Short Stories Collection III

The Stag and His Reflection

There once lived a proud stag. While wandering in the forest, he came upon a pond. He
stopped there to drink water in order to quench his thirst. As he bent down, he saw his
own reflection in the water. “How beautiful are my antlers!" he thought, admiring its
long curves.

As the stag was admiring his antlers, he suddenly noticed his legs. “Ohh! Look at my
skinny legs. I cannot believe God has given me both beautiful antlers and such ugly
legs," he thought. The proud stag now felt ashamed of his legs. His pride vanished.
“These ugly legs are no match for my beautiful antlers," he thought.

Just then the stag heard the roar of a lion. When he turned around he saw a lion charging
at him. “Oh no!," screamed the stag and ran as fast as he could.

The stag felt the lion’s breath close to him, “I must get into the densest part of the forest
where there are many branches. The lion will not be able to catch me in that part of the
forest," thought the stag.

So, with this thought in mind, the stag ran into an area where there were many bushes
and branches. Soon the stag had left the lion far behind.

“Ah, I outsmarted the lion," thought the stag proudly. But all of a sudden his antlers got
entangled between the trunks of two trees standing close to each other. “Aaarghh!"
cried the stag, as he had to stop at once.

The more he tried to free himself, the more difficult it became. As the stag was
struggling to get free, the lion came nearer and nearer.

“How I praised my horns and cursed my legs. Now I know the real value of my legs which
almost took me to safety," wailed the stag.

The lion pounced on the stag and killed him. That was the end of the proud stag.
 Short Stories Collection III

The Stubborn Hunter

Once upon a time, there was a forest. That forest contained many animals. There lived
a hunter. He loved hunting rabbits, because he loved the rabbit meat.

Many a time he was advised by his friends to give up hunting in general and hunting the
rabbits in particular. “You should stop being cruel to animals," said his friends. “I know
what I am doing. Please do not advise me," shouted the hunter, annoyed.

One sunny afternoon, the hunter was busy preparing to go on another hunting
expedition. Just then a saint happened to pass by. Seeing the hunter holding a rope, a
spear, a knife and a net, the saint said to the hunter, “It seems to me you are going to
catch an animal."

“Yes, I am going to catch a rabbit in the forest," replied the hunter.

“But what will you do with the rabbit?" asked the saint.

“I will cut its throat, roast it and eat it up. Will you stop me?" asked the hunter.

The raw behavior of the hunter irritated the saint. “No, my son! I only wanted to tell you
that killing innocent animals is a sin. All sinners get punished some day in their lives,"
said the humble saint.

The hunter yelled back at the saint, “let me see who comes to punish me." And he left in
anger. The saint smiled and sat there is meditation.

After some time, the hunter was back. He was holding a rabbit by its ears. “Ha! Ha! See
I have caught my prey. Now I will cut its throat and roast it right in front of you. No one
will come to punish me," he said to the still meditating saint. Just as the hunter was
about to raise his knife, it slipped out of his hand and landed on his foot. “Yieee!" he
screamed, letting go of the rabbit. The rabbit ran away.

The hunter’s foot was badly cut. He was in pain. It was bleeding profusely. But the
hunter knew that what happened was nothing but the divine justice. “I have now
realized how cruel and stubborn I have been. I will give up hunting completely," said the
hunter to the saint.

The hunter thanked the saint for the wise words and went on his way. The saint was
happy that the hunter gave up hunting. The hunter became a civilized man and lived a
righteous life.
 Short Stories Collection III

The Trees and The Lions

Far away from a kingdom there was a huge jungle. In that jungle, there were thousands
of trees. Among them two were very good friends. They stood side by side. The same
jungle was the home of many lions. Those lions used to kill other animals living in that
jungle and eat them. The carcasses of the dead animals used to stink and a foul smell
would hang in the air. The whole atmosphere was bad to live in.

One day, the two trees, who were friends, were talking. The first tree said, “These lions
are polluting our jungle. We have to save our jungle from them. They must be driven out
of this jungle."

“Yes," agreed the other tree.

A wise old tree, who was listening to the friends said, “They might be polluting the air.
But these wild creatures are keeping us safe from woodcutters. No woodcutter will dare
to come into the forest which has lions."

But, this advice did not go into the minds of the trees. The two friends decided to frighten
the animals away. That evening, the two trees started shaking violently. “We will
frighten the lions away. They will be so terrified that they will leave this jungle and never
come back into this jungle," said the two friends and laughed aloud.

The whole forest echoed with their laughter. “Do not do that," shouted the wise tree.

But the two friends did not listen. They began moving in the wind and making eerie
noises. All the other wild animals in the forest were scared, seeing the two trees and the
sounds they were creating. “There is something happening in the forest. Let us run
away," they said. All the animals fled the jungle.

