Moral Stories

A Wise Counting

Emperor Akbar was in the habit of putting riddles and puzzles to his courtiers. He often
asked questions which were strange and witty. It took much wisdom to answer these
questions.

Once he asked a very strange question. The courtiers were dumb folded by his question.

Akbar glanced at his courtiers. As he looked, one by one the heads began to hang low in
search of an answer. It was at this moment that Birbal entered the courtyard. Birbal who
knew the nature of the emperor quickly grasped the situation and asked, "May I know the
question so that I can try for an answer".

Akbar said, "How many crows are there in this city?"

Without even a moment's thought, Birbal replied "There are fifty thousand five hundred
and eighty nine crows, my lord".

"How can you be so sure?” asked Akbar.

Birbal said, "Make you men count, My lord. If you find more crows it means some have
come to visit their relatives here. If you find less number of crows it means some have
gone to visit their relatives elsewhere".

Akbar was pleased very much by Birbal's wit.

MORAL : A witty answer will serve its purpose.

 Bell The Cat

There was a grocery shop in a town. Plenty of mice lived in that grocery shop. Food was
in plenty for them. They ate everything and spoiled all the bags. They also wasted the
bread, biscuits and fruits of the shop.

The grocer got really worried. So, he thought "I should buy a cat and let it stay at the
grocery. Only then I can save my things."

He bought a nice, big fat cat and let him stay there. The cat had a nice time hunting the
mice and killing them. The mice could not move freely now. They were afraid that
anytime the cat would eat them up.

The mice wanted to do something. They held a meeting and all of them tweeted "We
must get rid of the cat. Can someone give a suggestion"?

All the mice sat and brooded. A smart looking mouse stood up and said, "The cat moves
softly. That is the problem. If we can tie a bell around her neck, then things will be fine.
We can know the movements of the cat".

“Yes, that is answer,” stated all the mice. An old mouse slowly stood up and asked, "Who
would tie the bell?" After some moments there was no one there to answer this question.

MORAL : Empty solutions are of no worth

 Clever Thief

Devan was a clever thief. He robbed the rich and gave all to the sick and the needy. The
other thieves were jealous of him. They planned to get rid of him. They challenged to
steal the King’s Pyjamas.

Deven accepted the challenge. After that he prepared to execute the new challenge. He
charted out a plan to steal the King. He prepared himself mentally to carry out a plan.

He went to the King’s Palace. He found the King sleeping. He opened a bottle of red ants
on the bed. The King was badly bitten. He cried for help. The servants rushed in. They
pretended to look for ants. Deven removed the King’s Pyjamas and escaped. Other
thieves were dump founded.

They accepted Deven their leader.

Moral : Be clever.

Honesty is The Best Policy.

A milkman became very wealthy through dishonest means. He had to cross a river daily
to reach the city where his customers lived. He mixed the water of the river generously
with the milk that he sold for a good profit. One day he went around collecting the dues
in order to celebrate the wedding of his son. With the large amount thus collected he
purchased plenty of rich clothes and glittering gold ornaments. But while crossing the
river the boat capsized and all his costly purchases were swallowed by the river. The milk
vendor was speechless with grief. At that time he heard a voice that came from the river,
“Do not weep. What you have lost is only the illicit gains you earned through cheating
your customers.

MORAL : Honest dealings are always supreme. Money earned by wrong methods
will never remain for ever
 Hunting With The Lion

It was a dry summer. The animals in the forest were beginning to find it difficult to get
food.

A bear, a wolf and a jackal thought it would be better to join hands with a lion and do the
hunting. They approached lion and he too agreed. The four of them went off hunting.

The hunting party came across a buffalo. The fox and wolf chased the buffalo. The bear
intercepted the buffalo. The lion killed him.

The fox made shares out of the buffalo. When they were about to take their shares the
lion roared and said, "Well friends, the first share is mine for my leadership. The second
share is mine for, it is I who killed. The third share is also mine for I need it for my cubs.
Anyone who needs a share can take the fourth. But before that you will have to win me.”

All the three left the place without a single word.

MORAL : If you are might, you are right.

 Look before You leap.

Once, a fox was very thirsty.

He saw a big well nearby and peeped into it.

The fox slipped and fell into the well.

He tried to come out.

But he could not do so.

After some time, there came a goat who was also thirsty.

He too peeped into the well.

The fox saw the goat and said from inside the well, “The water is very sweet. Come and
Come to enjoy.”

The foolish goat also jumped into the well.

The clever fox climbed on the back of the goat and jumped out of the well.
 Night Watchman

The manager of a firm advertised for a night watchman. All the applicants were present.
But the manager was not satisfied. He found something wrong with each man. There was
Raju, an applicant. He was sitting in a corner waiting for his turn of interview. Manager
found nothing wrong in his appearance. He questioned about his health. He got the reply
that he was suffering from sleeplessness. Manager was happy and appointed him.

Moral : Be real.

Pride has A Fall.

Gorelal was a famous sculptor. His sculptures looked real ones. One day he saw a dream
that after fifteen days, the demon of Death would come to take him. Gorelal prepared
nine statues of himself and when on the 15th day he heard the Demon of Death coming,
he took his place between the statues. The Demon could not recognise him and was
astonished to see ten Gorelals instead of one. He rushed back to the God of death and told
the matter. The God of death got annoyed and set out to take Gorelal himself. Gorelal
was alert and stood motionless. The God of Death initially got perplexed. But he thought
for a moment. He said, “Gorelal, these sculptures would have been perfect but for one
mistake." Gorelal was unable to suffer the least blemish in his work. He came out and
asked, "Where is the fault?" God of Death caught him and said, “HERE". The statues
were faultless but Gorelal was caught because of his pride.

MORAL : Pride has A Fall.

 Satan in Disguise
There lived an old tiger in a forest. He could not hunt animals as he used to do when he
was young. It was becoming difficult to get prey. The tiger thought, "I have lost my
strength and speed of my youth. Unless I find some trick, I will starve to death".

After long thoughts, the tiger struck upon a plan. He began to keep on saying "I am very
old. I have turned into a vegetarian. I have become a sanyasi. I will not hunt animals" and
so on.

