recalled.

+nce a )ark made her nest in a corn*field. Soon she laid

eggs in it. After a few days small babies hatched out of

them.

+ne day the baby*larks o!erheard the farmer say, "I will

call my neighbors to reap this field."

#he Baby*larks got alarmed to hear this and

told their mother about it.

"2ont worry," said the mother.

Some days later, the farmer came again and

said, I will call my relati!es to reap this field."

#he baby*larks afraid again.

"5ear not," said their mother.

But the ne(t day the farmer came there with his little

son and said, "I will reap this field tomorrow."

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"$ow is the time to go. hen a man says he will do the

work himself, he will certainly do it," said the mother*

lark.

MORAL : Don#t !ear hollow threats.

A cock was scratching the ground with his claws looking

for a tasty morsel to eat. hile doing so, he chanced to

turn o!er a stone and find a shining gem under it.

"ock*a doodle*do '" cried the cock and said, "It looks

!ery fine and it may be !aluable to some people. But I

would rather ha!e found a nice grain of corn."

MORAL: (ems can#t paci!y hunger.

+ne day a man was going to market with his

son and his ass. they met a couple on the

way.

"hy walk when you ha!e an ass to ride?" called out

the husband, "seat the boy on the ass."

"I would like that," said the boy, "help me up father."

And the father did that willingly.

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Soon they met another couple. "&ow shameful

of you'" cried the woman, "let your father ride,

wont he be tired?"

So, the boy got down and the father rode the ass. Again

they marched on.

"poor boy", said the ne(t person they met, "why should

the lazy father ride while his son is walking?"

So, the boy got onto the ass too. As they went on, they

met some tra!ellers.

"&ow cruel of them'" #hey are up to kill the poor ass."

cried one of the tra!ellers.

&earing this, the father and the son got down. $ow theydecided to carry the ass on their shoulders. As they did

so, the tra!ellers broke into laughter.

#he laughter frightened the ass. It broke free and

galloped away.

MORAL: )ou can not please e'eryone

)ong ago, there li!ed a little boy named Sammy. &e was

a good boy. &e was good in his studies, obedient to his

parents, more intelligent than many other boys in his

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class and kind to e!eryone. rown*ups as well as

those1unior to Sammy lo!ed him !ery much. But that

aroused 1ealousy in many other boys who longed to be

as lo!ed as Sammy.

$ow there was another boy named #immy who studied

in the same class as Sammy. 6nlike Sammy, he was not

good at studies and always liked to play during school

hours. &e misbeha!ed with his parents, bullied

hisclassmates and e!en ill*treated Sammy. &e always

tried to put Sammy down and belittled him before other

kids in the class. But no matter what he did, Sammys

grades kept getting better and better. hether

in studies or in sports or from his classmates, Sammy

kept getting accolades from e!erywhere.

+n his eighth birthday, Sammy got a nice pen as a giftfrom his parents. &e brought it to school so that he

could use it to take down the notes of the lectures that

the teachers ga!e in class. #his was a !ery beautiful pen

and it could help one write !ery fast. hen #immy saw

it, he was !ery 1ealous of Sammy. &e asked Sammy,

"&ey, where did you get that? 2id you buy it?"

"-y parents ga!e it as a birthday gift to me." replied

Sammy.

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beside the !illage doctor to help him prepare the

medicines and tend to the sick. #here seemed to be

none who hated this man. &e appeared to be lo!ed by

one and all.

But there was one person who hated #uan with all his

heart. &e was 7uan, a neighbour of #uan, who li!ed in

the land ne(t to him. A lazy person by nature, 7uan

hardly put in as much effort to culti!ate his land as #uan

did to produce crops in his own. So when the har!est

season arri!ed e!ery year, 7uan found that he had !ery

few crops to sell. #uan on the other hand, earned a

handsome profit through the selling of his produces.

+ne year, 7uan could no longer contain his 1ealousy. 7ust

days before #uan was to reap his har!est, 7uan set fireto

his crops at night. #uan was asleep at this time and itwas only the alertness of one of his other neighbours

that sa!ed much of his crops from being perished in the

deadly flames of the fire that 7uan had lighted.

hen the flames were doused, #uan saw which

direction the fire had started from. 7uans animosity

towards him was unknown to #uan. But he let the

matters rest and decided to take action only if he saw

7uan repeating his dastardly act once again.

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#hat year, #uan managed to sell the rest of his crops at

a good price but he could not make much profit for a

good part of his produces had been burnt. &e had a

hea!y heart but he did not like to tell anyone about it.

+nly days later, #uan was awakened by the sound of

lamentations. &e went out to find a crowd beside 7uans

hut. &e rushed to find that 7uans son had fallen ill. &e

found that the !illage doctor was unable to pro!ide a

cure to his illness. #uan knew what he had to do. &e

untied his own horse and rode it. #hen he rushed to the

town that was ten miles away and fetched a more

e(perienced doctor who li!ed there.

#his doctor was able to guess the disease correctly and

pro!ided an e(act cure for it. ithin hours, the boy was

found to sleep soundly and #uan went with the doctor totake him back to the town.

A day later, 7uan went to #uans hut and began to weep

bitterly. &e confessed to his sins but was surprised

when #uan told him that he knew about it all.

