THE LION AND THE MOUSE

          Once a lion was sleeping in his den, A mouse came out of its hole and got into the lion’s nose. This disturbed the lion’s sleep, and he started up in rage. He took the mouse in his paw and was about to kill it. The little mouse, out of fear, said, “Oh king of beasts, I have done this unintentionally. Please pardon me and spare my life. Someday I may do you a good turn.” The lion took pity on the mouse and let it go. The mouse, in return, promised to help him.

          After a few days the lion was caught in a hunter’s net. He gave out a log.id roar in pain and terror and struggled hard to get out, but it was all in vain. Just at that moment, his old friend, the mouse, was passing. He saw him in trouble and at once came to his rescue. With his sharp teeth the grateful mouse gnawed the two pieces and thus set the lion free.

“Thank you, my little friend’ said the lion, and went away.

Moral: Good deeds never go unrewarded.

THE CROW AND THE FOX OR, THE VAIN CROW

          Once a crow stole a piece of cheese and flew away with it. She sat on the top of a tree. Just then a hungry fox saw it and wanted to get the piece of cheese for himself.

The fox looked up at the craw and said, “Friend, what a lovely bird you are! What a nice black coat you have! Your eyes are bright too. But alas! It is a pity that such a fine bird like you cannot sing.

If only you could do that, you would have been the finest bird in the world.”

These words were too sweet for the silly crow and she wanted to show that she could sing. So she opened her mouth to caw. Down fell the piece of cheese. The fox was full of joy. He picked it up and ran off to the jungle with these words, “I said that the crow was beautiful, but I did not say she was wise”.

Moral: A close mouth goes with a wise head.

THE DOCTOR AND HIS PATIENT

          A rich lady lost her eye- sight owing to protracted illness. She called in a doctor and promised to pay him a large fee, if he could restore her eye-sight, but nothing, if he failed. The doctor was sure of his success and so he gladly accepted the offer.

          Day after the day the doctor came to the house of the lady, who lay mostly in bed in her room. It was furnished with rich and costly furniture. The doctor was greedy and dishonest. One by one he took away all the things of value from the house.

Then he set about curing the lady, and in a short time she got back her normal sight.

          “I have cured your eyes,” said the doctor to the lady. “Please give me the fees you have promised.” But the lady saw that the doctor had taken away all the rich contents of her house. The lady said, “I am still blind. I can’t see even the articles of my house. How can you say that you have cured my eyes?”

          At this the doctor in anger sued her in court. The lady appeared before the judge and said, “Your Honor I beg to submit that when I was not blind. I could see the costly furniture of my house. But now I don’t see even a single piece of furniture. So I have not yet been cured of m blindness. The doctor cannot, therefore, claim fees.”

          The judge dismissed the case. The doctor got nothing for his pain. In this way the dishonest doctor was rightly served.

Moral: Dishonesty cannot long go undetected.

THE HONEST WOODMAN

          One day a poor woodman was trying to cut down a tree near a river. By chance his axe fell out of his hand. Right into the river it went, quite out of his reach. “Alas!” wailed the poor man, “it is my only axe. How shall I cut down the trees, and earn my daily bread?”

          Mercury, the god of the river, heard his cry. He came to the woodman and said, “What is that makes you Vail, my good man?”

           “My axe is lost, the only one I had,” replied the woodman.

          Mercury dived into the water and brought an axe of glittering gold. “My good man, is this your axe?” asked tile god of the river. The woodman replied, “No, it is not mine.”

          So Mercury went into the water again, and this time he brought a silver axe. Again the woodman would not take it, but said that his was simply made of steel.

          Once more Mercury dived down and brought an axe that was made of steel. “Is it yours, my good man I” asked the god of the water. The woodman jumped up in joy. He cried out, “This axe is mine!”  He could not find words to thank his kind patron.

          Mercury, glad at the man’s uncommon honesty, gave him all the three axes as a reward.

Moral:  Honesty brings its own reward.

KING MIDAS AND HIS GOLDEN TOUCH

          A king named Midas was fond of only two things of the world. One was gold and the other was his, lovely little daughter. He only wished that he could turn everything into gold.

          One night Plutus, god of wealth appeared before Midas and said, “What do you want Midas? I am Plutus, god of wealth.

          King Midas thought for a moment and said, “I wish everything I touch should be changed into gold "

          “Golden touch!” exclaimed Plutus in surprise. “Will this satisfy you “Nothing else will make me perfectly happy,” replied Midas. “Be as you wish,” said Plutus and the next moment he disappeared.

          Morning came and the king touched the furniture of his palace and flowers of his garden. They were at once turned into shining gold. But the joy of the king turned into grief when he touched hi food. To his dismay he found that it was not food but hard gold. He kissed his darling daughter with affection. But alas I the daughter stood like a golden statue no longer alive.

          The king’s grief was too deep for tears. “My darling, my darling,” he cried, “O God, take away thy gift and give me my daughter.”

          Plutus appeared again and said, “Foolish King, do as I tell you. Wash yourself and the statue of your daughter in the water of the river by your garden.” The king obeyed Plums and his daughter was restored to life.

HOW A BRANMIN WAS BEFOOLED

          A virtuous Brahmin once took a vow that he would sacrifice a he- goat on the occasion of the worship of goddess Kali. On the Puja day he went to a distant market to buy a goat. Three rogues had heard of his vow and made a plan to have the goat for a grand feast.