Soon these words spread in the jungle. Innocent animals came to pay respect to the tiger
thinking that the tiger had turned into a saint. The tiger pounced on animals when they
came to his cave.

These words fell in the ears of a fox. The fox began to think, "Can a tiger become a
saint?" He was eager to find the truth.

Stealthily, the fox approached the tiger's cave. He minutely and carefully examined the
foot prints of animals. He found all foot prints going towards the cave but not returning
from the cave. He told all animals in the forest. "The tiger is a cheat. Don't go to the
cave".

The tiger had to starve to death.

MORAL : Satanic words are not to be believed

 Selfish Friendship

Once a cat was caught in a hunter's net. A mouse used to live in a nearby hole. The
mouse seeing the cat in the net started playing around the cat. Soon a mongoose came
there. He wanted to kill the mouse. As he lifted his head, he saw an owl sitting on a tree
trying to catch him. The mongoose went very near the cat's net to save himself. The
mouse thought "When the hunter takes away the cat, the mongoose will not spare me and
the owl is there to enjoy both of us."

The Mouse went to the cat and said, "I can cut the net if you promise to save my life from
the mongoose and the owl." The cat agreed. The mouse started cutting the net slowly and
freed the cat only when the hunter was just near the cat. The cat took to heels and so ran
the mongoose too. The owl was very much disappointed to see even the mouse running
away to safety.

A few days later, the cat being hungry, went to the hole of the mouse and requested him
to come out for a game. The mouse replied, "I sought friendship and saved you to save
my life." Now you can go home.

MORAL : Don’t nurture friendship with selfish people

Silly Little Mariam

There lived a little girl Mariam who was very silly and lazy. Often she used to wander
hither and thither with no purpose. Once, as she went wandering she felt very thirsty. She
went to a pond nearby and quenched her thirst. She felt very tired and drowsy. She slept
right there on the banks of the pond.

When she woke up it was night already. She peeped into the pond but could not see her
reflection. She got a big doubt, “Am I really here or not? Well! Let me ask at my home".

She went home and found the door closed. She called out "Is Mariam in there?" A sleepy
voice replied, “Oh! She must be in bed". Mariam thought, “If Mariam is at home, I am
not Mariam". Saying this, she went away.

MORAL : Shadows are not realities.

 The Camel and The Jackal

A camel and a jackal were friends. One day the jackal took his friend to a big sugar-cane
farm. It was on the opposite side of a river. After a sumptuous meal the jackal began to
howl loudly. The frightened camel pleaded with the jackal not to do so. The jackal said,
“Friend, I have this habit after every meal. I cannot help it." Soon the farmers arrived and
gave a sound thrashing to the camel. When the camel crossed the river the jackal joined
him on his back. In the midstream the camel took a deliberate dip in the water. When the
jackal cried out in terror, the camel said casually: "I have the habit of rolling in the water
after every meal." The poor jackal was drowned.

MORAL : Every action has an opposite reaction.

The Cap-Seller and The Monkeys

Once, there was a cap-seller in a town. On one fine day, he was selling caps.

“Caps, caps, caps….Five rupees caps, ten rupees caps….”

After he made few sales of caps, he became very tired. He decided to sit under a big tree
to take rest for a while. Soon, he slept off.

There were many monkeys on the big tree. They saw the cap-seller was sleeping under
the tree. The monkeys were sitting on the top of the tree. The monkeys came down, took
the caps from the cap-seller-bag and wore them. Then they climbed the tree again.

When the cap seller woke up, he was shocked to see his basket empty. He searched for
his caps. To his surprise, he saw the monkeys were wearing them. He found that monkeys
were imitating him. So, he started throwing his cap down and the monkeys also did so.
The cap-seller collected all the caps, put them back in his basket and went away happily.

Moral : Wisdom is better than weapons of war.

 The Crooked Tree

It was a dense forest. All trees were straight and tall.

Their trunks were broad and shapely. But, there was one tree which was having a crooked
and shapeless trunk.

The crooked trunk tree was sad. He thought "How ugly I am! All others are straight and
shapely. I alone have crooked trunk.”

One day a wood-cutter came there. He looked around and said "I will cut all trees here,
except that crooked tree. That is of no use to me".

He cut away all other trees.

Now, the crooked tree was happy for its crookedness.

MORAL : Be happy with what you are.

The Crow and The Eagle

There lived a crow on a tree top. Everyday he used to watch with utter wonder the acts of
an eagle.

The eagle had a nest high up on a mountain. He used to swoop down from there to get
hold of a lamb and fly up again and all in one go.

The crow was amazed by the feat of the eagle.

One day he was so excited that he wanted to imitate the eagle. So up he flew as high as
he could. From there he began to swoop down. He came down and down. But alas, he
could not control himself. He crashed on the ground and broke his beak.

MORAL : Thoughtless imitation will end in danger.

 The Crane and The Wolf

Once a wolf was lucky to get hold of a nice dinner.

He sat in his place and started to eat. He did not want to share his food with anyone else.
He was eating so hurriedly that a small piece of bone got stuck in his throat.

He gurgled hard. He tried to swallow. He tried to spit it out. But nothing worked out. The
bone won't move. He got afraid.

"If I can't take the bone out, I can't eat. I will die of hunger", he thought sadly.

Suddenly he remembered the crane who lived nearby. He thought, "The crane has a long
neck. She can reach and take out the bone". So off he went to the crane and said, "Please
take out the bone from my neck. I will pay good".

The crane took out the bone and asked for her fees.

The wolf replied "Aren't you happy that you put your head into my mouth and got it out
safely? Forget the fees.”

MORAL : Good for the evil are fast forgotten

The Cows and The Lion

There was a village near a jungle. The village cows used to go up to the jungle in search
of food.

In the forest there lived a wicked lion. He used to kill a cow now and then and eat her.
This was happening for quite sometime. The cows were frightened.

One day, all the cows held a meeting. An old cow said, "Listen everybody, the lion eats
one of us only because we go into the jungle separately. From now on we will all be
together".

