THE WOODCUTTER’S FOOLISH SON

          In a small village near a deep forest a woodcutter lived with his family. Every morning, the woodcutter used to go to the forest to chop wood. He ‘was a very hard working man. But his son was slow-witted for his age and could not pick up any other trade.

          One day, the woodcutter’s wife asked his son to take his father’s meal to the wood. “Take this to your father”, she asked to her son, “and eats with your father at meal time.” So the boy took the basket and started to go towards the site where his father was chapping wood.

          The woodcutter was pleased to see his son. He asked the boy to work with him by taking a spare axe. The boy obeyed his father and began to work. They were progressing quite nicely when a wasp came buzzing round the woodcutter’s head. The woodcutter tried to brush it away with his hand, but it refused to leave. He then told his son to do something that he might work in peace.

          The boy tried with a leafy twig but the wasp managed to slip through. It made the boy angry. Next time, when the wasp was about to sit on his father’s shoulder, the boy took a hunk of wood and gave it a very strong blow. The wasp was at once killed but his father was seriously injured at the shoulder. He became senseless after much bleeding. It took him days to well properly.

Moral: Never entrust a fool.

GOD JUPITER AND THE TORTOISE

          Once God Jupiter invited all the animals of the forest for dinner. The animals were very happy and they all visited God’s palace in time, God Jupiter himself welcomed them. All the animals were present there except tortoise.

          Jupiter loved the animals very much. So Jupiter became anxious to know b reason for the tortoise’s absence. He went to the tortoise’s palace and “My dear tortoise, why didn’t you come to attend my dinner yesterday?

          The tortoise answered arrogantly, “It is because I love my beautiful small house very much. And I don’t like going away from house.”

          The arrogance of the tortoise made Jupiter angry. He at once cursed the tortoise, “From now, you’ll never be able to separate yourself from your beautiful house.. Wherever you go, you’ll have to carry your house on back.” Jupiter then left the place.

          Since then, the poor tortoise is carrying his house on his back.


Moral: Always respond to the love affection of the elders.

THE LOYAL MONGOOSE

Once there lived, a wise Brahmin in a certain town. He had a little son and a mongoose. His wife loved them both and looked after them carefully. But she did not trust the mongoose as it was nothing but an animal.

One day, the lady was going to the river for water. “My Lord”, she said to the Brahmin before leaving, “look after the boy sleeping in his cradle and protect him from the mongoose.”
When she was gone, the Brahmin also went off for an-urgent call from his landlord. He had to leave the house unguarded.

In the meantime a black cobra issued from its hole and started to crawl towards the child’s cradle. The mongoose at once realized the ill will of the poisonous snake, his natural enemy. He knew that the child’s life was in great danger. So he attacked the snake and killed him in no time.

The wife of the Brahmin was then returning from the river. The mongoose came near her, When the lady noticed his bleeding mouth, she quickly thought that the ugly creature must have killed anti eaten her son. So without delay, she angrily dropped the’ heavy water jar upon the little, mongoose. The mongoose died at once. Then she hurried home.

After entering house, she found her son was sleeping safe and sound. There was a black cobra, torn to bites lay near his cradle. The lady at once realized her mistake and overwhelmed with grief, for the loss of .the innocent loyal mongoose.

Moral: Thoughtless deed always brings misfortune.

THE TWO FROGS

            Once, two frogs lived in a pool near a village. They often used to visit the villagers houses for food. One day, driven by hunger, the two frogs hopped into the kitchen of a house. Their attention turned to a big cauldron half full with milk.

“What kind of pool is that?”asked one of them. And they jumped into the cauldron without a second thought. After a short while they felt that the water of the new pool was heavier, swimming in it needed more effort.

They began to swim in the cauldron round and tried to escape from there. But the high wall around the pool was very slippery. Without any solid support, it was impossible for the frogs to come out of the cauldron.

So, they kept on swimming. After sometime, one of the two frogs shook his head and croaked, “I am unable to continue swimming. I would rather die!” He gave up swimming and soon drowned.

The other frog did not lose heart. He too was very tired. But kept on swimming slowly round and round the cauldron. His continuous movement churned the milk and solid butter separated from the churn. Small lumps of butter soon made a mound of it. Reaching its top, the frog jumped

the wall of the cauldron. Strong determination and patience of the second frog saved his life.