The two friends were happy. “Huh! Now we can enjoy some fresh air," they said.

But their joy was short-lived. One day a woodcutter came to the forest and started
felling the trees. “Now there is no fear of the ferocious lions," he muttered to himself.
Soon there were other wood cutters. Seeing this, the wise tree said, “Now all of us will
be doomed." The two friends cried out, “How foolish we have been. We should have
listened to this wise tree."

A little later the two tree friends were brought down by the wood cutter’s axe.The Trees
and The Lions are must.

Day by day, more and more trees were destroyed by many woodcutters.
 Short Stories Collection III
The Ugly Tree

Long, long ago, in a dense forest there were thousands of tall and beautiful trees. They
were happy, but proud of themselves. Among them there also an ugly tree whose
branches were badly twisted. Its roots had uneven curves. All the trees made fun of that
ugly tree.

“How are you, hunchback?" the other trees always shouted and their laughter made the
ugly tree feel sad. But, he never raised a voice against them. The ugly tree thought, “I
wish I were as beautiful as the other trees. Why did God do this to me? Neither can I
provide shade to the travelers not can the birds make their nests on me. Nobody needs
me."

One day, a woodcutter came to the forest. He took a look at the trees and said, “These
trees are lovely. I must cut them." As soon as he picked up his axe the trees became
frightened.

‘Chop, Chop, Chop’ went the woodcutter’s axe and one by one the trees started to fall.
“None of us is going to be spared," screamed one of the beautiful trees. Soon that tree
too was brought to ground by the woodcutter’s axe.

By now, the woodcutter had come near to the ugly tree. He had just raised his axe when
suddenly he noticed how crooked the ugly tree was. “Hmm! This crooked tree seems to
be useless for me. I cannot make long straight logs of this ugly tree," he thought. And he
moved towards another beautiful tree. The ugly tree heaved a huge sigh of relief. He
realized that by making him ugly, God had actually given him a boon.

From that day the ugly tree never complained. He was happy with his crooked branches.
He never forgot how he was spared from t he woodcutter’s axe, only because he was
crooked and ugly.
 Short Stories Collection III

The Ungrateful Lion

In a dense forest, lived a fierce lion. He was very cruel. One day the lion was caught in
a hunter’s trap. One by one many animals passed by. “Please helped me!" pleaded the
lion. But none of the animals listened to his plea.

After a while, a man happened to come into the forest. He saw the lion. The lion said, “I
will die of hunger and suffocation. Please help me out, O! kind man." The man was
thoughtful. “I assure you I will never harm you. Please help me now. The hunter will be
anytime now," said the lion.

The man felt sorry for the lion and set the beast free. As soon as the lion was free, he let
out a fierce roar. “I have been trapped in the cage for a long time. I am hungry. I will
have to eat you," said the lion, looking at the man. “But you promised that you would not
harm me," said the man, in a meek tone. “Yes, I said that. But only to convince you to
free me. Now, I am terribly hungry," said the lion.

The terrified man thought quickly. He said, “Alright, you can eat me. But let a judge
decide if you are right in eating the person who has rescued you."

The lion agreed. He was sure that no animal would speak against him. Just then a jackal
came that way and the lion asked the jackal to be the judge. He addressed the lion, “Sir,
would you please show me how it all happened?" The lion was only too willing. He
entered the cage and closed the cage door. The jackal immediately bolted the cage from
outside.

“Now the lion is trapped again. Run away, you foolish man! And never offer help to
anyone without thinking," said the jackal. The frightened man ran for his life. And the
ungrateful lion was trapped in the cage again. The hunter came and took the lion away
to his circus.
 Short Stories Collection III
A Father learns A Lesson from His Son

Velan was a carpenter. He was living in a village. His mother dies a long time back. His
aged father, Kuppan, lived with Velan. Kuppan was very weak. He could not even walk
well. He was so weak. It was because Velan did not give him enough food. He had given
his father a small earthen plate. Even a small quantity of rice in the plate appeared to be
much. Velan was a bad man. He was a drunkard also. After taking drinks, he abused his
father badly.

Velan had a son. His name is Muthu. Muthu was just ten years old. He was a very good
boy. He loved his grandfather. He had great respect for his grandfather. He did not like
his father’s attitude and character, because his father was treating his grandfather
cruelly.

One day Kuppan was eating his food out of earthen plate that his son had given to him.
The earthen plate fell down. The plate broke into pieces. The food also fell on the floor.
Velan was working at the other end of the room. He saw the broken plate. He was very
angry with his father and used very harsh words to abuse his father. The old man felt bad
about what happened. He was sorry for his mistake. Velan’s words wounded him very
deeply.

Velan’s son, Muthu, saw this. He did not like his father. His father was ill-treating his
grandfather. He was afraid to speak against his father. He was sad about his grandfather.
But he was not powerful to stand in support of his grandfather.

