The Monkey and the Crocodile

Once upon a time, a clever monkey lived in a tree that bore juicy, red rose apples. He was very happy. 

One fine day, a crocodile swam up to that tree and told the monkey that he had travelled a long distance and was in search of food as he was very hungry. The kind monkey offered him a few rose apples. The crocodile enjoyed them very much and asked the monkey whether he could come again for some more fruit. The generous monkey happily agreed. 

The crocodile returned the next day. And the next. And the next one after that. Soon the two became very good friends. They discussed their lives, their friends and family, like all friends do. The crocodile told the monkey that he had a wife and that they lived on the other side of the river. So the kind monkey offered him some extra rose apples to take home to his wife. The crocodile's wife loved the rose apples and made her husband promise to get her some every day. 

Meanwhile, the friendship between the monkey and the crocodile deepened as they spent more and more time together. The crocodile's wife started getting jealous. She wanted to put an end to this friendship. So she pretended that she could not believe that her husband could be friends with a monkey. Her husband tried to convince her that he and the monkey shared a true friendship. The crocodile's wife thought to herself that if the monkey lived on a diet of rose monkeys, his flesh would be very sweet. So she asked the crocodile to invite the monkey to their house. 

The crocodile was not happy about this. He tried to make the excuse that it would be difficult to get the monkey across the river. But his wife was determined to eat the monkey's flesh. So she thought of a plan. 

One day, she pretended to be very ill and told the crocodile that the doctor said that she would only recover if she ate a monkey's heart. If her husband wanted to save her life, he must bring her his friend's heart. 

The crocodile was aghast. He was in a dilemma. On the one hand, he loved his friend. On the other, he could not possibly let his wife die. The crocodile's wife threatened him saying that if he did not get her the monkey's heart, she would surely die. 

So the crocodile went to the rose apple tree and invited the monkey to come home to meet his wife. He told the monkey that he could ride across the river on the crocodile's back. The monkey happily agreed. As they reached

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the middle of the river, the crocodile began to sink. The frightened monkey asked him why he was doing that. The crocodile explained that he would have to kill the monkey to save his wife's life. The clever monkey told him that he would gladly give up his heart to save the life of the crocodile's wife, but he had left his heart behind in the rose apple tree. He asked the crocodile to make haste and turn back so that the monkey could go get his heart from the apple tree. 

The silly crocodile quickly swam back to the rose apple tree. The monkey scampered up the tree to safety. He told the crocodile to tell his wicked wife that she had married the biggest fool in the world.

The Big Lion and the Little Rabbit

Once upon a time, there lived a big lion in a jungle. Every day he hunted and killed many animals to satisfy his hunger. The animals were worried that one day none of them would be left alive. They all decided to go to the lion and find a solution to this problem.

When the lion saw all the animals approaching, he was very happy as he thought that he would not have to take the trouble to hunt. He could just kill all the animals together once and for all. 

One of the animals stopped him and pleaded that he listen to what they had to say first. He went on to explain that as the lion was king of the jungle, and all the other animals were his subjects, the lion would not be a king at all if he killed all his subjects. He would have no one left to rule over. He suggested that if the lion stayed home, one animal would surrender itself each day as food for the lion. The lion agreed to this offer on the condition that if they ever failed to send him an animal, he would go on a killing spree and finish all of them off. 

From then on, each day an animal was sent to the lion and the lion was pleased.

One day it was the turn of a little rabbit to sacrifice his life to provide food for the lion. This little one did not want to be the lion's meal. He thought of a plan that would save his life as well as the lives of all the other animals in the jungle.

The rabbit slowly made his way to the lion's den. The lion was pacing up and down, extremely hungry. He was furious when all he saw was a little rabbit.

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He wanted to kill all the animals in a rage. The rabbit timidly explained that the animals had actually sent him six rabbits, but five of them were killed and devoured by another lion. 

The lion roared in anger. He wanted to know who this other lion was who dared to steal his food. The rabbit stuttered that it was a very big lion. He had warned the other lion not to eat him as his king would be very angry and definitely come to fight him. The rabbit went on to say that that the other lion had called His Majesty an impostor and had challenged him to prove who was actually the king of the jungle. The lion was furious. He asked the rabbit to take him to the other lion as he wanted to kill him. 

The little rabbit led the lion to a well and told him that the other lion was in there. The lion peered into the well and saw his own reflection. He thought it was the other lion. He let out a huge roar which echoed back at him. He immediately jumped into the well to attack what he thought was the other lion. The lion dashed his head against the rocks and drowned. 

The jubilant little rabbit returned to other animals to spread the good news.

The Stork and the Crab

Once upon a time, there was a stork who caught the fish in a particular tank. The stork always had a full meal. As the years went by, the stork grew older and weaker. His ability to catch fish diminished. At times he would even starve. He knew he had to do something to survive. 

One day he stood by the side of the tank with a very forlorn look on his face. The frogs, fish and crabs wondered why he was not trying to catch any food. A big crab asked him what the matter was. The stork answered that he was sad because all the fish in the tank were going to die and he would have to starve. He said that he had heard that people were going to fill the tank with mud and grow crops over it. The fish were very worried and asked the stork to help them. 

The stork offered to take all of them to a bigger tank some distance away. But he said that he needed to rest between trips because of his age. He would only be able to carry a few fish at a time. 

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The stork took a beakful of fish on his first trip. He flew to a big rock and had a good meal. He rested awhile, and when he was hungry again, he took a second trip. In this manner, he took a trip each time that he was hungry. 

The big crab in the tank also wanted to save himself and he requested the stork to take him too. The stork thought it was a good idea to try a new dish. He agreed to take the crab on his next trip. 

After the stork flew up with him, the crab looked down to see what his new surrounding would be like. All he could see was dry land. He questioned the stork about this. The stork laughed wickedly and pointed to the rock below where the crab saw a heap of fish bones. The crab realized that he was to be the stork's next meal. So the crab dug his claws into the stork's neck and would not let go till the stork fell to the ground. The crab then cut off the stork's head and returned home to show it to all the other fish and share the story of his adventure.

The Crows and the Black Snake

Once upon a time a family of crows lived in a huge banyan tree. There was a Father Crow, a Mother Crow, and many baby crows.

One day a huge snake came to live in the hole at the bottom of the tree. The crows were unhappy about this, but could do nothing. 

Soon Mother Crow hatched a few more eggs and some more baby crows were born. When the crows flew out in search of food, the snake ate up the babies. When the crows returned, they could not find their babies. They hunted high and low, but to no avail.

After a few months, Mother Crow gave birth to some more baby crows. This time Mother Crow stayed home when Father Crow went out in search of food. Ignoring the fact that Mother Crow was keeping a watchful eye on her babies, the snake still slithered up the tree and attacked the babies. Mother Crow tried to fight the snake off, but she was not strong enough. Other crows came to her aid, but the snake had already eaten the little ones and crawled back into its hole.

When Father Crow returned, he found all the crows weeping. He consoled his wife who wanted to leave the tree house immediately. Father Crow said that this tree had been their home for many years and they must live here. He thought of asking a wise old fox for help in order to get rid of the snake. 

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The old fox came up with a brilliant plan. He told them to go to the river bank the next morning where the ladies of the royal family would be bathing. Their clothes and valuables would be kept on the river bank while the servants would be watching over them from a distance.

The fox asked the crows to pick up a necklace and while away making a raucous noise. This would make the servants chase them to the tree where the crows would drop the necklace into the snake's hole.

So the next morning when the crows flew to the river bank, Mother Crow picked up a pearl necklace and flew off as Father Crow cawed loudly to attract the servants' attention. The servants ran after Mother Crow and reached the banyan tree where they saw her drop the necklace into the snake hole. As the servants were trying to take the necklace out with the help of a long stick, the snake came out of the hole and hissed at them menacingly. The servants beat the snake to death. And so Mother and Father Crow lived happily ever after in the banyan tree. 

The Musical Donkey

Once upon a time, there was an old thin donkey that worked for a washerman by day. At night he was free to wander as he liked.

One night, he made friends with a jackal and they both went out in search of food. They found a garden filled with cucumbers and helped themselves to a delicious meal. After that they returned every night to the garden to eat cucumbers. And so the donkey started looking healthy and fat. 

One night, after a particularly tasty meal, the donkey was overwhelmed with happiness. So happy was he, that he told the jackal he wanted to sing a song. The jackal immediately told him not to do any such thing! He warned the donkey that they were thieves so it was not a good idea to make noise and attract the farmer's attention. If they were caught, they would be beaten. 

But the donkey insisted on singing. The jackal told him that his voice was not sweet. The donkey was upset and thought that the jackal was jealous of him. The jackal warned that donkey again that if he did sing, the farmers would come and reward him in a way that he would not like. 

But the donkey started singing, and the jackal decided to wait outside the garden. When the farmers heard the donkey braying, they rushed out to beat him. The donkey fell down and the farmers tied a heavy stone around his neck.

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Somehow the donkey dragged himself out to the waiting jackal. The jackal congratulated him on his reward. The donkey realised his mistake and apologised to the jackal for not listening to good advice.

The Tortoise and the Geese

Once upon a time, there was a tortoise who lived in a tank. He made friends with two geese who used to come and visit him at the tank. They were happy for many years.

Then there was a drought that lasted for months. The tanks and rivers started drying up under the burning sun. The people and animals were starving and the birds were migrating to more fertile lands. The two geese decided to save themselves and go away. So they came to say a sad goodbye to their friend the tortoise. 

The poor tortoise could not believe that they could leave him behind to die. The geese wondered how they could save their friend too. The problem was that they did not know how to take him along because the tortoise could not fly. The tortoise came up with an idea. He told the geese to get him a stick that he could hold between his teeth. The geese could then take him to a more fertile land flying slowly while holding the two ends of the stick. 

But the geese were worried that if the tortoise opened his mouth by mistake to speak, he would lose his grip on the stick and would fall down and die. So the tortoise promised not to open his mouth.

The geese flew off carrying the tortoise with them. They flew higher and higher, over hills, valleys, fields and plains. Finally, they flew over a city. The people of the city were amazed to see such a strange sight. They clapped their hands and commented how wonderful it was too see the geese carrying the tortoise like that. The people's shouting and clapping annoyed the tortoise. He wondered aloud why these foolish people were making such a racket. But as soon as he opened his mouth to speak, he lost his grip on the stick and fell to the ground. And so the poor tortoise was killed all because of his foolishness and intolerance. 

The Ass Has No Brains

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. 

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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.

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The Girl Who Married a Snake

Once upon a time, there lived a Brahmin and his wife who had no children. They prayed to God every day in the hope that they would be blessed with a child.

One fine day, the Brahmin's wife did give birth to a baby, but it was a snake! All the villagers, their friends and relatives advised them to get rid of the baby snake. But the Brahmin's wife did not care that her baby was a snake. She loved it all the same and refused to get rid of it.

She reared the baby snake with tender loving care and gave him the best of things. After many years had passed, the Brahmin's wife decided that it was time to get her baby married. But which girl would marry a snake?

One day, when the Brahmin returned home, he found his wife sobbing. She refused to tell him the reason, but just continued weeping. Finally she told him that she was crying because she realized that he did not love his son because he was not even thinking of his son's marriage. 

The Brahmin was shocked. He asked her which person in his right mind would agree to marry his daughter to a snake. But seeing his wife crying ceaselessly, he was forced to go out in search of a bride for his son.

He traveled far and wide, but with no success. Finally, he arrived in a big city where his best friend lived. The Brahmin decided to pay him a visit. They were both thrilled to see each other after such a long time. His friend asked him what brought him so far from home. The Brahmin replied that he was searching for a bride for his son. His friend told him to look no further and immediately promised his daughter's hand in marriage. The Brahmin told him to first take a look at his son. His friend refused saying that as he knew the family, it was not necessary. So he sent his beautiful daughter with the Brahmin. 

The Brahmin's wife was thrilled and immediately started making preparations for the wedding. Everyone advised the girl not to marry the snake, but she insisted that she must keep her father's word. 

And so the girl and the snake were married. After marriage, the girl was the epitome of a devoted wife. She looked after the snake well. The snake slept in his box at night. 

Then, one night, when the girl was going to sleep, she found a handsome young man in the room. She was scared and was about to run for help. The

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young man stopped her saying that he was her husband. Of course, she did not believe him. So he proved it by getting back into the snake skin. She was so happy that she fell at his feet. After that, every night the young man would shed the snakeskin and spend time with his bride. At daybreak, he would slip back into the snakeskin. 

One night, the Brahmin heard noises in his daughter-in-law's room. So he kept a watch and saw the snake turning into a handsome young man. He rushed into the room and threw the snakeskin in to the fire. His son thanked him profusely saying that he was freed from a curse that forced him to stay in the snakeskin until someone destroyed it without his asking. 

And so the handsome young man and his beautiful bride lived happily ever after.  

The Mice That Ate Iron

Once upon a time, there was a rich merchant called Naduk. But times were bad and his business was suffering. He decided to leave the city and find his fortune in a new place. He sold off all his possessions and paid off his debts. All that he had left was a heavy iron beam. Naduk went to say goodbye to his friend Lakshman, and requested him to keep the beam for him till he returned. Lakshman promised to look after it for him. 

For many years, Naduk traveled far and wide, building his fortune. Luck was with him, for he became rich once again. He returned home and bought a new house and started his business again. He went to visit his friend Lakshman who greeted him warmly. After a while, Naduk asked him to return his beam. Lakshman knew that the beam would fetch him good money so he was loath to return it. So he told Naduk that he had kept his beam in the store-room and the mice ate it. 

Naduk did not seem to mind. He asked Lakshman to send his son home with him so that he could hand over a gift that he had bought for him. So Lakshman sent his son Ramu with Naduk.

Naduk locked up Ramu in a cellar in his house. By nightfall, Lakshamn was worried and came to ask about the whereabouts of his son. Naduk replied that on the way to his house, a hawk swooped down and carried the boy off. Lakshman accused Naduk of lying. He insisted that a hawk could not carry off a fifteen-year-old boy.

A big fight ensued and the matter was taken to court. When the magistrate heard Lakshman's side of the story, he ordered Naduk to return the boy to

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his father. But Naduk insisted that a hawk carried off the boy. The magistrate asked him how it was possible. He replied,that if a huge iron beam can be eaten by mice, then a boy could definitely be carried off by a hawk.  

Naduk related the whole story. Everyone in the courtroom burst out laughing. The magistrate then ordered Lakshman to return the iron beam to Naduk and that Naduk return Lakshman's son to him.

Unity is Strength

Once upon a time, there was a flock of doves that flew in search of food led by their king. One day, they had flown a long distance and were very tired. The dove king encouraged them to fly a little further. The smallest dove picked up speed and found some rice scattered beneath a banyan tree. So all the doves landed and began to eat. 

Suddenly a net fell over them and they were all trapped. They saw a hunter approaching carrying a huge club. The doves desperately fluttered their wings trying to get out, but to no avail. 

The king had an idea. He advised all the doves to fly up together carrying the net with them. He said that there was strength in unity. 

Each dove picked up a portion of the net and together they flew off carrying the net with them. The hunter looked up in astonishment. He tried to follow them, but they were flying high over hills and valleys. They flew to a hill near a city of temples where there lived a mouse who could help them. He was a faithful friend of the dove king.

When the mouse heard the loud noise of their approach, he went into hiding. The dove king gently called out to him and then the mouse was happy to see him. The dove king explained that they had been caught in a trap and needed the mouse's help to gnaw at the net with his teeth and set them free. 

The mouse agreed saying that he would set the king free first. The king insisted that he first free his subjects and the king last. The mouse understood the king's feelings and compled with his wishes. He began to cut the net and one by one all the doves were freed including the dove king. 

They all thanked the mouse and flew away together, united in their strength.