From then on all the cows went into the jungle in a herd. When they heard or saw the lion
all of them unitedly moo and chased him away.

MORAL : Divided we fall. United we stand

 The Disobedient Boy

There was a boy who was very fond of cashew nuts.

His mother gave him a few nuts. The boy always wanted for more nuts. He always asked
his mother "Mummy, give me some more nuts". But his mother always replied "Too
many nuts is not good, my son. If you eat too many at a time you will get stomach-pain".

One day his mother had been to the market and no one was at home except the boy. He
went into the kitchen and took the cashew nut jar. He ate and ate unto the last nut.

The next day he twitched with stomach-pain.

MORAL : Elders are our well wishers. Let us obey them.

The Disobedient Son

Once there was a rich farmer in a village. He had a lot of land, cattle, money and many
servants. He had two sons. He led a happy life with them. After few years, the younger of
the two sons became unhappy.

He asked his father for his share of property. His father advised him not demand like that.
His mother also advised her son to do so. But he would not listen to his father’s words.
He got his share and sold them. He had a huge amount with him. Once he got much
money, he got bad company of friends.

With this amount, he traveled to a distant country where he did all he wished. He had
another bad company of friends there as well. Because of this, he fell into evil ways.

All the money was gone. He became poor. AT that time, no one helped him out of bad
company. Soon, he fell into debt. Then he understood his mistake and returned to his
country and to his parents.

He afterwards obeyed his parents and led a happy life.

Moral : WE should obey our parents

 The Dog and The Cows

The cows used to eat hay from the manger. One day a herd of cows came to the manger
to eat hay. They saw a dog lying on the hay in the manger.

One of the cows pleaded, "Please, will you get up! We are hungry. We have to eat our
hay". The dog did not take heed of it.

Once again another cow pleaded, "Please, let us have our hay". The dog snarled and the
cow stepped back.

A wise cow ran up to the bull and told him the matter.

The bull came and requested, "Get out, please! Let them have their food". There was no
reply. The bull became angry. He bellowed loudly and stamped his legs. The dog got
frightened and ran for his life.

MORAL : It is no good to be a dog in a manger.

 The Donkey’s Brain

In the forest lived a lion. He had a jackal as his partner. They both always went together
for hunting. The lion used to kill the animals and the jackal got his share for helping the
lion then and there.

One day, the lion fell-sick. He could not go out. But he was very hungry. He called the
jackal and said, "Dear friend, I am hungry. But, I am too sick to hunt. You have to help
me get some food".

The jackal went off in search of prey. He found a donkey at last. He said to the donkey,
"Hello, Donkey Sir! The king of the forest wants to make you his minister". The foolish
donkey was too happy to think of the plot. He followed the jackal. The lion killed the
donkey. But, before eating, he felt so thirsty. He said to the jackal, “Take care of the
donkey. I will return in no time".

As soon as the lion left, the jackal started eating the brain of the donkey. When the lion
returned he found the donkey's brain missing.

He asked the jackal. "Where is the donkey's brain?"

The jackal answered timidly, "If he had a brain would he have come here?"

MORAL : A small thought saves a lot.

 The Dove and The Ant

Once, a dove saw an ant struggling in the water.

He took pity on the ant and threw down a leaf.

The ant climbed on to the leaf and reached the shore safely.

After some days, the ant saw the hunter aiming an arrow at the dove flying above.

He wanted to save the dove. So, he bit the hunter’s leg.

The hunter missed his aim and the dove flew safely

The Dreaming Astronomer

There lived an astronomer who was very much involved in his observations. He often
used to look up at the sky at night and start observing the stars.

Once, as he walked looking up at the stars, his leg slipped and he fell into a ditch. He
started shouting.

A passer-by, who heard his shouts, helped him out of the ditch and asked, "How did you
fall into this ditch?" The astronomer replied, “I was so engrossed in my observations that
I did not notice the ditch".

The passer-by asked, "How do you expect to discover things when you fail to take note of
things under your nose?" The astronomer walked away with a sad face.

MORAL : Realities are more important than dreams.

 The Farmer and His Lazy Sons

In Madhanpur lived a very hardworking farmer named Gopal. He has three sons Ram,
Laxman and Hanuman. All three were strong and healthy. But they were all lazy.

Gopal was sad thinking about his sons and the future of his farmland.

One day, Gopal got a flash of an idea. He called all his sons and said, "Ram! Laxman!
and Hanuman! I have hidden a treasure in our farmland. You search and share the
treasure among you."

The three sons were overjoyed. They went to the fields and started searching Ram started
from one end. Laxman searched from the other end. And Hanuman did so from the
centre. They dug each and every inch of the field. But they could not find anything.

Gopal said to his sons, “Dear boys! Now you have tooled and conditioned the field, why
not we sow a crop!" Off went the sons to sow the crops.

Days passed. Soon, the crops grew lushly green. The sons were delighted. The father
said, "Sons, this is the real treasure I wanted you to share".

MORAL : Fruits of hard work are always sweet

The Farmer and The Crane

A farmer was worried about the seeds in his farm as they were destroyed by the birds. He
laid a trap for them. The next day he managed to catch a flock of birds. A crane was also
one of his victims. The crane pleaded with the farmer to let it free. The farmer retorted,
“You are found in the company of my enemies. So, I will riot spare you.”

MORAL : Do not be found in close contact with evil persons

 The Farmer and The Sparrows
.

Maniappa was a farmer. He worked from dawn to dusk in his field.

Amidst the crops in the field, a sparrow had built a nest. She roosted in the nest. She got
two children. The little sparrows lived with their mother happily.

Days passed by. And the harvesting season fast approached. The corns were ripe. And
everywhere people started their harvests.

The little sparrows said to their mother, "Mummy! We will have to fly away".

The mother sparrow replied, “Not so soon babies! The farmer is not ready.

One day, they heard the farmer saying "I must call my neighbors and make them do the
harvest.”

The little sparrows said, “Mummy, tonight we shall fly away.” The mother said, “Not so
soon babies. The farmer won’t make it.” The words of the mother came true. The
neighbors did not turn up the next day.