The next day Muthu took some of his father’s carpentry tools and a piece of wood. He
worked with the tools to make a wooden plate. His father saw him working.

“What are you making, Muthu?" he asked.

“I am making a wooden plate!" replied Muthu.

“A wooden plate! What for?" asked his father.

“I am making it for you, father. When you grow old, like my grandfather, you will need
a plate for food. A plate made from earth mat break very easily. Then I may scold you
severely. So, I want to give you a wooden plate. It may not break so easily."

The carpenter was shocked to hear this. Only now he realized his mistake. His father was
kind to Velan He had looked after Velan very well. Now, he was old. Velan was treating
his father severely. Velan was now very sad about his own behavior. He realized his
mistakes. He then became a different person.

From that day, Velan treated his father with great respect. He gave up drinking too.
Velan learnt a lesson from his own son.

You should honor your parents at all times. It is your duty. It brings you their blessings.
 Short Stories Collection III

A Wise Deer and A Cowardly Tiger

There was a dense forest on the sides of a mountain. Many kinds of animals lived in the
forest. A deer was eating grass and leaves with her two young ones. The young ones
wandered happily here and there. The deer followed her fawns. The young ones entered
a cave. The deer was frightened. It was a tiger’s cave. There were bones of dead animals
all over the cave. Fortunately, the tiger was not inside the cave at the time.

The deer was trying to lead her young ones out of the cave. AT that time she heard a
loud roar. She saw the tiger at a distance. The tiger was coming towards the cave. It was
dangerous to go out of the cave now. She thought of a plan. The tiger had come closer
to the cave. The deer raised her voice and shouted, “My deer young children do not weep.
I shall capture a tiger for you to eat. You can have a good dinner."

The tiger heard these words. He was disturbed. He said to himself, “Whose is that
strange voice from the cave? A dangerous animal is staying inside to capture me. I shall
run away to escape death."

So saying, the tiger began to run away from there as fast as possible.

A jackal saw the running tiger. “Why are you running in great fear?" the jackal asked.
The tiger said, “My friend, a powerful and fierce animal has come to stay in my cave. The
young ones are crying for a tiger to eat. The mother is promising to capture a tiger for
them. So, I am running away in great fear."

The cunning jackal was now sure. The tiger was a coward. It said to the tiger. “Do not be
afraid. No animal is fiercer or stronger than a tiger. Let us go together to find out."

But the tiger said, “I do not want to take a chance. You may run away. I will be left alone
to die. So, I will not come with you."

The jackal said, “Trust me. Let us knot our tails together. Then I will not be able to leave
you."

The tiger agreed unwillingly to this proposal. The jackal tied their tails in a knot. Now
they walked towards the cave together.

The deer saw the jackal and the tiger coming together. She again raised her voice. She
shouted towards her children standing inside the cave, “My dear children, I had
requested her friend, the clever jackal, to capture a tiger for us. Now look the jackal has
captured a tiger for us. He has tied the tiger’s tail to his tail. This is to prevent the tiger
from escaping. You will soon have the tiger for our dinner."

The tiger heard this. He was shocked. He was sure now. The jackal cheated him. So, the
tiger decided to escape from the terrible animal standing inside his cave. He started
running. He forgot about the jackal. He dragged the jackal over rocks and thorns. In the
mad escape the jackal was caught between two rocks. The tiger pulled with all his might.
His tail got cut. The jackal was killed in this incident. The tail-less tiger ran away to
another part of the forest.

The deer and her young ones left the tiger’s cave. They joined their herd safely.

Presence of mind and intelligence can save from dangerous situations.

 Short Stories Collection III
Children are Wiser than Elders

Leo Tolstoy was a great writer. He was a Russian. Tolstoy was a man of peace. He wrote
many good stories. Each story has a valuable moral. Some of his stories are log. And
some of his stories are short. The following is one of his stories. It is written in simple
English for your sake.

It was rainy season in Russia. In a certain village in Russia the rain water was flowing in
streams in a street. It had rained and stopped a little while ago. Two little girls were
playing in the street water. It was festival time. They were wearing new frocks. Malasha
was the younger of the two little girls. Akulya was the older girl.

Malasha stamped her foot in the water. It was a little muddy. The muddy water splashed.
It fell on Akulya’s new frock. Akulya was just rubbing out the mud. At that time Akulya’s
mother was walking that way. She looked at her daughter’s dress. She scolded her
daughter.

“How can you make your new dress so dirty?" she asked.

“Malasha splashed the water on me, mother," said Akulya.

Akulya’s mother caught Malasha. She gave two or three slaps on the back of Malasha.
Malasha started weeping loudly. Malasha’s house was close by. Malasha’s mother heard
her daughter Malasha’s weeping. She came out in hurry.