Moral: Determination and patience help one to overcome all obstacles.

THE FOX AND THE COCK

          On the branch of a high tree a cock was once crowing his loudest in the joy of his heart. A sly fox looked at the cock had thought: “This cock would surely .make a nice meal for me.” He looked up and said, “Hallo, cock I haven’t you heard of the good news that all birds and beasts are going to be friends? They will  no more eat each other.”

          “That’s indeed a very good news.” said the cock. “You then mean to say that foxes will no more eat cocks and hens”

Right you are, said the fix, “cone down to have a nice little chat”

          “That is a nice idea,” said the cock. “But yonder I can see some of your friends coming. They look like hounds.”

In great fear the fox jumped up at once and began to run away.

          “Why do you run, Master Fox, at the sight of our friends?” said the cock.

“The hounds may not have got the news as yet.”

         So saying the fox ran away as fast as he could and was soon out of sight.

Moral: The wicked are sometimes caught in their own trap.

THE CROW AND THE JAR

          It was a very hot day in the month of May. A crow was very thirsty. She wanted to drink some water. She flew here and there in search of water, but could find none.

At last the crow saw a big jar at a distance. She flew to it and looked inside. She found water there. But it was so low that she was unable to reach it. The crow tried to turn the jar over, but alas, it was much too heavy for her.

“Dear me,” said the Crow, “how shall I get at this cool water?’ At last she hit upon a plan. She saw some pebbles lying near the jar. She dropped a great many of them one by one into the jar. At length the water came to the brim. Her joy knew no bounds. Thus the crow was able to drink at ease and she satisfied her thirst.

Moral: Where there is a will, there is a way,

THE WOLF AND THE HOUSE-DOG

          One day a house-dog chanced to meet a lean and thin wolf. “Good day, wolf,” said the house-dog, “Why do you look so thin and pale?”

“Good-day, dog,” said the wolf, “you are well-fed and welt taken care of. But I always look for food and yet I can hardly, get it.”

The house-dog said, “Why don’t you work as I do? My master gives me plenty of food and in return I do the light duty of watching his house at night. Come with me and work for a good living.”

“I thank you,” said the wolf, “I should like that.”

On the way to the master’s house, the wolf saw a mark on the dog’s neck and enquired what it was.

“Why” the dog replied, “it is the mark of the chain in which I am tied in the day time at night I am free to run where I like.”

“Good-night,” said the wolf, “I won’t go to your master. It’s better to be free and hungry than to be well fed and a slave.”

Moral: Liberty is true happiness.

THE WOLF AND THE CRANE

          Once upon a time a greedy wolf had a small bone stuck in his throat. It was very painful to him. He tried his best to take it out, but failed, He ran up and down howling. He asked every animal whom he had met to help him. “I will give a reward to anyone who will get the bone out,” said the restless wolf. But nobody came to his help.

          At last a crane took pity on him. She came forward to help him. She put her long beak into the wolf s throat and drew out the bone at ease. The crane then asked for the reward. But the wolf was now free from all trouble. “Reward I” growled the wolf, “what a fool you are! I had your head in my mouth, and I could have bitten it off. But I let you take it out without any harm. Don’t you think that you are amply rewarded? To this the poor crane could not dare reply.

Moral: Never trust a rogue.

THE DOVE AND THE BEE

          One hot day a bee, feeling very thirsty, went to the bank of a stream to quench her thirst. While she was drinking, she fell into the stream. She was being carried away swiftly by the current. Just then, a dove was on the branch of a tree hard by. She saw, the struggle of the bee and let fall a twig close to her. The bee crawled on to the twig, and when her wings dried, was able to come to the bank. Then she said to the dove, “I thank you with all my heart for your kind help. I will try to do you a good turn if I can.”

The bee had not to wait long for the chance, One day a man came and took tip an arrow to shoot the dove.

The bee by chance saw this. She quickly flew up to the man and stung him in the foot. At this the man gave a cry of pain and misled his aim, The dove saw the man and flew away unharmed.

Moral: One good turn deserves another