The Sparrow and the elephant

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Once upon a time there lived a sparrow with her husband on a tree. She had built a nice nest and laid her eggs in the nest. One morning, a wild elephant with spring fever feeling restive came to the tree in search of shade and in a rage broke the branch of the tree on which the nest was residing. Unluckily all the sparrow eggs were lost though both parents were saved. The she-sparrow was deep in lament.Seeing her lament, the woodpecker bird, a friend of hers offered her consolation that she would think of a way of killing the elephant. Then she went to her friend the gnat, who in turn went to the counselor frog for advice. The frog then devised a scheme for killing the elephant. He asked the gnat to buzz in the ears of the elephant, so that the elephant would be thrilled to listen to the music of the gnat and close its eyes. Then she asked the woodpecker to pluck his eyes. She herself would be on the edge of a pit and would croak misleading the elephant to think that it is a pond. The next day at noon the three carried out the plan and the elephant was killed when he fell flat into a pit after being blinded by the woodpecker when he closed his eyes in response to the gnat. So the revenge was taken with collective wit of all three animals.MORAL: Wit is superior to brute force.The blue JackalOnce upon a time there lived a jackal who strayed into a city in search of food. He was hungry and was being chased by a group of dogs. He accidentally entered the house of a dyer and fell into a vat of indigo(blue), and was stained blue from head to toe. When he escaped from the house back into the forest, all animals were surprised at his appearance and could not place its identity. Taking advantage of the situation, the jackal decided to play the situation to his advantage. He proclaimed that he was Fierce Owl, sent by the king of Gods, Indra, to earth to gaurd the forest. The gullible animals believed the jackal. The jackal then appointed the Lion as his Prime minister, tiger as his gaurdian of the bed chamber and the elephant was made the door keeper. He then drove all the jackals out of sight from the forest for fear of being recognized. The animals would hunt food and bring it to the self proclaimed king and the king would distribute the food to all equally just as a king would do. So he was leading a life of luxury. One day a herd of jackals were passing by howling to their glory. Unable to control his natural instinct, FierceOwl showed his natural voice and howled at the top of his voice. Hearing this howl, the animals realised that they had been fooled by a jackal and killed the jackal instantly.MORAL: Excess of Greed is harmful.

The heron and the crab

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Once upon a time there lived a heron by the side of a pond. It was a lazy creature and once deivsed a plan to get a supply of fish without doing much work. So one day, he went to the side of the pond and put on a gloomy face without attempting to catch any fish. The pond was also inhabited by a carb, which was wise and often helped the fish in the pond. On seeing the gloomy heron, the crab asked her what the matter was.The heron said, "Alas! I am worried that the pond is going to be soon devoid of any fish, which are in turn my source of food. I overheard a group of fishermen talking about catching all the fish in this pond. But I know of a pond somewhat far away, where all the fish shall be safe. If the fish are interested, i can carry a few each day to the other pond where they will be safe."All the fish were eager to make use of the heron in reaching a safer destination. So everyday some of the them volunteer to go with the heron. The heron took some fish each day in the beak, and on reaching a large rock used to eat all the fish up and leave the bones of the fish at the rock. So she was able to get a continuos supply of fish at no effort at all. In the end, the curiosity got the better of the crab, and one day it volunteered to go with the fish. When it had gone closer to the rock, it realised the foul play the heron had been playing on the poor fish. Enraged, it tightened its claws around the neck of the heron and snapped the head of the heron off. The heron this died a selfish death. The crab crept back to the pond and told all the fish about the lies the heron had been telling. MORAL: Excess of Greed is harmful.The crows and the serpentOnce upon a time there lived a crow couple, who had built a nest on the top of a tree. But unfortunately the tree was inhabited by a serpent at its bottom. So the serpent used to crawl up the tree and eat all the eggs that the lady crow used to lay. The crow couple were deeply grieved and when this happened time after time, then they decided that the serpent was to be get rid of by a plan.So the crow then approached his friend the jackal and asked for a plan. The jackal then told him to go and fetch a costly thing from the palace of the king and throw the thing in the burrow of the snake. The crow went to palace, and stole a necklace of the queen while she was bathing. The gaurds of the palace ran after it. The crow then dropped the necklace in the burrow of the snake beneath the tree. The gaurds on reaching the bottom of the tree, found the necklace gaurded by the serpent. Then they lynched the serpent and recovered the necklace. So the crow family was now happy that their eggs were safe now.MORAL: Wit can achieve anything.The swan and the owlOnce upon a time there lived a swan who used to spend time in various playful activites on a lake. Once an owl visited him in the forest and

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requested him to be friends, after praising the swan a lot. The swan agreed to be friends with him and they used to spend time near the lake a lot of days. But the owl soon got bored of the place and told the swan, "I am going back to my home in the Lotus wood, and if you ever want to visit me you can visit me there." The swan, after many days once decided to pay a visit to the owl in the Lotus wood. On reaching Lotus wood, it could not find the owl, which was hiding in the dark hole. The owl asked the swan to take rest till daylight was over and told him that he could come out only at night. The swan decided to take rest.It so happened that a group of merchants were passing by the next day early morning. The merchants chanted some hymns, and to that the owl replied with a hoot. Thinking that this was a bad omen, the merchants then decided to shoot the owl down. But in the meantime the owl had fled and taken refuge in a nearby hole near the shore of the lake. But the swan did not move. The arrow from the merchants came and hit the swan and it was killed.The bird with the two necksOnce upon a time there lived a special kind of bird which had two necks and shared a common stomach. One day, one of the heads found a jar of nectar, and on seeing this the other head also wanted to taste the nectar but the first neck refused to let it have it. Enraged, the other neck soon found a jar of poison and it consumed it. The poison reached the common stomach and both the necks perished.MORAL: Sharing of a good thing with others is always good.The jackal and the drumOnce upon a time there lived a jackal in a forest. One day it was very hungry and it reached the king's battleground. It heard a loud noise suddenly and was frightened upon hearing the noise. He was frightened that something dangerous was happening to him. He reached a war-drum nearby and struck it with grass and it made noise. He mistook it be a huge animal with lots of food on the inside of it. With great difficulty it pierced the drum and reached inside. On reaching inside then it was disappointed to find it to be only wood and leather. With great difficulty it came out of the hole and backed off and crept away to safety laughing at her judgement.MORAL: Extreme circumstances can mutilate judgement.

JT The Banyan Deer

In a forest, on the outskirts of Benaras, there lived a beautiful golden deer. He was called King Banyan Deer and was the leader of a herd of five hundred deer. Not very far off, in the same forest was King Branch Deer who was also

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the leader amongst another five hundred deer. He was also extremely beautiful with a coat of a shiny golden hue and sparkling eyes. 

Outside this beautiful forest, in the real world, there reigned a King who loved to eat meat at every single meal. He was King Brahmadatta of Benaras. Not only was he fond of hunting, but he also enforced the same on his subjects. He forced them to leave their own businesses and join him regularly on his hunting spree each and every morning. 

After awhile the villagers got sick of this regular routine as they had much better things to do with their lives. Besides, their work and means of livelihood had also begun to suffer. They realised that they must find a solution. Together they came up with a plan. 

They decided to grow plants, sow crops and dig water holes in the royal park itself. Then they would drive a number of deer into the confines of the park and shut the gates. In this way the King could hunt at leisure and would not require any further help from his obedient subjects.

So at first they went about preparing the royal park for the deer. Then they went into the forest armed with weapons and sticks in order to drive the deer into the royal park. They surrounded the territories of both the herds, those of King Banyan Deer as well as King Branch Deer, and drove them into the royal park, with shouts of glee as they beat their sticks on the ground and waved them in the air. As soon as both the herds were in, the gates were shut and the deer entrapped.

They then went to their King and told him that as they could not accompany him any more on his hunts they had successfully managed to entrap a number of deer in the royal park for his royal pleasure. The King was absolutely thrilled when he set eyes on the great number of deer in the royal park. 

While gazing at them his eyes fell on the two beautiful golden deer and he at once decided to spare their lives. He issued an order that they were not to be shot at any cost. Each day after that, either the King or one of his hunters would shoot arrows at the deer. The deer would scatter wildly in every direction and get hurt in the ensuing stampede. So one day King Banyan Deer and King Branch Deer put their heads together and came up with a plan. They realised that each day their herds were getting wounded in great numbers and some were getting killed. Even though death was inevitable they could at least try to save the living ones from unnecessary pain and torture. 

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So they decided to send a deer to the royal palace to be slaughtered and served to the king each and every day. The pact was to alternate between the two herds. In this way at least the rest of the deer would be spared unnecessary torture. This system continued for some time. Each day a deer was sent to the royal palace to be slaughtered by the royal cook. And the rest of the deer were allowed to live in peace until it was their turn. 

One day it was the turn of a young female deer with a newborn baby. She belonged to the herd of King Branch Deer. She was worried that after she was killed there would be no one to take care of her child who was still too young to look after itself. So she approached her king with the plea that he send another deer instead of her that day and she would willingly go to the slaughter after her fawn was old enough to look after himself.

But King Branch Deer would not listen to her plea and told her to accept this as her fate as he could not ask another deer to replace her on the execution block. The mother doe looked at her baby and just could not take a step towards the palace. So she approached King Banyan Deer with her plea. King Banyan Deer looked at her with great compassion and told her to go look after her baby, as he would send another in her place.

Then King Banyan Deer himself walked to the palace and placed his head on the execution block. The royal cook was shocked to see him and remembering the King's orders, went running to the King to ask him what was to be done. The King came down to see what was happening. On seeing King Banyan Deer he went up to him and gently asked why he was here. King Banyan Deer related the story of the fawn and the mother doe and told him that as he could not order another to take her place, he had decided to do it himself. The King was highly impressed with this supreme sacrifice and the great love and compassion that this King of deer possessed. So he decided to not only spare his life but that of the mother doe as well.

 But King Banyan Deer was not satisfied. He asked that the lives of the other deer be spared as well. So the king granted him his wish. Then he asked about all the other four-footed animals in the forest and then about the birds in the sky and the fish in the sea. And King Brahmadutta agreed to spare the lives of all.   King Banyan Deer thanked him from the bottom of his heart and returned joyfully to the park. The gates were opened wide and both the herds were set free. Needless to say they lived peacefully and happily ever after.

jtThe Golden Goose

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Once upon a time there lived a queen in the city of Benaras. Her name was Khema and she was the wife of King Bahuputtaka, which means 'father of many sons'. One night, the Queen had a dream of a beautiful golden goose that spoke with great wisdom, almost as if he was a sage. She told her husband that she desperately wanted to see a bird just like the one that she had seen in her dream.   So the King asked his ministers to find out all that they could about a bird such as this. He was told that such a bird did exist but was extremely rare and difficult to find. They advised him to build a beautiful lake on the outskirts of Benaras so that he may attract such rare and lovely creatures to reside there. In this way the queen might have her wish.   Towards the north, on Mount Cittakuta, there lived about ninety thousand wild geese headed by a beautiful golden goose called King Dhatarattha. He got to hear of this exquisite lake that was surrounded by flowers and trees and had lovely water lilies and lotuses floating on the surface. The king had named this lake after his wife Khema and had invited all the birds to come and live on it, promising that none of them would ever be harmed. Corn was scattered on a daily basis in order to attract the birds.   So a couple of geese went up to their King and told him that they were quite tired of living up on the mountains and would like to see this wonderful lake where they had been promised food and protection.  The king agreed to their request and took the whole flock down south towards Benaras.   Meanwhile, at the lake the King had placed hunters all around in order to capture any golden goose that happened to pass by. So the next morning when the headhunter saw this flock of geese approaching he was very excited to see their golden leader. He immediately went about setting up a snare amongst the water lilies and lotuses, as he knew that the leader would definitely be the first to alight.   The whole flock came flying down in one mighty swoop and as expected it was the King's foot that touched the water first. He was ensnared and could not escape. Seeing this the other geese flew into a panic and honked in distress. But none had the courage to try to free their king and so flew back to Mount Cittacuta for safety. All except one. He was the chief captain, Sumukha.   His King entreated him to fly to safety too, as he would surely be captured if he stayed by his side. But Sumukha replied that he would never desert his master in the face of danger and would either try to save him or die by his

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side.   At this point the head huntsman approached and as Sumukha saw him he decided to appeal to his compassion. The hunter asked the King how come he had not noticed the trap that was set. The golden goose replied that when one's time was up it was no use to struggle against what was fated and one must just accept it. The huntsman was very impressed with his grace and wisdom. He then turned to Sumukha and asked why he had not fled with the other birds even though he was free to do so. Sumukha answered that this was his King, best friend and master and that he could never desert him even at the cost of his own life.   Hearing this the hunter realised that these were a couple of rare birds of great nobility. And were he to harm them, the gods would certainly punish him. Besides, he did not much care for his own King's reward and decided to do the right thing and set them free. He told Sumukha that as he was ready to die for his King he would set them both free to fly wherever they may.    He then set loose the foot of the golden goose and washed the wound clean. And when he made an attempt to fix the dislocated muscle "lo behold".. the foot was miraculously whole again as if it had never been hurt. Sumukha greatly blessed the hunter for his act of compassion and his King asked whether he had set the trap for himself or at someone else's command. The hunter answered that he had done it on the orders of his own King. He then went on to narrate to them the whole story about the queen's dream and her wish to see this rare golden goose.    On hearing this, the golden goose decided to go and meet the monarch, as he knew that the hunter would receive his reward. He had also heard about the wisdom and goodness of King Bahuputakka and thought that if he appeared out of his own free will, the monarch might allow him and his flock to come visit the lake. He therefore asked the hunter to take him to his King. The hunter advised him against it because he was worried that his monarch might imprison these two lovely creatures.   But the golden goose explained that just as they had been able to soften a hunter's heart it should not be too difficult to do the same to a great and noble King. He asked him to do his duty and leave the rest to him.    So the hunter set out to go to the palace accompanied by these two noble, gorgeous creatures. Needless to say that the King and Queen were absolutely delighted to see these two beautiful birds. The King set them on a golden perch and fed them himself, with honey, grain and sweetened milk. Then he spent the whole night discussing kingship and all its duties with this

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King of Geese. The golden goose did his best to offer good advice and encouragement in accordance with his wisdom.    In the morning he thanked the King and Queen for their hospitality and friendship and flew back to his flock accompanied by his faithful friend and chief captain Sumukha.

jtThe Great - Hearted Monkey

In a forest glade, by the side of River Ganges, high on the mountains there lived about eighty thousand monkeys along with their giant monkey king. And by the side of the clear gushing water stood a tall shady tree bearing big beautiful juicy golden fruits commonly called mangoes.

All the monkeys just loved these mangoes and ate them off almost as soon as they had ripened. Which was a very good thing as their wise giant king had warned them not to let a single juicy fruit fall into the river. Because if the current carried even one of these fruits down the river to the land where the men lived, they would surely come in search of this delicious fruit and destroy the peace in the land of the monkeys.

It so happened that a branch of this tree hung low over the river and a mango that was hidden behind an ant's nest ripened and fell off without anyone's knowledge. It was taken down south by the rapid flow of the river and reached the city of Benaras.

One fine morning when King Brahmadutta of Benaras was bathing in the river between two nets, a couple of fishermen found a bright golden fruit caught in the mesh of the net. Very excited they took it to show the King. The King examined the fruit carefully and asked where it had come from and what it was called. The fishermen did not know much about it but guessed that it must have flowed down the river from the valleys of the far-flung Himalayas.

He then asked them to cut the mango and tasted a slice. It was simply delicious. He shared the rest of it with his ministers and Queen who loved its divine flavour. 

A few days passed, but the King could not get this exotic fruit out of his mind. He could not work; rest or sleep for want of some more. Finally he could bear it no longer and set sail in search of it. He organised a fleet of rafts and sailed up the river accompanied by his men and a few fishermen.