"%ou knew that I had set fire to your crops? And still you

fetched the doctor for my son?" asked the astonished

7uan.

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#uan nodded and said, "I did what I knew was right.

ould I do wrong 1ust because you had done so?"

7uan stood up and embraced #uan. Both men were in

tears and so were the others who stood by them.

5rom that day, 7uan changed himself. ithin a year, he

could produce much crops in his land through his hard

work. hen the others asked him how he had changed

so much, he only replied,

"It was the goodness and lo!e of #uan that transformed

me."

Moral: *e nice to your !riends. *e nicer to your enemies.

*********************************************

-any many years ago, there li!ed a dog named #om.

#om was adopted as a pet in a wealthy household andhe was daily showered with nice foods and affections by

her mistress -rs &a!isham. All day, #om li!ed in a

kennel within the compound of the house and he tried

his best to guard the home of his mistress. hene!er a

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thief or a burgler came within the !icinity, #om would

bark as loudly as he could to scare the li!ing daylights

out of the culprit. &e was the fa!ourite of his mistress.

hen night fell, he slept on a nice blanket inside his

kennel and when day broke he had his food ser!ed

before him in no time.

But the neighbourhood dogs were not so lucky and they

were 1ealous of #oms fortune. $ow and then, they

would bark from outside the gates of #oms house and

utter curses at him. All this disturbed #om a little, but

he would only say,

"4oor fellows, they ha!e to struggle so much for their

food while I am so lucky. I must not shout at them and

add to their misery."

So he kept /uiet and went about his business, turning a

deaf ear to their insults.

+ne day, as he was taking a walk with his mistress, #om

found that some young boys were throwing stones at

those same dogs who insulted him. #he dogs were

cornered and they had nowhere to go. #hey could in no

way a!oid being hit by the stones thrown at them. -any

of them were bleeding and barking feebly in protest.

But the boys were not in a mood to let go of them so

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lightly. #hey picked up bigger stones and rocks to ha!e

more fun at the e(pense of the weak, helpless dogs.

#om could not hold himself back. &e was of a strong

build and had a !ery deep !oice. &e knew that he could

scare the boys. &e managed to wrench his leash free

out of his mistress hands and he ran towards the boys.

#he boys were startled at the terrible barking that #om

directed at them. #heir blood froze at the sight of the

huge #om baring his fangs and running towards them.

#hey dropped their rocks and ran away as fast as their

legs could carry them.

"o home" #om said to his bloodied abusers "no one will

disturb you anymore."

&e ran back to his mistress who had seen all that #om

did. She patted #om and praised him for his courage.

#hat night, #oms mistress saw a strange sight. #he

dogs whom #om had sa!ed in the morning had

gathered near the gates of her house. It seemed to her

as if they were telling something to her pet.

"-aybe they are thanking #om for his bra!e gesture."

she thought.

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And right she was' 5rom that day, #om and his abusers

had become friends. #oms kindness had won o!er his

abusers hatred and he had earned their lo!e, respect

and admiration that nothing on earth could buy.

Moral: *e good to all+ e'en i! they happen to be your enemies.

\

A TEST OF NUMBERS

Did you ever hear of the terrible war once fought between the creatures of the seaand the birds, which threatened to destroy the whole world? You may not have,because it all happened so long ago- ages before you or I were born. What isremarkable about this reat War is that it all began as a silly dispute between a whaleand a little sandpiper. !ut then, as small disputes have a tendency of doing, itsnowballed into a battle of epic proportions that posed a danger to the earth itself.Wouldn"t you like to know how it all turned out? #ere is the story, then.

$any years ago, it was a normal day, like any other, on the faraway island in the%outh %eas. &he scene was a 'uiet lagoon. (long the beach, a sandpiper was running in

and out of the water, picking up little minnows for breakfast.

(ll of a sudden, a whale swam into the lagoon. Irritated at the sight of the sandpiper, itcalled out, )#ey, you* #ow dare you come into my water and take my fish? Don"t youknow that I"m the master of the sea? !etter stay out of the sea- it belongs to uswhales*)

+ow, the sandpiper may have been small in sie, but she was a spirited bird, whowould not take such high-handedness lying down. $oreover, she was angry because

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$eanwhile the sandpiper thought, )Whales can survive only in the water. If we birdsdrink up all the sea, the whales will die. &hen surely there would be more sandpipersthan whales*)

&he sandpiper instructed her relatives to dry up the sea. (ccordingly, swarms of birdsflew down to the ocean and drank and drank. &he water level began to come down

sharply.

#owever, the sandpiper soon noticed something alarming. !elow her lay hundreds ofwhales, gasping for breath on the dry shore as she had planned, but they were not theonly ones* (ll the other creatures of the sea, including the minnows and crabs, alsowere dying without water*

)h, no*) cried the sandpiper. )What are we doing? &he minnows and other smallercreatures are our food, and they"re all dying. If they"re gone, we"ll all starve to death*3uick, spit out all the water back into the ocean and revive them* Drying the ocean willnot solve our problem2 it"ll only spell our doom*)

(ll the birds obliged. &he water flowed back into the ocean and slowly, the whalesstarted to move. &he tiny sea creatures burrowed into the sand or scurried away.