“Why are you weeping?" asked her mother.

“Akulya’s mother beat me on my back," said Malasha.

Malasha’s mother turned to Akulya’s mother in an angry mood. Malasha’s mother

abused Akulya’s mother. Soon they started quarrelling loudly. They called each other
names. Their shouting continued.

Other women joined them soon. Some supported Akulya’s mother. Some supported
Malasha’s mother. The two fighting groups became bigger and bigger. The men also
joined in the fighting. The quarrel became never ending.

At that time the grandmother of Akulya came out of the house. She told the men and the
women not to fight. “It is festival time. People should not quarrel," she told them.

No one listened to her. No one cared for her words. In the meantime Malasha and Akulya
forgot about their quarrel. They became friends again. They moved away from the
fighting crowd. They started letting paper boats in the running water. Now the old
woman said to the fighting groups.

“Look at the children. They have forgotten their quarrel. They have started playing again.
They have become friends again. But you men and women still keep quarrelling. Are you
not ashamed of your tendency?"

The men and the women looked at the little girls. They felt ashamed. They went back to
their houses quietly.

Children forget and forgive very easily. The elders learnt this lesson from the
little girls.
 Short Stories Collection III

Eureka Eureka

Archimedes was a Greek scientist. He lives in Syracuse nearly 200 years ago. The King
of the land wanted to wear a Golden Crown. He gave some gold to a goldsmith to make
a suitable crown. After few days, the goldsmith brought the finished crown to the King.
The crown was weighed. The weight of the crown was equal to the gold given to the
goldsmith by the King. The King looked at the color of the crown. He had a suspicion. The
goldsmith could have stolen some gold from the gold given to him. The King wanted to
find out the truth. He asked his court scientist Archimedes to find out. The King said,
“Find out how much gold had been stolen?"

How to find out the truth? Archimedes thought about the problem day and night. One
day he was about to have his bath, but he was busy thinking. He did not notice the
bathtub. The water in the bathtub was already full to the brim. He slid into the bathtub.
Immediately a large quantity of water flowed over the brim of the bath tub. He noticed
this suddenly. His brain wave worked suddenly. He jumped out of the bathtub, shouting,
“Eureka! Eureka!" Eureka in Greek means “I have found it."

Different metals of the same weight have different volumes. Objects, put in water, will
displace water. The displaced water will be equal to their volume.

For example, an iron cube weighing a kilogram will disperse some water. But an
aluminums cube of the same weight will displace more water than the iron cube.

Archimedes knew all these theories. Using this as the basic knowledge, Archimedes
worked out a plan to find out the purity of the crown.

Archimedes took two bowls. He filled them with water to the brim. Then he placed each
bowl separately in the middle of the large vessels. He placed the crown in one bowl.
Water overflowed. It collected at the bottom of the outer vessel. Then he took a cube of
pure gold. This cube of gold was equal in weight to the crown. He kept this gold cube in
the middle of the second bowl. Here also water overflowed. Water got collected at the
bottom of the outer bowl.

Archimedes then measured the quantity of water in the two vessels. He found out the
difference in the water overflow. The crown had sent out more water. The cube of gold
had sent out less water. But both the crown and the gold cube were of the same weight.
So, they should have sent out the same quantity of water. Therefore, the crown had
some other metals mixed in it. These metals took up more space in the water than pure
gold.

Archimedes reported this finding to the King. The King demanded the truth from the
goldsmith. The goldsmith then confessed. He had stolen some gold. He had added some
other metals.

Think clearly. You can find solutions to new problems.

 Short Stories Collection III

Louis Pasteur

Mary had just returned from her school. She was thirsty. “Mary, you can have a cup of
milk," called her mother. Mary went into the dinning hall. “Mummy, the milk is spoilt,"
she cried out. Her mother came in. “Let me see. Yes. This milk is spoilt," her mother said.
She took out a sachet from the cupboard. “See, Mary, the milk in the sachet is alright,"
she said. Mary could not understand. The milk got from the milk vendor in the morning
got spoilt. But the sachet got from the supermarket was still good. How is that? She
asked her mother the reason for this. Her mother explained, “The sachet milk is
pasteurized. The milk got from the milk vendor is not pasteurized one."

“But what is the meaning of pasteurized," asked Mary. “Pasteurizing is a scientific

method. Fresh milk is boiled to a high degree. Then it is cooled rapidly. In this process
the germs in the milk get killed. This was first done by Louis Pasteur. His name is given
to this process."

Who is Louis Pasteur? Louis Pasteur was a chemist. He was born in 1822 in a town in
France. His parents were not rich. But they gave him a good education. He secured a
degree in science. His marks in Chemistry were not high. But his interest in Chemistry
made him continue his studies in Chemistry. He spent lot of time in the laboratory. He
was continually looking through a microscope at the germs. His professor made a fun of
him. “They are useless to man. You are wasting your time," he said. But Pasteur replied,
“Sir, the germs cause sickness. I must find out which germs cause which disease?"