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Many days and many nights went by and they passed many valleys until they finally came to the one where the mango tree stood. Mission accomplished, the King was delighted and began enjoying the mangoes to his heart's content. Finally, that night, the King lay down to sleep under the mango tree while his faithful soldiers stood guard. Fires were lit on either side for protection against wild animals.

In the middle of the night when the guards had dozed off to sleep, the monkeys came and finished off all the mangoes that were left on the tree. The King awoke with all the noise and ordered his guards to shoot at the monkeys so that they could feast on monkey flesh along with the mangoes.

On hearing this, the monkeys trembled with fear and escaped to inform their King. They told him what had happened and he promised to save them. But for that he had to come up with a plan.

So he climbed up the tree and swung across the river with the help of a branch. He found a bamboo shoot which he measured and cut carefully, and then tied one end of it around his waist. The other end he tied around a tree trunk. He had decided to leap back to the mango tree and help the rest of the monkeys across over the bridge that he had made with the help of the bamboo shoot. 

But alas... he had not taken into account the portion that he had tied around his waist. So when the monkey king sprang back into the mango grove he was just able to cling to a branch of the mango tree. He quickly summoned his monkeys to climb over his back and onto the reed in order to escape to the other side. In this way, eighty thousand monkeys climbed over his back one by one and made it to safety.

But unfortunately there was one evil monkey who hated his leader and wanted to destroy him. His name was Devadutta. This mean monkey purposely jumped hard over his poor king's back and broke it, while he himself escaped to the other bank.

 King Brahmadutta, who had been awake for awhile, had observed this whole episode. He felt extremely sorry for the monkey king and asked his men to help lower him to the ground. He then had him gently bathed and wrapped in a soft yellow cloth and asked him why he had sacrificed himself for his tribe. The great monkey answered that as he was their guide and chief, they were his children and it was his sacred duty to protect them. He had absolutely no regrets as he had ensured their safety. He also went on to say that the King should always be mindful of his subjects' welfare even at the cost of his own. Saying this the monkey king died at peace with himself.

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King Brahmadutta had learnt a great deal that day. He ordered his men to organise a funeral fit for a King. He then built a shrine in the monkey king's memory where he offered flowers and lit candles and incense.

On returning to Benaras, he built another shrine there and asked his people to pay homage to this great soul. He always remembered the last words of the monkey king and ruled his subjects with wisdom and compassion. The people in his kingdom were eternally grateful to the great-hearted monkey.

jtThe Noble Stag

As we all know, King Brahmadutta of Benaras was extremely fond of hunting. Luckily for him, on the outskirts of the city was a huge forest filled with deer and a mighty stag. 

One fine day, when he was out hunting, he warned his courtiers not to allow a single deer to escape or he would have them severely punished. So the courtiers formed a tight circle and decided to send the deer in the direction of the King. The courtiers surrounded a thicket and beat their sticks on the ground until they saw a stag escape. But as their circle was so tight the only escape route that the stag could see was towards the King who was standing alone at the end of the path.

So the stag looked him straight in the eye and made a dash towards him. The King was taken aback and shot an arrow towards him hurriedly. Of course it missed the mark. Now there is one thing that you must know about the stag. It has excellent instincts and is extremely good at dodging arrows, whether shot at from the back, front or even the top. If an arrow is aimed at its belly, it pretends to roll over and then jumps up and runs once the danger has passed.

So when this stag rolled over the King assumed that his arrow had found its mark. But the stag suddenly jumped up and shot passed the men. When the courtiers realised that the King had been mistaken they started to ridicule him.

Now the King thought himself to be an excellent marksman and could not bear the taunts of his men. He grabbed his sword and set off into the forest in order to catch the stag. He chased the stag for quite a while and covered a long distance. 

The stag came upon a hole in the ground that was covered by a rotting tree and filled with slime. From a distance it could smell the dirty water and so was careful not to run over it. But the King could not sense the pit and fell

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right into it. After awhile the stag realised that he was not being followed any longer and realised that the King could have fallen into the pit. 

So he went back to the pit and saw the King struggling for his life. He felt very sorry for him and decided to save his life even though the King was following him with the intention to kill him. He told the King not to worry and to be brave for awhile longer. He then caught a huge rock with his hind legs and lowered himself into the pit. The King caught hold of his neck and the stag climbed out onto the level ground and carried the King to safety.  

The King thanked the noble stag profusely and asked him to return with him to Benaras, where he could rule beside him. But the stag had no interest in a kingdom and simply requested the king to rule his kingdom wisely and well, with kindness and compassion. And then the noble stag disappeared into the forest.

With a grateful heart the King returned to Benaras and announced that from this day on all his subjects were to live a life of goodness, kindness and generosity. That night he went to bed a changed man and woke up singing praises of the stag. When he was chanting the hymn in praise of the stag, his priest was approaching to check on the King's well being. On hearing the hymn, he pieced the facts together and realised that the King had been saved by the stag. 

He entered the King's chamber and told him what had occurred on the previous day. The King was surprised and asked the priest whether he could read minds, but the priest answered that as he had heard the King singing he had managed to piece the facts together. The King was very impressed and gave him a big reward. He also promised to live a virtuous and generous life and give alms regularly to the poor. All his subjects also followed this good example set by the King and the city of Benaras witnessed a golden period. 

All of a sudden there was an influx of good souls in heaven. Sakka, the King of heaven began to wonder where all these new sons and daughters were coming from. He then recalled the incident when King Brahmadutta's life was transformed by the stag and realised that all his subjects had been transformed too. That explained the influx of good souls in heaven. Sakka now decided to test the goodness of the King. So he made himself invisible and came down to earth.

On that very morning the King was in the royal park with his priest and was doing his routine target practice. Just as the King was about to shoot the target, Sakka made a stag appear before the target and the King

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immediately put his bow and arrow down. Then Sakka spoke through the priest and encouraged the King to shoot the stag saying that his meat was very tasty and fit for the kings. 

But the virtuous King refused to kill the stag saying that he had once saved his life and he would not perform such a dastardly deed. And then the priest said that if the King were to kill the stag he would be made king of gods. But if he did not do so, he would be sent to hell along with all his children and his queen.

But the virtuous King chose hell and sure death over hurting the beloved friend who had saved his life. Sakka was highly impressed and appeared in his real form to bless the King. He blessed him with a long life and happiness and promised him that when he came to heaven he would reign among the gods.

He said that after a long and wonderful rule on earth, heaven would be his final reward. Saying this, Sakka returned to his heavenly abode.

jtThe White Elephant

Once upon a time, there lived a herd of eighty thousand elephants at the bottom of the majestic Himalayas. Their leader was a magnificent and rare white elephant who was an extremely kind-hearted soul. He greatly loved his mother who had grown blind and feeble and could not look out for herself.

Each day this white elephant would go deep into the forest in search of food. He would look for the best of wild fruit to send to his mother. But alas... his mother never received any. This was because his messengers would always eat them up themselves. Each night, when he returned home he would be surprised to hear that his mother had been starving all day. He was absolutely disgusted with his herd. 

Then one day, he decided to leave them all behind and disappeared in the middle of the night along with his dear mother. He took her to Mount Candorana to live in a cave beside a beautiful lake that was covered by gorgeous pink lotuses.

It so happened that one day, when the white elephant was feeding he heard loud cries. A forester from Benaras had lost his way in the forest and was absolutely terrified. He had come to the area to visit relatives and could not find his way out. 

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On seeing this big white elephant he was even more terrified and ran as fast as he could. The elephant followed him and told him not to be afraid, as all he wanted to do was to help him. He asked the forester why he was crying so bitterly. The forester replied that he was crying because he had been roaming the forest for the past seven days and could not find his way out.

The elephant told him not to worry as he knew every inch of this forest and could take him to safety. He then lifted him on to his back and carried him to the edge of the forest from where the forester went on his merry way back to Benaras.

On reaching the city, he heard that King Brahmadutta's personal elephant had just died and the King was looking for a new elephant. His heralds were roaming the city, announcing that any man who had seen or heard of an elephant fit for a King should come forward with the information.

The forester was very excited and immediately went up to the King and told him about the white elephant that he had seen on Mount Candorana. He told him that he had marked the way and would require the help of the elephant trainers in order to catch this fantastic elephant. 

The King was quite pleased with the information and immediately despatched a number of soldiers and elephant trainers along with the forester. After travelling for many days, the group reached the lake besides which the elephants resided. They slowly creeped down to the edge of the lake and hid behind the bushes. The white elephant was collecting lotus shoots for his mother's meal and could sense the presence of humans. When he looked up, he spotted the forester and realised that it was he who had led the King's men to him. He was very upset at the ingratitude but decided that if he put up a struggle many of the men would be killed. And he was just too kind to hurt anyone. So he decided to go along with them to Benaras and then request the benevolent King to be set free.

That night when the white elephant did not return home, his mother was very worried. She had heard all the commotion outside and had guessed that the King's men had taken away her son. She was scared that the King would ride him in to battle and her son would definitely be killed. She was also worried that there would be no one to look after her or even feed her, as she could not see. She just lay down and cried bitterly. 

Meanwhile her son was led in to the beautiful city of Benaras where he was given a grand reception. The whole city was decorated and his own stable was gaily painted and covered with garlands of fragrant flowers. The trainers laid out a feast for their new state elephant who refused to touch a morsel.

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He did not respond to any kind of stimuli, be it the fragrant flowers or the beautiful and comfortable stable. He just sat there looking completely despondent. 

The worried trainers went straight to report the situation to their King, as they were scared that the elephant would just waste away without any food or water. The King was extremely concerned when he heard what they had to say and went to the stable himself. He offered the elephant food from the royal table and asked him why he grieved in this manner. He thought that the elephant should be proud and honoured that he was chosen as the state elephant and would get the opportunity to serve his King. 

But the white elephant replied that he would not eat a thing until he met his mother. So the King asked him where his mother was. The elephant replied that she was back home on Mount Candorana and must be worried and hungry as she was blind and had no one to feed her and take care of her. He was afraid that she would die. 

The compassionate King was touched by the elephant's story and asked him to return to his blind, old mother and take care of her as he had been doing all along. He set him free in love and kindness. 

The happy elephant went running home as fast as he could. And he was relieved to find that his mother was still alive. He filled his trunk with water and poured it over his sick mother who thought that it was raining. Then she cried out as she thought that some evil spirit had come to harm her and wished and prayed that her son was there to save her.

The white elephant gently bent over his blind mother and stroked her lovingly. She immediately recognised his touch and was overjoyed. Her son lifted her up and told her that the kind and compassionate King of Benaras had set him free and he was here to love and look after his mother forever. 

His mother was absolutely thrilled and blessed the kind King with peace, prosperity and joy till the end of his days. She was so thankful to him for sending her son back home. 

The white elephant was able to take good care of his mother till the day she died. And when he died himself, the King erected a statue of him by the side of the lake and held an annual elephant festival there in memory of such a caring and noble soul.

The heron serpent and the mongoose

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Once upon a time there lived a group of herons on a banyan tree. In the hollow trunk of the tree dwelt a black serpent who ate the young herons before they grew. Out of sorrow the heron, approached the crab. The crab heard of the serpent and then thought to itself, " The heron is also the natural enemy of our race. So i need a scheme to get rid of all of them". So he advised the heron to throw fish bits all the way from the house of the mongoose to the tree where it lived.The heron did as told and the mongoose following the trail of the fish came and ate the seprent and at the same time crept up the tree and ate all the herons too. MORAL: Don't listen to the advice of your natural enemy.The mice and the elephantsOnce upon a time there lived a group of mice under a tree peacefully. But once a group of elephants came that way and destroyed the homes of all the rats as a result of which many of them were crushed to death. Then the king of rats decided to approach the elephant chief and request him to guide his herd through another route.The elephant king agreed to this and took another route to the water. And so the lives of the rats were saved. One day a group of elephant-hunters came and trapped the group of elephants in huge nets. Then the elephant king suddenly remembered the king of the rats. He summoned one of the elephants of his herd which had not been trapped, to go and contact the king of rats. On listening to the elephant, the rat king took his entire group of mice and they cut open the nets which trapped the elephant herd. So the elephant herd was totally set free.MORAL: A friend in need is a friend indeed.The cat partridge and the hareOnce upon a time there lived a partridge under a tree. The partridge one day decided to go to the fields and indulge itself in the food there. But it did not return for many days as it found the fields a good source of food.In the meantime a hare came along one day and occupied the same dwelling which the patridge used to live in. The partridge however returned from the fields having grown plump from the food. It wanted to claim the dwelling for itself. A fight ensued and the hare was saying that the dwelling belonged to whoever occupied it.Then they both decided to contact a supposedly learned cat, on the shores of the Ganges who was supposed to be wise and old. So one day they both approached the cat with their problem. The cat, which was actually a hypocrite who earned his livelihood by posing as a priest, decided to take advantage of the occasion. On hearing the partridge and the hare from a distance, it said, "Sorry! I can't hear you from that far a distance because of old age. Dont worry I mean no harm to you. Come closer and both of you relate your stories."

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They were fooled into coming near and as soon as he could lay his hands on both of them he killed them both and had a meal.MORAL: A crook doesn't change his character even if he changes his outward appearance.The gold giving serpentOnce upon a time there lived a poor brahman. He used to work hard on the fields but all his efforts did not bear fruit. He one day found an anthill on his field and found a serpent there. Thinking that he had not paid respect to the gauridan diety of his field, he procured milk and started feeding the anthill with milk from that day. One day he found a gold coin in the plate. So he used to get a gold coin everyday he fed the serpent with milk. Then one day he had to go to the town and asked his son to look after the seprentby feeding him the milk. The son was greedy and he thought,"This anthill must be full of gold coins". And he stuck the serpent. Unluckily the serpent did not die and it attacked the boy and he died.MORAL: Excess of greed is harmful.The day dreaming priestOnce upon a time there lived a priest who was extremely lazy and poor at the same time. He did not want to do any hard work but used to dream of being rich one day. He got his food by begging for alms. One morning he got a pot of milk as part of the alms. He was extremely delighted and went home with the pot of milk. He boiled the milk, drank some of it and put the remaining milk in a pot. He added slight curds in the pot for converting the milk to curd. He then lay down to rest.He was extremely delighted at the pot of milk he found and started dreaming about the pot of curd while he lay asleep. He dreamt that if he could become rich somehow all his miseries would be gone. His thoughts turned to the pot of milk he had set to form curd. He dreamt on : "By morning the pot of milk would set, it would be converted to curd. I would churn the curd and make butter from it. I would heat the butter and make ghee out of it. I will go to that market and sell that ghee, and make some money. With that money i will buy a hen. The hen will lay may eggs which will hatch and there will be many more hens and cocks. These cocks and hen will in turn lay hundreds of eggs and I will soon have a poultry farm of my own." He kept on imagining."I will sell all the hens of my poultry and buy some cows, and open a milk dairy. All the town people will buy milk from me. I will be very rich and soon I shall buy jewellery. The king will buy all the jewellery from me. I will be so rich that I will be able to marry an exceptionally beautiful girl from a rich family. Soon I will have a handsome son. If he does any mischief I will be very angry and to teach him a lesson, I will hit him with a big stick." During this dream, he involuntarily picked up the stick next to his bed and thinking that he was beating his son, raised the stick and hit the pot. The pot of milk broke and he awoke from his sleep. Only then did he realise he was daydreaming.