It was only now, as he revived, that the whale realied the full e4tent of his own folly.

)#ow foolishly self-destructive we were*) he thought. )What were we fighting about,anyway? &he ocean is big enough for all of us- the sea creatures and the birds alike.)

#e called a truce to the sandpiper, who was ready to accept as she too was regrettingthe 'uarrel. &he sea creatures and the sea birds dispersed on cordial terms, and theearth and the ocean were saved.

%ince then, no one"s ever found out whether there are more sandpipers in this world ormore whales. (nd the whales and the sandpipers have managed to get on fine withoutever resorting to such a test of numbers again*

Moral: Fighting over small issues can lead to big problems.

HONEST PUNYAKOTI

nce upon a time, there was a village in 5arnataka, which was situated at the foot of ahill. In this village lived a herd of cows, whose leader was a beautiful cow named

6unyakoti. %he had a single calf, whom she loved with all her heart.

1very morning, all cows would go to grae in a in a grassy meadow halfway up the hill,leaving their calves behind in the village. &hey would return to the village in theevening.

+ear the pasture was a 0ungle, which was the abode of a tiger, named #ulia. In hisyouth, #ulia had been the terror of the whole 0ungle7 unfortunately, now he was oldand weak. #aving lost his old agility, he found it very difficult to catch his prey in the

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0ungle. #e had not eaten for several days and was weak from hunger. (t length, drivento despair, he came out of the 0ungle, hoping to find some food elsewhere.

It so happened that at that very moment the herd was returning home from thepasture. (s he spotted them from afar, #ulia was thrilled. #e lay in wait for thembehind a big rock, confident of getting a good meal.

&hey had hardly come close enough, when, desperate with hunger, #ulia pounced*#owever, he had overestimated his ability and fell short of his target. &he herdscattered in panic and ran away. #ulia gave chase with all the speed he could muster.(las, it was pitifully inade'uate*

#e was so weak and e4hausted that he could hardly run. #e was unable to catch even asingle cow, and the herd made good its escape.

#ulia climbed back on the rock in disgust, cursing his own rashness that had broughtabout this situation. (s he sat there in utter e4haustion, panting under the strain of his

efforts, he suddenly saw a very welcome sight.

&here, in the distance, was a lone cow walking along the path towards him*

It was 6unyakoti, who had somehow got separated from the rest of the herd. %hewas walking briskly ahead, saying to herself,8h* I am late* $y child will be waiting forme.)%he was in such a hurry to reach home that she did not notice #ulia.

&o #ulia, this seemed a heaven-sent opportunity to make up for the one he hads'uandered by his own foolishness earlier, and he was determined not to let go of it*6atiently he waited, promising himself,8I shall not let this one go* I"ll have a good feasttoday.)

#ulia waited until 6unyakoti had come very close. &hen he emerged from his hidingplace and gleefully declared, licking his lips,)(t last, my patience has been rewarded* Ishall have a delicious meal after so many days*)

6unyakoti was a wise and brave cow. %he realied that she was no match for #ulia,even though he was old and weak. %o there was no point resisting. #owever,the picture of her hungry calf waiting eagerly for her, flashed before her eyes.

%he said to #ulia, )I am ready to be your food. !ut can you please do me a favor? (thome, my child is waiting for me. Will you let me go and feed him? I promise you that Ishall come back to youimmediately after that.)

&he tiger burst into loud, sarcastic laughter. )Do you take me to be such a fool?)he

asked. )Don"t I know that if let you go, you"ll run away, never to come back?)

6unyakoti said earnestly, )!elieve me I will. I give you my word with $other 1arth as

my witness.)

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+ow the bear was really astonished. )With your tail? !ut how can you fish with yourtail?) he asked curiously.

)Why, bear, don"t tell me you know the art of fishing with one"s tail*) e4claimed the fo4in mock surprise. )Don"t you know it"s the best method for catching fish?)

)

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)Yes? @nless what? asked the camel eagerly.

)riend =amel, your tail and antlers would be the glory of any gathering- even that ofthe gods* &hey are things anyone would be proud to be seen in*) praised the deer andhe went on, )If you could really make a fantastic impression on the animals of the ne4tforest.)

)Why, yes, we could indeed*) said the deer, looking up as if such an idea had only 0ustoccurred to him. )What a great idea, #orse* It is the only way two ugly animals like uscan attend that party without losing face. I"m sure our friend =amel will agree to lendus his lovely possessions, as he is a noble,large- animal. #is nature is as beautiful ashis body, as we all well know* %o won"t you lend your magnificent antlers to me andyour splendid tail to the horse for the party, riend =amel? 6lease?)

&he camel hesitated. (lthough loath to part with his pried possessions, even for a day,how could he refuse after hearing such fulsome praise?

)You will return them to me immediately after you return from the party, won"t you?)he asked.

)f course* #ow could you even doubt it?) asked the horse in a hurt tone.

)&he moment we are back, we will come right here to you and return your things. >ustwait for us at the same spot tomorrow evening, and we"ll meet you here,) added thedeer.