“Where do germs come from?" asked his professor.

“Sir, that I must find out" replied Pasteur.

And Pasteur found out after a long and patient work. The germs are present in water,
earth, dust and even in the air we breathe. These germs turn milk sour. Milk is a carrier
of germs. These germs can cause diseases like tuberculosis and typhoid. He made many
experiments. Finally he found out the method to kill the germs in the milk.

Pasteur did not stop with milk. He continued his research. Anthrax, diphtheria and rabies
were terrible diseases. Pasteur found out certain vaccines. These vaccines can prevent
and cure these terrible diseases.

One day a mother brought her son, Joseph, to Pasteur. Joseph had been bitten by a mad
dog. He had been fourteen wound all over his body. The dog had rabies. Every one felt
sorry for the boy. They said, “The child is sure to die." Even Pasteur had no hopes. But
he had decided to save the boy.

Pasteur had prepared a serum from a rabbit. The rabbit had died of rabies. He injected
the serum into the boy’s body, at first small quantities. Slowly, he increased the dosage.
On the ninth day Joseph showed improvement. He was out of danger. In three months
time, Joseph walked out of the hospital. He then became a perfectly healthy child. The
year was 1885. Many had been bitten by mad dogs. But no one had escaped death.

Since 1885, thousands of lives have been saved by anti-rabies treatment. The world has
to thank Louis Pasteur. Louis Pasteur is considered to be the greatest scientist of France,
by the people of France.
 Short Stories Collection III

Hercules

Hercules was a strong and brave man. He lived in Greece. The King was jealous of
Hercules. People might make Hercules the King. Therefore he wanted to get rid of
Hercules. He set difficult tasks for Hercules to keep him away from the country so that he
would not be a possible threat to him (the King).

Once he asked Hercules to get three golden apples. Some trees were said to bear golden
apples. These trees were said to be in a place called Hesperides. But no one knew the
way to Hesperides. So the King thought of Hesperides. Hercules would be away for a
longer period.

Hercules set out on the journey. At first he met three maidens during the journey.
Hercules asked them the way to Hesperides. They told him to ask the old man of the sea.
But they also warned him, “Hold the old man of the sea tightly. Otherwise he will escape.
No one else knows the way."

Hercules saw the old man. He was sleeping on the shore. He was looking strange. He had
long hair and a beard. Hercules walked to him without making any noise. Then he seized
him very firmly.

The old man of the sea opened his eyes. He was surprised. He changed himself into a
stag. He tried to free himself from the grip of Hercules. But Hercules held him tight. Then
the old man changed himself into a sea-bird and then to other animal forms. But he
could not free himself from the clutches of Hercules, because Hercules was making his
clutches tighter and tighter. Finally the old man said to Hercules, “Who are you? What do
you want from me?"

Hercules replied, “I am Hercules. Tell me the way to Hesperides."

The old man said, “It is an island. Go along the sea-shore. You will meet a giant. He will
show you the way to Hesperides."

Hercules continued his journey. He met the giant. The giant was very huge and strong.
He was sleeping on the shore. Hercules woke him up. The giant was angry. He struck
Hercules with a club. Hercules charged at the giant. He lifted the giant and threw him
down. But the giant got up immediately. He had become ten times stronger. Hercules
threw him down again and again. But each time the giant rose up much stronger. Then
Hercules lifted the giant high up in the air. But he did not throw him down. The giant
slowly lost all his strength. He now pleaded with Hercules to put him down on the earth.
Hercules asked him to tell the way to Hesperides. The giant asked Hercules to meet Atlas.
He told him the way to the place where Atlas was.

Hercules continued his journey. He, at last, met Atlas.

“Why do you want the golden apples?" asked Atlas.

“My King has ordered me to get him these three golden apples," said Hercules.

“It is a long way from here to that place. Only I can go there. Hold this sky for me. I shall
get them for you," said Atlas.

Hercules agreed. He held the sky on his shoulders. Atlas walked away. He was back in a
short time. He put down the three golden apples at the foot of Hercules. Hercules
thanked Atlas. He requested Atlas to take back the sky from him.
 Short Stories Collection III
“Take back the sky!" said Atlas cunningly. “I have held it for a thousand years. I shall
come back after another thousand years!"

Hercules was astonished at what Atlas told him. But he did not express his astonishment.
He recovered his senses and replied, “Oh! In that case, will you please hold the sky for
a little while? I shall make a pad for my shoulders to support the sky. Then I shall take
back the sky from you." Thus Hercules talked very quietly.

