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

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.