Dear

This is ‘For You’.

It is a Compilation of select Stories & Puzzles, and Interesting

Riddles & Jokes, especially amalgamated in one Collection just
for you.

I have picked up the Stories from Panchatantra, Jatak Tales and

Hitopadesh. Each of the Stories projects an embedded Lesson to
learn. You have to, therefore, read them with rapt attention and
cull out that hidden lesson in it to make its good use in your day to
day activities of life. I know right now you, yourself, can not read
them but even if you listen them now from your ‘Ma’ & ‘Pa’, Read
them again yourself sincerely & carefully when you grow little
older, say after 4-5 Years. It shall be your real Gift to me if you
shall make sincere efforts to grasp the message therein and
religiously put it in use in your life.

Puzzles & Riddles include some Mathematical Games involving

only simple Operators – Addition, Subtraction, Multiplication,
Division & Exponentiation. You shall know about these Operators,
when you reach your 2nd or 3rd Standard. I shall help you in
understanding the Concepts of these Operators, if you wish.
Some of the Puzzles and Games are easy to solve but for some,
you have to tax your Brain quite a lot. But do that. Remember the
Saying ‘Rassi aawat jat te sil par parat Nisan, Karat karat
abhyas te jarhmat hot Sujan’ (र सी आवत जात ते सल पर पळत
नशान, करत करत अ यास ते जळमत होत सजान ु ). It is the learning
and repeated learning that makes one a perfect. Skip these
sections till you learn some elementary Mathematics.

Answers of the Puzzles and Riddles have not been purposely

given in the Book. Once you are ready with your Answers, contact
Nanaji for checking them up. For correct Answers, you shall be
suitably rewarded.

There is a Section ‘Word-search’, which you can enjoy after you

start recognizing the English Alphabets. Number of Matrices has
been given wherefrom, as per the defined Rules of the Game, you
have to search some specific Words given in the ‘Word Search’
Question.

Enjoy reading.

With Lots of Love,

Yours Affectionately,

Nanaji
 Section – I
Select Stories from

‘HITOPADESH,
JATAK TALES &
PANCHTANTRA’
 THE LION AND THE FOOLISH DONKEY

A Lion named Karalakesara was living in a forest, loyally served by

Dhoosaraka, a Jackal that used to accompany the Lion wherever he
went. One day, an Elephant badly injured the Lion in a fight. The
injuries were so serious that the Lion could not go out hunting. As a
result, the Jackal also had to go without food. Both the master and
the servant became very weak. Unable to bear hunger, the Jackal
pleaded with the Lion to get him some food.

‘You know my plight. I cannot move out of this place. However, if you
manage to lure some animal to come here, I will kill him and both of
us can have a good meal’, said the Lion.

So, the Jackal set out in search of some animal and saw a Donkey
feeding himself on weeds. The Jackal approached him and said, ‘O
my friend, please accept my regards. I have not seen you for a long
time. You have become very weak. What is the reason?’

The Donkey said in sad tones, ‘How shall I tell you my suffering? The
Washerman is tormenting me by placing too much weight on my
back. He does not feed me at all. I exist on weeds. That is why my
body is weak.’

The Jackal said, ‘If that is the case, why don’t you come with me? I
shall show you a place where you can have your heart’s fill of green
and fresh grass. We can happily spend our time there.’

‘You have given me good news. But there is a problem. We are

domestic animals and you are all wild animals. One of them will
certainly kill me,’ said the Donkey whose name was Lambakarna.

Allaying his fears, the Jackal said, ‘O uncle, don’t say like that. This
place is in my control. Nobody can enter this area. Just like you are
suffering at the hands of the washerman, there are three female
Donkeys in this area, which are waiting for a suitable husband. They
are all young and told me, If you are really our uncle, go and get a
suitable husband for us.’ It is on that mission I have come here and
seen you.

The Donkey replied, ‘If that is the case, let’s go now.’

In the end, the Jackal and the Donkey reached the forest and came
to the Lion. When Lambakarna saw the ailing Karalakesara, the Lion,
he began running away from him. The Lion made a great effort to
reach him and strike him with his paw but failed to get the Donkey.

Angry at the Lion’s failure, Dhoosaraka, the jackal protested, ‘O my

Lord, you are useless. If you cannot tackle a foolish Donkey, how can
you fight an Elephant? I have now realised how powerful you are.’

Ashamed, the Lion told the Jackal quietly, ‘O my friend, I was not
ready for attack. Otherwise, even an Elephant cannot escape my
strike.’

Satisfied, the Jackal said, ‘All right, let us forget the past. I will bring
the Donkey here again. You must be ready and strike him this time.’

‘But how can Lambakarna forget his experience and come back here
again,’ asked the Lion.

‘You leave it to me,’ said the Jackal and set off to look for the Donkey.
Lambakarna was there on the bank of a lake feeding on grass.

He came to the Jackal and said, ‘Friend, you have taken me to a nice
place. I escaped death by inches. Who is that Animal who had nearly
killed me?’

‘You are mistaken,’ said Dhoosaraka, ‘It is, after all, the female
Donkey I promised to take you to. She was getting up to come and
embrace you. You ran away in scare. She cannot live without you
and so was trying to reach out to you. She told me that if you do not
marry her, she would commit suicide. So please come and spare me
the sin of causing the death of a woman. The God of Love will punish
you if you do not heed my word.’

Beguiled, the Donkey followed the Jackal. The Lion was prepared for
the attack this time and when the Donkey came; he fell on him and
killed him instantly. The Lion asked the Jackal to keep an eye on the
Donkey’s body and left to take a bath in the river. Unable to resist the
temptation of fresh flesh, the Jackal snipped off the ears of the
Donkey and scooped his heart out and made a good meal of them.
When the Lion returned, he noticed that the ears and heart of the
Donkey were missing.
The Lion angrily asked the Jackal to tell him what had happened to
the ears and heart of the Donkey. Dhoosaraka told him that the
Donkey had no ears and heart. If he had, he would not have come
again. The foolish Lion believed every word of the Jackal and shared
the Donkey with him.

Keep your Eyes, Ears &

Thinking Faculties Open
 The Two Parrots

Long, long ago there lived a Bheel. He came to a jungle to hunt for
Birds. While he was searching for Birds in the jungle, he came near
and found two Parrots sitting inside the nest. He caught both the
Parrots and took them home. But on this way, one of the Parrots
escaped. The Bheel brought the other Parrot home and taught him
how to speak. After some days, the Parrot started speaking all that,
whatever the Bheel spoke.

One Sage caught the other Parrot which had escaped. The Sage
taught the Parrot to speak and chant holy hymns after him. Many
years passed by. One Parrot was left with the Bheel and other with
the Sage. One day, a King came to the jungle on his horseback.
While roaming in the jungle, he came near the Bheel’s hut. The
Bheel’s Parrot was inside its cage. The cage was hanging outside on
a tree.

The Parrot saw the King and immediately started shouting, ‘Run, run
a King has come on the horseback. Catch him and kill him’. The King
heard the shouting of the Parrot and left the place. He then came to
the other end of the jungle where the Sage was living. He saw a
Parrot here also in the cage which was also hung outside. As soon as
the Parrot saw the King, it said politely, ‘Welcome, your Majesty. Sit
down, Drink cool water, Eat some fruits and asked the Sage to come
out and welcome the King’.

The King was astonished to hear the words of the other Parrot who
spoke very rudely, while this Parrot was very polite. The King soon
understood that it was due to the different environments, the two
Parrots lived in. The Masters and the Company they had were also
different. He understood that it was the bad company of the Bheel,
which had made the Bheel's Parrot ill tempered, but the good
Company of the Sage had made the Sage's Parrot good and polite.
So, it was the Company, which had influenced them.

Man is recognised by the

Company he keeps
 The Sage and the Mouse

Long ago, there lived a Sage in a forest. Every day, when the Sage
sat for meditation, all the animals of the forest used to gather around
him. He talked to them in a loving way and gave them good advice.
Among the animals, there was small Mouse also. The Mouse liked
the Sage very much and he becomes a Devotee of the Sage. He
helped the Sage by collecting berries and fruits for him. One day,
when he was collecting berries for the Sage, he saw a Bee drowning
in the water of a lake.

Influenced by the teachings of the Sage, the Mouse thought of saving

the life of a poor Bee. He took a leaf and put it in the water. Thus, the
Mouse was able to save the Bee. A big Cat, standing nearby,
watched this action of the Mouse. In order to eat him, the Cat
pounced on the Mouse. The Mouse was scared and ran straight to
the Sage. He requested the Sage to save his life. The Sage saw both
the animals stand in front of him and the Cat was getting ready to
pounce on the poor Mouse.