Atlas agreed. Atlas took back the sky from Hercules. Hercules immediately collected the
three golden apples. He bid Atlas goodbye with a mischievous smile on his face. The he
walked away towards Greece leaving Atlas speechless and surprised.

Hercules reached his homeland Greece after many days of travel. He gave the three
golden apples to the King. The King was surprised to have got the golden apples from
Hercules. He was happy. But he pretended not to have been satisfied. But he secretly, he
was planning to send away Hercules away on another perilous adventure.
 Short Stories Collection III

Reward for bravery

There was once a kind Duke. He was loved and respected by his subjects. This Duke had
a wicked brother. His name was Frederick. Frederick rebelled against his brother. He
drove away the Duke. The Duke was a peace loving person. He left the Dukedom. He
went to the forest called Arden. His followers also went with him. There he led a peaceful
life with his followers. Frederick became the Duke.

The Duke had a daughter. Her name was Rosalind. Frederick also had a daughter. Her
name was Celia. Rosalind and Celia were fond each other from their childhood. Celia
wanted Rosalind to be with her in the palace. Frederick allowed Rosalind to be in the
palace with his daughter. This was for the sake of his own daughter, Celia.

Sir Rowland De Boys was friend of the elder Duke who was in the forest. Sir Rowland
died leaving all his property to his eldest son whose name was Oliver. Oliver was jealous
of his younger brother whose name was Orlando. Oliver did not give any part of the
property or money to Orlando. He did not even educate Orlando either.

In Duke Frederick’s court, there was a powerful wrestler. His name was Charles. No
young man dared to challenge Charles. But Orlando accepted the challenge. Oliver met
Charles secretly. He instructed Charles to do the worst to Orlando.

At the wrestling place there were many people. Duke Frederick was also there. In the
earlier matches Charles threw little challengers one after another. All the three
challengers had broken their ribs. They were struggling for life. Celia and Rosalind also
had come there. Duke Frederick asked the girls to talk to the young man, Orlando.
Frederick had felt that Charles would throw Orlando down in the fight. The girls
approached Orlando. They requested him not to fight. Orlando refused gently. He said,
“I have no one to care for me. I do not care even to die."

The match began. Orlando was much stronger than Charles. Orlando lifted Charles
above his shoulders. Then he threw him down. Charles became unconscious after falling.
Frederick and all others were happy. They congratulated Orlando. Orlando told Frederick,
“I am the second son of late Sir Rowland de Boys."

Frederick did not like Orlando from that minute onwards, because Frederick had not
liked Sir Rowland de Boys.

The two girls on the contrary praised Orlando. Rosalind was happy. Sit Rowland had
been her father’s friend. She then took out a chain from her neck and presented it to
Orlando. This was the reward for his bravery.
 Short Stories Collection III
The Story of The Prodigal Son

There was a very rich person. He had two sons. The first son was hard working. He
always obeyed his father. He was very good and nice person. But the second son was
totally different from the first son. He was lazy. He did not work in his father’s field. He
was disobedient to his father. He wanted to lead a gay and free life.

One day, the younger son said to his father. “Father, give me my share of property." The
father felt very sad. He divided the property. The second son took his share of property.
He left home with his share. He went to a distant land. There he made a lot of friends. He
spent his property lavishly on his friends, foods and drinks. He had many bad habits too.
He wasted all the money. Soon he was left with no money. His friends saw this. They all
deserted him one by one.

AT that time, there was a famine in that land. He could not get any job. None of his
friends gave him food or money. He was forced to take up a very mean job. His job was
to feed the pigs. Very often he ate the food kept for the pigs. He was very sad about his
present conditions. He soon began to think of his father and his brother. He said to
himself, “In my father’s house, even the servants have enough food. They get good
shelter too. But here, I am struggling for food and shelter. I will go back to my father. I
will beg him to take me as his servant."

So decided, the prodigal son set out for his father’s house. In the meantime, his father
was always thinking of his second son. He would sit near the windows. He would look out
at the road, expecting his son to return home.

One day his father saw his son coming at a distance. He ran out of his house in great joy.
He met his son on the way. His son knelt down. He said, “Father, I am not fit to be your
son. Take me as your servant."

His father lifted his lovingly. He embraced him. He turned to his servants. He said, “Bring
the best robe. Put it on my son. Put a ring on his fingers and shoes on his feet. Kill the
fatted calf. Prepare a feast. Let us eat and enjoy. My son was lost. Now he is fount."

The elder son was returning from his work. He heard the sound of the music and dancing
from his house. He asked one of his servants about it. His servant told his, “Your brother
has come. Your father is rejoicing at his return. A fatted calf has been killed to prepare
for a delicious feast and the celebration."