&he camel then look of his magnificent antlers and handed them to the deer, whoimmediately put them on and thanked him effusively. +e4t, he e4changed tails with thehorse, giving him his thick, glossy tail and receiving in its place the latter"s stumpy one.

&he horse also thanked him profusely.

)(nd now, we"ll take your leave, friend*) said the deer. )&hank you so much for yourhelp. %ee you tomorrow evening*) &he duo then vanished into the undergrowth,chuckling to them selves.

&he camel"s bald forehead and stumpy tail made him feel awkward and ill at ease. &hatday, he stayed away from all his familiar haunts, lest the other animals tease him abouthis altered appearance* nly now did he realie how the deer and the horse would havefelt when he taunted them. #e wished they would come back soon and return hisantlers and tail.

&ime seemed to crawl past at a snail"s pace for the poor camel that day. #owever, atlong last the ne4t evening arrived. In this eagerness to get back his things, the camelarrived at the appointed spot well before the stipulated time. #owever, the eveningturned into night and still2 there was no sign of the borrowers*

&he camel realied that he had been tricked. In great fury, he sought out thetwo animals and ordered them to return his antlers and tail. #owever, they never

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%imba considered the re'uest and boomed, )#mmmm. ( king needs an attendant. (llright, you can be mine*)

rom then on, 6aka was constantly in %imba"s company. #e would accompany %imbaon his hunts and eat his leavings. #e would do odd 0obs for him and flatter him. In thismanner, many months rolled by.

ne day, %imba was stretched ma0estically on a huge rock, sunning himself. 6aka saton his back, brushing his fur for him. (ll of a sudden, there was a loud commotion./ooking down, they perceived nearly all the animals of the forest fleeing in great terror.

%urprised, %imba boomed from the rock-)#ey, you there, stop* Why are you running?

#owever, no one had the time to stop and e4plain7 all the animals, big and small,continued their mad dash. (t this, %imba furiously 0umped down to block their path androared- )I"m the king of the forest* +ow tell me what you are running away from* Whodares pursue you?)

( monkey paused 0ust long enough to gasp, )5ing or not, you better run too, if youvalue your life* &embo the elephant is on the rampage*) #e then fled away.

%imba"s face paled. Without another word he turned and ran into the undergrowth,calling over his shoulder, )Don"t stand there gaping, 6aka- escape*)

6aka was shocked at the Aking"s" cowardly flight, and thought, )h* %o thepowerful lion is afraid of the elephant* &hat means the elephant is mightier than him. Inthat case, he"s the one I should cultivate-he"ll make a better friend than a silly lion*)

%oon, &embo calmed down and the forest returned to normal. !iding his time, 6aka

approached him and said, )h, &embo* You are the most magnificent, graceful animal Ihave ever seen* I would be honoured if you"d only let me be your friend*)

+o one had ever praised &embo so much before. %o he was greatly flattered, and

accepted the offer.

&hus, 6aka left %imba and became &embo"s companion. #e would go about in great

style2 riding on &embo"s back and would keep him happy by praising him. $any dayspassed thus.

&hen, one day, 6aka found &embo in great panic. )What"s the matter, friend? #e asked.&embo cried, )6aka, run for your life* &here"s a hunter in the forest*)

6aka had never seen a hunter before. %o he lingered to see the terrible creature whohad scared the great elephant so much.

%oon the hunter came into view. $uch to 6aka"s surprise, he was a puny, insignificant-looking creature, nowhere near &embo in height or ma0esty*

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)Well, well*) thought 6aka. )&his hunter seems much more powerful than &embo, for allsie and bulk* I should befriend him instead of that fat fool*)

%lowly he came down from his perch on the tree. oing close to the hunter, he rubbedhimself against his leg.

&he hunter stooped, picked him up and said, )I"ve had no luck with my hunting today.!ut I think you"ll make a nice, cuddly pet*) #e carried the cat home to his cave outsidethe forest.

)(t last I"ve found the most powerful friend,) thought 6aka happily, sitting on thehunter"s shoulder as he marched ma0estically ahead.

!ut as he entered his doorway, 6aka saw a smaller figure- a woman- sitting inside thecave. It was the hunter"s wife. %he shouted at him- )(t last you"re back- and that tooempty-handed* You good 9 for 9 nothing fellow* Instead of food, you bring home auseless cat*)

$uch to paka"s astonishment, the mighty, powerful hunter did not say a word in reply,but merely stood there, hanging his head. #is wife commanded, )+ow go and chop thefirewood* #urry up- don"t 0ust stand and gape*) )Yes, dear*) said the hunter meekly,and rushed to obey.

6aka thought 9 )#mm.(t last I have found the mightiest creature of all- mightier thanthe hunter, the elephant and the lion* I shall become her friend*)

When the hunter"s wife found that 6aka could make himself useful by catching mice:which she hated;, she accepted him into the household. 6aka had at last found his truemaster*

&hat is why, to this day, the cat still prefers to sit at the feet of the woman of thehouse*

Moral: A clever person makes the best use of opportunity.

HOW THE HARE RESCUED THE SUN

/ong, long ago, there were numerous birds and animals living in the vast plains of

%iberia, which are known as the tundra.

ne day, a terrible calamity befell them. &he tundra was suddenly shrouded indarkness* It was like a never-ending night2 in vain did the animal wait for the sun torise and illuminate their world once again. &he hours turned to days, and the days to

months. &he land was enveloped in gloom and misery as all the animals and birdsstumbled about in the darkness, seeking their food by touch.