He was confused and thought for a second. The Sage said to the
Mouse, ‘I will change you into a bigger Cat. You need not be afraid of
this Cat’. Then the Sage changed the Mouse into a bigger Cat.
Seeing a big Cat in front of him, the other Cat ran away. Now the
Mouse was very happy to roam around in the forest fearlessly. When
he mewed loudly, all the other small creatures become frightened and
ran away. But one day, a Fox pounced on him. The Mouse
immediately thought of his Saviour and ran to the Sage for help. The
Fox also followed him.

This time, the sage changed the Mouse into a bigger Fox. The Mouse
was too happy to be in the form of a Fox. Now he killed the other
small animals and enjoyed his life. One day, a Tiger tried to kill him.
This time also he ran to the Sage. The Sage again changed the
Mouse into a big Tiger. He was too happy to roar loudly and kill many
animals in the forest. One day the Mouse, in the form of Tiger,
thought of eating the Sage himself. He came to the hut of the Sage
and tried to attack him. The Sage smelt the evil intention of the
Mouse and immediately changed him back into the original self, a
Mouse. The Mouse realised his mistake and felt ashamed and felt
sorry.

However Big & Powerful you become, you

should never forget your Roots
 The Brahmin and the Snake

Haridatta, a Brahmin, was living in a small village. He had many

farms. He worked on them very hard. But nothing grew on his farm in
spite of his hard labour. Once he completed his work early. He was
taking rest under a tree. At that time, he saw a Snake near a hole.
The Brahmin understood that it was Lord Cobra. He felt that he had
never offered anything to Lord Cobra till that day, neither did he pray
to him.

He thought that Lord Cobra was unhappy with him and because of
his curse nothing was growing in his field. He said, ‘Today itself, I will
offer my prayers to him’. The Brahmin then went home and returned
back with a bowl of milk. He kept the bowl of milk near the Snake's
hole and started praying, ‘Lord Cobra! Please excuse me. I had done
a great mistake by not offering you anything though you have been
living in my field and looking after it. Please bless me by accepting
my little offering’.

The Brahmin then left the bowl of milk near the Snake's hole and
went home. Next morning, the Brahmin went to pour milk in the bowl,
near the Snake hole. He was surprised to see a gold coin in the bowl.
He understood that Lord Cobra had accepted his prayers and
blessed him with the gold coin. He took the coin and went home.
Then, every day he kept a bowl of milk near the Snake's hole and
picked up a gold coin every day. This went on for many days.

Once the Brahmin had an important work in the next village. So, he
told his Son to keep a bowl of milk near the Snake's hole every day
till he returns. Next day, the Brahmin's Son kept a bowl of milk near
the Snake's hole. In the evening, when he went to take the bowl
back, he found a gold coin inside the bowl. He became very happy
and took it with him. The next day also the same thing happened.
The Brahmin's son had a foolish idea in his mind. He thought, ‘There
must be a lot of gold coins in the Snake's hole’.

Why not I kill the Snake and take away all the gold coins? I can
become rich immediately. So the next day, the Brahmin's Son as
usual kept a bowl of milk near the Snake's hole. As soon as the
Snake came out to drink the milk, the Brahmin's Son struck him hard
on his head with a stick. The Snake was hurt badly. Though it was in
great pain, the Snake bit the Brahmin's Son. He died immediately.
The Brahmin returned to his village after some days. He heard of his
Son's death. He understood why his son was bitten by the Snake.

The Brahmin said loudly, ‘My Son had got what he deserved. All bad
deeds will have a bad end’. The Brahmin went to the Snake's hole
the next day and asked Lord Cobra to forgive him. But the injured
Cobra was reluctant to accept his forgiveness. Lord Cobra said to the
Brahmin, ‘There is no value of your request. I was the giver of
fortunes to you. But your Son tried to kill me. It is impossible for me to
accept your hands of friendship now’. So Lord Cobra did not help the
Brahmin thereafter.

Friendship once mistrusted

can never be trusted
 Love of Right Action

When Mahatma Gandhi was a young boy and was in School, an

Inspector came to their School for inspection. A dictation was given to
the students to see how proficient they were in their studies. The
students were writing. The teacher was very anxious to get a good
remark from the Inspector for his teaching. If all students wrote the
dictation well without mistakes he would get a good report.

As the dictation was going on, the teacher was moving in between
rows of students and the teacher was slowly noting with the corner of
his eyes whether there were any mistakes in their writing. Suddenly
he stopped near Gandhiji. Gandhiji lifted up his head to see why the
teacher was standing near him. The teacher found one mistake in the
spelling of a word in Gandhiji's writing and he made a sign to Gandhiji
to look into the notebook of the next student and copy it.

Gandhiji understood what the teacher wanted him to do. But he knew
that copying from another student was wrong. Even his teacher told
him, how could he do a wrong action? He pretended not to
understand what the teacher was saying. The teacher felt very bad
about it. But Gandhiji was adamant. He was determined not to do a
wrong thing. Throughout his life he firmly observed this rule. Hence
he became the great Mahatma and is respected by all.

Refrain from Misdeeds &

Cheating
 The Rabbits and the Elephants

Once upon a time, there lived a herd of Elephants in a forest. A

mighty Elephant by the name of Chaturdanta was their King. There
was a big lake in the middle of the forest where all the animals used
to go to drink water and to take a bath. Once it so happened, that
there was no rain for the whole year and the lake dried up. Many of
the birds and the animals died of thirst. The Elephants got worried
that if they didn’t get water soon many of them would die of thirst.

The Elephants decided to take the matter to their King, Chaturdanta.

So they approached their King and said, ‘You Majesty, as you know
there is no water in our forest, many of the birds and animals have
already died due to thirst. We require water in order to survive. If we
will stay here soon many of us will die. We have to find out water as
soon as possible’. The King Elephant considered the idea and asked
the Elephants to go in different directions to find water. Fortunately,
one of them found a large lake full of water in another jungle far
away.

The King Elephant got happy to hear this news. He ordered all his
followers to make their way towards the lake. This lake was full of
water and never went dry even if it didn’t rain. On the way to this lake,
there was a settlement of Rabbits. The Elephants had to pass
through this settlement of Rabbits. Thousands of Rabbit got crushed
under the heavy feet of the Elephants and many of them got
wounded. The Rabbits fled in terror. The situation was getting severe,
so the King of the Rabbits called up a meeting.

In the meeting, the King said, ‘A herd of Elephants is passing through

our area. They have killed thousands of our friends. We are in a
critical need to find ways to avoid more deaths. I want all of you to
think of a way to save our race’. All the Rabbits underwent a thought
process. Suddenly, a little Rabbit derived a Plan and said to the King,
‘Your Majesty, if you will send me as your Messenger to the King of
the Elephants, I might find a solution to this problem’. The Rabbit
King gave his approval to the idea. The little Rabbit rushed towards
the lake.
When he saw the herd of Elephants returning from the lake, he
realized that it was impossible to get near to them. Then he thought
that how could he talk to the King of Elephants. Thus, he climbed up
a hill and shouted, ‘O, King of the Elephants. Please listen to me’. On
hearing the Rabbit’s voice, Chaturdanta stopped for a while and
replied, ‘Who are you? From where have you come? What do you
want?’ The smart Rabbit answered, ‘I am a messenger sent to you by
the Moon God’. The King of the Elephants said, ‘Why you have come
here?’.

The Rabbit replied, ‘Moon God has sent a Message for you. A
Messenger speaks only Truth. Please consider that a Messenger is
never punished for what he has to say. He is only doing his job so
you must not be angry with me’. Chaturdanta confirmed him that he
won’t be harmed in any way.

The little Rabbit said, ‘The Moon God is angry with you because you
have brought your herd to his holy lake and have disturbed the
peace. You have crushed thousands of Rabbits to death on the way
to lake. Rabbits are under the special protection of Moon God. Since
you have created problematic situation for his special Creatures, he is
extremely annoyed with you and wants you to leave his protected
Territory at once. If not, then you might face terrible consequences’.

The King Elephant was scared to hear this Message from the Moon
God. He said, ‘You are right. We have killed many Rabbits on our
way to the lake. But really that was done in ignorance. I will see that
you do not suffer anymore. I want to request the Moon God to pardon
me for my sins. Please advise me what I should do?’. The Rabbit
replied, ‘Ok. I will take you to the Moon God. Pay your homage to the
God and ask him to forgive you for the crime you have committed.
Come with me’.