The farmer was heard saying, "I will call my relatives and make them do the harvest".

This time also the little ones wanted to flyaway. But the mother asked them to relax.
Once again, the words of the mother came true.

Now, they heard the farmer saying "Tomorrow I will do the harvest myself'. On hearing
these words, the mother said, “Come my children. It is time for us to leave this field".

MORAL : Self-help is always respected

 The Foolish Donkey

A salt seller used to carry the salt bag on his donkey to the market every day. On the way
they had to cross a stream. One day the donkey suddenly tumbled down the stream and
the salt bag also fell into the water. The salt dissolved in the water and hence the bag
became very light to carry. The donkey was happy.

Then the donkey started to play the same trick every day. The salt seller came to
understand the trick and decided to teach a lesson to it. The next day he loaded a cotton
bag on the donkey. Again it played the same trick hoping that the cotton bag would be
still become lighter.

But the dampened cotton became very heavy to carry and it suffered much. It learnt a
lesson. Afterwards it did not play the trick and the seller was happy.

MORAL : Luck won't favour always

The Foolish Wolf’s Flute

There was a large flock of sheep grazing on a lawn.

A wolf stealthily stole a lamb. The lamb tried hard to get away but it could not. As the
wolf was about to kill the lamb, an idea struck in the lamb's mind.

The lamb pleaded, "Oh wolf! I know that I am going to die now. Will you be kind
enough to fulfil my last wish?"

The wolf asked, "What is your last wish?" The lamb replied, "I am fond of music. Before
I die, I wish to hear you play the flute." The wolf agreed and played the flute.

When the wolf stopped the lamb said, "Oh! what beautiful music! Will you play a bit
louder, please? You play far better than my shepherd”.

The wolf was pleased by the flattery and started to play louder. In the mean time, the
shepherd and the dogs who were in search of the missing lamb heard the sound. They
came running and caught hold of the wolf. The lamb happily trotted away to his flock.

MORAL : If there is a will there is a way

 The Fox and The Grapes!

Once, a fox was very hungry.

He searched for food.

At last he saw a bunch of grapes hanging from a grapevine.

His mouth started watering.

He wanted to eat the grapes.

So, he jumped and jumped, but in vain.

But he could not reach the grapes.

So, the fox went away saying,

“Those grapes are sour.!”

The Fox and The Stork

Once a fox invited a stork to a dinner. He prepared a tasty soup and served it in tow flat
plates. “Let us begin,” said the fox and he soon finished drinking the soup. The stork
could not sip the soup but simply sniffed its smell only. He said to himself, “I must teach
a lesson to this fox very shortly.”

Another day, the stork invited the fox to a dinner. He prepared a delicious soup and
served it in a jug with a narrow neck. The fox tried to taste it but could not do so. Because
of its narrow neck, the fox failed to taste the soup. But the stork sipped it with ease. The
fox realised that he was paid for his mischief.
 The Fox and The Crow

Once a crow found a piece of meat.

It wanted to eat it.

So it flew away to a tree nearby.

It was about to eat it.

Then a hungry fox passing by saw it.

He decided to have the meat piece.

“Oh! My dear crow,” he said to the crow, “How beautiful you are! Your feathers are
really shiny. Surely your voice must also very sweet. Please sing a song for me.”

The foolish crow opened its mouth to sing.

The meat fell down.

AT once the clever fox picked it up and ran away with it.

Moral : Don’t fool other. Otherwise you will be fooled

 The Fox and The Hare

A hare was staring at a fox in admiration.

The fox asked, "What are you staring at?"

The hare said in an anxious voice, “I was wondering about you".

The fox asked, "What is the wonder with me?"

The hare said "Are you really as cunning as people say?"

The fox looked at the hare with a thoughtful look and replied after some silent moments,
"Well! Why don't you do one thing? Come tonight and join me for dinner. We shall
discuss the matter".

The hare went to the fox's house at night. On the dining table were laid plates and bowls.
But there was no food at all. The hare thought, "Oh! What a fool I am! The fox has
planned to eat me" and he ran away.

MORAL : Cunning words are undependable.

The Fox Without Tail

A fox was stealthily crossing a field. But alas, he got trapped. He tried hard to come out
of the trap. At last he made it. But his tail got cut off. He was ashamed of his loss.

Back in the Jungle a few of his friends saw him without his tail and asked "What
happened?”

The fox did not want to accept his ill fate. He said, "The tail is just an extra weight. I cut
it off ". But his clever friends could guess the reality and they asked, "If that is the case,
why are you sad".

The fox did not know what to say now. He went away without giving an answer.

MORAL : Empty words cannot become facts.

 The Giant and The Traveller

A giant was roaming around the forest. It saw a hungry traveler shivering in the cold. The
giant got sympathy and called him to his cave.

On the way the giant saw the traveler blowing air through his mouth at his fingers. When
the giant asked for the reason he replied that he was heating his hand by the air from his
mouth.

After reaching the cave, the giant served him a cup of hot soup. On receiving it, the
traveler again started blowing air by his mouth at the cup. The giant was surprised and
asked why he was again doing the same thing and whether the heat was not sufficient for
him. But the traveler replied that he was cooling the soup then.

Now the giant got suspicion and said, "You are blowing both heat and cool from your one
and the same mouth. So I can't believe such a cheat. Run away from here or else I will
kill you." The giant chased him off.

MORAL : Nobody believes those who have dual word.

The Goose and Its Golden Egg!

Once, there lived a poor farmer. He had a goose. It laid one golden egg everyday. The
former sold the eggs and became rich.

He was a greedy farmer. He wanted all the golden eggs at the same time.

So, he took a knife and cut the goose but found only one egg inside it.

Thus the greedy farmer lost both the goose and golden eggs and became poor again.
 The Greedy Lion

It was a hot summer day. A lion was feeling very hungry.

He came out of his den and searched here and there. He could find only a small hare. He
caught the hare with some hesitation. "This hare cannot fill my tummy" thought the lion.

As the lion was about to kill the hare, a deer ran that way. The lion became greedy. He
thought, "Instead of eating this small hare, let me eat the big deer". He let the hare go and
went behind the deer. But the deer had vanished into the forest. The lion now felt sorry
for letting the hare off.

