The Midas Touch

There was once a king named Midas who loved gold. One day, God
appeared before him and asked him to wish for anything.

Being greedy about gold, Midas said, "Everything I touch should turn to
gold." God granted his wish and told him that, from the next day,
everything he touched would turn to gold.

Midas was very happy. He woke up early the next morning and went
around touching everything and turning them to gold.

After a while, Midas felt hungry. He picked up a piece of bread to eat, but
it turned to gold. When he picked up a glass of water to quench his thirst,
it turned to gold as well. As Midas was thinking about what to do, his
daughter rushed to him. And, when Midas touched her, she turned into a
golden statue.

Miserable and teary-eyed, Midas no longer wanted the boon. He prayed

to God and atoned for his greed. Pleased by Midas' prayer, God asked
him to wash his hands in the nearby river to get rid of the golden touch.

Midas returned after washing his hands and found that everything he had
changed to gold had turned back to normal.

Moral of the story: Greed can be destructive. Also, there are many things
in life more important and precious than gold or riches.
The Camel and the Baby
One day, a baby camel was chatting with her mother. She asked,
"Mother, why do we have humps, round feet, and long eyelashes?"

Drawing a deep breath, the mother explained, "Our humps store water.
This helps us survive long journeys in a desert where water is scarce. Our
round feet allow us to walk comfortably on sand. And, our long eyelashes
protect our eyes from dust and sand, especially during sandstorms."

The baby camel remained silent for some time and then asked, "Mother,
why do we stay in a zoo even when we are blessed with so many
qualities?"

Moral of the story: Your skills and strengths are of no use if you are not in
the right place.

The Tortoise And The Bird

A tortoise was resting under a tree, on which a bird had built its nest. The
tortoise spoke to the bird mockingly, “What a shabby home you have! It
is made of broken twigs, it has no roof, and looks crude. What’s worse is
that you had to build it yourself. I think my house, which is my shell, is
much better than your pathetic nest”.
“Yes, it is made of broken sticks, looks shabby and is open to the
elements of nature. It is crude, but I built it, and I like it.”
“I guess it’s just like any other nest, but not better than mine”, said the
tortoise. “You must be jealous of my shell, though.”
“On the contrary”, the bird replied. “My home has space for my family
and friends; your shell cannot accommodate anyone other than you.
Maybe you have a better house. But I have a better home”, said the bird
happily.
Moral
Better a crowded hut than a lonely mansion.
The Elephant and Friends
There was once a lonely elephant. One day, he set out to find friends for
himself in the jungle. He found a monkey and asked him if he would be a
friend. The monkey refused saying, "You can't swing from trees like me."
The elephant next met a rabbit and asked him to be his friend. The rabbit
refused as well saying, "You are too big to enter my burrow." The
elephant then met a frog, who also refused, saying, "You can't leap like
me." The elephant ventured deeper into the jungle where he met a fox.
The fox also refused the elephant's friendship saying, "You are too big."

Disheartened, the elephant returned. However, the next day he decided

to go to the jungle again. As he entered the jungle, the elephant found all
the animals running to save their lives. He stopped the bear to enquire
what had happened.

The bear said, "The tiger wants to eat us and so we are all running to save
ourselves."

As the elephant was thinking about what he could do to help the animals,
the tiger walked up to him.

"Mr Tiger, please spare these animals. Do not kill and eat them," the
elephant implored.

"Run or I'll kill and eat you as well," growled the tiger.

This angered the elephant and he kicked the tiger. The frightened tiger
ran away.

All the animals now wanted to be friends with the elephant.

Moral of the story: You can even be friends with those who are different
from you.
The Lion and the Mouse
Once, a mouse accidentally wakes up a lion. This angers the lion and the
mouse begs for his life and promises to pay him back in kind. The lion
laughs at this but lets the mouse go. A few days later, the mouse finds the
lion trapped in a net and sets the lion free by gnawing on the ropes.

Moral of the story: No one is too small to help you; everyone has
something to offer. And mercy is not a waste d act.

The Golden Egg

Once upon a time, a farmer had a goose that laid a golden egg every day.
The egg provided enough money for the farmer and his wife for their day-
to-day needs. The farmer and his wife were happy for a long time. But
one
day, the farmer got an idea and thought, “Why should I take just one egg
a day? Why can’t I take all of them at once and make a lot of money?”

The foolish farmer’s wife also agreed and decided to cut the goose’s
stomach for the eggs. As soon as they killed the bird and opened the
goose’s stomach, to find nothing but guts and blood. The farmer, realizing
his foolish mistake, cries over the lost resource!
The English idiom “kill not the goose that lays the golden egg” was also
derived from this classic story.
Moral
Do not get greedy. Be happy and content with what you have.
The Miser And His Gold
An old miser lived in a house with a garden. The miser hid his gold coins
in a pit under some stones in the garden. Every day, before going to bed,
the miser went to the stones where he hid the gold and counted the
coins. He continued this routine every day, but not once did he spend the
gold he saved.

One day, a thief who knew the old miser’s routine, waited for the old man
to go back into his house. After it was dark, the thief went to the hiding
place and took the gold. The next day, the old miser found that his
treasure was missing and started crying loudly.

His neighbour heard the miser’s cries and inquired about what happened.
On learning what happened, the neighbour asked, “Why didn’t you save
the money inside the house? It would’ve been easier to access the money
when you had to buy something!”
“Buy?”, said the miser. “I never used the gold to buy anything. I was
never going to spend it.”

On hearing this, the neighbour threw a stone into the pit and said, “If that
is the case, save the stone. It is as worthless as the gold you have lost”.

Moral
A possession is just as worthy of what it is used for.
Elephant And Friends

A lone elephant wandered the forest looking for friends. She came across
a monkey and asked, “Will you be my friend, monkey?” “You are too big
and cannot swing on trees as I do. So I cannot be your friend”, said the
monkey.
The elephant them came across a rabbit and asked him if she could be his
friend. “You are too big to fit inside my burrow. You cannot be my
friend”, replied the rabbit.
Then the elephant met a frog and asked if she could be her friend. The
frog said “You are too big and heavy. You cannot jump like me. I am sorry,
but you cannot be my friend”.
The elephant asked a fox, and he got the same reply, that he was too big.
The next day, all the animals in the forest were running in fear. The
elephant stopped a bear and asked what was happening and was told
that a tiger has been attacking all the animals.
The elephant wanted to save the other weak animals and went to the
tiger and said “Please sir, leave my friends alone. Do not eat them”. The
tiger didn’t listen and asked the elephant to mind her own business.
Seeing no other way to solve the problem, the elephant kicked the tiger
and scared it away.
She then went back to the others and told them what happened. On
hearing how the elephant saved their lives, the animals agreed in unison,
“You are just the right size to be our friend”.

Moral
Friends come in all shapes and sizes!