At night, the Rabbit led the King of Elephants to the lake. Both, the
Rabbit and the Elephant stood near the bank of the lake. There they
saw the reflected image of the Moon in the still water. Just then, a
mild breeze blew disturbing the waters of the lake and the Moon
seemed to move to and fro. When Chaturdanta saw this, he thought
that the Moon God was really angry with him. He bowed to the Moon
God in panic. The Rabbit said, ‘Oh Moon God, The King of Elephants
has done a Sin in ignorance. Please forgive him. He is taking away
his herd from here and promising never to come back’.

Frightened Chaturdanta bowed once again to the Moon God and left
the place with his herd immediately and the Rabbits lived happily in
their Settlement ever after.

Wit can win over the Might

 The Three Dolls

Once upon a time there was a King who was very intelligent and
wise. His name and fame spread in all Kingdoms in the Country and
several people skilled in different Arts used to flock to his court
seeking rewards and recognition. A few of them came to exhibit their
own wisdom and test the king.

One day an Artist came to his Durbar (King's Court). He brought

three beautiful Dolls made by him. All the Dolls were exactly alike. He
put them in front of the King and asked, ‘O King, please examine
them well and tell us which of them is best, which is the worst, and
which one is in between?’.

The king took them in hand and carefully examined them. They were
same in height, weight and the features too. There was absolutely no
difference in them. As the King was closely checking up, he found
that one Doll had holes in both Ears. The King inserted a small match
stick in one of the ears and tilted the doll. The match stick came out
of the other ear.

In another Doll, the king found a hole in one of the ears and a hole in
the mouth. When the match stick was inserted in the hole of the ear,
it came out of the mouth.

The third Doll contained a hole in one ear only and nowhere else.
When the match stick was inserted in the hole of the ear, it went in
and it remained there.

The king deeply thought for sometime, and then said, ‘Sir, you are a
very clever Artist. I am glad that you are teaching profound wisdom to
the people through your Art. These three Dolls represent three types
of friends. Every Person requires a true friend to help them in
difficulties, to listen to them in Sympathy and keep their Secrets.

Here the first Doll represents the worst friend. If you pour out your
Secrets to such a friend, he pretends to listen. But he does not. What
he listens through one ear goes out through the other. He cannot help
anyone at all.
The second Doll is the middle one. It represents a Second Rate
friend. If you reveal your Secrets to such a friend, he may listen to
you with Sympathy, but he is sometimes dangerous, because he tells
all your Secrets to others. He cannot keep Secrets to himself.

The third Doll is the best. It represents the best of friends. Whatever
you tell such a friend, you are sure to get a patient ear. He keeps the
Secret within himself and will never divulge it to others. You are safe
with such a friend.

The Artist was happy with the King's explanation and praised his
wisdom. He presented the three Dolls to the King and King kept
them at a suitable place inside the Court as Models to teach others
the virtues of true wisdom.

We need a True Friend to help us in

difficulties, to listen to us in Sympathy and
keep our Secrets
 Concentration

When Pandavas and Kauravas were learning Archery from Acharya

(Teacher) Dronacharya, one day the Acharya arranged a
demonstration of Test Shooting by all his disciples. The Parents,
Visitors and lovers of Archery all gathered to see how the Princes
were progressing. Dronacharya placed a wooden Bird in the
branches of a tree which was half a mile away. The Visitors were
sitting on either side and the Pupils were standing in one line facing
the tree on which the Bird was kept. In front of the Pupils a line was
drawn and a Bow and an Arrow was kept by the side of the line. The
Pupils were eagerly looking at the Acharya to know what the Test
was going to be. They were itching to show off their skills.

Then the Acharya came forward and explained. Listen, Princes. On

the yonder tree, see a wooden Bird on the left branch. You have to
stand upon this line in front of you and shoot at the eye of the Bird
with this Bow and Arrow. Are you ready?" All of them nodded their
heads. ‘Good’, The Acharya said, ‘First, let Dharmraja (Yudhishter)
come forward and shoot’.

Dharmraja stood upon the line, took up the Bow and Arrow and
aimed. ‘Sir, may I shoot?’ he asked Acharya. Acharya scrutinized the
position in which Dharmraja was standing holding the Bow.
Dharmraja can you see me?’ Dhramraja nodded his head and said,
‘Yes, Acharya, I see you clearly’. Dronacharya smiled and said softly,
‘Dhramraja, put down the Bow and go back. You can't hit the bird’.
Dharmraja flushed with shame. He put down the Bow and went back
to his place.

Then it was Bhimsen's turn. He came forward, lifted up the Bow and
aimed. Dronacharya asked. ‘Bhima, can you see the Visitors on
either side?’ Bhima said, ‘Yes Sir, I can see them, all though not very
clearly’. Dronacharya shook his head. ‘Bhima, go back. You can’t
shoot the Bird’. Bhimsen was puzzled but he put down the Bow and
walked back to his place.

Next to him Duryodhana was standing. He came forward and took the
Bow. He aimed at the Bird and then turned towards Acharya and
asked his permission, ‘Acharya, may I shoot?’ Acharya shook his
head and said, ‘Don't, it will be a waste. Go back to your place’.
Duryodhana's face became red with indignation. He put the Bow
down and angrily walked back to his place.

One by one all the Princes came forward and prepared to shoot. The
Acharya would ask a Question, listen to the Answer and send them
back. Everyone was surprised and started mumbling. ‘The Acharya is
very strict. He is not satisfied with any one at all. Will there be a single
one who can please him?’.

Last, it was Arjun's turn to aim. He came forward, stood upon the line
and fixed up the Arrow. Dronacharya keenly observed how Arjun was
aiming. He asked, ‘Arjun, are you ready to shoot?'.

‘Yes Acharya, I am ready’, replied Arjun.

‘Arjun, do you see me?’.

‘No Sir’.

‘Do you see your Brothers and the Visitors?’.

‘No Sir’.

‘Do you see the tree and the branch on which the Bird is kept?’.

‘No Sir’.

The Visitors and the Princes were all surprised. If Arjun did not see
the Bird, how can he ever shoot at it? But Acharya's smile widened.
He asked eagerly, ‘Arjuna, what do you see?’

Arjuna replied, ‘Acharya, I see the eye of the Bird which has to be
shot’.

Dronacharya nodded his head appreciatively and said, ‘Good Arjun,

Shoot’.

Arjuna pulled the string of the Bow very hard until it touched his ear
and shot. The Bow shot forward in a straight flight without wavering
and hit the eye of the Bird. There was a thunderous applause from
the Visitors. Then all the Princes knew how much of Concentration is
needed in order to learn or do a thing properly.

Apt Concentration is needed in order to

learn or do a thing properly
 Three Suitors

Long ago there lived a man named Krishna in a town. He had a

beautiful Daughter named ‘Susheela’ who was really a ‘Su Sheela’
('Su' meaning - good, and 'Sheela' meaning - natured) in qualities
befitting her name. Many young men wanted to marry her and
approached her father for her hand. Some of them were rich but were
not good looking, some had neither looks nor money, and still others
lacked of good qualities. So, the father rejected most of the Suitors
excepting three - who seemed to qualify to meet the requirements of
being his Son-in-law. But whom to choose - from amongst the three?

One day he sent for all of them together and said, ‘The three of you
desire to marry my Daughter and I like each one of you. I am sure
that my Daughter will be happy with any one of you. I really don't
know how to choose one from amongst you. So I shall put a Test for
you. The one who is the best will be chosen as my Daughter's
Husband. What do you say?’.

They all agreed. Then Krishna said, ‘I shall give you all three months
time. At the end of three months come to me together and tell me one
fine action that you have done in these three months. The one who
has done the best action (s) will have my Daughter’.

The three months were over. Krishna invited a big gathering of Elders
to be present when the three young men would narrate their best
deeds. The Elders would decide whose was the best deed. The
Women Folk gathered in a Corner, the Elders sat on chairs, and the
three Suitors sat in front of them in a row. When all were ready,
Krishna turned to the Suitors and asked, ‘Please relate to us the best
deed done by you in these three months’.

The first Suitor got up and said, ‘Sirs, while going through my
accounts of my late father I discovered that he owed Rupees Ten
thousand to one Businessman who is no more. His young son would
not have known anything about the debt. I felt that I should discharge
my father's debt even if the young man did not know about it. So I
showed the account to the young man and paid off the whole amount
to him’.
The second Suitor got up and said, ‘Sirs, last month I was passing
through the forest near our town. Suddenly I heard a scuffle and a
muffed scream. I ran there to see what was happening. Half a dozen
ruffians were manhandling a young man to loot him. Though I was
alone and had only one lathi (stick) in my hand, I attacked those
robbers and helped the young man. By God's grace together we
could overcome the robbers and escape from there with safety’.