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

The Hare and The Lion

A lion was getting fed up of hunting. He called all animals and passed an order,
"Everyday one of you should come by yourself as my prey". All animals started to obey
this order.

It was the hare's day. The hare was very sad. As he was going to the lion's den, he came
across an old well. He looked into it. It was very deep and dangerous. He made a plan to
his mind.

The lion was very angry that no animal had come that day. The hare slowly came towards
the lion. The lion roared "Why are you late?" The hare humbly replied, "Oh my way
another lion chased me. I got away with much difficulty to give my life to you, Your
Majesty".

The lion was pleased with the hare. But the thought of another lion in the jungle made
him angry. The lion roared "Do you know where he lives?" The hare replied "Yes, Sir.
Please come with me".

The hare took the lion to the old well. He said "Sir, that lion lives in this well". The lion
peeped into the well. He mistook his reflection for another lion. He roared and there was
an echo. He thought that the other lion was roaring too and jumped into the well. That
was the end of the lion.

MORAL : Wisdom can win might.

 The Hare and The Tortoise

Once, a hare saw a tortoise walking slowly with a heavy shell on his back. The hare was
very proud of himself and he asked the tortoise. “Shall we have a race?”

The tortoise agreed. They started the running race. The hare ran very fast. But the tortoise
walked very slowly. The proud hare rested under a tree and soon slept off. But the
tortoise walked very fast, slowly and steadily and reached the goal. At last, the tortoise
won the race.

Moral : Pride goes before a fall.

The Horse Who Wanted Safety

On the lawns of a forest grazed a handsome horse. He was a fast runner. But, he was
often frightened by a tiger that passed by now and then.

One day, as the horse was grazing, a man passed that way. He asked the man, "Sir, aren't
you afraid of lions and tigers?"

The man laughed aloud and answered, "Me! Look what I have". He showed rifle and
continued, "Should any animal approach me I can shoot and kill him".

The horse asked, "If that is so, sir, will you help me?"

The man replied, "Of course. I will. What will you do for me?" The horse said,
“Anything you want of me, I will do".

The horse told the man about the tiger. The man said, "If you let me saddle you and take
you with me, you need not be afraid of the tiger".

The horse was too happy.

The man led the horse into town and left him in a stable.

Now, the horse thought to himself, "I am indeed safe here. But I don't have any freedom".

MORAL : The other shore always looks greener.

 The Inexperienced Mouse

Once, a little mouse asked his mother, "Mother let me go out see and the world".

The mother mouse said, “Okay child. But, be careful".

The mouse came out of his hold and started walking. He saw a colourful cock. As he had
never seen a cock before, he got frightened by the sharp beak, colourful feathers and the
red crown of the cock, He ran away thinking, "What a horrible creature".

After some time he came across a pussy cat. "What a soft animal!” he thought, “So
handsome fur! And striking eyes!"

When he returned home he explained his day's visit to his mother. The mother said, “The
cock is really harmless. But the soft cat is real enemy".

MORAL : Outward appearances are deceptive.

The Irresponsible Ox

A brave warrior had a horse and an ox. He used the horse for traveling and the ox was
used for pulling load for the warrior.

War had broken. The warrior was to go to a far off place.

The horse said to the ox, "Hey ox! I am to carry the master to a far off place".

The ox replied, “How unlucky you are! I am lucky. I need not pull loads. I have no work
to do".

But, it so happened that before the warrior could set off, the war had come to an end and
the enemy had surrender. Now, the warrior had plenty of work to do locally.

The ox was overburdened now.

MORAL : Avoiding responsibility ends in overburden

 The King Cobra and The Ants

Once there lived a king cobra in a small hole. When he was small he ate little creatures.
As he grew up he began to eat eggs, lizards, frogs and rabbits. And when he grew up
further he started to eat even other smaller snakes. His pride grew with him.

All small animals began to fear the king cobra. This boosted up his pride. He began to
think "Now I am the most powerful creature. I am the king of the forest. All animals fear
me. Let me move from this small hole to a bigger place".

He searched for a place to suit his size and status.

Finally he came across a big tree. He selected the tree for his house. He saw an ant hill
near the tree.

He thought "Why should there be an ugly ant hill near my royal house?" He hissed aloud
"I am king Cobra, the king of the forest. I order the ants to vacate immediately". There
was no reply. He got wild and struck at the ant hill.

What a surprise! In a minute thousands of ants swarmed up the king cobra biting him
everywhere. The king cobra could not bear the pain. He ran away.

MORAL : Pride goes before fall

 The King and The Spider

Vikram was a brave king. Once, he had to fight against a large army with just a few
soldiers, he was defeated. He had to run for his life.

Vikram took shelter in a forest cave. He was very depressed. His courage had left him.
He was blankly gazing at the ceiling of the cave. An interesting scene captured his
attention.

A small spider was trying to weave a web across the cave ceiling. As the spider crawled
up, a thread of the web broke and the spider fell down. But the spider did not give up. He
tried to climb again and again. Finally, the spider successfully climbed up and completed
the web.

Vikram began to think, "If a small spider can face failure so bravely, why should I give
up? I will try with all might till I win". This thought gave strength to the defeated king.

Vikram got out of the jungle and collected his brave soldiers. He fought against the large
army. He was defeated again. But now, he would not give up his fight.

Vikram again and again fought against the large army and finally, after many attempts
defeated the large army and regained his kingdom. He had learnt a lesson from the spider.

MORAL : Perseverance paves way to success

The Lion and The Frog

There was a lion in a forest. It was sleeping under a tree near a pond. Suddenly a noise
was heared. The lion was disturbed by the noise. It awake from its sleep.

The noise was continuously coming from the pond. So the lion was annoyed as it was not
able to sleep. There was frog in the pond. The lion came to know the frog has made the
noise. It roared at the frog and the frog was frightened. It angrily jumped into the pond to
catch the frog. Then the frog realised its mistake and tried to escape from the lion. But the
lion caught the frog and killed it.