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MORAL: There is no substitute for hard work. Dreams cannot be fulfilled without hard work.The mongoose and the farmer's wife Once upon a time there lived a farmer and his wife. They had a new born son. The farmer's wife wanted to have a pet animal to protect the child which would also be a companion to the child. They debated and decided upon a mongoose. So they brought a mongoose and started rearing it.A couple of months later, one day the farmer and his wife wanted to go out of the house leaving the child at home. The farmer thought that the mongoose would take care of the child while they were away. So they left the mongoose and the child at home and went out.The farmer's wife returned earlier and on returning home found that the mouth of the mongoose was stained with blood and she immediately inferred that the mongoose had killed the child. In anger she threw a box on the mongoose and the mongoose was hurt badly. She then rushed inside to see what happened to the child. She was surprised to find a dead snake lying in the room. She could infer that that the mongoose had saved the child's life by killing the snake. Realising the mistake she went out of the room only to find the mongoose dead on the floor. She cried out load at her hasty action.MORAL: Dont act in haste. Think and act.The Sage's daughterOnce upon a time there lived a sage on the banks of a river. He and his wife did not have any children. One day when the sage was praying in the middle of the river, an eagle happened to pass by and the eagle dropped a female mouse in the hands of the sage. The sage found the mouse in his hands on opening his eyes, and took it home to his wife.On reaching home, he talked to his wife about the mouse and they decided to convert the mouse into a young baby girl. The sage and his wife began to take care of the girl child and brought her up as their daughter. The child grew day by day to a beautiful maiden by the age of sixteen. At this age, the sage decided to find a match for the girl. He and his wife decided that the Sun God would be an ideal match for their girl. So the sage prayed for the Sun God to appear, and once the sun god appeared asked him to marry his daughter. But his daughter said, "Sorry! I cannot marry the sun god because he is very intense and I will be reduced to ashes in his heat and light.". The sage was displeased and asked the sun god to suggest a possible groom. The sun god suggested the name of the Lord of the clouds. For, the cloud can easily stop the rays of the sun. The sage then prayed for the lord of the clouds and once he appeared him took him to his daughter. The daughter once again decided not accept him as his groom. She said, " I do not want to marry a person as dark as him. Moreover, I am afraid of the thunder he produces". The sage was dejected once again and asked the lord of clouds for a suitable groom. The lord of

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clouds suggested, " Why don't you try the lord of wind, for he can easily blow me away". The sage then prayed for the lord of the wind. On the appearance of the wind-god, he took him to his daughter. His daughter rejected the groom saying that she cannot marry such a feeble person like the wind god who is always on the move. Dejected once again the sage asked the wind-god for a suggestion. The wind-god suggested the lord of the mountain which was rock solid and stopped the wind easily. So the sage then went to the mountain lord and requested him to marry his daughter. But the daughter once again rejected the mountain lord saying that he was too cold-hearted for her to marry and requested the sage to find somebody softer. The mountain god then suggested a mouse to him, because the mouse is soft and yet can easily make holes in the mountain. This time the daughter was happy and agreed to marrying a he-mouse. So the sage said, "Look at what the destiny had to offer you. You started as a mouse, and were destined to marry a mouse in the end. So be it". He then converted her back to a she-mouse and got her married to a he-mouse.Destiny cannot be changed.The Moon LakeOnce A large herd of elephants lived in a jungle. Their king was a huge, majestic tusker. He looked after them with love and care. A severe drought hit the area. As there was no rain for a few years, all the rivers and tanks had dried up. Birds and animals died of thirst. The wild elephants suffered for want of water. Their king knew that if they did not get water soon, many of them would die of thirst. He had to find water as quickly as possible. He asked the elephants to go in different directions to look for water. One of them found a large lake full of water in another jungle far away. The king was happy. He ordered all the elephants to make their way to the lake. It was a beautiful lake. Close to it was a colony of rabbits. The elephants had to pass through this colony. Thousands of rabbits were trampled to death and thousands more were injured. The rabbits were in a panic. Their king called a meeting. "A herd of wild elephants is passing through our colony," he said. "They have already killed or injured thousands of us. We have to take urgent steps to prevent more deaths. I want all of you to think of a way to save our race." The rabbits thought and thought. How could they stop the elephants? One little rabbit stood up. "Your Majesty," he said, "if you will send me as your messenger to the king of the elephants, I may be able to find a solution." "By all means, go as my messenger and see what you can do." The little rabbit hurried out. He saw a group of elephants returning from the lake. Right in the middle was the king. To get near him was impossible. "I will be crushed to death,' thought the rabbit. So he climbed up a huge rock.

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"O, king of the elephants," he shouted, "hear me, please." The king heard his voice and turned towards him. "Well, who are you?" he asked. "I am a messenger," replied the rabbit. "A messenger? From whom?" "I am a messenger from the mighty Moon." "What is your business? Is there a message for me from the Moon?" "Yes, yes, your Majesty. But you must not be angry with me. Please remember that a messenger is never punished for what he has to say. He is only doing his duty." "Very well. Say what you have been sent to say. I shall not harm you." "Sir," said the little rabbit, "the Moon has this to say" " You, the king of the elephants, have brought your herd to my holy lake and soiled its waters. You have killed thousands of rabbits on your way to the lake. You know that rabbits are under my special protection. Everyone knows that the king of the rabbits lives with me. I ask you not to kill any more rabbits. Otherwise something terrible will happen to you and your herd." The king of the elephants was shocked. He looked at the little rabbit. "You are right," he said. "We may have killed many rabbits on our way to the lake. I shall see that you do not suffer anymore. I shall request the Moon to forgive me for my sins. Please tell me what I should do." "Come with me alone," replied the rabbit. "Come, I shall take you to the Moon." The little rabbit took the huge elephant to the lake. There they saw the Moon reflected in the still waters. "There, your Majesty, meet the Moon," said the little rabbit. "Let me worship the divine Moon," said the elephant, and dipped his trunk into the water. At once the water was disturbed. The Moon seemed to move to and fro. The rabbit said, "Now the Moon is angrier than ever." "Why?' asked the king. "What have I done?" "You have touched the holy waters of the lake," replied the rabbit. The elephant bowed his head. "Please ask the Moon to forgive me. Never again will we touch the holy waters of this lake. Never again will we harm the rabbits whom the Moon loves so much." And the king and his herd went away. Soon there was rain and the elephants lived happily. It did not occur to them ever that a little rabbit had fooled them. Wit can win over might.The fox reared by the lionOnce upon a time there was a lion and a lioness in a dense forest. The couple gave birth to two cubs in due course of time. The lion asked the lioness to stay at home and take care of the cubs. One day the lion could not hunt any animal but found a little fox on the way home. He took it home as a gift for the lioness. The lioness brought the fox kid with the same love as her own cubs. The three young animals grew and played together. One day the children saw an elephant. The lion cubs wanted to fight the elephant. But the fox kid was frightened and asked them to run away. So they ran away and went to the mother lioness. The lion cubs told the story to her. She laughed at the fox kid. At this the fox kid was offended and in a rage challenged the lioness as to why she called it

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a coward. The lioness replied, "What's wrong with eating an elephant? You feel like that only because you're not a lion kid. You are the child of a fox. Your breed never eats elephants. If you cannot be bold please leave us and go live with your tribe." The fox kid did not want to live there any longer and left for the forest. Moral:A coward will always remain a coward even if it is in company of the brave.THE BRAHMIN'S GIFT Once there lived a pious brahmin in a village. He used to perform religious rituals. On one occasion he was rewarded with a cow by a rich man for his service. The brahmin started to bring the cow to his home. On the way, three rogues saw the brahmin bringing the cow. They were lazy and wanted to cheat the brahmin so that they could take away the cow. They hatched a plan. The first person approached the brahmin and said, "Are you a washerman that you're pulling a donkey." The brahmin was annoyed at being mistaken for a washerman. He went on. A little later he was met by the second of the three. The second person asked him why being a brahmin he needed to pull a pig. Now the brahmin was confused but he went on. Some distance later he was met by the third person who asked him why he was pulling along a wild animal. Now the brahmin was totally confused and also afraid. He thought that it was a devil animal which took different forms. He ran away leaving the cow behind. The three tricksters laughed at the brahmin at having obtained the cow from the brahmin.

The Bat and the Weasels

A BAT who fell upon the ground and was caught by a Weasel pleaded to be spared his life.  The Weasel refused, saying that he was by nature the enemy of all birds.  The Bat assured him that he was not a bird, but a mouse, and thus was set free.  Shortly afterwards the Bat again fell to the ground and was caught by another Weasel, whom he likewise entreated not to eat him.  The Weasel said that he had a special hostility to mice.  The Bat assured him that he was not a mouse, but a bat, and thus a second time escaped. 

It is wise to turn circumstances to good account.

The Wolf and the Lamb

WOLF, meeting with a Lamb astray from the fold, resolved not to lay violent hands on him, but to find some plea to justify to the Lamb the Wolf's right to eat him.  He thus addressed him: "Sirrah, last year you grossly insulted me." 

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"Indeed," bleated the Lamb in a mournful tone of voice, "I was not then born."  Then said the Wolf, "You feed in my pasture."  "No, good sir," replied the Lamb, "I have not yet tasted grass."  Again said the Wolf, "You drink of my well."  "No," exclaimed the Lamb, "I never yet drank water, for as yet my mother's milk is both food and drink to me."  Upon which the Wolf seized him and ate him up, saying, "Well! I won't remain supperless, even though you refute every one of my imputations."  The tyrant will always find a pretext for his tyranny.

The Ass and the Grasshopper

An Ass having heard some Grasshoppers chirping, was highly enchanted; and, desiring to possess the same charms of melody, demanded what sort of food they lived on to give them such beautiful voices.  They replied, "The dew."  The Ass resolved that he would live only upon dew, and in a short time died of hunger

The Lion and the Mouse

A LION was awakened from sleep by a Mouse running over his face.  Rising up angrily, he caught him and was about to kill him, when the Mouse piteously entreated, saying:  "If you would only spare my life, I would be sure to repay your kindness."  The Lion laughed and let him go.  It happened shortly after this that the Lion was caught by some hunters, who bound him by st ropes to the ground.  The Mouse, recognizing his roar, came gnawed the rope with his teeth, and set him free, exclaim 

"You ridiculed the idea of my ever being able to help you, expecting to receive from me any repayment of your favor; I now you know that it is possible for even a Mouse to con benefits on a Lion."

The Charcoal-Burner and the Fuller

A CHARCOAL-BURNER carried on his trade in his own house.  One day he met a friend, a Fuller, and entreated him to come and live with him, saying that they should be far better neighbors and that their housekeeping expenses would be lessened.  The Fuller replied, "The arrangement is impossible as far as I am concerned, for whatever I should whiten, you would immediately blacken again with your charcoal." 

Moral: Like will draw like.

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The Father and His Sons

A father had a family of sons who were perpetually quarreling among themselves.  When he failed to heal their disputes by his exhortations, he determined to give them a practical illustration of the evils of disunion; and for this purpose he one day told them to bring him a bundle of sticks.  When they had done so, he placed the faggot into the hands of each of them in succession, and ordered them to break it in pieces.  They tried with all their strength, and were not able to do it.  He next opened the faggot, took the sticks separately, one by one, and again put them into his sons' hands, upon which they broke them easily.  He then addressed them in these words:  "My sons, if you are of one mind, and unite to assist each other, you will be as this faggot, uninjured by all the attempts of your enemies; but if you are divided among yourselves, you will be broken as easily as these sticks." 

The Boy Hunting Locusts

A boy was hunting for locusts.  He had caught a goodly number, when he saw a Scorpion, and mistaking him for a locust, reached out his hand to take him.  The Scorpion, showing his sting, said: If you had but touched me, my friend, you would have lost me, and all your locusts too!"

The Cock and the Jewel 

A COCK, scratching for food for himself and his hens, found a precious stone and exclaimed:  "If your owner had found thee, and not I, he would have taken thee up, and have set thee in thy first estate; but I have found thee for no purpose.  I would rather have one barleycorn than all the jewels in the world."

The Kingdom of the Lion

THE beasts of the field and forest had a Lion as their king.  He was neither wrathful, cruel, nor tyrannical, but just and gentle as a king could be.  During his reign he made a royal proclamation for a general assembly of all the birds and beasts, and drew up conditions for a universal league, in which the Wolf and the Lamb, the Panther and the Kid, the Tiger and the Stag, the Dog and the Hare, should live together in perfect peace and amity.  The Hare said, "Oh, how I have longed to see this day, in which the weak shall take their place with impunity by the side of the strong."  And after the Hare said this, he ran for his life.

The Wolf and the Crane

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A WOLF who had a bone stuck in his throat hired a Crane, for a large sum, to put her head into his mouth and draw out the bone.  When the Crane had extracted the bone and demanded the promised payment, the Wolf, grinning and grinding his teeth, exclaimed: "Why, you have surely already had a sufficient recompense, in having been permitted to draw out your head in safety from the mouth and jaws of a wolf." 

In serving the wicked, expect no reward, and be thankful if you escape injury for your pains.

The Fisherman Piping

A fisherman skilled in music took his flute and his nets to the seashore.  Standing on a projecting rock, he played several tunes in the hope that the fish, attracted by his melody, would of their own accord dance into his net, which he had placed below.  At last, having long waited in vain, he laid aside his flute, and casting his net into the sea, made an excellent haul of fish.  When he saw them leaping about in the net upon the rock he said: "O you most perverse creatures, when I piped you would not dance, but now that I have ceased you do so merrily."

Hercules and the Wagoner

A CARTER was driving a wagon along a country lane, when the wheels sank down deep into a rut.  The rustic driver, stupefied and aghast, stood looking at the wagon, and did nothing but utter loud cries to Hercules to come and help him.  Hercules, it is said, appeared and thus addressed him:  "Put your shoulders to the wheels, my man.  Goad on your bullocks, and never more pray to me for help, until you have done your best to help yourself, or depend upon it you will henceforth pray in vain." 

Self-help is the best help.

The Ants and the Grasshopper

The Ants were spending a fine winter's day drying grain collected in the summertime.  A Grasshopper, perishing with famine, passed by and earnestly begged for a little food.  The Ants inquired of him, "Why did you not treasure up food during the summer?'  He replied, "I had not leisure enough.  I passed the days in singing."  They then said in derision:  "If you were foolish enough to sing all the summer, you must dance supperless to bed in the winter."

The Traveler and His Dog

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A Traveler about to set out on a journey saw his Dog stand at the door stretching himself.  He asked him sharply:  "Why do you stand there gaping? Everything is ready but you, so come with me instantly."  The Dog, wagging his tail, replied:  "O, master! I am quite ready; it is you for whom I am waiting." 

The loiterer often blames delay on his more active friend.

The Dog and the Shadow

A DOG, crossing a bridge over a stream with a piece of flesh in his mouth, saw his own shadow in the water and took it for that of another Dog, with a piece of meat double his own in size.  He immediately let go of his own, and fiercely attacked the other Dog to get his larger piece from him.  He thus lost both:  that which he grasped at in the water, because it was a shadow; and his own, because the stream swept it away.

The Mole and His Mother

A mole, a creature blind from birth, once said to his Mother:  "I am sure than I can see, Mother!"  In the desire to prove to him his mistake, his Mother placed before him a few grains of frankincense, and asked, "What is it?'  The young Mole said, "It is a pebble."  His Mother exclaimed:  "My son, I am afraid that you are not only blind, but that you have lost your sense of smell.

The Herdsman and the Lost Bull 

A herdsman tending his flock in a forest lost a Bull-calf from the fold.  After a long and fruitless search, he made a vow that, if he could only discover the thief who had stolen the Calf, he would offer a lamb in sacrifice to Hermes, Pan, and the Guardian Deities of the forest.  Not long afterwards, as he ascended a small hillock, he saw at its foot a Lion feeding on the Calf.  Terrified at the sight, he lifted his eyes and his hands to heaven, and said:  "Just now I vowed to offer a lamb to the Guardian Deities of the forest if I could only find out who had robbed me; but now that I have discovered the thief, I would willingly add a full-grown Bull to the Calf I have lost, if I may only secure my own escape from him in safety."

