The Monkeys and The Bell A thief, who was escaping with a stolen bell was killed and eaten by a tiger. The bell was found by the monkeys who began to ring it. The noise frightened the people of the nearby villages who thought it was the sound of a giant. Only one woman was not afraid and she went out with a basket of fruit. Nearby she heard the bell....

The Miser and The Beggar A poor man, who was reduced to rags, begged a rich Arab for some clothes; and since he had been asked in the name of Allah, the rich man could not refuse, but, made sure he gave the beggar his oldest suit. The beggar put it on and according to custom, hung a sign on the collar stating, ‘There is no god but Allah.’ ‘Are you...

The Mean Crow Once, two crows Sonu and Manu were close friends. One day, they got into an argument to prove their superiority. To decide who was better than the other, they decided on a challenge. Each of them was supposed to fly with a bag filled with something in their beaks. The crow who could fly up higher would be declared the best. But Sonu was a mean crow. He...

The Lovelorn Lion and The Peasant A lion was unfortunate enough to fall in love with the beautiful daughter of a peasant and he went to her father to ask for her hand in marriage. The peasant was worried about his daughter’s future, but didn’t have the courage to refuse the lion openly. ‘My daughter,’ he pretended, ‘is allergic to teeth and claws. Come back after you have removed them and...

The Gift of The Fox The forest was buzzing with activity. All the animals and birds were dressed in their best. They were all carrying colourfully packed gifts and heading for the lion’s den. It was the lion king’s birthday and he had invited everyone. At the den, all the animals were present but the fox was absent. The wolf was jealous of the fox. So he got a chance to...

The Lion and The Ass The lion had decided to go hunting and had chosen the ass as his companion, for he had thought of a way to make use of its distinctive braying. The silly ass was extremely proud at being chosen as the lion’s companion and with complete docility, he allowed the lion to dress him up in a cloak of leaves, thinking that this must be the correct...

The Lion and His Partners The goat, the sheep and the cow went into business with the lion. Just as in every company, it was agreed that costs and profits would be divided equally. It happened that they trapped a deer and held a shareholders’ meeting in order to apportion it out. In fact, the lion was most meticulous about dividing the catch into four equal parts. ‘I shall take the...

The Jealous Sole Once upon a time in the sea, there was a loud argument about which fish was the fastest swimmer. The dispute grew so bad tempered that at last some of the senior fish demanded that a race should take place to determine the matter once and for all. Amongst the competitors was the sole a very arrogant fish always sneering at the others. When the race was over,...