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@naccustomed to living in the dark, many animals met their end in confrontation withunseen dangers. It was evident that this state of affairs could not go on for muchlonger, for, the surviving animals were badly demoralied. (t length, it was decided tocall a ground council2 envoys were dispatched to the council from every species ofanimal and bird. Barious alternatives were discussed during the council.

(t length the old raven, who was considered the wisest of all, spoke up- )riends, Iwould like to make a suggestion. If you agree, I shall fly out and try to discover thecause of this darkness and its remedy.)

)!ut how will you make the flight in the darkness?) protested other animals.

)It is dark here, too,) pointed out the raven, )and aren"t we moving about? (nyway,someone has to do this2 we can"t spend the rest of our lives in this darkness* %houldn"twe find a remedy?)

(ll the animals and birds agreed, and the brave raven set off on his mission.

(fter many days of patient waiting, loud wing-beats in the dark announced his arrival.&he animals were delighted, and 'uestioned him as to what he had found out.

&he raven triumphantly announced, )$y friends, I have managed to find the cause ofthe darkness*)

)What is it?) asked the fo4 an4iously.

)&he light that used to brighten our land is called the %un. I understand that some evilspirits have stolen the %un. It seems they live in a great cavern, close to our land* &hey

keep it in a huge stone pot. If we can steal back the %un from the evil sprits, our world

will once again be filled with light. ne of us must go and bring it back. It cannot beme, because I am old and frail, and the task calls for strength. You should send a reallybig and strong animal. %o, who shall it be?)

)&he polar bear*) cried all the animals in one voice. )#e is the biggest, and thestrongest of us all*)

(t that moment, the oldest animal of the tundra- a half-deaf owl- who had been doingwas woken up by the commotion. %he asked a little bird what had happened, and was

informed that the polar bear was to be sent to rescue the %un.

)h, no*) cried the owl. )&hat won"t do at all* #e may be big and strong, but he is a

slow-witted, lumbering beast* +o sooner will he come upon some scrap of food thanhe"ll forget all about his mission. (nd we"ll never get the %un back*)

&he animals realied that what the owl said was true2 the bear couldn"t be trusted tobring back the sun.

)#ow about the wolf, then?) suggested the mole. )(fter the bear, he is the strongestand besides, he"s much faster.) &here was a chorus of agreement.

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)1h, what are they saying?) the half-deaf owl asked the snow bunting.

)&hey"ve decided to send the wolf,) replied the bunting. )#e"s the strongest and swiftestof us all, after the bear.)

)

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+e4t, a third kick sent the bigger part flying even higher, so that it soared into anotherregion of the sky to become the mighty %un.

&he earth was flooded with bright light* !linded by the glorious light and terrified, theevil spirits scampered back underground, never to appear on earth again.

&ired but triumphant, the brave little hare ran back to the tundra, where he was hailedby all the animals, as the valiant hero who rescued the %un. &o this day, he holds avery special place among the animals of the tundra*

Moral: Do not udge a person by his si!e.

HOW THE LION AND JACKAL WENT HUNTING

/ong, long ago, when the wilds of (frica abounded with animals of all kinds, life was noteasy for the smaller animals. &hey had so many enemies 9 all much stronger than them9 that they had to use all their wits to survive. ne such clever little animal whooutwitted all his foes, as you have already seen, was 5alulu the rabbit2 another !wehathe 0ackal.

+ow, !weha was not a particularly good hunter, since he lacked the speed and thestrength to track down and overpower his prey. #owever, he made up for thisweakness by his cunning. #e had an e4ceptionally smooth tongue and could talk hisway out of every difficulty. #e was also adept at flattery, and many a time used this giftto great advantage with the bigger animals.

n occasion, !weha"s wife began scolding him, saying, )It"s more than a week nowsince you brought home any food, and I"m dying of hunger. You are a real good-for-nothing* o and make arrangements for food at once*)

!weha said, )What do you take me for? >ust wait and see 9 I shall go hunting with%imba the lionhimself* &hen there will be no limit to the meat I shall bring home*)

)h, really? %imba must be out of his mind if he takes you for a partner*) taunted his

wife. @nfaed, !weha merely asked her again to wait and see, before leaving the den.

#e went to %imba and began flattering him. )@ncle %imba, you"re the strongest animal

I ever saw* #ow powerful and sinewy your body is*) he e4claimed. )When you go into

the 0ungle, all the animals scatter in terror* &he sound of your booming voice is enoughto set them trembling with fright* Who could dare stand up to you? &ruly you"re themaster of the entire 0ungle.)

#e went on in this manner for a few more minutes. &hen, when he had accomplishedthe task of bringing the lion into a good mood, he humbly asked, )@ncle %imba, when

you go hunting, will you take me also along, please?)

)Whatever for? (re you going to hunt along with me?) asked %imba, laughing.