The third Suitor got up, ‘Sirs, one day I was passing through the
range of mountains on the north of our town. There I found my sworn
enemy who had done many a bad turn, sleeping on the edge of the
mountain. In sleep he rolled and shifted and was dangerously near
the edge. Had he moved one inch more, he would fallen into the deep
valley and died. I went near him, gently woke him up and advised to
him to get up and sleep in a safer place’.

When the three Suitors finished, Krishna turned to the Elders and
requested, ‘Please give us your Verdict. Whose deed is the best?’.
The Elders consulted among themselves and replied, ‘All the three
Suitors are fine men with golden qualities. Since we have to compare
and contrast in order to select the best, we do so. The first Suitor had
been exemplary in Honesty. Nowadays it is very difficult to meet with
such Honesty. Still what he did was his Duty only. The second Suitor
had been Valiant and Chivalrous. He was very brave. Still what he did
was what is expected of a man. He is an ideal man.

The third Suitor is the best according to all of us, because he helped
his bitter enemy. An ordinary man cannot do it. It is the Divinity within
him that gives such a forgiving and considerate nature. Therefore we
feel that the third Suitor deserves the hand of your Daughter’.

All those who were gathered there applauded their Decision. On one
auspicious day the marriage of the Suitor took place with Susheela.

A Real Virtuous Person is of Forgiving and

Considerate Nature, even to his / her
Enemies
 The Donkey and the Dog

Once upon a time, there lived a Washerman in a village. He had kept

a Donkey and a Dog to serve as his pets. The Dog used to guard his
Master’s house and escort him wherever he went. The Donkey used
to carry stack of clothes on his back to and fro the river. Both of them
slept in the Washerman’s courtyard. Like this, they were leading their
life under the kind shelter of the Washerman. On one unfortunate
night, when everyone was sleeping, a Thief managed to get into the
house. Even after seeing the Thief, the Dog didn’t bark. When the
Donkey saw the Thief entering the house, he asked the Dog, “Dear
Friend, Didn’t you see that a Thief had entered the house? Why don’t
you bark to awake our Master?’.

The Dog answered, ‘Mind your own Business. Don't talk to me about
my Duties. I know how to guard my Master. I have been guarding this
house for long, but Master doesn’t care for me. From the past few
days, he doesn’t even feed me properly. He doesn’t know my worth. I
won’t wake him up. When this Thief will steal valuables from his
house then only he will recognize my importance’.

The Donkey irritatingly said, ‘You fool, this is not the time to complain.
This is the time for action. Be fast and do something to wake up the
Master’. The Dog replied angrily, ‘No, as he doesn’t care for me even
I won’t care for him’. The Donkey shouted, ‘O wicked creature, you
are full of ingratitude towards your Master. You are ignoring your Duty
just when you're required most. Fine, I will do your Duty and wake
him up’. Hence, the Donkey brayed at the top of his voice which
made the Washerman to wake up. The Thief quickly ran away from
the scene. The Washerman looked around but could find anyone. He
got furious at the Donkey who had disturbed his sleep. The
Washerman thrashed the poor Donkey with a stick. The Donkey was
left with pain for months.

It is always advisable to mind

your own Business
 The Hunter and the Doves

Once upon a time, there was a flock of Doves that flew in search of
food. This flock was led by their King. Once, it happened as such that
the flock had flown a long distance and all the Doves got tired. The
King of Doves encouraged the Doves to fly a little more. One of the
Doves picked up pace and found some rice grains scattered under a
banyan tree.

All the Doves were happy to find the food and happily landed on the
ground. As soon as they began to eat the grains, a huge net fall over
them and all of them got trapped. The Doves fluttered their wings
desperately trying to come out, but it was of no avail. Just then, they
saw the hunter coming towards them. He appeared quite happy to
find a huge number of Doves trapped inside the net. The whole flock
was frightened on seeing the Hunter.

However, the King of Doves was very intelligent and clever. He didn’t
loose his patience and devised a plan to come out from this adverse
situation. He advised to other Doves, ‘In order to get free from the net
of this Hunter, we should all fly up together clutching the net in our
beaks. There is Strength in Unity. We will decide our next course of
action later. Now, come on and let’s fly’.

Hearing to the King, each Dove picked up a portion of the huge net
and they flew up together, carrying the net with them. The Hunter was
surprised to see the Birds flying, along with the huge net. He ran after
the Birds, shouting madly, but could not catch them. Soon, they flew
high over hills and valleys getting out of his sight.

When the King Dove saw that the Hunter had given up the chase, he
said to his friends, ‘Now we all have to get out of this net. A Mouse
lives on the nearby hill. He is good friend of mine. Let's go to him for
his help’. They flew to the hill, where the mouse lived.

When the Mouse heard the loud noise of Doves’ approach, he got
frightened and hid himself deeper into his hole. The King Dove asked,
‘Dear friend, I have come, the King Dove. We’re in great difficulty.
Please come out and help us’. Hearing the voice of the King Dove,
the Mouse came out of his hole and saw the King Dove and his
friends trapped in the net. The Mouse said, ‘Oh! Who’s done all this
to you?’.

The king Dove explained the whole story to the Mouse. He told him
that they require his help to nibble the net and set them free. The
Mouse immediately started nibbling the net around the King Dove.
The King Dove said, ‘No dear, first set my followers free. A King
cannot keep his subjects in pain and enjoy the freedom for himself’.

The Mouse understood the King’s feelings and praised the King for
his Nobleness. As per the King’s wish, the Mouse nibbled at the
portion of the net and one by one all the Doves got freed including the
king Dove. All the Doves were happy to get free. They thanked the
Mouse for his effort and flew away together happily to their
destination.

Strength lies in Unity

 The Musical Donkey

Once upon a time, there lived a Washerman in a village. He

possessed a thin Donkey by the name of Udhata. The Donkey used
to work for the Washerman and carry loads of clothes to the river
bank by the day. The Donkey was not satisfied with the food that was
provided by the Washerman. In the nights, he usually wandered in
the fields nearby and ate the crops stealthily.

One night, he met a Jackal and made friends with him. Both of them
went out in search of food. They found a field full of Cucumbers and
had them to their full. They were happy to found a nice place for their
food and decided that they would come daily to eat Cucumbers. Now
daily, they came to the field to have Cucumbers. Soon, the donkey
started looking healthy and fat.

Once, after a tasty meal of Cucumbers, the Donkey was extremely

happy. He was so happy that he got an intense desire to sing a song.
He told the Jackal that he was overwhelmed and wanted to express
his happiness in a melodious song. The Jackal immediately replied,
‘Don't be a fool. If you sing, the guards sleeping in and around this
field will wake up and beat us black and blue with sticks’.

The Donkey insisted on singing. The Jackal again warned him not to
do any foolish act. The Donkey said, ‘You are a dull fellow. Singing
makes one happy and healthy. No matter what comes, I'll definitely
sing a song’. The Jackal told him that his voice was not sweet. The
Donkey thought that jackal was jealous of him. The Jackal once again
warned him that if he would sing, the guards would come and reward
him in the way, might be that he would not like.

But the Donkey could not stop himself from singing. Seeing the
Donkey singing, Jackal said to the Donkey, ‘Friend, wait a minute.
First, let me jump over to the other side of the fence for my safety’.
The Jackal decided to wait outside the garden. On hearing a Donkey
braying in the field, the guard woke up from his sleep. He picked up
his stick lying by his side and rushed out to beat him. The Donkey
was braying happily, unknown about the danger.
The angry guard found the Donkey and beat him so mercilessly that
the Donkey was physically incapacitated temporarily. Somehow, the
Donkey managed to drag himself out of the field to the waiting Jackal.
The Jackal looked at the Donkey and said in a sympathetic tone, ‘I
am sorry to see you in this pathetic condition. I had already warned
you, but you didn't listen to my advice’. The Donkey realized his
mistake and felt sorry for not listening to the good advice of Jackal.

Think before you Act

 The Golden Swan

Once upon a time, there was a Swan / Goose that had striking golden
feathers. This Swan lived in a pond. There was a house near this
pond, where a poor woman lived with her two Daughters. The people
were really poor and were leading a tough life. The Swan found that
the poor Mother was passing a hard time with her Daughters.