The Hare and the Tortoise

A hare one day ridiculed the short feet and slow pace of the Tortoise, who replied, laughing:  "Though you be swift as the wind, I will beat you in a race."  The Hare, believing her assertion to be simply impossible, assented to the proposal; and they agreed that the Fox should choose the course and fix

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the goal.  On the day appointed for the race the two started together.  The Tortoise never for a moment stopped, but went on with a slow but steady pace straight to the end of the course.  The Hare, lying down by the wayside, fell fast asleep.  At last waking up, and moving as fast as he could, he saw the Tortoise had reached the goal, and was comfortably dozing after her fatigue. 

Slow but steady wins the race.

The Pomegranat, Apple-Tree and Bramble

The pomegranate and Apple-Tree disputed as to which was the most beautiful.  When their strife was at its height, a Bramble from the neighboring hedge lifted up its voice, and said in a boastful tone:  "Pray, my dear friends, in my presence at least cease from such vain disputings."

The Farmer and the Stork

A farmer placed nets on his newly-sown plowlands and caught a number of Cranes, which came to pick up his seed.  With them he trapped a Stork that had fractured his leg in the net and was earnestly beseeching the Farmer to spare his life.  "Pray save me, Master," he said, "and let me go free this once.  My broken limb should excite your pity.  Besides, I am no Crane, I am a Stork, a bird of excellent character; and see how I love and slave for my father and mother.  Look too, at my feathers-- they are not the least like those of a Crane."   The Farmer  laughed aloud and said, "It may be all as you say, I only know  this:  I have taken you with these robbers, the Cranes, and you  must die in their company." 

Birds of a feather flock together.

The Farmer and the Snake

One winter a Farmer found a Snake stiff and frozen with cold.  He had compassion on it, and taking it up, placed it in his bosom.  The Snake was quickly revived by the warmth, and resuming its natural instincts, bit its benefactor, inflicting on him a mortal wound.  "Oh," cried the Farmer with his last breath, "I am rightly served for pitying a scoundrel." 

The greatest kindness will not bind the ungrateful.

The Fawn and His Mother

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A young fawn once said to his Mother, "You are larger than a dog, and swifter, and more used to running, and you have your horns as a defense; why, then, O Mother! do the hounds frighten you so?" She smiled, and said:  "I know full well, my son, that all you say is true.  I have the advantages you mention, but when I hear even the bark of a single dog I feel ready to faint, and fly away as fast as I can." 

No arguments will give courage to the coward.

The Bear and the Fox

A bear boasted very much of his philanthropy, saying that of all animals he was the most tender in his regard for man, for he had such respect for him that he would not even touch his dead body.  A Fox hearing these words said with a smile to the Bear, "Oh! that you would eat the dead and not the living."

The Swallow and the Crow

The Swallow and the Crow had a contention about their plumage.  The Crow put an end to the dispute by saying, "Your feathers are all very well in the spring, but mine protect me against the winter." 

Fair weather friends are not worth much.

The Mountain in Labor

A mountain was once greatly agitated.  Loud groans and noises were heard, and crowds of people came from all parts to see what was the matter.  While they were assembled in anxious expectation of some terrible calamity, out came a Mouse. 

Don't make much ado about nothing.

The Ass, the Fox, and the Lion

The ass and the fox, having entered into partnership together for their mutual protection, went out into the forest to hunt.  They had not proceeded far when they met a Lion.  The Fox, seeing imminent danger, approached the Lion and promised to contrive for him the capture of the Ass if the Lion would pledge his word not to harm the Fox.  Then, upon assuring the Ass that he would not be injured, the Fox led him to a deep pit and arranged that he should fall into it.  The Lion, seeing that the Ass was secured, immediately

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clutched the Fox, and attacked the Ass at his leisure.

The Tortoise and the Eagle

A tortoise, lazily basking in the sun, complained to the sea-birds of her hard fate, that no one would teach her to fly.  An Eagle, hovering near, heard her lamentation and demanded what reward she would give him if he would take her aloft and float her in the air.  "I will give you," she said, "all the riches of the Red Sea."  "I will teach you to fly then," said the Eagle; and taking her up in his talons he carried her almost to the clouds  suddenly he let her go, and she fell on a lofty mountain, dashing her shell to pieces.  The Tortoise exclaimed in the moment of death:  "I have deserved my present fate; for what had I to do with wings and clouds, who can with difficulty move about on the earth?' 

If men had all they wished, they would be often ruined.

The Flies and the Honey-Pot

A number of Flies were attracted to a jar of honey which had been overturned in a housekeeper's room, and placing their feet in it, ate greedily.  Their feet, however, became so smeared with the honey that they could not use their wings, nor release themselves, and were suffocated.  Just as they were expiring, they exclaimed, "O foolish creatures that we are, for the sake of a little pleasure we have destroyed ourselves." 

Pleasure bought with pains, hurts.

The Man and the Lion

A man and a Lion traveled together through the forest.  They soon began to boast of their respective superiority to each other in strength and prowess.  As they were disputing, they passed a statue carved in stone, which represented "a Lion strangled by a Man."  The traveler pointed to it and said:  "See there! How strong we are, and how we prevail over even the king of beasts."  The Lion replied:  "This statue was made by one of you men.  If we Lions knew how to erect statues, you would see the Man placed under the paw of the Lion." 

One story is good, till another is told. 

The Farmer and the Cranes

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Some cranes made their feeding grounds on some plowlands newly sown with wheat.  For a long time the Farmer, brandishing an empty sling, chased them away by the terror he inspired; but when the birds found that the sling was only swung in the air, they ceased to take any notice of it and would not move.  The Farmer, on seeing this, charged his sling with stones, and killed a great number.  The remaining birds at once forsook his fields, crying to each other, "It is time for us to be off to Liliput:  for this man is no longer content to scare us, but begins to show us in earnest what he can do." 

If words suffice not, blows must follow.

The Dog in the Manger 

A dog lay in a manger, and by his growling and snapping prevented the oxen from eating the hay which had been placed for them.  "What a selfish Dog!"  said one of them to his companions; "he cannot eat the hay himself, and yet refuses to allow those to eat who can." 

The Fox and the Goat

A fox one day fell into a deep well and could find no means of escape.  A Goat, overcome with thirst, came to the same well, and seeing the Fox, inquired if the water was good.  Concealing his sad plight under a merry guise, the Fox indulged in a lavish praise of the water, saying it was excellent beyond measure, and encouraging him to descend.  The Goat, mindful only of his thirst, thoughtlessly jumped down, but just as he drank, the Fox informed him of the difficulty they were both in and suggested a scheme for their common escape.  "If," said he, "you will place your forefeet upon the wall and bend your head, I will run up your back and escape, and will help you out afterwards."  The Goat readily assented and the Fox leaped upon his back.  Steadying himself with the Goat's horns, he safely reached the mouth of the well and made off as fast as he could.  When the Goat upbraided him for breaking his promise, he turned around and cried out, "You foolish old fellow! If you had as many brains in your head as you have hairs in your beard, you would never have gone down before you had inspected the way up, nor have exposed yourself to dangers from which you had no means of escape." 

Look before you leap.

The Bear and the Two Travelers

Two men were traveling together, when a Bear suddenly met them on their path.  One of them climbed up quickly into a tree and concealed himself in

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the branches.  The other, seeing that he must be attacked, fell flat on the ground, and when the Bear came up and felt him with his snout, and smelt him all over, he held his breath, and feigned the appearance of death as much as he could.  The Bear soon left him, for it is said he will not touch a dead body.  When he was quite gone, the other Traveler descended from the tree, and jocularly inquired of his friend what it was the Bear had whispered in his ear.  "He gave me this advice," his companion replied.  "Never travel with a friend who deserts you at the approach of danger." 

Misfortune tests the sincerity of friends. 

The Oxen and the Axle-Trees

A heavy wagon was being dragged along a country lane by a team of Oxen.  The Axle-trees groaned and creaked terribly; whereupon the Oxen, turning round, thus addressed the wheels:  "Hullo there! why do you make so much noise? We bear all the labor, and we, not you, ought to cry out." 

Those who suffer most cry out the least.

The Thirsty Pigeon

A pigeon, oppressed by excessive thirst, saw a goblet of water painted on a signboard.  Not supposing it to be only a picture, she flew towards it with a loud whir and unwittingly dashed against the signboard, jarring herself terribly.  Having broken her wings by the blow, she fell to the ground, and was caught by one of the bystanders. 

Zeal should not outrun discretion.

The Raven and the Swan

A raven saw a Swan and desired to secure for himself the same beautiful plumage.  Supposing that the Swan's splendid white color arose from his washing in the water in which he swam, the Raven left the altars in the neighborhood where he picked up his living, and took up residence in the lakes and pools.  But cleansing his feathers as often as he would, he could not change their color, while through want of food he perished. 

Change of habit cannot alter Nature.

The Goat and the Goatherd

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A goatherd had sought to bring back a stray goat to his flock.  He whistled and sounded his horn in vain; the straggler paid no attention to the summons.  At last the Goatherd threw a stone, and breaking its horn, begged the Goat not to tell his master.  The Goat replied, "Why, you silly fellow, the horn will speak though I be silent." 

Do not attempt to hide things which cannot be hid.

The Miser

A miser sold all that he had and bought a lump of gold, which he buried in a hole in the ground by the side of an old wall and went to look at daily.  One of his workmen observed his frequent visits to the spot and decided to watch his movements.  He soon discovered the secret of the hidden treasure, and digging down, came to the lump of gold, and stole it.  The Miser, on his next visit, found the hole empty and began to tear his hair and to make loud lamentations.  A neighbor, seeing him overcome with grief and learning the cause, said, "Pray do not grieve so; but go and take a stone, and place it in the hole, and fancy that the gold is still lying there.  It will do you quite the same service; for when the gold was there, you had it not, as you did not make the slightest use of it."

The Sick Lion

A lion, unable from old age and infirmities to provide himself with food by force, resolved to do so by artifice.  He returned to his den, and lying down there, pretended to be sick, taking care that his sickness should be publicly known.  The beasts expressed their sorrow, and came one by one to his den, where the Lion devoured them.  After many of the beasts had thus disappeared, the Fox discovered the trick and presenting himself to the Lion, stood on the outside of the cave, at a respectful distance, and asked him how he was.  "I am very middling," replied the Lion, "but why do you stand without? Pray enter within to talk with me."  "No, thank you," said the Fox.  "I notice that there are many prints of feet entering your cave, but I see no trace of any returning." 

He is wise who is warned by the misfortunes of others.

The Horse and Groom

A groom used to spend whole days in currycombing and rubbing down his Horse, but at the same time stole his oats and sold them for his own profit.  "Alas!"  said the Horse, "if you really wish me to be in good condition, you should groom me less, and feed me more."

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The Ass and the Lapdog 

A man had an Ass, and a Maltese Lapdog, a very great beauty.  The Ass was left in a stable and had plenty of oats and hay to eat, just as any other Ass would.  The Lapdog knew many tricks and was a great favorite with his master, who often fondled him and seldom went out to dine without bringing him home some tidbit to eat.  The Ass, on the contrary, had much work to do in grinding the corn-mill and in carrying wood from the forest or burdens from the farm.  He often lamented his own hard fate and contrasted it with the luxury and idleness of the Lapdog, till at last one day he broke his cords and halter, and galloped into his master's house, kicking up his heels without measure, and frisking and fawning as well as he could.  He next tried to jump about his master as he had seen the Lapdog do, but he broke the table and smashed all the dishes upon it to atoms.  He then attempted to lick his master, and jumped upon his back.  The servants, hearing the strange hubbub and perceiving the danger of their master, quickly relieved him, and drove out the Ass to his stable with kicks and clubs and cuffs.  The Ass, as he returned to his stall beaten nearly to death, thus lamented:  "I have brought it all on myself! Why could I not have been contented to labor with my companions, and not wish to be idle all the day like that useless little Lapdog!"

The Lioness

A controversy prevailed among the beasts of the field as to which of the animals deserved the most credit for producing the greatest number of whelps at a birth.  They rushed clamorously into the presence of the Lioness and demanded of her the settlement of the dispute.  "And you," they said, "how many sons have you at a birth?'  The Lioness laughed at them, and said: "Why! I have only one; but that one is altogether a thoroughbred Lion." 

The value is in the worth, not in the number.

The Boasting Traveler

A man who had traveled in foreign lands boasted very much, on returning to his own country, of the many wonderful and heroic feats he had performed in the different places he had visited.  Among other things, he said that when he was at Rhodes he had leaped to such a distance that no man of his day could leap anywhere near him as to that, there were in Rhodes many persons  who saw him do it and whom he could call as witnesses.  One of  the bystanders interrupted him, saying:  "Now, my good man, if  this be all true there is no need of witnesses.  Suppose this  to be Rhodes, and leap for us."

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The Cat and the Cock

A cat caught a Cock, and pondered how he might find a reasonable excuse for eating him.  He accused him of being a nuisance to men by crowing in the nighttime and not permitting them to sleep.  The Cock defended himself by saying that he did this for the benefit of men, that they might rise in time for their labors.  The Cat replied, "Although you abound in specious apologies, I shall not remain supperless"; and he made a meal of him.

The Piglet, the Sheep, and the Goat

A young pig was shut up in a fold-yard with a Goat and a Sheep.  On one occasion when the shepherd laid hold of him, he grunted and squeaked and resisted violently.  The Sheep and the Goat complained of his distressing cries, saying, "He often handles us, and we do not cry out."  To this the Pig replied, "Your handling and mine are very different things.  He catches you only for your wool, or your milk, but he lays hold on me for my very life."

The Boy and the Filberts

A boy put his hand into a pitcher full of filberts.  He grasped as many as he could possibly hold, but when he tried to pull out his hand, he was prevented from doing so by the neck of the pitcher.  Unwilling to lose his filberts, and yet unable to withdraw his hand, he burst into tears and bitterly lamented his disappointment.  A bystander said to him, "Be satisfied with half the quantity, and you will readily draw out your hand." 

Do not attempt too much at once.

The Lion in Love

A lion demanded the daughter of a woodcutter in marriage.  The Father, unwilling to grant, and yet afraid to refuse his request, hit upon this expedient to rid himself of his importunities.  He expressed his willingness to accept the Lion as the suitor of his daughter on one condition:  that he should allow him to extract his teeth, and cut off his claws, as his daughter was fearfully afraid of both.  The Lion cheerfully assented to the proposal.  But when the toothless, clawless Lion returned to repeat his request, the Woodman, no longer afraid, set upon him with his club, and drove him away into the forest.

The Laborer and the Snake

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A snake, having made his hole close to the porch of a cottage, inflicted a mortal bite on the Cottager's infant son.  Grieving over his loss, the Father resolved to kill the Snake.  The next day, when it came out of its hole for food, he took up his axe, but by swinging too hastily, missed its head and cut off only the end of its tail.  After some time the Cottager, afraid that the Snake would bite him also, endeavored to make peace, and placed some bread and salt in the hole.  The Snake, slightly hissing, said:  "There can henceforth be no peace between us; for whenever I see you I shall remember the loss of my tail, and whenever you see me you will be thinking of the death of your son." 

No one truly forgets injuries in the presence of him who caused the injury.

The Wolf in Sheep's Clothing

Once upon a time a Wolf resolved to disguise his appearance in order to secure food more easily.  Encased in the skin of a sheep, he pastured with the flock deceiving the shepherd by his costume.  In the evening he was shut up by the shepherd in the fold; the gate was closed, and the entrance made thoroughly secure.  But the shepherd, returning to the fold during the night to obtain meat for the next day, mistakenly caught up the Wolf instead of a sheep, and killed him instantly. 

Harm seek.  harm find.