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#earing the supposed fight between the couple, the lion roared from below, )!weha,stop beating your wife and help me up at once*)

)

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(s he watched from his hiding-place, &embo"s wife went in to get something. %eiingthe opportunity, he ran up to the pot and peeped in. ( dish of beans was cooking.5alulu was already hungry, and when the wonderful aroma hit his nostrils, he felt 'uitediy with longing. #e knew that he had taste the dish*

#earing the sound of &embo"s wife returning, he hastened back to his hiding place. #e

watched patiently as she added seasoning and finished cooking. inally, leaving thedish to cool, she went in :little knowing that greedy 5alulu was watching and waiting;*

&his was the moment 5alulu had been waiting for. #e ran up to the pot and beganblowing upon it to cool it. (s soon as it was somewhat cool, he ate it all up in big gulps.It was very delicious. !urping in satisfaction, he crept away.

&hat night, &embo was furious when he reached home and found that his beans hadbeen stolen. Whoever had stolen his dinner?

&he ne4t morning, he summoned %imba, the lion and ordered,)/ast night, someone had

the temerity to steal my dinner. +o doubt he will try the same trick tonight. I want youto lie in wait and pounce upon the thief when he makes his appearance*)

+ow, 5alulu was hiding in the bushes and heard the whole e4change. #e had everyintention of returning that evening to have one more meal of those delicious beans. !uthow could he steal them when the lion himself was standing guard?

%uddenly, an idea struck him as he remembered his trusty rope. #e spent the nightsetting a trap on the ground near the cooking pot, which he concealed under someleaves.

&hat evening, when the animals had gone to work on the new village, 5alulu strolled

out into the open and began to eat &embo"s beans, with one eye on %imba"s hidingplace. #aving finished his meal, he ran off. (s he e4pected, %imba leapt up and chasedhim. 5alulu bolted through the trap that he had set.

(las for the poor %imba* (s he ran, he did not see that he has put his foot into thenoose, and the te4t moment, he found himself dangling in mid air* #e thus remained,wriggling and s'uirming, until the other animals returned and released him.

+ow, %imba was too ashamed to say that he had been fooled by a little rabbit, so hedeclared that an unknown animal had ensnared him.

&he ne4t day, the furious &embo deputed $bogo the buffalo to watch the beans. &his

time, 5alulu had set a noose between two palm trees. When 5alulu had finished hismeal of the king"s beans and was strolling away, the buffalo charged him. #owever, likehis predecessor he, too, stepped on the noose, and was left dangling ignobly in the airuntil the animals arrived to rescue him.

/ike %imba, the mighty $bogo, too, was ashamed to admit that the rabbit had got thebetter of him, so he only said that an unknown miscreant had trapped him.

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In this manner, in the coming days, =hita the cheetah, $bwa the hunting dog, =huwithe tiger, and !weha the 0ackal were in turn deputed to guard the food, and all werelaid low by 5alulu"s trap.

(t length, +ko the crab, wiser than the rest, approached &embo privately and said,)Ifyour wife will smear me with salt and put me into your dinner of beans tomorrow, I will

catch the thief.)

&embo did not e4pect the tiny crab to succeed where all the mighty animals had failed2nevertheless, having no option, he decided to give it a try. (ccordingly +ko was secretlysmeared with salt and left in the dinner-pot.

&hat evening 5alulu crept up to the pot and ate up the beans as usual marveling overhow the beans were even better than usual, being so deliciously salty* (ll of a sudden,he screamed in pain, as someone nipped his ear.

It was +ko, of course, and he clung tenaciously on to 5alulu"s ear with his sharp teeth.

+o matter how much 5alulu tried to dislodge him, he hung on for dear life. 5alulubegged, pleaded and threatened, but all to no avail. +ko clutched the pot with hispincers while biting 5alulu"s ear, so that he could not run away. #e thus held 5aluluprisoner until the other animals returned, and saw who the thief was*

&hey decided to pay him back e4actly as he had treated them. or si4 days he had todo without any dinner, and every day they went off to work leaving 5alulu tied by hisown rope to a tree. !y the end of this period, he had grown so emaciated that theytook pity upon him and let him go. #e loped off, promising never to play such a trickagain. !ut do you think he can keep his word?

KALULU AND THE TIGER

/ife in the (frican 0ungle was not easy for 5alulu the rabbit, who had many enemies

among the bigger, more powerful animals. &hey were 0ust waiting for the opportunity tokill and eat him, and it was only by his nimble wits and agility that he managed to

escape each time. ne of the most dangerous of these enemies was =huwi, the tiger.$any a time, 5alulu had had a narrow escape from his clutches, and he was now so

furious that he had sworn to have 5alulu for lunch at the earliest opportunity.

or many days after this, 5alulu was careful to stay out of =huwi"s way. #owever, as

time passed, he grew careless and let his guard slip.

ne day, 5alulu happened to meet his old friend, 5ima the monkey, at the foot of an

old tamarind tree. #e was so busy chatting that he failed to notice his dreaded foecreeping upon him. It was only when the light was blotted out by a wide shadow that

the friends looked up to see the tiger standing within touching distance, gloweringmenacingly at them*

)(t last I"ve got you, 5alulu*) &he booming voice was so terrifying it sent a chill down5alulu"s spine. iving a shriek of fright, 5ima turned and scrambled up the nearby

tamarind tree.