The Swan thought, ‘If I give them one after another my golden
feathers, the Mother can sell them. She and her Daughters can live in
comfort with the money raised from it’. After thinking this, the Swan
flew away to the poor woman’s house. On seeing the Swan inside the
house, the woman said, ‘Why have you come here? We have nothing
to offer you’.

The Swan replied, ‘I have not come to take anything, but I have
something to give you. I know your condition. I will give my golden
feathers one by one and you can sell them. With the money raised
through it, you people can easily live in comfort’. After saying this, the
Swan shed one of her feathers and then flew away. This became a
regular feature and from time to time, the Swan came back and every
time left another golden feather.

Like this, the Mother and her Daughters were happily leading their life
by selling the feathers of the golden Swan. Each golden feather got
them enough money to keep them in comfort. But the Mother became
greedy to get all the feathers as soon as possible. One day, she said
to her Daughters, ‘Now, we will not trust this Swan, possibly she may
fly away and never come back. If this would happen, we will be poor
again. We will take all of her feathers, when she will come the next
time’.

The innocent Daughters replied, ‘Mother, this will hurt the Swan. We
will not cause any pain to her’. But the Mother was determined to
catch hold the Swan the very next time she comes. Next time, when
the Swan came, the Mother caught her and pulled out all of her
feathers. Now, the golden feathers of the Swan changed into some
strange feathers. The Mother was shocked to see such feathers.
The Golden Swan said, ‘Poor Lady, I wanted to help you, but you
wanted to kill me instead. As per my wish, I used to give you the
golden feather. Now, I think there is no need to help you. Now, my
feathers are nothing more than chicken feathers for you. I am going
from this place and will never come back’. The Mother felt sorry and
apologized for the mistake committed by her. The Golden Swan said,
‘Never be greedy’ and flew away.

Excess Greed brings Nothing

 The Ass Has No Brains

Once upon a time, there lived an old Lion. The Lion, the King of the
forest had grown old. He became frail and due to this, he could not
hunt for his food. Many a times, he didn’t get even a single animal to
eat. With each passing day he became more and more weak. He
realized that like this he could not live for long. Somehow, he had to
manage for the food, otherwise he would definitely die. He thought
that how could he arrange for his food? After much of the thought
process, ultimately he decided that he should have an Assistant.

The Lion thought that a Fox would be the best person to handle this
position. He summoned the Fox and said, ‘Dear friend, I have always
liked you because you are intelligent and clever. I want to appoint you
as my Minister and advise me on all the affairs of the forest’. The old
Lion also asked the Fox, that he was the king of the forest, so he
should not have to hunt for his food. In respect to this, the Fox’s first
duty as Minister was to bring him an animal to eat everyday.

The Fox didn’t trust the Lion, but he could not even refuse the King.
The Fox said, ‘Your Majesty, I am happy, that you have chosen me to
serve you. I accept your offer’. The Lion was pleased to hear such
words. After the conversation, the Fox went out to find an animal for
the Lion. On the way, he met a fat Ass. The Fox went to the Ass,
‘Friend, where have you been all these days? I have been looking for
you for the past many days’.

The Ass asked, ‘Why? What happened? Is everything alright?’. The

Fox replied, ‘I have got good news for you. You are very lucky. Our
King, the Lion has chosen you to be his Chief Minister. He asked me
to meet you and inform you about his decision’. Ass was scared of
the Lion and said, ‘I am afraid of the Lion. He might kill me and eat
me up. Why has he chosen me as his Chief Minister? I don’t even fit
enough to be a Minister’.

The clever Fox laughed and said, ‘Dear, you don’t know your great
qualities. You have a special charm of your own. Our King is dying to
meet you. He has chosen you because you are wise, gentle, and
hard working. You must not lose your greatest chance in life. Now,
come with me and meet our great King. He will be really happy to see
you’. So, the poor ass was convinced and got ready to go along with
the Fox.

As soon as they reached the Lion’s Den, the Ass got scared and
refused to move forward. At this, the Fox said to the Lion, ‘Your
Majesty, the Chief Minister appears to be very shy and hesitates to
come near you’. The Lion himself came forward and said, ‘I like such
modesty’. He limped towards the Ass. The Ass got so scared that he
ran to save his life. The Lion became angry and shouted at the Fox,
‘You have played a trick on me. I was so hungry that I wanted to eat
him at once. Go and bring that Ass back. If you don’t, I will kill you’.

The Fox replied, ‘Your Majesty, you were in a hurry. You should have
left it to me, to bring him near enough. But I will try again’. The Fox
went back to the Ass and said, ‘You are a funny fellow. Why did you
run away like that?’. The Ass replied, ‘I was too scared. I thought that
the lion was going to kill me’.

The Fox said, ‘What a fool you are? If the King wanted to kill you, he
would have done so. You could not have escaped by running away.
The thing is, the King wanted to tell you a secret about the Kingdom
and he did not want me, to hear it. Now, what will he think about you?
Doesn’t matter, Come with me and apologize for your mistake. You
don’t realize that by serving the King, you will be the second most
powerful animal of our forest. Imagine, all the other animals will
respect you and seek favours from you’.

In this way, the Fox managed to attract the Ass to go back to the
Lion. When the Fox and the Ass approached, the Lion was hungrier
than ever. But this time he kept a smiling face and said, ‘Welcome,
my dear friend. It was unkind of you to have run away like that. Come
near me. You are my Chief Minister’. As the Ass came closer, the
Lion pounced on him and killed him instantly. The Lion thanked the
clever Fox and was happy to get the food.

As the Lion sat down to take his meal, the Fox said, ‘Your Majesty, I
know you are very hungry and it is time for your dinner, but the King
must take a bath before his meal’. The Lion thought, it was a good
idea and said, ‘You are right. I should go and bathe first. You keep a
watch on the carcass of the Ass’.

The Fox silently sat down to keep a watch of the Ass. He was very
hungry and thought to himself, ‘I took all the trouble of getting the Ass
here. It is I who deserve the best portion of the meal’. Thus, the fox
cut open the head of the Ass and ate up the whole Brain. When the
Lion returned and looked at the Ass, he felt that something was
missing. He found that the head of the Ass had been cut open. He
inquired from the Fox, “Who came here? What happened to the head
of the Ass?’.

The Fox pretended to be innocent and reminded the Lion, ‘Your

Majesty, You have given a powerful blow on the head of the Ass
when you killed him’. The Lion was satisfied with the answer and sat
down to take his meal. Suddenly, he shouted, ‘What happened to the
Ass’s brain? I wanted to eat the Brain first”. The Fox smilingly replied,
‘Your Majesty, Asses have no Brains. If Ass had any, he would not
have come here a second time’.

Think before Act. Don’t be an Ass

 Right Mind and Wrong Mind

In a city lived two Friends, sons of Merchants, and their names were
Right Mind & Wrong Mind. These two Friends travelled to another
Country far away in order to earn Money. There the Right Mind, as a
consequence of favouring Fortune, found a Pot containing a
thousand Dinars, which had been hidden along before by a Holy
Man. He debated the matter with Wrong Mind and they decided to go
Home, since their Objective had been attained.

When they neared their native City, Right Mind said, ‘My good Friend,
a half of Dinars in the Pot falls to your share. Pray take it, so that now
that we are at Home, we may cut a brilliant Figure before our arents,
Friends and those less Friendly.

But the Wong Mind, with a sneaking thought of his own advantage,
said to the Right Mind, ‘My good Friend, so long as we two hold this
Treasure in common, so long our virtuous Friendship suffer no
Interruption. Let us each take a Hundred Dinars, and go to our Home
after hiding the remainder at a safe place in this jungle. The decrease
or increase of this Treasure will serve as a Testimony of our virtue’.

Right Mind, in the nobility of his nature, did not comprehend the
hidden duplicity of his Friend, and agreed to the Proposal. Each then
took hundred Dinars leaving Eight Hundred Dinars in the Pot. They
carefully hid the Pot in the ground, under a well recognisable Mimosa
tree and made their entrance in to the City.

Before long Wrong Mind exhausted his portion of Money because he

practiced the vice of un-wise expenditure. He, therefore, proposed a
second Division of Treasure. Right Mind agreed to the Proposal. Both
of them took Hundred Dinars each and again hid the remainder
Treasure in the ground, under the same Mimosa tree.