The Ass and the Mule

A muleteer set forth on a journey, driving before him an Ass and a Mule, both well laden.  The Ass, as long as he traveled along the plain, carried his load with ease, but when he began to ascend the steep path of the mountain, felt his load to be more than he could bear.  He entreated his companion to relieve him of a small portion, that he might carry home the rest; but the Mule paid no attention to the request.  The Ass shortly afterwards fell down dead under his burden.  Not knowing what else to do in so wild a region, the Muleteer placed upon the Mule the load carried by the Ass in addition to his own, and at the top of all placed the hide of the Ass, after he had skinned him.  The Mule, groaning beneath his heavy burden, said to himself:  "I am treated according to my deserts.  If I had only been willing to assist the Ass a little in his need, I should not now be bearing, together with his burden, himself as well."

The Frogs Asking for a King

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The Frogs, grieved at having no established Ruler, sent ambassadors to Jupiter entreating for a King.  Perceiving their simplicity, he cast down a huge log into the lake.  The Frogs were terrified at the splash occasioned by its fall and hid themselves in the depths of the pool.  But as soon as they realized that the huge log was motionless, they swam again to the top of the water, dismissed their fears, climbed up, and began squatting on it in contempt.  After some time they began to think themselves ill-treated in the appointment of so inert a Ruler, and sent a second deputation to Jupiter to pray that he would set over them another sovereign.  He then gave them an Eel to govern them.  When the Frogs discovered his easy good nature, they sent yet a third time to Jupiter to beg him to choose for them still another King.  Jupiter, displeased with all their complaints, sent a Heron, who preyed upon the Frogs day by day till there were none left to croak upon the lake.

The Boys and the Frogs

Some boys, playing near a pond, saw a number of Frogs in the water and began to pelt them with stones.  They killed several of them, when one of the Frogs, lifting his head out of the water, cried out:  "Pray stop, my boys:  what is sport to you, is death to us."

The Sick Stag

A sick stag lay down in a quiet corner of its pasture-ground.  His companions came in great numbers to inquire after his health, and each one helped himself to a share of the food which had been placed for his use; so that he died, not from his sickness, but from the failure of the means of living. 

Evil companions bring more hurt than profit.

The Salt Merchant and His Ass

A peddler drove his Ass to the seashore to buy salt.  His road home lay across a stream into which his Ass, making a false step, fell by accident and rose up again with his load considerably lighter, as the water melted the sack.  The Peddler retraced his steps and refilled his panniers with a larger quantity of salt than before.  When he came again to the stream, the Ass fell down on purpose in the same spot, and, regaining his feet with the weight of his load much diminished, brayed triumphantly as if he had obtained what he desired.  The Peddler saw through his trick and drove him for the third time to the coast, where he bought a cargo of sponges instead of salt.  The Ass, again playing the fool, fell down on purpose when he reached the stream, but the sponges became swollen with water, greatly increasing his load.  And

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thus his trick recoiled on him, for he now carried on his back a double burden.

The Oxen and the Butchers

The oxen once upon a time sought to destroy the Butchers, who practiced a trade destructive to their race.  They assembled on a certain day to carry out their purpose, and sharpened their horns for the contest.  But one of them who was exceedingly old (for many a field had he plowed) thus spoke:  "These Butchers, it is true, slaughter us, but they do so with skillful hands, and with no unnecessary pain.  If we get rid of them, we shall fall into the hands of unskillful operators, and thus suffer a double death:  for you may be assured, that though all the Butchers should perish, yet will men never want beef." 

Do not be in a hurry to change one evil for another.

The Lion, the Mouse, and the Fox

A lion, fatigued by the heat of a summer's day, fell fast asleep in his den.  A Mouse ran over his mane and ears and woke him from his slumbers.  He rose up and shook himself in great wrath, and searched every corner of his den to find the Mouse.  A Fox seeing him said:  "A fine Lion you are, to be frightened of a Mouse." "'Tis not the Mouse I fear," said the Lion; "I resent his familiarity and ill-breeding." 

Little liberties are great offenses.

The Vain Jackdaw

Jupiter determined, it is said, to create a sovereign over the birds, and made proclamation that on a certain day they should all present themselves before him, when he would himself choose the most beautiful among them to be king.  The Jackdaw, knowing his own ugliness, searched through the woods and fields, and collected the feathers which had fallen from the wings of his companions, and stuck them in all parts of his body, hoping thereby to make himself the most beautiful of all.  When the appointed day arrived, and the birds had assembled before Jupiter, the Jackdaw also made his appearance in his many feathered finery.  But when Jupiter proposed to make him king because of the beauty of his plumage, the birds indignantly protested, and each plucked from him his own feathers, leaving the Jackdaw nothing but a Jackdaw.

The Goatherd and the Wild Goats

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A goatherd, driving his flock from their pasture at eventide, found some Wild Goats mingled among them, and shut them up together with his own for the night.  The next day it snowed very hard, so that he could not take the herd to their usual feeding places, but was obliged to keep them in the fold.  He gave his own goats just sufficient food to keep them alive, but fed the strangers more abundantly in the hope of enticing them to stay with him and of making them his own.  When the thaw set in, he led them all out to feed, and the Wild Goats scampered away as fast as they could to the mountains.  The Goatherd scolded them for their ingratitude in leaving him, when during the storm he had taken more care of them than of his own herd.  One of them, turning about, said to him:  "That is the very reason why we are so cautious; for if you yesterday treated us better than the Goats you have had so long, it is plain also that if others came after us, you would in the same manner prefer them to ourselves."

Old friends cannot with impunity be sacrificed for new ones.

The Mischievous Dog

A dog used to run up quietly to the heels of everyone he met, and to bite them without notice.  His master suspended a bell about his neck so that the Dog might give notice of his presence wherever he went.  Thinking it a mark of distinction, the Dog grew proud of his bell and went tinkling it all over the marketplace.  One day an old hound said to him:  Why do you make such an exhibition of yourself? That bell that you carry is not, believe me, any order of merit, but on the contrary a mark of disgrace, a public notice to all men to avoid you as an ill mannered dog." 

Notoriety is often mistaken for fame.

The Fox Who Had Lost His Tail

A fox caught in a trap escaped, but in so doing lost his tail.  Thereafter, feeling his life a burden from the shame and ridicule to which he was exposed, he schemed to convince all the other Foxes that being tailless was much more attractive, thus making up for his own deprivation.  He assembled a good many Foxes and publicly advised them to cut off their tails, saying that they would not only look much better without them, but that they would get rid of the weight of the brush, which was a very great inconvenience.  One of them interrupting him said, "If you had not yourself lost your tail, my friend, you would not thus counsel us."

The Boy and the Nettles

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A boy was stung by a Nettle.  He ran home and told his Mother, saying, "Although it hurts me very much, I only touched it gently."  "That was just why it stung you," said his Mother.  "The next time you touch a Nettle, grasp it boldly, and it will be soft as silk to your hand, and not in the least hurt you." 

Whatever you do, do with all your might.

The Man and His Two Sweethearts

A middle aged man, whose hair had begun to turn gray, courted two women at the same time.  One of them was young, and the other well advanced in years.  The elder woman, ashamed to be courted by a man younger than herself, made a point, whenever her admirer visited her, to pull out some portion of his black hairs.  The younger, on the contrary, not wishing to become the wife of an old man, was equally zealous in removing every gray hair she could find.  Thus it came to pass that between them both he very soon found that he had not a hair left on his head. 

Those who seek to please everybody please nobody.

The Astronomer

An astronomer used to go out at night to observe the stars.  One evening, as he wandered through the suburbs with his whole attention fixed on the sky, he fell accidentally into a deep well.  While he lamented and bewailed his sores and bruises, and cried loudly for help, a neighbor ran to the well, and learning what had happened said:  "Hark ye, old fellow, why, in striving to pry into what is in heaven, do you not manage to see what is on earth?'

The Wolves and the Sheep

"Why should there always be this fear and slaughter between us?" said the Wolves to the Sheep.  "Those evil-disposed Dogs have much to answer for.  They always bark whenever we approach you and attack us before we have done any harm.  If you would only dismiss them from your heels, there might soon be treaties of peace and reconciliation between us."  The Sheep, poor silly creatures, were easily beguiled and dismissed the Dogs, whereupon the Wolves destroyed the unguarded flock at their own pleasure.

The Old Woman and the Physician

An old woman having lost the use of her eyes, called in a Physician to heal them, and made this bargain with him in the presence of witnesses:  that if

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he should cure her blindness, he should receive from her a sum of money; but if her infirmity remained, she should give him nothing.  This agreement being made, the Physician, time after time, applied his salve to her eyes, and on every visit took something away, stealing all her property little by little.  And when he had got all she had, he healed her and demanded the promised payment.  The Old Woman, when she recovered her sight and saw none of her goods in her house, would give him nothing.  The Physician insisted on his claim, and.  as she still refused, summoned her before the Judge.  The Old Woman, standing up in the Court, argued:  "This man here speaks the truth in what he says; for I did promise to give him a sum of money if I should recover my sight:  but if I continued blind, I was to give him nothing.  Now he declares that I am healed.  I on the contrary affirm that I am still blind; for when I lost the use of my eyes, I saw in my house various chattels and valuable goods:  but now, though he swears I am cured of my blindness, I am not able to see a single thing in it."

The Fighting Cocks and the Eagle

Two game cocks were fiercely fighting for the mastery of the farmyard.  One at last put the other to flight.  The vanquished Cock skulked away and hid himself in a quiet corner, while the conqueror, flying up to a high wall, flapped his wings and crowed exultingly with all his might.  An Eagle sailing through the air pounced upon him and carried him off in his talons.  The vanquished Cock immediately came out of his corner, and ruled henceforth with undisputed mastery. 

Pride goes before destruction.

The Charger and the Miller

A charger, feeling the infirmities of age, was sent to work in a mill instead of going out to battle.  But when he was compelled to grind instead of serving in the wars, he bewailed his change of fortune and called to mind his former state, saying, "Ah! Miller, I had indeed to go campaigning before, but I was barbed from counter to tail, and a man went along to groom me; and now I cannot understand what ailed me to prefer the mill before the battle."  "Forbear," said the Miller to him, "harping on what was of yore, for it is the common lot of mortals to sustain the ups and downs of fortune."

The Fox and the Monkey

A monkey once danced in an assembly of the Beasts, and so pleased them all by his performance that they elected him their King.  A Fox, envying him

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the honor, discovered a piece of meat lying in a trap, and leading the Monkey to the place where it was, said that she had found a store, but had not used it, she had kept it for him as treasure trove of his kingdom, and counseled him to lay hold of it.  The Monkey approached carelessly and was caught in the trap; and on his accusing the Fox of purposely leading him into the snare, she replied, "O Monkey, and are you, with such a mind as yours, going to be King over the Beasts?"

The Horse and His Rider

A horse soldier took the utmost pains with his charger.  As long as the war lasted, he looked upon him as his fellow-helper in all emergencies and fed him carefully with hay and corn.  But when the war was over, he only allowed him chaff to eat and made him carry heavy loads of wood, subjecting him to much slavish drudgery and ill-treatment.  War was again proclaimed, however, and when the trumpet summoned him to his standard, the Soldier put on his charger its military trappings, and mounted, being clad in his heavy coat of mail.  The Horse fell down straightway under the weight, no longer equal to the burden, and said to his master, "You must now go to the war on foot, for you have transformed me from a Horse into an Ass; and how can you expect that I can again turn in a moment from an Ass to a Horse?' 

The Belly and the Members

The members of the Body rebelled against the Belly, and said, "Why should we be perpetually engaged in administering to your wants, while you do nothing but take your rest, and enjoy yourself in luxury and self-indulgence?'  The Members carried out their resolve and refused their assistance to the Belly.  The whole Body quickly became debilitated, and the hands, feet, mouth, and eyes, when too late, repented of their folly.

The Vine and the Goat

A vine was luxuriant in the time of vintage with leaves and grapes.  A Goat, passing by, nibbled its young tendrils and its leaves.  The Vine addressed him and said:  "Why do you thus injure me without a cause, and crop my leaves? Is there no young grass left? But I shall not have to wait long for my just revenge; for if you now should crop my leaves, and cut me down to my root, I shall provide the wine to pour over you when you are led as a victim to the sacrifice." 

and the Monkey

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Jupiter issued a proclamation to all the beasts of the forest and promised a royal reward to the one whose offspring should be deemed the handsomest.  The Monkey came with the rest and presented, with all a mother's tenderness, a flat-nosed, hairless, ill-featured young Monkey as a candidate for the promised reward.  A general laugh saluted her on the presentation of her son.  She resolutely said, "I know not whether Jupiter will allot the prize to my son, but this I do know, that he is at least in the eyes of me his mother, the dearest, handsomest, and most beautiful of all."

The Widow and Her Little Maidens

A widow who was fond of cleaning had two little maidens to wait on her.  She was in the habit of waking them early in the morning, at cockcrow.  The maidens, aggravated by such excessive labor, resolved to kill the cock who roused their mistress so early.  When they had done this, they found that they had only prepared for themselves greater troubles, for their mistress, no longer hearing the hour from the cock, woke them up to their work in the middle of the night.

The Shepherd's Boy and the Wolf

A sheperd boy, who watched a flock of sheep near a village, brought out the villagers three or four times by crying out, "Wolf! Wolf!"  and when his neighbors came to help him, laughed at them for their pains.  The Wolf, however, did truly come at last.  The Shepherd-boy, now really alarmed, shouted in an agony of terror:  "Pray, do come and help me; the Wolf is killing the sheep"; but no one paid any heed to his cries, nor rendered any assistance.  The Wolf, having no cause of fear, at his leisure lacerated or destroyed the whole flock. 

There is no believing a liar, even when he speaks the truth.

The Cat and the Birds

A cat, hearing that the Birds in a certain aviary were ailing dressed himself up as a physician, and, taking his cane and a bag of instruments becoming his profession, went to call on them.  He knocked at the door and inquired of the inmates how they all did, saying that if they were ill, he would be happy to prescribe for them and cure them.  They replied, "We are all very well, and shall continue so, if you will only be good enough to go away, and leave us as we are."

The Kid and the Wolf

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A kid standing on the roof of a house, out of harm's way, saw a Wolf passing by and immediately began to taunt and revile him.  The Wolf, looking up, said, "Sirrah! I hear thee:  yet it is not thou who mockest me, but the roof on which thou art standing." 

Time and place often give the advantage to the weak over the strong.

The Ox and the Frog

An ox drinking at a pool trod on a brood of young frogs and crushed one of them to death.  The Mother coming up, and missing one of her sons, inquired of his brothers what had become of him.  "He is dead, dear Mother; for just now a very huge beast with four great feet came to the pool and crushed him to death with his cloven heel."  The Frog, puffing herself out, inquired, "if the beast was as big as that in size."  "Cease, Mother, to puff yourself out," said her son, "and do not be angry; for you would, I assure you, sooner burst than successfully imitate the hugeness of that monster."

The Shepherd and the Wolf

A shepherd once found the whelp of a Wolf and brought it up, and after a while taught it to steal lambs from the neighboring flocks.  The Wolf, having shown himself an apt pupil, said to the Shepherd, "Since you have taught me to steal, you must keep a sharp lookout, or you will lose some of your own flock."

The Father and His Two Daughters

A man had two daughters, the one married to a gardener, and the other to a tile-maker.  After a time he went to the daughter who had married the gardener, and inquired how she was and how all things went with her.  She said, "All things are prospering with me, and I have only one wish, that there may be a heavy fall of rain, in order that the plants may be well watered."  Not long after, he went to the daughter who had married the tilemaker, and likewise inquired of her how she fared; she replied, "I want for nothing, and have only one wish, that the dry weather may continue, and the sun shine hot and bright, so that the bricks might be dried."  He said to her, "If your sister wishes for rain, and you for dry weather, with which of the two am I to join my wishes?'