The first son was angry. He refused to enter his house. The father came out. He begged
his elder son to come in for rejoicing. The elder son said, “I have obeyed you all these
years. I have done all your works. But you never gave me even a kid to enjoy with my
friends. This son wasted all your money and property. And you order a fatted calf for
him!"

His father replied, “My dear son, you are always with me. All my property is yours. Your
younger brother was dead. Now he is alive. He was lost. Now he is found. Therefore
should we not rejoice?"

The elder son understood the love behind the words of his father. He forgot everything
about his younger brother. He decided to take part in the celebration. He was happy.
 Short Stories Collection III

The Three Questions

King John was the King of England. He did not like anyone else to look ricer than himself.
The Abbot of Canterbury was rich. He was enjoying luxurious life. The King did not like
the Abbot. He was in great anger. He sent his soldiers to bring the Abbot. The soldiers
brought him before the King. The King asked, “Who is greater? The King or an Abbot?
Then how bold of you to enjoy much better than the king? You are plotting to become the
King of England. It is a crime. Therefore you must die."

The Abbot was greatly frightened. He said very humbly. “Your Majesty, I have never
used others’ money for my use. Is it a crime to spend my own money for my needs?"

“Yes," replied the King. Then he added, “It is a crime to live grander than the King."

The Abbot trembled in fear.

The King continued. “But I shall give you a chance to get pardon. Answer my three
questions correctly to my satisfaction."

Then he gave out the three questions.

1. Tell me how much I am worth.

2. How long will it take for me to go around the world?
3. What I am thinking now?

The Abbot listened. His confusion and fear increased rapidly. He could not speak. Finally
he begged for time to answer. Three weeks were given. The Abbot left the palace in a
dejected mood.

On the way, he went into Oxford University and Cambridge University. He met great
professors and learned men. He asked them for answers to these three questions. They
were not able to find the suitable answers. He was returning home safely. On the way he
met his shepherd boy.

The shepherd asked the Abbot, “Why are you looking so sad, my master?"

“My dear shepherd, the King has set three questions for me. I have to find answers to his
satisfaction, or else die for plotting against the King. The questions are difficult. I have
only three days more," replied the Abbot.

The shepherd said, “My Lord, let me go in your place. I shall meet the King. I shall
answer the three questions to his satisfaction." Then he added, “People say I look very
much like you. Therefore permit me to wear your dress. The king will not be able to find
out."

The Abbot agreed.

Immediately the shepherd put on the Abbot’s dress. He exactly looked like the Abbot. He
then went to meet the King.

The King had not expected the Abbot so soon. He was not able to find the difference. He
said, “I am happy, Abbot. You have kept your promises. Now are ready with the
answers?"
 Short Stories Collection III
The shepherd in the Abbot’s dress replied, “Yes, Your Majesty. I shall try to answer to the
best of my ability."

The King asked, “What am I worth? I am the King of England."

“Your Majesty," replied the shepherd, “according to the Bible, Jesus, the King of Heaven
and Earth, was sold for thirty pence. Your worth must be one pence less. It should be
twenty nine pence."

The King had a sense of humor. He started laughing. After some time, he gave out
second question. “How soon can I ride around the world?"

The shepherd said, “Your Majesty, you must rise with the Sun, ride with it the whole
night. In this way, you will be able to go round the world in twenty four hours."

Again the King had a merry laugh. Then he looks seriously at the shepherd. He said, “Tell
me quickly. What am I thinking now?"

“Sire, you are thinking I am the Abbot. But I am not the Abbot. I am only his poor
shepherd. I have come to ask pardon for the Abbot and for myself." Then he quickly
removed the Abbot’s dress. Now he looked like a shepherd. He knelt down before the
King for pardon.

The King was not at all angry. He started laughing. And he laughed for a long time.
Finally he said, “I am pleased with your intelligence. I shall make you the Abbot."

But the shepherd said, “Your Majesty. I can not read and write. I can not become an
Abbot."

The King said, “Then you shall receive a pound a week as long as you live. Go home and
tell the Abbot. I have forgiven him."
 Short Stories Collection III
Three Simple Rules

Once there was a rich man in Thailand. His name was Chulong. He was a very rich man.
Yet he wanted more riches, more money. One day he was walking in his garden. He saw
a strange bird in a bush. It was very small. But it had very beautiful and colorful features.
Its voice was also very sweet. Chulong had never seen such a bird in his life. He slowly
went near the bush unseen. He caught the bird. Now the bird began to speak.

“Why have you caught me?" the bird asked.

“I want to make money. I can sell you for a big amount," replied Chulong.

“But you are already rich. Why do you want more?" asked the bird.

“Because I want to become richer and richer," replied Chulong.

“But do not dream of making money through me!" said the bird. It further added, “You
can not sell me. Nobody will buy me, because, in imprisonment, I lose my beauty and my
sweet voice." Then it slowly turned into a black bird.