In a few Months, Wrong Mind again exhausted his Money and

thought of going to Right Mind and saying, ‘My Friend, let us divide
the rest of the Money equally’. During the thought process, the
Wrong Mind, however, struck a wicked Idea. As a result, his
Thoughts took this form, 'Suppose I divide another two Hundreds with
Right Mind, then what is the good of the Remainder – a paltry Four
Hundred out of which only Two Hundreds shall be mine. I think, I
should steal the entire Money so that I get Six Hundreds in one shot’.
After this Meditation, he went alone, removed the Treasure and
leveled the ground.

A mere month alter, Wrong Mind took the initiative, going to Right
Mind and saying, ‘My good Friend, let us divide the rest of Money
equally’. So he and Right Mind visited the spot and began to dig.
When the excavation failed to reveal any Treasure, that impudent
Wrong Mind first of all smote his own head with the empty Pot, and
then shouted, What became of that good lucre? Surely, Right Mind,
you must have stolen it. Give me my half. I will keep quite. If you
don’t, I will take you in to the Court’.

‘Be Silent Villain’, said the other, ‘My name is Right Mind. Such thefts
are not in my line’.

Dispute did not end and, therefore, they carried their dispute to the
Court. Wrong Mind related the case and theft of the Money and when
the Magistrate learned the facts, he prescribed a punishment for
each. But the Wrong Mind said, ‘This Judgment is not proper. In the
present case, I have a witness in the Goddess of the Wood. She will
reveal to you, which one of us is guilty’.

Magistrate got interested and fixed a time for the next day for hearing
at the spot where the Treasure was hidden and later stolen.

Wrong Mind, reaching home asked the help of his Father. ‘Father
dear’, said he, ‘Dinars are with me. Magistrate requires one little word
from you. This very night, I am going to hide you out of site in a hole
in the Mimosa tree. In the morning, you must be my Witness in the
presence of Magistrate’.

‘Oh, my Son’, said the Father, ‘This is not correct’.

But the Wrong Mind disdained the Paternal warning and during the
night he hid his Father in the hole of Mimosa tree.

When morning came, the Wrong Mind took a bath, put on clean
garments and followed Right Mind and the Magistrate to the Mimosa
tree, where he cried in piercing tone, O Blessed Goddess of the
Wood, which of us two is the thief, speak’.

Then the Wrong Mind’s Father spoke from his hole in the Mimosa, ‘
Gentleman, Right Mind took that Money’.

When the Magistrate heard this statement, his eyes blossomed with
Astonishment and started thinking as to what legal penalty could be
imposed on the Right Mind for stealing the Money.

Meanwhile, Right Mind suspicious of some wrongdoing by Wrong

Mind heaped inflammable matter around the hole in the Mimosa and
set fire to it. As the fire broke out in the proximity of hole, Wrong
Mind’s Father could not tolerate the heat and smoke and came out
from the hole with a pitiful wail, his body scorched and his eyes
popping out and when the Magistrate and his men asked, ‘What is
this?, what does this mean?’.

‘It is all Wrong Mind’s doing’, he replied. Where upon the Magistrate
ordered lashing of 100 lashes in the presence of all and fined double
the amount of what he had stolen, besides asking him to return the
original amount of 600 Dinars in full to the Right Mind.

Dishonesty & Cheating

does not pay well
 THE MICE THAT ATE IRON

In a certain town lived a Merchant named Naduk, who lost all his
wealth in Business and then determined to travel abroad to earn
Money. In his house was an Iron Balance Beam inherited from his
Ancestors, and it weighed a thousand pals. This he put in pawn with
Merchant Lakshman before he departed for foreign countries.

Now after he had long traveled wherever business led him through
foreign lands, he returned to his native city and said to Merchant
Lakshman, Friend Lakshman, please return my deposit, the Balance
Beam’. Lakshman said, ‘Friend Naduk, I am sorry, your Balance
Beam has been eaten by Mice’

To this Naduk replied, ‘Friend Lakshman, Do not worry, you are in no

way to blame, if it has been eaten by Mice. Such is the life. Nothing in
this Universe has any Permanence. Mice can also eat Iron Balance
Beam’.

Naduk further said, ‘I am going to River to take bath. Why do ot you

also come along?’.

‘No, I am little busy but if you want company, take my Son Money
God with you’, said the Merchant Lakshman and introduced his
young Son to Naduk saying, ‘Look Son, he is my good Friend and
your Uncle Naduk. Go with him to River and carry his bathing things’.

Money God, Son of Merchant Lakshman, delightedly accompanied

Naduk to the River. After Naduk had taken his Bath, he thrust
Lakshman’s Son in to a Mountain Cave, blocked the entrance with a
great Rock and returned to Lakshman’s House, weeping loudly.

And when Lakshman asked, ‘What happened? and where is my

Son?’. Naduk replied with tearful voice, ‘My good Lakshamn, when I
was bathing a big Hawk came and carried your Son off from the River
Bank’.

‘Oh Naduk’, Cried Lakshman, ‘You Liar! How could a Hawk possibly
carry off a big Boy like Money God?’. ‘But Lakshman, retorted Naduk,
‘Things have changed. When Mice can eat Iron Balance Beam, Hawk
can also carry a big Boy. Give my Balance Beam, if you want your
Son back’.

Wisdom did not prevail on Lakshman and he took the matter to King’s
Court crying in a piercing tone, ‘Help, Help, a ghastly deed! My Son
had gone to river with this Naduk Person and now he says that a
Hawk has carried off my Son from River Bank. Sir, how can a Hawak
carry off a Big boy?’

Thereupon the Magistrate said to Naduk, ‘Restore the Boy to

Laksman’. Naduk pleaded, ‘What I am to do? Before my eyes, a
Hawk carried him from the River Bank’. ‘Come Naduk, you are not
telling the Truth. How could a Hawk possibly carry off a Fifteen Years
big Boy’.

Then Naduk laughed and said, ‘Sir, things have now changed. A Mice
can eat Iron Balance Beam and a Hawk can also carry a big Boy’.

‘What is that? Please clarify’, asked the Magistrate and then Naduk
told them the Story of Iron Balance Beam. Hearing the Story, the
Magistrate laughed heartily and caused the restoration of the Balance
Beam and the Boy to respective owners and imposed a heavy fine on
the Merchant Lakshman.

Introspect your Behaviour within your

heart and shun the foolish and false
Actions from the Start
 MOUSE-MAID MADE MOUSE

On the bank of a good flowing River was a Hermitage crowded with

Holy Men devoting their time to the Performance of Sacred Rites. The
Head of the Hermitage was named ‘Yajnavalakya’.

One day when he was taking Bath in the River and had begun to
rinse his mouth, a little female Mouse dropped from a Hawk’s Beak
and fell in to his hand. The Mouse was really in a terrified state. When
Yajnavalakya saw what she was, he laid her on a banyan leaf,
repeated his bath and mouth rinsing, and performed a ceremony of
purification. Then through his Magic Power of his holiness, he
changed the little female Mouse in to a young girl and took her with
him to his Hermitage.

As his wife was childless, he said to her, ‘Take her my dear wife. She
has come in to life as your Daughter, and you must rear her carefully’.
So the wife reared her and spoiled her with petting. As soon as the
girl reached the age of Seventeen, the Mother saw that she was
ready for the marriage, and said to her husband, ‘My dear husband,
how can you see that the time is passing when your Daughter should
marry?’.

Yajnavalakya replied, ‘You are quite right, my dear. If she is willing, I

will summon the Blessed Sun and giveher to him’.

‘I see no harm in that’, said his wife, ‘Let it be done’.

The holy man, therefore, summoned Sun, who appeared without

delay, and said, ‘Holy Sir, why am I summoned?’.

Yajnavalakya said, ‘ Here is a Daughter of mine. Be kind enough to

marry her’. Then turning to his Daughter, he said, ‘Little girl, how do
you like him, this blessed Lamp of three worlds?’.

‘No Father, he is too burning hot. I can not live with him. Please
summon another one, more excellent than he is’.
Upon hearing this, the Holy Man said to the Sun, ‘Blessed one, is
there any superior to you’. And the Sun replied, ‘Yes the Cloud is
superior to me. When he covers me, I can not shine and disappear’.

So the Holy man summoned the Cloud God and said to the Maiden,
‘Little girl, I will give you to him’.

‘No Father, this one is Black and Frigid. I can not live happily with
him. Please summon another one, finer than he’.

Then the Holy man asked, ‘O Cloud, is there any one superior to
you?’. And the Cloud replied, ‘Yes the Wind is superior even to me.
When he blows, I have to run away’.

So the Holy man summoned the Wind God and said to the Maiden,
‘Little girl, I will give you to him’.