          The rouges took their stand at three different crossings of the road to the market. When the Brahmin came out of the market with a young goat, one of the rogues met him and said, “O Brahmin. Why are you carrying a dog on your shoulder?”“It’s a goat arid not a dog,” replied the Brahmin and went on his way.
       
          The Brahmin had not gone far when the second rogue met him and said, “How strange! You are an orthodox Brahmin, and you are carrying a dog! “The Brahmin grew a bit suspicious. He examined the goat’ Very carefully and said, “Well, wicked fellow, have you come to outwit me? I know quite well the difference between a goat and a dog.” So saying, he moved on.

          The third rogue met him and made similar remarks. At this the Brahmin thought within himself, “Three men call this goat a dog. I must have then called a mistake.” So he left the goat on the way and went home after a bath in the Ganges.

          The rogues jumped for joy and enjoyed their desired feast with the goat.

THE VAIN JACKDAW

          Once upon a time a jackdaw found ‘feathers which a peacock had dropped on the way. He was vain and ugly-looking. To appear good- looking, he picked up a lot of peacock’s feathers and stuck them to his body. He looked about and felt proud that he had become .as fine-looking as a peacock. He then left his own tribe to live among the peacocks.

          The peacocks saw a new-corner among them. They felt curiosity about him. But the vain jackdaw said that he was one of their relatives. The peacocks suspected his real identity and began to peck at him. As a result his borrowed feathers soon fell off. So the pretender was exposed and he was found to be nothing but an ugly jackdaw with borrowed feathers. So the peacocks in anger drove him away.

          In this ugly state the vain jackdaw flew to his former companions and claimed to be one of their kins.

          But they did not recognize him and drove him, away. Thus the jackdaw was left without friends.

Moral: Pride doth go before a foil.

ABOU BEN ADHEM AND THE ANGEL

          Once upon a time there was a very pious man named Abou. He too was a sincere lover of God and man. One night he woke up from a happy, peaceful dream. He saw an angel in the moonlight shining in his room. He was writing something in a book of gold.

          Abou said, “May I know what are you writing?” “The name of those who love God” was the angel’s reply.

          “Is my name there?” enquired Abou.
“Nay, not so” was the angel’s reply.
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          But Abou did not lose heart. He requested the angel to write down his (Abou’s) name as one who loved his fellowmen. The angel did so, and vanished.

          The next night the angel came again, lie showed Abou the names of those persons who had received God’s favour. And, to! Abou’s name was at the top of the list.

Moral: To love and serve men is to serve God.

KING SOLOMON AND QUEEN OF SHEBA

          There lived in Jerusalem a king of the few's named Solomon. He was famous all over the world for his wisdom, wealth and grandeur. The news of his fame reached the ears of the Queen of Sheba. She wanted to put his wisdom to test.

          With this object in view she once visited Solomon’s court with many royal presents. She had with her two garlands of flowers. One was of real flowers, and the other of artificial flowers. The Queen asked the king to pick out the real from the artificial. Both garlands were so much alike that it was very difficult to distinguish between the two.

          The wonderful garlands puzzled the courtiers. Solomon kept silent for a while. He looked at both the garlands very carefully and then said, “Open the windows.” The king order was carried out. A swarm of bees at once flew in from the adjacent garden and settled on the garland made of real flowers. To the amazement of all Solomon succeeded in solving the puzzle. The Queen of Sheba was highly impressed with his wisdom and remarked, “Happy is the land which produces such a great and wise king.”

THREE ADVENTUROUS YOUNG MEN

          Once three men went out in search of adventures. On the way they asked an old man, “Sir, can you tell me the abode of death?”

          “A strange question indeed!” replied the old man. “But I know that death lives under yonder banyan tree.”

          After a good deal of search the young men discovered a big hole under the banyan tree. They began to dig into it and a big poisonous snake rushed out. They at once struck it dead. They went on digging the hole and found a great treasure.

          The young men were tired, hungry and thirsty. One of them was sent in search of food and drink. In his absence, the other two took it into their heads to kill the young man and divide the treasure between them. Meanwhile, the third young man also wanted the whole treasure for himself, so, after buying food, he put some poison in it, excluding of course, his own share.

          The third young man came back with food and drink. All on a sudden the other two fell upon him and killed him. “Then with the rosy picture of being the masters of a vast fortune, they fell to the food for a hearty meal.”

          Alas I before they could finish their meal they fell down dead on the spot.

Moral: Wickedness is sure to bring ruin.

THE HIDDEN TREASURE

          A farmer had three sons. They spent their time idly. They were as idle as their father was active; the laziness of the so ns was a cause of anxiety to the father.

          One day when the farmer was on his death-bed, he called his Sons all round him and said, “My sons, I have an important secret to tell you. A great treasure lies hidden in yonder field.’“Where is it hid, father?“ exclaimed the sons. “You will have to dig for it,” said the dying father. But before he could disclose the full secret, his breath failed him and lie died.

          After the farmer’s death, the sons set to work upon the fallow field. They turned up the soil of the entire field with hard labour. They found no treasure, but learnt to work.

          The seeds were sown in the well-cultivated field. So it yielded a rich harvest. Then the sons could realise what their vise father had meant by the hidden treasure.