The Farmer and His Sons

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A father, being on the point of death, wished to be sure that his sons would give the same attention to his farm as he himself had given it.  He called them to his bedside and said, "My sons, there is a great treasure hid in one of my vineyards."  The sons, after his death, took their spades and mattocks and carefully dug over every portion of their land.  They found no treasure, but the vines repaid their labor by an extraordinary and superabundant crop.

The Crab and Its Mother

A crab said to her son, "Why do you walk so one-sided, my child? It is far more becoming to go straight forward."  The young Crab replied:  "Quite true, dear Mother; and if you will show me the straight way, I will promise to walk in it."  The Mother tried in vain, and submitted without remonstrance to the reproof of her child. 

Example is more powerful than precept.

The Heifer and the Ox 

A heifer saw an Ox hard at work harnessed to a plow, and tormented him with reflections on his unhappy fate in being compelled to labor.  Shortly afterwards, at the harvest festival, the owner released the Ox from his yoke, but bound the Heifer with cords and led him away to the altar to be slain in honor of the occasion.  The Ox saw what was being done, and said with a smile to the Heifer:  "For this you were allowed to live in idleness, because you were presently to be sacrificed."

The Swallow, the Serpent, and the Court of Justice

A swallow, returning from abroad and especially fond of dwelling with men, built herself a nest in the wall of a Court of Justice and there hatched seven young birds.  A Serpent gliding past the nest from its hole in the wall ate up the young unfledged nestlings.  The Swallow, finding her nest empty, lamented greatly and exclaimed:  "Woe to me a stranger! that in this place where all others' rights are protected, I alone should suffer wrong."

The Thief and His Mother

A boy stole a lesson-book from one of his schoolfellows and took it home to his Mother.  She not only abstained from beating him, but encouraged him.  He next time stole a cloak and brought it to her, and she again commended him.  The Youth, advanced to adulthood, proceeded to steal things of still greater value.  At last he was caught in the very act, and having his hands bound behind him, was led away to the place of public execution.  His Mother

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followed in the crowd and violently beat her breast in sorrow, whereupon the young man said, "I wish to say something to my Mother in her ear."  She came close to him, and he quickly seized her ear with his teeth and bit it off.  The Mother upbraided him as an unnatural child, whereon he replied, "Ah! if you had beaten me when I first stole and brought to you that lesson-book, I should not have come to this, nor have been thus led to a disgraceful death

The Old Man and Death

An old man was employed in cutting wood in the forest, and, in carrying the faggots to the city for sale one day, became very wearied with his long journey.  He sat down by the wayside, and throwing down his load, besought "Death" to come.  "Death" immediately appeared in answer to his summons and asked for what reason he had called him.  The Old Man hurriedly replied, "That, lifting up the load, you may place it again upon my shoulders."

The Fir-Tree and the Bramble

A fir-tree said boastingly to the Bramble, "You are useful for nothing at all; while I am everywhere used for roofs and houses." The Bramble answered:  'You poor creature, if you would only call to mind the axes and saws which are about to hew you down, you would have reason to wish that you had grown up a Bramble, not a Fir-Tree." 

Better poverty without care, than riches with.

The Mouse, the Frog, and the Hawk

A mouse who always lived on the land, by an unlucky chance formed an intimate acquaintance with a Frog, who lived for the most part in the water.  The Frog, one day intent on mischief, bound the foot of the Mouse tightly to his own.  Thus joined together, the Frog first of all led his friend the Mouse to the meadow where they were accustomed to find their food.  After this, he gradually led him towards the pool in which he lived, until reaching the very brink, he suddenly jumped in, dragging the Mouse with him.  The Frog enjoyed the water amazingly, and swam croaking about, as if he had done a good deed.  The unhappy Mouse was soon suffocated by the water, and his dead body floated about on the surface, tied to the foot of the Frog.  A Hawk observed it, and, pouncing upon it with his talons, carried it aloft.  The Frog, being still fastened to the leg of the Mouse, was also carried off a prisoner, and was eaten by the Hawk. 

Harm hatch, harm catch.

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The Man Bitten by a Dog

A man who had been bitten by a Dog went about in quest of someone who might heal him.  A friend, meeting him and learning what he wanted, said, "If you would be cured, take a piece of bread, and dip it in the blood from your wound, and go and give it to the Dog that bit you."  The Man who had been bitten laughed at this advice and said, "Why? If I should do so, it would be as if I should beg every Dog in the town to bite me." 

Benefits bestowed upon the evil-disposed increase their means of injuring you.

The Two Pots

A river carried down in its stream two Pots, one made of earthenware and the other of brass.  The Earthen Pot said to the Brass Pot, "Pray keep at a distance and do not come near me, for if you touch me ever so slightly, I shall be broken in pieces, and besides, I by no means wish to come near you." 

Equals make the best friends.

The Wolf and the Sheep

A wolf, sorely wounded and bitten by dogs, lay sick and maimed in his lair.  Being in want of food, he called to a Sheep who was passing, and asked him to fetch some water from a stream flowing close beside him.  "For," he said, "if you will bring me drink, I will find means to provide myself with meat."  "Yes," said the Sheep, "if I should bring you the draught, you would doubtless make me provide the meat also." 

Hypocritical speeches are easily seen through.

The Aethiop

The purchaser of a black servant was persuaded that the color of his skin arose from dirt contracted through the neglect of his former masters.  On bringing him home he resorted to every means of cleaning, and subjected the man to incessant scrubbings.  The servant caught a severe cold, but he never changed his color or complexion. 

What's bred in the bone will stick to the flesh.

The Fisherman and His Nets

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A fisherman, engaged in his calling, made a very successful cast and captured a great haul of fish.  He managed by a skillful handling of his net to retain all the large fish and to draw them to the shore; but he could not prevent the smaller fish from falling back through the meshes of the net into the sea.

The Huntsman and the Fisherman

A huntsman, returning with his dogs from the field, fell in by chance with a Fisherman who was bringing home a basket well laden with fish.  The Huntsman wished to have the fish, and their owner experienced an equal longing for the contents of the game-bag.  They quickly agreed to exchange the produce of their day's sport.  Each was so well pleased with his bargain that they made for some time the same exchange day after day.  Finally a neighbor said to them, "If you go on in this way, you will soon destroy by frequent use the pleasure of your exchange, and each will again wish to retain the fruits of his own sport." 

Abstain and enjoy.

The Old Woman and the Wine-Jar

An old woman found an empty jar which had lately been full of prime old wine and which still retained the fragrant smell of its former contents.  She greedily placed it several times to her nose, and drawing it backwards and forwards said, "O most delicious! How nice must the Wine itself have been, when it leaves behind in the very vessel which contained it so sweet a perfume!" 

The memory of a good deed lives.

The Fox and the Crow

A crow having stolen a bit of meat, perched in a tree and held it in her beak.  A Fox, seeing this, longed to possess the meat himself, and by a wily stratagem succeeded.  "How handsome is the Crow," he exclaimed, in the beauty of her shape and in the fairness of her complexion! Oh, if her voice were only equal to her beauty, she would deservedly be considered the Queen of Birds!"  This he said deceitfully; but the Crow, anxious to refute the reflection cast upon her voice, set up a loud caw and dropped the flesh.  The Fox quickly picked it up, and thus addressed the Crow:  "My good Crow, your voice is right enough, but your wit is wanting."

The Two Dogs

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A man had two dogs:  a Hound, trained to assist him in his sports, and a Housedog, taught to watch the house.  When he returned home after a good day's sport, he always gave the Housedog a large share of his spoil.  The Hound, feeling much aggrieved at this, reproached his companion, saying, "It is very hard to have all this labor, while you, who do not assist in the chase, luxuriate on the fruits of my exertions."  The Housedog replied, "Do not blame me, my friend, but find fault with the master, who has not taught me to labor, but to depend for subsistence on the labor of others." 

Children are not to be blamed for the faults of their parents.

The Stag in the Ox-Stall

A stag, roundly chased by the hounds and blinded by fear to the danger he was running into, took shelter in a farmyard and hid himself in a shed among the oxen.  An Ox gave him this kindly warning:  "O unhappy creature! why should you thus, of your own accord, incur destruction and trust yourself in the house of your enemy?'  The Stag replied:  "Only allow me, friend, to stay where I am, and I will undertake to find some favorable opportunity of effecting my escape."  At the approach of the evening the herdsman came to feed his cattle, but did not see the Stag; and even the farm-bailiff with several laborers passed through the shed and failed to notice him.  The Stag, congratulating himself on his safety, began to express his sincere thanks to the Oxen who had kindly helped him in the hour of need.  One of them again answered him:  "We indeed wish you well, but the danger is not over.  There is one other yet to pass through the shed, who has as it were a hundred eyes, and until he has come and gone, your life is still in peril."  At that moment the master himself entered, and having had to complain that his oxen had not been properly fed, he went up to their racks and cried out:  "Why is there such a scarcity of fodder? There is not half enough straw for them to lie on.  Those lazy fellows have not even swept the cobwebs away."  While he thus examined everything in turn, he spied the tips of the antlers of the Stag peeping out of the straw.  Then summoning his laborers, he ordered that the Stag should be seized and killed.

The Hawk, the Kite, and the Pigeons

The pigeons, terrified by the appearance of a Kite, called upon the Hawk to defend them.  He at once consented.  When they had admitted him into the cote, they found that he made more havoc and slew a larger number of them in one day than the Kite could pounce upon in a whole year. 

Avoid a remedy that is worse than the disease.

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The Widow and the Sheep

A certain poor widow had one solitary Sheep.  At shearing time, wishing to take his fleece and to avoid expense, she sheared him herself, but used the shears so unskillfully that with the fleece she sheared the flesh.  The Sheep, writhing with pain, said, "Why do you hurt me so, Mistress? What weight can my blood add to the wool? If you want my flesh, there is the butcher, who will kill me in an instant; but if you want my fleece and wool, there is the shearer, who will shear and not hurt me." 

The least outlay is not always the greatest gain.

The Wild Ass and the Lion

A wild ass and a Lion entered into an alliance so that they might capture the beasts of the forest with greater ease.  The Lion agreed to assist the Wild Ass with his strength, while the Wild Ass gave the Lion the benefit of his greater speed.  When they had taken as many beasts as their necessities required, the Lion undertook to distribute the prey, and for this purpose divided it into three shares.  "I will take the first share," he said, "because I am King:  and the second share, as a partner with you in the chase:  and the third share (believe me) will be a source of great evil to you, unless you willingly resign it to me, and set off as fast as you can." 

Might makes right.

The Silence of the Monsoon

Suddenly, the sun disappeared and the rains came crashing down, hitting against the windows. Sangita, who was near the door, came running to the window and peeped out through the stain-glassed window. Her smile turned into a frown and she gloomily took off her shoes and sat back down on her red satin couch.  

Her mom walked into the living room and asked Sangita "What happened to you?"  Between sobs, Sangita answered, "I was just about to go out to play and it started to rain!  It's not fair!"

Sangita's mom embraced her and took her by the hand.   "How about we go for a walk instead?" asked her mom. "But it's raining so hard." said Sangita. "We'll dress you up for the rain," smiled Sangita's mother. 

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Sangita's mother made Sangita wear her raincoat and put on her rainy shoes. They slipped out the door and shot open the umbrella as they walked outside. Sangita held onto her mother's hand and they started walking.

The ground was soft and muddy and the stray dogs and cats hid under some shelter. Sangita observed all the little road-side shops. Suddenly, the wind blew very hard and their umbrella turned inside out. The rain came pattering down on Sangita's head, but her raincoat protected her.

The sweet smell of rain saturated the air. Her mother and she walked through the garden that lay on the corner of the street where they were strolling on. Fresh grass had sprouted and rose bushes covered the area. Sangita picked up a rose up and sniffed it.    "How beautiful was the rain," thought Sangita.  

They continued walking and Sangita saw how people walked as quickly as they could, hovering under their umbrellas, trying to avoid the rain as much as they could.   

"They probably do not understand how beautiful the rain really is. Thanks for showing me, mom," whispered Sangita. Her mom smiled and nodded. 

Akbar Birbal Stories

Why is the Camel's Neck Crooked?

As you all know, Emperor Akbar was very impressed with Birbal�s wisdom and greatly enjoyed his quick wit. One fine morning when Akbar was especially pleased with Birbal, as a gesture of appreciation, he promised to reward him with many valuable and beautiful gifts.

However, many days passed, and still there was no sign of even one gift. Birbal was quite disappointed with the king. Then one day, when Akbar was strolling down the banks of River Yamuna with his ever faithful Birbal at his side, he happened to notice a camel passing by. He asked Birbal why the neck of the camel was crooked. Birbal thought for a second and promptly replied that it might be because the camel may have forgotten to honour a promise. The holy books mention that those who break their word get punished with a crooked neck; perhaps that was the reason for the camel�s crooked neck.

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Akbar soon realised his folly of making a promise to Birbal for gifts and not honouring it.  He was ashamed of himself. As soon as they returned to the palace he immediately gave Birbal his justly deserved reward. As you can see, Birbal always managed to get what he wanted without directly asking for it.

Re-Union

One day, when Akbar and Birbal were in discussions, Birbal happened to pass a harmless comment about Akbar's sense of humour.  But Emperor Akbar was in a foul mood and took great offense to this remark. He asked Birbal, his court-jester, friend and confidant, to not only leave the palace but also to leave the walls of the city of Agra.  Birbal was terribly hurt at being banished. 

A couple of days later, Akbar began to miss his best friend.  He regretted his earlier decision of banishing him from the courts. He just could not do without Birbal and so sent out a search party to look for him. But Birbal had left town without letting anybody know of his destination.  The soldiers searched high and low but were unable to find him anywhere. 

Then one day a wise saint came to visit the palace accompanied by two of his disciples.  The disciples claimed that their teacher was the wisest man to walk the earth.  Since Akbar was missing Birbal terribly he thought it would be a good idea to have a wise man that could keep him company. But he decided that he would first test the holy man's wisdom.

The saint had bright sparkling eyes, a thick beard and long hair. The next day, when they came to visit the court Akbar informed the holy man that since he was the wisest man on earth, he would like to test him. All his ministers would put forward a question and if his answers were satisfactory he would be made a minister. But if he could not, then he would be beheaded. The saint answered that he had never claimed to be the wisest man on earth, even though other people seemed to think so. Nor was he eager to display his cleverness but as he enjoyed answering questions, he was ready for the test.

One of the ministers, Raja Todarmal, began the round of questioning. He asked "Who is a man's best friend on earth?"  To which the wise saint replied, "His own good sense". Next Faizi asked which was the most superior thing on earth? "Knowledge", answered the saint. "Which is the deepest trench in the world?", asked Abdul Fazal. And the saint's answer was "a woman's heart". "What is that which cannot be regained after it is lost?" questioned another courtier and the reply he received was 'life'. "What is

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undying in music" asked the court musician Tansen. The wise saint replied that it was the "notes". And then he asked "which is the sweetest and most melodious voice at night -time? And the answer he received was "the voice that prays to God." 

Maharaj Mansingh of Jaipur, who was a guest at the palace asked, "what travels more speedily than the wind?" the saint replied that it was "man's thought". He then asked, "which was the sweetest thing on earth?" and the saint said that it was "a baby's smile". 

Emperor Akbar and all his courtiers were very impressed with his answers, but wanted to test the saint himself. Firstly he asked what were the necessary requirements to rule over a kingdom, for which he was answered 'cleverness'. Then he asked what was the gravest enemy of a king. The saint replied that it was 'selfishness'.  The emperor was pleased and offered the saint a seat of honour and asked him whether he could perform any miracles. The saint said that he could manifest any person the king wished to meet. Akbar was thrilled and immediately asked to meet his minister and best friend Birbal. 

The saint simply pulled off his artificial beard and hair much to the surprise of the other courtiers. Akbar was stunned and could not believe his eyes. He stepped down to embrace the saint because he was none other than Birbal.