MORAL : Don’t play with the leaders

 The Lion and The Hog

A lion came to a small stream to drink water. At the same time a hog also came there to
drink. Each one of them claimed to drink first. The wordy duel between them became a
big fight.

There was a fierce fight and both of them became tired. When they took rest for a while,
they saw two vultures waiting for eating the defeated.

So they came to a conclusion that it would be better to avoid fighting and became friends
than to fall a prey to the vultures.

They became friends and both of them drank the water and went off peacefully.

MORAL: So we should not fight amongst ourselves.

The Lion and The Mouse

A lion was sleeping in a forest. A mouse started playing on it. The lion was disturbed and
arose from his sleep. It caught up the mouse angrily and tried to crush it to death.

Then the mouse prayed the lion to leave him off and assured that it would help him when
it needed. The lion laughed at it and let him off.

One day the lion was caught in a net spread by a hunter. It roared and tried to escape but
in vain. The mouse heared the lion's roaring and came there. It started cutting the net with
its teeth. The lion escaped and thanked the mouse.

MORAL : Everything has its own value.

 The Milk-Maid’s Dream

Radha was a milkmaid. She was carrying a pot of milk.

She had to deliver milk to her customers in a nearby village. As she was walking she kept
on dreaming.

She said to herself, "With the money I get from selling this milk, I will buy some eggs.
The eggs will hatch into fine chicken. The chicken will grow into hens. I will sell the
hens and get lot of money. With that money I will buy nice silk saree. I will look
beautiful. When people ask for the secret of my wealth, I will toss my head and say,
"No."

When she dreams of saying 'No' She actually tossed her head and down fell the pot of
milk and all the milk ran out on the ground.

MORAL : Building castles in air will not stand.

The Peacock and The Crane

There was a peacock who often boasted about his beauty. Everyday he walked to the
banks of a large lake and looked his own reflections and said "Oh! What a beautiful bird I
am! Look at my colorful tail".

Once the peacock saw a crane on the banks of the lake. He said with a sneer to the crane,
"What a colorless bird you are! You have no beautiful and colorful feathers like mine".

The crane replied, "Of course! I don't have beautiful feathers. But, my feathers can make
me fly across the lake. Can your feathers make you fly?" There was no reply from the
peacock.

MORAL : It is better to be useful than to be beautiful.

 The Poor Man’s Wealth

Ramchand and Premchand were neighbours. Ramchand was a poor farmer. Premchand
was a landlord.

Ramchand used to be very relaxed and happy. He never bothered to close the doors and
windows of his house at night. He had deep sound sleeps. Although he had no money he
was peaceful.

Premchand used to be very tense always. He was very keen to close the doors and
windows of his house at night. He could not sleep well. He was always bothered that
someone might break open his safes and steal away his money. He envied the peaceful
Ramchand.

One day, Premchand call Ramchand and gave him a boxful of cash saying, “Look my
dear friend. I am blessed with plenty of wealth. I find you in poverty. So, take this cash
and live in prosperity.”

Ramchand was overwhelmingly happy. He was joyful throughout the day. Night came.
Ramchand went to bed as usual. But, to-day, he could not sleep. He went and closed the
doors and windows. He still could not sleep. He began to keep on looking at the box of
cash. The whole night he was disturbed.

As soon as day broke, Ramchand took the box of cash to Premchand. He gave away the
box to Premchand saying, “Dear Friend, I am poor. But, your money took away peace
from me. Please bear with me and take back your money.”

MORAL : Money can not get everything.

 The Proud Donkey

There was a sculptor who carved beautiful idols of gods and goddesses. One day he had
to take an idol of a goddess to a rich man. He mounted the idol on a donkey and started.

As they walked along people started to admire the idol. Some stopped to admire and
some bowed in respect for the goddess. The foolish donkey thought that people were
admiring him.

The donkey stopped half way through. He began to bray loudly. The sculptor tried gentle
words and actions to pacify him. But he did not move. At last the sculptor took a hard
stick and thrashed the donkey. He came back to his senses and walked on humbly.

MORAL : A nod for the wise and a rod for the fool.
 The Red Hen and Her Friends

Once, there lived a hen with her five chicks. The hen was as red as beetroot. She had
three friends : a duck, a cat and a dog. They all lived happily.

One day, the red hen stumbled on to a wheat seed. “Hey, who among you wish to plant
this seed?” she asked.

“Not me, friend” refused the duck.

“Nor can I.” declined the cat.

“Count me not.” the dog turned his back.

“All right. I will do it then by myself,” said the hen. She planted the see and watered it.
Alas! It grew quickly to yield the brownish wheat. “Hi! There, who among you wish to
harvest the wheat?” asked the red hen.

“Not me, friend,” the duck sounded bored.

“Nor can I.” shrugged the cat.

“Count me not!” avoided the dog.

“If so, I will do it by myself,” the red hen spoke up as she laboured all day along. By
evening she had two gunny bags full of wheat.

“Hello pal! Who among you will lend me a hand to grind this wheat? She queried. All the
three refused as usual.

"I will see that I grind this by myself. I will make flour, knead dough and bake bread!”
she announced. The next day she baked delicious bread.
“Howdy, who among you wish to eat this bread?” she asked merrily.

“I want to!” answered the duck, smacking her lips.

“Me too!” said the cat with his mouth watering.

“Yummy, smells good,” spoke up the dog, shuffling his feet eagerly.

“None of you can have a bite! I slaved in the field and at home. Only my children and I
are entitled to eat this bread!” So saying the red hen fed her chicks and ate a sumptuous
meal that day.

MORAL : There are no gains without pains

 The Saint’s Wisdom

Kandagupta was a famous saint. He lived in the outskirts of Maninagar which was the
capital of Manipur Kingdom. There were very few who did not know about the wisdom
of Kandagupta. He was also known for his fortune telling.

Maniraj who was the king of Manipuri came to know of the feats of Kandagupta. He
wanted to pay respect to this great saint. So, he invited Kandagupta to his palace.

When Kandagupta arrived, Maniraj welcomed him and offered him a seat. Then, the king
asked the saint to tell something about his feature from his horoscope.