‘No Father’, said she, ‘This one is too fidgety. Please invite somebody
superior even to him’. So the Holy Man said to the Wind, ‘O Wind, is
there any one superior even to you’. And the Wind replied, ‘Yes the
Mountain is superior to me. I can not shake the Mountain or cross
him’.

So the Yajnavalakya summoned the Mountain God and said to the

Maiden, ‘Little girl, I will give you to him’.

‘Oh Father, Look at him. He is rough all over and stiff. How can I
marry him? Please give me to some body else’.

So the Holy man asked, ‘O Kingly Mountain, is there any one superior
to you?’. And the Mountain replied, ‘Yes Mice are superior to me.
They can make holes in me’.

Then the Holy man summoned a Mouse, and presented him to the
girl, saying, ‘Little girl, do you like this Mouse’.

The moment she saw him, she felt, ‘My own kind, my own kind’ and
her body thrilled with joy and quivered and she said, ‘Father dear,
turn me in to a Mouse, and give me to him. Then I can keep house as
my kind of people ought to do’.
And her Father, through the Magic Power of his holiness, turned her
in to a Mouse, and gave her to him.

Nature is hard to beat

 THE CAVE THAT TALKED

There was once a Lion in the forest, and his name was Rough-claw.
One day he found nothing whatever to eat in his wanderings and his
throat was pinched by hunger. At sunset he came to a great Mountain
Cave and went in, for he thought, ‘Surely, some animal will come in t
this Cave during the night. I will hide and wait’.

Presently the owner of the Cave, a Jackal name Curd-face, came

nearer to the door of the Cave and seeing the impressions of Lion’s
Claws in the approach of the Cave, began to sing, ‘Cave ahoy! Cave
aho-oy!’, then after a moment’s silence, he continued in the same
tone, ‘Hello! Don’t you remember how you and I had made an
agreement that I was to speak to you when I came back from the
World outside and that you were to sing out to me? But why are you
not speaking to me and singing for me today. So I am going off to
other Cave, which will return my Greetings’.

Now when he heard this, Lion thought, ‘I see. This Cave always calls
out a Greeting when the fellow returns. But today, from fear of me, it
does not say a word. This is natural enough’ ‘I will myself call out a
Greeting, which he will follow to its source, so providing me with a
good dinner’.

The Lion thereupon called out a Greeting. But the Cave so magnified
the roar that its Echo filled the circuit of the Horizon, thus terrifying
other Forest Creatures as well, even those at far distant. Meanwhile,
the Jackal made off quickly, fearing for his life, and yelling loudly
‘Never heard a Cave that talked’. Listening to this Lion profusely
blamed himself for his stupidity that deprived him of the good Dinner.

Think before You Act

 THE MONKEY AND THE CROCODILE

On the shore of the sea was a great rose-apple tree that was never
without fruit. In it lived a Monkey, named Red-face.

Now one day a Crocodile named Ugly-mug crawled out of the Ocean
under the tree and burrowed in the soft sand. Then Red-face said,
‘You are my Guest Sir, Pray eat these Rose-apples which I throw for
you. You will find them like Nectar’.

Thus he spoke and offered Rose-apples to the Crocodile. And the

Crocodile ate them enjoyed a long and pleasant conversation with te
Monkey before returning to his home.

So the Monkey and the Crocodile rested each day in the shade of the
Rose-apple tree. They spent the time in cheerful conversation on
various subjects and were happy.

One day, when the Crocodile returned back home from his sojourn,
gave his wife a few Rose-apples which he had not eaten. This
repeated for quite a few days.

One day Crocodile’s wife asked him, ‘My dear husband, where do
you get such sweet and nice fruits? They are like Necter’.

‘My dear’, he said, ‘I have an awfully good friend, a Monkey named

Red-face. E gives me these fruits in the most courteous manner’.

Then she said, ‘If any one eats such Necter fruit every day his heart
must be turned to Necter. So, if you value your wife, give me his
heart, and I will eat it. Then I shall never grow old or get sick, but will
be a delightful companion to you’.

Crocodile objected, ‘In the first place, my dear, he is our adopted

brother. Secondly, he gives us fruits. I can not kill him. Please do not
insist. Besides, there is a proverb

To give us birth, we need a Mother,

For second birth, we need another,
And friendship’s brothers seem by far
 More dear than natural brothers are’.

But she said, ‘You have never refused me before. So I am sure, it is a

she-monkey. You love her and spend the whole day with her. That is
why, you will not give me what I want. These days you also do not
love me much. I know for sure that some other female has crept in to
your heart’.

Hearing this Crocodile was quite dejected and said to his wife, ‘You
also now, I always love you. You are the only female in my life. I am
always at your service. Why do you look at me with peevish
jealousy?’.

But instead of understanding her husband, she started weeping, tears

flowing from her cheeks and said, ‘You love her. You are a Deceiver.
You wish never to leave her. Her pretty face steals upon your heart.
My rivalry is vain. Besides, if you do not lover her, why do not you kill
her when I ask you? And if it is a really he-monkey, why should you
love him? Enough is enough. Unless I eat that Monkey’s heart, I shall
starve myself to death in your house’.

Now when the Crocodile saw as to how determined she was, he was
distracted with anxiety and said to himself, ‘Oh! What shall I do? How
can I kill my friend? It is a Sin’.

He did not visit the Shore at his usual time and tried to calm down his
wife but when he saw that his wife was not at all relenting and was
fully determined, he visited the Monkey.

Monkey seeing him afflicted, said, ‘My friend, what happened? Why
are you so tense and why did not you come at you usual time? Why
are you not talking cheerfully as we used to? Tell me, if there is any
problem?’.

The Crocodile replied, ‘My friend and brother, my wife scolded today
badly. She said, ‘You ungrateful wretch! Do not show me your face.
You are eating daily the fruits given by your friend and make no
returns to him. You have not even shown him the door of your house,
leave apart inviting him for some meal. I regard this Monkey as my
Brother-in-law. So bring him home and we will make some returns for
his kindness. If you refuse, I will see you later in the heaven’.

‘I could not come to you until she had finished her scolding. And this
long time passed while I was quarrelling with her about you. So
please come home with me. Your brother’s wife has set up an
awning. She has fixed her clothes and gems and rubies and all that to
pay you a fitting welcome. She has hung garlands on the doorposts
and she is waiting for you impatiently’.

‘My friend and brother’, said the Monkey, ‘Your Lady is very kind. But
we monkeys live in trees and your home is in water. How can I go
there? Rather bring your lady here. I will bow down and take her
blessings here’.

Crocodile said, ‘My friend, our home is on a lovelysand-bank under

the water. So climb on my back and travel comfortable with nothing to
fear’.

When the Monkey heard this, he was delighted and said, ‘If that is
possible, my friend, then hasten. Why delay? Here I am on your back’

But as he sat there and saw the Crocodile swimming in the

bottomless Ocean, the Monkey was terribly frightened and said, ‘Go
slow, my friend. My whole body is drenched by the great waves’.

And the Crocodile thought when he heard this. If he fell from my

back, he can not move an inch, water is so deep. He is in my power.
So I will tell him my purpose, and then he can pray to his favourite
god’.

And he said, ‘Friend, I have deceived you and brought you to your
death, because my wife bade me do it. So pray to your favourite god’.

‘Brother’, said the Monkey, ‘What harm have I done to her or you? I
am your friend and giving you daily sweet fruits. Why have you
planned to kill me?’.
‘Well’, replied the Crocodile, ‘Those Necter fruits tasted so sweet to
my wife that she began to long to eat your heart. That is why have
done this’.

Then the quick-witted Monkey said, ‘Oh My God, If this was the
problem, Why did not you tell me at the shore? For then I might have
brought with me my heart, which I always keep in a hole in the Rose-
apple tree. As it is, I am without heart and it would be in vain at being
taken to your wife without my heart being in my body?’.

When Crocodile heard this, he was delighted and said, ‘If you can
give me your heart without you being dead that would be great. My
cross wife can eat that and give up her starving. So I shall now take
you back to Rose-apple tree to take your heart’.

So Crocodile turned back and swam towards the Rose-apple tree,

while the Monkey murmured a hundred prayers to every kind of gods.
And when a last the Crocodile came to shore, he hoped and jumped
farther and farther, and climbed up the Rose-apple tree, and thought,
‘Hurrah! My life is saved. So today is my re-birthday’.

Crocodile after some time said, ‘My friend and brother, now when you
are on the tree, take out and give me your heart, so that my wife may
eat it and give up starving’.