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)#ow else would one do it?) asked =huwi, swinging the terrified 5ima before his nose.

)It"s much more appetiing to throw the monkey into the air and catch him in youropen mouth. !ut not all can do it*)

(s usual, =huwi acted first and thought afterwards. %tung by the challenge, hedeclared, )f course I can do it*)

#e tossed the little monkey high in the air and waited for the tender delicacy to dropinto his open mouth. (s he floated up into thy branches, the agile 5ima hooked his tailon a branch to break his fall and scampered higher into the tree*

5alulu 'uickly shook the tamarind tree. &he ne4t moment, several* /arge, tart podsdropped from the overhanging branch into =huwi"s open mouth*

=hoking and coughing, poor =huwi spat out the awful fruit. #e then ran away into the0ungle, swearing that he would make a meal of that rabbit the very ne4t time he found

him*

!ut can anyone ever catch clever 5alulu?

Moral: $uick wit solves many problems.Moral: %vil actions lead to

punishment some day.

KIBOKO'S FUR COAT

$any, many years ago, long before you or I, or even our great-grandparents, were

born, there was a time when hippos did not live in the water as they do now. Instead,

they lived in the (frican wilds in the company of the other animals.

Would you believe it if I told you that in those days, 5iboko, the hippo, was thehandsomest of all the animals? You might find it hard to relate this with his present

ugly appearance, but yes, it is true* &hose were the days when he sported a wonderfulthick coat of soft brown fur. +or was this his only claim to beauty2 he also had a pair of

long, silky ears and a magnificent bushy tail. %o you can imagine that he was verygood-looking indeed*

@nfortunately, 5iboko"s nature was not half as beautiful as his appearance* #is problemwas that he was e4tremely vain. &he other animals praise for his beauty had turned his

head, and he now believed that he was the greatest animal in the 0ungle* #e had

become obsessed with his looks and would spend hours at the river every day, feastinghis eyes upon his own reflection and turning his body this way and that to admirehimself from every angle.

ne day, as he was ma0estically ambling towards the river as usual, who should hemeet en route but 5alulu, the rabbit* =onceited about his own beauty, he felt pity for

the rabbit who :he thought; was so ugly. orgetting all his manners, hecondescendingly declared- )6oor 5alulu2 I feel sorry for you* #ow ridiculous you look

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with your coarse coat, over-long ears, twitchy nose and that ugly short tail* (nd yourclumsy hopping gait, too* I"m so glad I don"t look like you*)

5alulu was so angry that words failed him. #ow dare the arrogant hippo talk to him likethat* Without pausing to retort, he hopped away, thinking, )>ust you wait, 5iboko* I"llteach you a lesson you won"t forget in a hurry*)

!lissfully unaware of the fact that he had 0ust earned himself a dangerous enemy,5iboko lumbered on to the river, where he gloated over his reflection, saying to himself,)Indeed I"m lucky. #ow elegant-looking I am 9 so unlike that ugly hare*)

$eanwhile, back home, 5alulu was thinking furiously of how best he could avenge hishumiliation. %oon, an idea struck him.

#e 'uickly busied himself collecting a pile of soft, dry grass, which he tied into abundle.

&hat evening, he visited 5iboko as if nothing had happened. In a tone brimming withadulation, he humbly addressed him thus, )5iboko* You are the pride and glory of our0ungle. &he winter is almost here. I"m worried about you. You know, it is all right for usordinary folks, but a magnificent animal like you should not spoil his superb body bysleeping on the cold, hard ground* 6lease accept this gift from me. It is a bed of softgrass for you to sleep on.)

oolish 5iboko puffed up with the pride on hearing the praise. Without in the leastsuspecting anything amiss, he accepted the bundle and haughtily declared, )Indeed, itis the duty of you all to ensure that my beauty is maintained, and I am glad to see thatyou, for one, are aware of your responsibility* &hanks*)

n hearing this, 5alulu nearly choked with fury.

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5iboko woke up with a start, to find flames all around him and over him. 6anic-stricken,he trashed about wildly, trying to beat out the flames. !ut it was of no use 9 hismagnificent fur coat was soon burning like a brand. In great agony, he raced towardsthe river.

5alulu was standing by, watching the spectacle. #e leapt out of the way 0ust in time, as

5iboko in his mad rush nearly crashed into him.

5iboko reached the river and leapt headlong into the cool water.

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day* &he shepherd is a silly fellow who"s scared of every little thing2 that"s why hekeeps telling us not to venture out of this tiny space. #ow I wish I could go out ande4plore the terrain for myself* &hat valley on the east looks so green- I"m sure thegrass and leaves there will be much thicker and 0uicier than this dry grass*)

6resently she saw that the shepherd was doing, and that the others in the flock had

their attention elsewhere. (ll of a sudden, a daring thought struck her- why not seiethis opportunity to sneak away from the flock and e4plore that inviting valley? %urelyshe could grae there to her heart"s content andget back before she was missed*

%oon, the little sheep was treading the glorious path of freedom. $errily, she friskedand bounded her way to the valley.