Akbar had tears in his eyes as he told Birbal that he had suspected it to be him and had therefore asked him whether he could perform miracles. He showered Birbal with many valuable gifts to show him how happy he was at his return. 

Who Are Donkeys?

One fine day, Akbar, accompanied by his two sons and his clever Minister Birbal, went to the river to take a bath.

They asked Birbal to hold their clothes while they were bathing and took off their clothes and stepped into the river.

Birbal stood at the bank of the river, waiting for them, with their clothes on his shoulder. Looking at Birbal standing like this, Akbar felt like teasing him and remarked that Birbal looked like a washerman's donkey with a load of clothes.

Birbal quickly retorted that he was carrying the load of not just one donkey, but actually three.

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The emperor was speechless.

Honest Birbal

One fine day, Emperor Akbar was discussing the brinjal with Birbal. He told him what a delicious and nutritious vegetable it was. Much to Akbar's surprise, Birbal thoroughly agreed with him and even sang two songs in praise of the humble brinjal.

After a couple of days, the royal chef cooked brinjal curry for lunch. Birbal was also eating at the palace that day. When the brinjal curry was served to Akbar, he refused it saying that it was a tasteless, stale vegetable, full of seeds and lacking proper nutrition. He then asked that it be served to Birbal who loved brinjals.

But Birbal, too, refused it saying that it was not good for health. So Akbar impatiently asked him why he was saying such things when he sang the brinjals praise, not a few days ago.

Birbal replied that he had praised the brinjal only because his emperor had praised it and criticized it when his majesty had criticized it, as he was loyal to his emperor and to not the brinjal. He said that the brinjal could not make him a minister no matter how much he praised it. He went on to say that he was his majesty's obedient servant, and not that of the brinjal.

The emperor was pleased by his honest, bold, and witty response.

Akbar's Dream

One night, Emperor Akbar dreamt that he had lost all his teeth, except one. The next morning he invited all the astrologers of his kingdom to interpret this dream.

After a long discussion, the astrologers prophesized that all his relatives would die before him.

Akbar was very upset by this interpretation and so sent away all the astrologers without any reward.

Later that day, Birbal  entered the court. Akbar related his dream and asked him to interpret it. After thinking for a while Birbal replied that the Emperor would live a longer & more fulfilled life than any of his relatives.

Akbar was pleased with Birbal's explanation and rewarded him handsomely.

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Tit-Bits

Emperor Akbar's court was famous for its witty question and answer sessions.

On one of these occasions, the Emperor asked Birbal if there was anything that the sun and the moon could not see. Birbal's reply was 'darkness'. Akbar was pleased.

Next, he asked what was the difference between a truth and a lie. To which Birbal replied that it was the distance between the ears and the eyes because what you see with your eyes is true, but what you hear with your ears is generally false. Akbar was satisfied.

Lastly, Emperor Akbar drew a line on the floor and asked Birbal to shorten it without wiping out the ends.

Birbal drew a longer line below the line drawn by Akbar and remarked that though he had not rubbed off the original line he had definitely succeeded in making it shorter.

The Cock And The Hen

Since Birbal always outwitted Akbar, Akbar thought of a plan to make Birbal look like a fool. He gave one egg to each of his ministers before Birbal reached the court one morning.

So when Birbal arrived, the king narrated a dream he had had the previous night saying that he would be able to judge the honesty of his ministers if they were able to bring back an egg from the royal garden pond.

So, Akbar asked all his courtiers to go to the pond, one at a time and return with an egg. So, one by one, all his ministers went to the pond and returned with the egg which he had previously given them.

Then it was Birbal's turn. He jumped into the pond and could find no eggs. He finally realized that the King was trying to play a trick on him. So he entered the court crowing like a cock.

The Emperor asked him to stop making that irritating noise and then asked him for the egg.

Birbal smiled and replied that only hens lay eggs, and as he was a cock, he could not produce an egg.

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Everyone laughed loudly and the King realized that Birbal could never be easily fooled

How many Crows in the Kingdom

One day Emperor Akbar and Birbal were taking a walk in the palace gardens.  It was a nice summer morning and there were plenty of crows happily playing around the pond.  While watching the crows, a question came into Akbar's head.  He wondered how many crows were there in his kingdom. 

Since Birbal was accompanying him, he asked Birbal this question.  After a moment's thought, Birbal replied, "There are ninety-five thousand four hundred and sixty-three crows in the Kingdom". 

Amazed by his quick response, Akbar tried to test him again, "What if there are more crows than you answered?"  Without hesitating Birbal replied, "If there are more crows than my answer, then some crows are visiting from other neighboring kingdoms".   "And what if there are less crows", Akbar asked.  "Then some crows from our kingdom have gone on holidays to other places".

Pandit Sevaram

One day a Brahmin by the name of Sevaram asked Birbal for help. He said that his forefathers were great Sanskrit scholars and that people used to respectfully refer to them as Panditji. He said that he had no money nor need for wealth, he was content living a simple life.  But he had just one wish. He wished people would refer to him as Panditji too. He asked Birbal how he could achieve this.

Birbal said that the task was fairly simple. If the Brahmin followed his advice word for word, this task could be achieved. Birbal advised the Brahmin to shout at anyone who would call him Panditji from now on.

Now the children who lived on the same street as the Brahmin did not like him since he scolded them often. They were just waiting for an opportunity to get back at him. Birbal told the children that the Brahmin would get really irritated if they would start calling him Panditji. The children started calling him Panditji and the Brahmin as advised by Birbal started shouting at them. The children spread the word to all the other children in the neighborhood that Sevaram hated being called Panditji, so they in turn all started calling him Panditji. After a while, Sevaram got tired of scolding them but everyone

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already was used to calling him Panditji. Hence the game was over but the name stuck.

The Three Questions

King Akbar was very fond of Birbal. This made a certain courtier very jealous. Now this courtier always wanted to be chief minister, but this was not possible as Birbal filled that position.

One day Akbar praised Birbal in front of the courtier. This made the courtier very angry and he said that the king praised Birbal unjustly and if Birbal could answer three of his questions, he would accept the fact that Birbal was intelligent. Akbar always wanting to test Birbals wit readily agreed. 

The three questions were 1. How many stars are there in the sky 2. Where is the centre of the Earth and 3. How many men and how many women are there in the world.

Immediately Akbar asked Birbal the three questions and informed him that if he could not answer them, he would have to resign as chief minister.

To answer the first question, Birbal brought a hairy sheep and said �There are as many stars in the sky as there is hair on the sheep�s body. My friend the courtier is welcome to count them if he likes.�

To answer the second question, Birbal drew a couple of lines on the floor and bore an iron rod in it and said �this is the centre of the Earth, the courtier may measure it himself if he has any doubts.�

In answer to the third question, Birbal said �Counting the exact number of men and women in the world would be a problem as there are some specimens like our courtier friend here who cannot easily be classified as either. Therefore if all people like him are killed, then and only then can one count the exact number.�

Birbal's Khichri

On a cold winter day Akbar and Birbal took a walk along the lake. A thought came to Birbal that a man would do anything for money. He expressed his feelings to Akbar. Akbar then put his finger into the lake and immediately removed it because he shivered with cold.

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Akbar said "I don't think a man would spend an entire night in the cold water of this lake for money."

Birbal replied "I am sure I can find such a person."

Akbar then challenged Birbal into finding such a person and said that he would reward the person with a thousand gold coins. 

Birbal searched far and wide until he found a poor man who was desperate enough to accept the challenge. The poor man entered the lake and Akbar had guards posted near him to make sure that he really did as promised.

The next morning the guards took the poor man to Akbar. Akbar asked the poor man if he had indeed spent the night in the lake. The poor man replied that he had. Akbar then asked the poor man how he managed to spend the night in the lake. The poor man replied that there was a street lamp near by and he kept his attention affixed on the lamp and away from the cold. Akbar then said that there would be no reward as the poor man had survived the night in the lake by the warmth of the street lamp. The poor man went to Birbal for help.

The next day, Birbal did not go to court. The king wondering where he was sent a messenger to his home. The messenger came back saying that Birbal would come once his Khichri was cooked. The king waited hours but Birbal did not come. Finally the king decided to go to Birbal's house and see what he was upto.

He found Birbal sitting on the floor near some burning twigs and a bowl filled with Khichri hanging five feet above the fire. The king and his attendants couldn't help but laugh.

Akbar then said to Birbal "How can the Khichri be cooked if it so far away from the fire?"

Birbal answered "The same way the poor man received heat from a street lamp that was more than a furlong away."

The King understood his mistake and gave the poor man his reward.

Poet Raidas

In the town of Agra there lived a rich businessman. But he was also quite a miser. Various people used to flock outside his house everyday hoping for some kind of generosity, but they always had to return home disappointed.

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He used to ward them off with false promises and then never live up to his word.

Then one day, a poet named Raidas arrived at his house and said that he wanted to read out his poems to the rich man. As the rich man was very fond of poetry, he welcomed him in with open arms. Raidas started to recite all his poems one by one. The rich man was very pleased and especially so when he heard the poem that Raidas had written on him, because he had been compared with 'Kubera', the god of wealth. In those days it was a custom for rich men and kings to show their appreciation through a reward or a gift, as that was the only means of earning that a poor poet possessed. So the rich man promised Raidas some gifts and asked him to come and collect them the next day. Raidas was pleased. 

The next morning when he arrived at the house, the rich man pretended that he had never laid eyes on him before. When Raidas reminded him of his promise, he said that although Raidas was a good poet he understood very little of human nature. And that if rich businessman truly wanted to reward him, he would have done so the very same night.  Raidas had been offered a reward not because he was really pleased or impressed, but to simply encourage him.

Raidas was extremely upset, but as there was nothing that he could do, he quietly left the house. On his way home he saw Birbal riding a horse. So he stopped him and asked for his help after narrating the whole incident. Birbal took him to his own house in order to come up with a plan. After giving it some thought he asked Raidas to go to a friend's house with five gold coins and request the friend to plan a dinner on the coming full moon night, where the rich man would also be invited. Birbal then asked Raidas to relax and leave the rest to him.

Raidas had one trustworthy friend whose name was Mayadas. So he went up to him and told him the plan.. The next day, Mayadas went to the rich man's house and invited him for dinner.  The dinner has been planned for the coming full moon night. He said that he intended to serve his guests in vessels of gold, which the guests would get to take home after the meal. The rich man was thrilled to hear this and jumped at the offer.

After sunset on the full moon night, the rich man arrived at Mayadas' house and was surprised to see no other guests there but Raidas. Anyhow, they welcomed him in and started a polite conversation. The rich man had come on an empty stomach and so was getting hungrier by the minute. Raidas and Mayadas were quite full as they had eaten just before the rich man's arrival.

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Finally at midnight the rich man could bear his hunger no longer and asked Mayadas to serve the food. Mayadas sounded extremely surprised when he asked him what food was he talking about. The rich man tried to remind him that he had been invited for dinner. At this point Raidas asked him for proof of the invitation. The rich man had no answer. Then Mayadas told him that he had just invited him to please him and had not really meant it. He then went on to say that even though they did not do anything good for other people they also would never try to hurt another human being. He asked the rich man not to feel bad. 

At that point Birbal walked into the room and reminded the rich man of the same treatment that he had himself meted out to Raidas. The rich man realised his mistake and begged for forgiveness. He said that Raidas was a good poet and had not asked him for any reward. He himself had promised to give him some gifts and then cheated him out of them. To make up for his mistake he took out the necklace that he was wearing and gifted it to Raidas. Then they all sat down to eat a happy meal.

Raidas was all praise for Birbal and thanked him profusely. Emperor Akbar also invited him to his court and honoured him, all thanks to Birbal.

Birbal really was a wise man. 

The Foolish Brahmin

Once upon a time a foolish brahmin came to visit Birbal with a strange request. He wanted to be addressed as 'pandit'.  Now, the term 'pandit' refers to a man of learning. But unfortunately this poor brahmin was uneducated. Birbal tried to explain the difference to him saying that it was not correct to call an uneducated man a pandit and because of this very reason it would be improper to call him so. But the silly brahmin had his heart set on this title. 

So, as usual, Birbal had a brilliant idea. He said that as the brahmin was an uneducated man he should hurl abuses and stones at anyone who dared to address him by the very same title he wanted. Then Birbal called all his servants to himself and ordered them to call this lowly brahmin a pandit. The brahmin was very pleased.  But the moment the servants started calling out to him as 'pandit' he pretended to be very angry and started to abuse them loudly. Then he picked up a few stones and hurled them in their direction. All as per clever Birbal's advice.

All this shouting and screaming drew a crowd. When people realised that this brahmin was erupting every time anyone called him 'pandit', they all started

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to tease him. Over the next couple of days, he would constantly hear the refrain 'pandit' wherever he went. Very soon the whole town started referring to him as 'pandit' much to his delight. 

The foolish brahmin never realised why people were calling him in this manner. And was extremely pleased with the result. He thanked Birbal from the very bottom of his foolish heart.

The Wicked Barber's Plight

As we all know, Birbal was not only Emperor Akbar's favourite minister but also a minister dearly loved by most of the commoners, because of his ready wit and wisdom. People used to come to him from far and wide for advise on personal matters too.

However, there was a group of ministers that were jealous of his growing popularity and disliked him intensely.  They outwardly showered him with praise and compliments, but on the inside they began to hatch a plot to kill him.   One day they approached the king's barber with a plan. As the barber was extremely close to the king, they asked him to help them get rid of Birbal permanently. And of course, they promised him a huge sum of money in return. The wicked barber readily agreed.

The next time the king required his services, the barber started a conversation about the emperor's father who he also used to serve. He sang praises of his fine, silky-smooth hair. And then as an afterthought he asked the king that as he was enjoying such great prosperity, had he made an attempt to do anything for the welfare of his ancestors?

The king was furious at such impertinent stupidity and told the barber that it was not possible to do anything because they were already dead. The barber mentioned that he knew of a magician who could come of help. The magician could send a person up to heaven to enquire about his father's welfare. But of course this person would have to be chosen carefully; he would have to be intelligent enough to follow the magicians instructions as well as make on-the-spot decisions. He must be wise, intelligent and responsible. The barber then suggested the best person for the job - the wisest of all ministers, Birbal.  

The king was very excited about hearing from his dead father and asked the barber to go ahead and make the arrangements immediately. He asked him what was needed to be done. The barber explained that they would take

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Birbal in a procession to the burial grounds and light a pyre. The magician would then chant some 'mantras' as Birbal would ascend to the heavens through the smoke. The chantings would help protect Birbal from the fire.

The king happily informed Birbal of this plan. Birbal said that he thought it a brilliant idea and wanted to know the brain behind it. When learning that it was the barber's idea, he agreed to go to heaven on condition that he be given a large some of money for the long journey as well as one month's time to settle his family so that they had no trouble while he was gone. The king agreed to both conditions.

In the duration of this month, he got a few trustworthy men to build a tunnel from the funeral grounds to his house. And on the day of the ascension, after the pyre had been lit, Birbal escaped through the concealed door of the tunnel. He disappeared in to his house where he hid for a few months while his hair and beard grew long and unruly.

In the meantime his enemies were rejoicing as they thought that they had seen the last of Birbal. Then one day after many, many months Birbal arrived at the palace with news of the king's father. The king was extremely pleased to see him and ready with a barrage of questions. Birbal told the king that his father was in the best of spirits and had been provided with all the comforts except one.

The king wanted to know what was lacking because now he thought he had found a way to send things and people to heaven. Birbal answered that there were no barbers in heaven, which is why even he was forced to grow his own beard. He said that his father had asked for a good barber. 

So the king decided to send his own barber to serve his father in heaven. He called both the barber and the magician to prepare to send him to heaven. The barber could say absolutely nothing in his own defence as he was caught in his own trap. And once the pyre was lit he died on the spot.

Nobody dared to conspire against Birbal again.

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