After a keen observation into the king’s horoscope, Kandagupta started telling the future
boons to be blessed upon the king. The king was so happy. He kept on rewarding the
saint with gold and silver for every boon told by Kandagupta.

Now, came the time to say the future misfortunes. The whole outlook of Maniraj started
to change. At one point he shouted, “Stop! You filthy soul! How dare you say such
nonsense! I order you to say me the time of your death".

Kandagupta replied in a small voice, "My lord! According to my calculations, my death

will take place just an hour before thy death".

The king was stunned. He felt his error. He begged pardon from Kandagupta and sent
him off with furthermore wealth.

MORAL : Wisdom is more able than power.

 The Shepherd Boy and The Wolf

There was a village on the outskirts of a forest. A shepherd boy used to take his herd of
sheep across the fields to the lawns near the forest.

One day he felt very boring. He wanted to have fun. So he cried aloud "Wolf, Wolf. The
wolf is carrying away a lamb". Farmers working in the fields came running and asked,
"Where is the wolf?". The boy laughed and replied "It was just a fun. Now get going all
of you".

The boy played the trick for quite a number of times in the next few days.

After some days as the boy, perched up on a tree, as singing a song, there came an wolf.
The boy cried loudly "Wolf, Wolf, The wolf is carrying a lamb away." There was no one
to come. The boy shouted "Help! Wolf! Help!" Still no one came to his help. The
villagers thought that the boy was playing mischief again.

The wolf carried a lamb away.

MORAL : A liar's truth is seldom believed

The Story of The Desert

When God first created the world, there was no desert.

The whole world was filled with fertile lands full of beautiful gardens.

God created man in order to maintain the world. He said to man, "Every time you commit
a sin, there will be a peck of sand falling on the ground".

Man thought, "What harm will a peck of sand do? Let me live as I please". He started
committing wicked sins and pecks of sand started falling on the ground. Still man
continued sinning. And the effect is that to-day there are many deserts a around us.

MORAL : As you sow, so you reap.

 The Thirsty Crow!

Once, a crow was very thirsty.

The crow searched for water everywhere.

“Kaa, Kaa, Kaa…”

AT last he saw a pot with very little water in it.

He put his beak inside. But he could not reach down the water.

The crow thought of a plan.

He picked some pebbles and dropped then into the pot one by one.

The water level rose.

The crow drank the water and flew away happily.

 The Truthful Woodcutter

One day a wood cutter's Axe accidentally fell into a river. The poor wood cutter made a
good search in the water. But his efforts were in vain. Finally he burst into tears. Hearing
his sobs, an Angel appeared before him. The Angel dived into the river and came up
carrying a golden axe. The wood cutter did not accept it. He stated that his axe was made
of iron. The Angel disappeared and soon returned with a silver axe. The wood cutter
again denied that it was his axe. The Angel once again plunged into the river. It soon
reappeared carrying the axe of the wood cutter. The poor man greeted the angel with
words of profuse thanks and great joy. The Angel was impressed by the man's honesty.
She presented him with the golden and silver axes in recognition of his truthful nature.

MORAL : Truthfulness brings its own reward

The Two Pots

It was a cyclonic season. There was flood everywhere.

Many houses drowned in the flood. There was a copper pot and an earthen pot in a house.
Both these were washed away in the flood to a river.

The copper pot called the earthen pot and said, "My friend, you are made of mud. You
are so weak. Please, come near me. I'll save you".

The earthen pot replied, "Thank you for your kindness, my friend. But, let me swim to
the bank by myself'. The earthen pot began to swim towards the bank of the river.

As the copper pot tried to swim, water got filled into the pot and the copper pot drowned.
But earthen pot reached the bank.

MORAL : Weakness is not in appearance.

 The Wise Cock and The Wicked Fox

There lived a wise cock in a village. He did his duties well. He crowed early in the
morning waking up the folks for their daily chores.

One day the cock was taking rest on a tree top. A wicked fox passed that way. The fox
looked up and saw the handsome cock perched on the tree. The fox decided to eat the
cock. So he said in as sweet a voice as possible.

"Hello, dear cock! I bring you news from Heaven. There is a new order laid for us. From
now on all birds and animals shall become friends and live together in peace".

The cock was astonished. He asked "Is it true?"

The fox replied, "Yes, of course. If you would like to test it, why not come down?" Now
the cock began to think wise. He said, "Won't you wait a minute. A few of our friends are
coming along".

It was the fox's turn to be surprised, "Friends! Who are coming? What do you mean?"
The cock answered "I can see some Hounds coming. Let us wait for them".

On hearing the words Hounds, the fox got annoyed. He started to run away. The cock
asked, "Why are you running? What happened to our friendship?" The only reply was
"Forget it."

MORAL : Wise men can unveil wickedness.

 The Wise Judge

Two women were brought before King Solomon. Both these women had a quarrel
over a single baby. Each woman was saying that she was the baby's mother.

One lady said, "Oh King! I am the baby's mother".

The other lady said, "Oh King! Believe her not. She is not the mother. I am the
mother of the child".

King Solomon was confused. After a deep thought he said, "Cut the baby into two
and give one part to each mother". One woman was silent. The other cried "Oh
King! Let she have the baby. Let the baby live". The king gave the child to the
crying mother.

MORAL : Truth Always Triumphs.

The Wolf in Sheep-skin

A wolf was walking in the countryside. He found a sheep-skin spread on the ground. He
thought, "If I wear this skin and get mixed up in the flock, the shepherd will not suspect
me. At night, I will kill a stout sheep and then take him away with me".

The wolf covered himself with the sheep-skin and got mixed up with a flock of sheep. As
he had expected, the shepherd took him as a sheep and shut him also in the pen. The wolf
was waiting for the night.

The shepherd had a feast that night. He sent a servant to fetch a fat sheep. The servant
saw the sheep-skin covered wolf by chance. That night, the guests had the wolf for
supper.

MORAL : Evil thoughts have evil ends.

 Two Silly Goats

There lived two silly goats in a village.

There was a narrow bridge over a river in the village.

One day, the goats wanted to cross the bridge.