(las, she had re0oiced too soon* or, all of a sudden, she was stopped in her tracks bythe sight of a large, ferocious wolf who stood blocking her path* #e eyed the plumpsheep with delight and boomed, )(h-ha, what have we here? ( delicious dinner- 0ustwhat I"d been longing for*)

6oor $emna, who had never anticipated such a danger, was rooted to the spot. %hewas no terrified that she could not even bleat aloud* %he stood there as if mesmeried,staring at the wolf with terrified eyes.

)=ome, come, my dear, don"t look so stricken,) said the wolf. )&here"s nothing to besad about- on the contrary, you should re0oice* You"re going to fulfill the purpose ofyour life, by providing a delicious meal to a poor, starving wolf*)

$oving menacingly towards her, he paused, as if struck by a new thought, and said,)n second thoughts, I don"t think I shall have my meal here, in the open. It"ll be muchtastier if savoured at leisure, in the privacy of my cave* !ut then, my cave is far from

here, and if I kill you now it"ll be 'uite a 0ob to drag your plump body :here he pausedto leer at $emna and lick his lips, as she shuddered in fright; all the way there* %o I"lllead you to the cave as my honored guest* =ome on*)

=lutching poor $emna by the scruff of her neck, he began dragging her towardsthe mountain.

%uddenly, $emna saw a familiar figure graing in a corner of the valley. It was /omden,the clever here. inding her tongue, she called out- )/omden, help me* &he wolf isgoing to eat me*)

&he wolf said, )f course I am. Do you think that little here is so foolish as to try to

protect you? Why, I can knock him dead with one swipe of my paw* &he only reasonI"ve chosen you instead of him for dinner is that you"re plumper and would make atastier meal*)

/omden wondered what he could do to $emna. &he wolf was right- he was muchstronger than /omden and would not hesitate to kill him if challenged. %uddenly, hehad an idea.

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/omden laughed heartily at the sight of fleeing wolf. $emna heaved a great sigh ofrelief and fervently said, )&hank you, /omden*)

)It"s all right, $emna* o back to your flock and don"t stray away in future. (fter all, Imay not be there to rescue you the ne4t time,) warned /omden. ( chastened $emnatook his advice and returned to the flock, very much the wiser for her little adventure*

Moral : &here is always safety in numbers.

THE TREE THAT CHANGED ITS HABITS

/ong, long ago, in a forest near Baranasi, there lived a handsome young antelope. #ewas very fond of the fruits of a particular tree. 1very fruits that dropped from it.

In a village bordering the 0ungle, there lived a hunter who captured and killed antelopesand deer. #e used to set traps for animals under the fruit-bearing trees. When the

animal came to eat the fruit of the tree, it would be caught in the trap. #e would thentake it away and kill it for its meat. ne day, while visiting the forest in search of game,

the hunter happened to see the antelope standing under its favorite tree, eating fruit.#e was delighted. )What a big, healthy antelope*) he thought. )I must catch him. I will

get a lot of money by selling his meat.)

&hereafter, for many days, the hunter kept track of the antelope"s movements. #e

realied that the antelope was remarkably vigilant and fleet-footed animal, and that itwould be virtually impossible for him to track him down. #owever, he had a weakness

for that particular tree. &he crafty hunter swiftly concluded that he could use this

weakness to capture him.

1arly one morning, the hunter entered the forest with some logs of wood. #e climbedthe tree and put up a machan :platform used by hunters; on one of its branches by

tying the logs together. #aving set his trap at the foot of the tree, he then took upposition on the machan and waited for the antelope. #e strewed a lot of fruits on theground beneath the tree to conceal the trap and lure the antelope.

#e did not have to wait long. %oon enough, the antelope came strolling along. #e was

very hungry and was eagerly looking forward to his usual breakfast of delicious ripefruits. n the tree-top, the hunter, having sighted him, sat with baited breath, willinghim to come closer and step into his trap.

#owever, the antelope was no fool. 1ven in his hunger, he did not give up his vigilance.

(s he neared the tree, he stopped short. &he number of fruits lying under the treeseemed considerably more than usual.

It would have taken a whirlwind to bring down so many fruits2 but the previous nighthad not been particularly windy* What is more, the other trees in the vicinity appeared

normal2 there were not so many fruits scattered below them* %urely, something wasamiss, decided the antelope.

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#e paused 0ust out of reach of the tree and carefully began e4amining the ground. +ow,he saw what distinctly looked like a human footprint. Without going closer, he lookedsuspiciously at the tree. &he hunter was well hidden in its thick foliage2 neverthelessthe antelope, on close scrutiny, was now sure that his suspicions had not beenunfounded. #e could see a corner of the machan peeping out of the leaves.

$eanwhile the hunter was getting desperate. Why wasn"t the antelope coming nearer toeat his favorite fruit? %uddenly, he had a brainwave. )/et me try throwing some fruit tohim,) he thought. )$aybe that will lure him to the tree.)

%o the hunter plucked some choice fruits and hurled them in the direction of theantelope. (las, instead of luring him closer, it only confirmed his fears*

&he antelope said to him self, )&he fruits are coming flying towards me, instead ofdropping on the ground as usual. %ince when did trees start throwing their fruits? +owI"m certain that there is a hunter up the tree, and it is he who is throwing them at meto bring me closer, so that he can trap me*)