Monkey laughed and scolded the Crocodile, saying, ‘You are a fool,
you are a Traitor. How can one have his / her heart out of his body?
Go home and never come back under this tree’.

Crocodile was really embarrassed when he heard this and thought,

‘Oh why was I such a fool as to tell him my Plan? If I can win his
confidence again, I will do it’.

So he said, ‘My friend, she has no need of your heart. What I said
was a joke to test your sentiments. Please come to our house as a
guest. Your brother’s wife is too eager to meet you’.

The Monkey said, ‘Rascal! Go away at this moment itself. You are
again trying to befool me. Whoever trusts a faithless friend and twice
believes in him, he is sure to invite death with certainty. Go away, I
will not come’.

Never ever trust a Rouge

 HOW THE CROW-HEN KILLED
THE BLACK SNAKE

On a great banyan tree, lived a Crow and his wife, occupying the
Nest which they had built. But a Black Snake crawled through the
hollow trunk and ate their chicks as fast as they were born, even
before baptism. Yet for all his sorrow over this violence, the poor
Crow did not desert the old familiar banyan and seek refuge to
another tree.

At last the Crow-hen fell at her Husband’s feet and said, ‘My dear
husband, a great many children of mine have been eaten by that
awful Snake. And grief for my loved and lost haunts me until I think of
moving. Let us make our home in some other tree. We are living here
in deadly peril’.

Hearing this the Crow was dreadfully depressed, and he said, ‘We
have lived in this tree for a long time, my dear. We can not desert it. I
would, instead, by some shrewd device bring death upon this
villainous and mighty foe’.

‘But’, said his wife, ‘This is a terribly venomous Snake. How will you
hurt him?’.

And he replied, ‘My dear, even if I have not the power to hurt him, still
I have friends who possess learning, who have mastered the works
on ethics. I will go and get from them some shrewd device of such
nature that the villain – curse him – will soon meet his doom’.

After this discussion with his wife he went at once to another tree,
under which lived a dear friend of his, a Jackal. He courteously called
the Jackal forth, related all his sorrow, then said, ‘My friend, what do
you consider opportune under the circumstances? The killing of our
children is sheer death to my wife and me’.

‘My friend’, said the Jackal, ‘I have thought the matter through. You
need not put yourself out. That Villainous Black Snake is near his
doom by reasons of his heartless cruelty’.
‘My friend’, said the Crow, ‘Tell me how this Villainous Snake is to
meet his doom’.

And the Jackal answered, ‘Go to some spot frequented by a great

Monarch. There seize a Gold Chain or Necklace from some wealthy
lady, who guards it carelessly. Deposit this in such a place that when
it is discovered, the Snake may be killed. Take care that some one
sees you when you are flying with the seized ornament’.

So the Crow and his wife straightaway flew off at random, and the
wife came upon a certain pond. As she looked about, she saw
Women of King’s Court playing in the water, and on the bank they
had laid Golden Chains, Pearl Necklaces, Garments and Gems. One
Chain of Gold, the Crow-hen seized and started for the tree where
she lived. When the Chamberlains and the Sainiks saw the Theft and
saw the Crow-hen, they picked up their Clubs and ran in pursuit.
Meanwhile, the Crow-hen deposited the Golden Chain in the Snake
hole, leaving a small part visible from the outside and waited at a safe
distance.

Now when the King’s Men climbed the tree, they found the Chain in
the hole and in it a Black Snake with swelling hood. So they killed him
with their Clubs, recovered the olden Chain and went their way.

Thereafter the Crow and his wife lived in peace.

In cases, where Brute Force would fail,

a Shrewd Device may still prevail
 NUMSKULL AND THE RABBIT

In a part of a forest was a Lion drunk with pride, and his name was
Numskull. He slaughtered the animals without ceasing. If he saw
an animal, he could not spare him. So all the Natives of the forest
– Deers, Boars, Buffaloes, Wild Oxen, Rabbits and Others – came
together, and with bowed heads, and knees clinging to the ground,
prayed to the King of Beasts, ‘O King, Merciless and Meaningless
Slaughter of all creatures will not do any good to you. Soon the
forest may get devoid of animals. Moreover, this kind of Act is
causing immense distress to your subjects. Consider our request
and cease, we pray, to slaughter our generations. You, the Master,
remain at home and we will of our own motion send you each day
for your daily food one animal of the forest. In this way, neither the
Royal sustenance nor our families will be cut short. We request the
King to agree to us to perform our Duty to you in this way’.

After listening to this address, Numskull said, ‘Well, you seem to

be quite convincing. But if an animal does not come to me every
day as I sit here, I promise you, I will eat you all in one day’. To this
they assented with much relief, and fearlessly roamed the wood.
Each day, at noon, one of them appeared for his food, each
species taking its turn and providing an individual grown old, or
religious, or grief-smitten or fearful of the loss of son, daughter or
wife.

One day a Rabbit’s turn came, it being Rabbit-day. And when all
the thronging animals had given him the directions, he reflected,
‘How is it possible to kill this Lion? If a good Plan can be hatched, I
can even kill this Lion’. So he went very slowly, planning to arrive
at the Lion’s Den tardily and meditating with all the wits at his
command on a means of killing him. Late in the day, he came into
the presence of the Lion, whose throat was pinched with hunger in
consequence of the delay, and who was angrily thinking to kill all
the animals, his first act in the morning. While he was thinking so,
the Rabbit slowly drew nearer, bowed low, and stood before him.
When the Lion saw that he was too tardy and too small at that for
his meal, his soul flamed with wrath, and he taunted the Rabbit,
saying, ‘You Reprobate! First you are too small for a meal.
Second, you are tardy. Because of this wickedness, I am going to
kill you, and tomorrow morning I shall extirpate every species of
animals from this forest’.
Then the Rabbit bowed further low and said with deference,
‘Maser, the wickedness is not mine, nor of other animals’, ‘Pray
hear the cause of it’. The Lion thundered, ‘Well, tell it quick’.

‘Master’, said the Rabbit, ‘All animals recognized today that the
Rabbits’ turn had come and because I was quite small, they
dispatched me with four other Rabbits. But in the mid-journey there
issued from a great hole in the ground a Lion who said, ‘Where are
you bound? Pray to your favourite god’. Then said, ‘we are
traveling as the food of Our King Lion Numskull, our Master,
according t an agreement entered in to with him’. ‘Is that so’, said
he, ‘This forest belongs to me. Who is this Numskull. Hereafter, all
the animas, without an exception, must deal with me. This
Numskull seems to be a sneak thief. Call him out and bring him
here at once. Then whichever of us proves stronger shall be the
King and shall eat all these animals. Also the agreement will be
with the winner of the Combat’.

At his command, Master, I have come to you. This is the cause of

my tardiness and delay. We know you only as our King and none
else. Pray, you each that Rascal a lesion. For the rest, my Master
is the sole Judge’.

After listening to this Numskull said, ‘well, well, my good fellow,

come on show me that sneak thief of a Lion, and be quick about it.
I can not find peace of mind until I have vented on him my anger
against the animals. He has to be punished’.

‘Quite so Master’, said the Rabbit, ‘Warriors fight for their Country
when they are insulted and invaded. But this fellow skulks in a
fortress. You know he came out of a Fortress when he held us up.
And an enemy in a fortress is hard to handle’.

When Numskull heard this, he said, ‘My good fellow, you need not
worry. Just show me that thief. Even if he is hiding in a fortress, I
will kill him’.

‘Very True Sir’, said the Rabbit, ‘But after all it was a mighty Lion
that I saw. So I request, the Master should not set out without
realizing the enemy’s capacity’.

But Numskull shouted at the Rabbit, ‘What business is it of yours?

Show him to me, even in his fortress’.
‘Very well’, said the Rabbit, ‘Follow me Master’ and he led the way
to a well, where he said to the Lion, ‘Master who can endure your
Majesty? The moment he saw you, I saw that thief crawling in to
his hole. Come I will show him to you’.

‘Be quick’, said the Numskull.

So the Rabbit showed him the well and the Lion being the dreadful
fool, saw his own reflection in the water of the well and gave voice
to a great roar. Then from the well issued a roar twice as loud,
because of the Echo. This, the Lion heard, and decided that his
rival was after all powerful and hurled himself down in the well to
take head on with him’. He met his death instantaneously.

Thereupon, the Rabbit cheerfully carried the glad news to all the
animals, received their compliments, and lived there contentedly in
the forest.

Intelligence is the Power. In cases where

Brute Force would fail, Intelligence can cause
a win