One silly goat was on one side.

The other one was on the other side.

One of them said, “I shall go first. Allow me to pass.”

The other goat said, “No. I must cross first. You move aside.”

Neither of them yielded.

At last, they came to the middle of the bridge.

They began to fight terribly.

As they were fighting, both of them fell into the river and were drowned.

MORAL : Love your neighbours.

 The Wolf and The Crane

Once a wolf killed a lamb and started eating it.

Suddenly a piece of bone stuck in its throat. It cried out of pain and called for help. There
came a crane. The wolf lured the crane that it will give lot of rewards.

The greedy crane immediately agreed and removed the piece of bone with its long nose.
The wolf was relieved of its pain. Then the crane asked for the rewards.

The wolf laughed at the crane and said, "I have already rewarded you without biting your
head. Run away from here, else I will kill you". The crane was very much disappointed
and ran way to save its life.

MORAL : You should help only those who deserve for it.

Two Friends and The Bear

.

Vijay and Raju were friends. On a holiday they went into a forest. They were enjoying
the beauty of nature. Suddenly they saw a bear coming at them. They were frightened.

Raju who knew climbing trees ran up to a tree and climbed up quickly. He did not think
of Vijay. Vijay did not know tree climbing.

Vijay thought for a second. He had heard animals do not prefer dead bodies. He fell to
the ground and held his breath. The bear sniffed him and thought he was dead. So, he
went away.

Raju asked Vijay," What did the bear whisper into your ears?”

Vijay replied, "The bear asked me to keep away from friends like you" and went on his
way.

MORAL : A friend in need is a friend indeed.

 The Hospitality of The Pigeon

Once upon a time, there lived two pigeons. They were husband and wife. They spend
their day looking for food. In the evening they would come and rest on their favorite tree
in the forest.

One evening, the wife returned home early. As usual she was waiting for her husband,
when suddenly it started raining. She strated to worry. “Where are you, my dear? You
never get so late,” she whispered to herself.

Just then she saw a bird-catcher coming towards her. In a cage he had a pigeon. It was her
husband. “OH no, what shall I do now” I wish I can help my husband,” she said. She
desperately tried to distract the bird-catcher by flapping her wings, but all in vain.

Soon, it stopped raining. “Brrr! It is so cold,” said the bird-catcher. His clothes were wet.
He decided to sit under the same tree where the two pigeons lived.

The poor wife sat by her husband’s cage. And she started to cry. The husband said. “Do
not feel sad, dear. We now have a guest. This man is shivering and hungry. He needs
your help.” Hearing this, the wife flew around getting dry twigs. She made a fire for the
bird-catcher. Then she looked at the bird-catcher and said, “You are our guest, since I
have no food to offer, I will jump into this fire. In few minutes I will become an edible
item for you. You can eat me.”

By now, the bird-catcher was overwhelmed by the hospitality of the humble pigeon
couple. He at once stopped the wife jumping into the fire.

He opened the cage and set the husband free. “I have been cruel and selfish. I will never
trap any bird in my net again,” said the bird-catcher and went away. The two pigeons
were happy to be reunited.
 The Arrogant Swans

In a far away kingdom, there was a river. This river was home to many golden swans.
The swans spent most of their time on the banks of the river. Every six months, the swans
would leave a golden feather as a fee for using the lake. The soldiers of the kingdom
would collect the feathers and deposit them in the royal treasury.

One day, a homeless bird saw the river. “The water in this river seems so cool and
soothing. I will make my home here,” thought the bird.

As soon as the bird settled down near the river, the golden swans noticed her. They came
shouting. “This river belongs to us. We pay a golden feather to the King to use this river.
You can not live here.”

“I am homeless, brothers. I too will pay the rent. Please give me shelter,” the bird
pleaded. “How will you pay the rent? You do not have golden feathers,” said the swans
laughing. They further added, “Stop dreaming and leave once.” The humble bird pleaded
many times. But the arrogant swans drove the bird away.

“I will teach them a lesson!” decided the humiliated bird.

She went to the King and said, “O King! The swans in your river are impolite and
unkind. I begged for shelter but they said that they had purchased the river with golden
feathers.”

The King was angry with the arrogant swans for having insulted the homeless bird. He
ordered his soldiers to bring the arrogant swans to his court. In no time, all the golden
swans were brought to the King’s court.

“Do you think the royal treasury depends upon your golden feathers? You can not decide
who lives by the river. Leave the river at once or you all will be beheaded!” shouted the
King.

The swans shivered with fear on hearing the King. They flew away never to return. The
bird built her home near the river and lived there happily forever. The bird gave shelter to
all other birds in the river.
 The Bonded Donkey

In a small village, there lived a potter. He had a donkey. Everyday his donkey would
carry soil from the field to his house. Since the field was quite far off, the potter would
rest under a tree midway, tying his donkey nearby.

One day, the potter forgot to take the rope with which he tied the donkey everyday. When
he reached the tree, he thought, “How do I tie this donkey today? He might run away if I
sleep. “The potter decided to tie down holding the donkey’s ears so that the donkey
would not run away.

But this way neither the donkey was comfortable nor the potter was able to take rest. A
saint, who happened to be passing by, saw the potter holding on to the donkey’s ears.
Then the saint wanted to know what the problem of the potter was. When the potter told
the saint what the problem was, the wise saint said, “Take the donkey to the place where
you tie him everyday. Pretend to tie him using an imaginary rope. I assure you he won’t
run away.” The potter did what the saint had said.

He left the donkey and went to take a nap. When he woke up, to his surprise and relief, he
found the donkey standing in the same place.

Soon the potter prepared to leave for home. But the donkey did not move. “What is
wrong with this donkey!” exclaimed the potter in frustration.

Luckily, the potter saw the wise saint again. He ran up to the saint and told him about the
donkey’s strange behavior. The saint said, “You tied up the donkey, but did you untie
him?” Go and pretend to untie the rope with which you had tied the donkey.” The potter
followed the saint’s advice.

Now the donkey was ready to leave for home. The potter understood that donkey was the
bonded donkey. The potter thanked the wise saint and went home happily with his
donkey