The beautiful features were now looking like the feathers of a crow.

Chulong hopes of making money were shattered. He said angrily, “I will kill you, and I
will eat your meat."

“Eat me! I am so small. You will not get any meat out of me," replied the bird.

Chulong could not answer. The bird then suggested, “Well set me free. In return I shall
teach you three simple but useful rules."

“What is the use of the rules? I want only money," said Chulong. He was irritated.

“But these rules can profit you greatly," added the bird.

“Profit me! Really? Then I shall set you free. But how can I trust you? You may fly away,"
said Chulong.

“I give you my word. And I always keep my word," said the bird.

Chulong wanted to take a chance. He released the bird. It flew up at once. Then it sat on
the branch of a tree. Its color started changing. It became beautiful again.

Chulong asked, “Now teach me the rules."

“Certainly," said the bird.

Then it added, “The first rule is Never Believe everything others say. The second rule is
Never be sad about something you do not have. The third rule is Never throw away what
you have in your hand."

“You silly bird," shouted Chulong. And he added, “These three rules are known to every
one. You have cheated me."

But the bird said, “Chulong, just sit down for a while. Think about all your actions of
today. You had me in your hands, but you threw me away (released me). You believed
all that I said. And you are sad about not having me. The rules are simple. But you never
followed them. Now do you see the value of the rules?" so saying the bird flew away and
disappeared from his sight.
 Short Stories Collection III

Yussouf

Yussouf was a sheik. He was sitting at the door of his dent in the desert. It was night.
Nothing was visible in the desert. The only light was the light that came from the starts
in the sky. They were twinkling in the sky. The sheik was sad at heart. He had been
secretly weeping for many days and nights. His eldest son had been killed.

Suddenly, a stranger came running to the tent. He fell at the feet of Yussouf. He said, “O
Chief, save me. My enemies are coming after me. They want to kill me. I am starving. I
can not run any more. All men call you good. Save me. O Chief, let me stay in your tent
for one night."

Yussouf asked the stranger to enter his tent. He said, “You are a stranger, but you are
welcome. You can share with me my food and shelter. God has given them to me. God
is our father. He has built this earth for us. The sky protects us all. God gives us food and
shelter. I have never refused to grant any one a favor. Therefore come into my tent as
my guest. Share with me my food. No one will harm you."

The stranger entered. Yussouf embraced him as his honored guest. After taking food,
the stranger lay down to sleep.

The next day, the sun had not risen up. The desert was calm and still. Yussouf, gently,
woke up the stranger. He gave the stranger a bag of gold. He said, “My friend, I hope you
had a good sleep. The food must have given you some strength. Now you must escape
from your enemies before the sun rises. I have kept my best horse ready for you. Fly
before your enemies come."

The stranger got up. He received the bag of gold from Yussouf. He looked at Yussouf for
some moments. There was some struggle going on in his mind. Then suddenly his face
became brighter. He fell at the feet of Yussouf. Then he said, “O good and noble Chief!
You had been so kind to me. You gave me food and shelter. You had saved my life. But
I had been so bad. I killed your son. I am Abraham. Now kill me! I am ready for
punishment and revenge from you."

The sheik was shocked. He was motionless. He was struggling between revenge and
forgiveness in his mind. Should he take revenge? Should he return evil for evil? Or
should he return good for evil? Finally he put his hand into his pocket. He drew out more
gold. He gave it to Abraham. Then he said, “Here is gold three times more. Take this and
go away. I will not kill you. You have been noble enough to confess. How can I be less
noble to refuse to forgive you! The thought of revenge had been burning in my mind. Go
away and take the thought of revenge from me."

“I must give up the thought of revenge. Only then my son will sleep in peace. You have
been my guest. I can not kill my guest. May God forgive both of us – me for keeping
revenge in my thought and you for murdering my son!" said the Sheik and he went off
to pray God.
 Short Stories Collection III

Fair Shares

Ali and Abraham were brothers. Their mother died very early. Their father also died after
some time. He left for his sons a cow and a date-tree.

Ali was cunning. He was greedy too. Abraham was kind and honest. He trusted his elder
brother. They wanted to divide their father’s property. Ali said, “I will be very fair with
you, Abraham. You take the front portion of the cow as your share. I will take the hind
side of the cow. Each one gets his profit only from his share." In the same way the tree
was also divided. The upper part of the tree went to Ali. And the lower part of the tree
went to Abraham.

Abraham fed the cow very well fresh grass and water. The cow became healthy. It gave
lot of milk. Ali got the milk. He sold the milk and got a lot of money. But he did not hare
the money with Abraham. Abraham asked his brother about his share of money. Ali
replied, “I got the milk from my portion of our cow. Hind part is mine as per the
agreement. Each of us gets the benefits only from his part." Abraham said nothing.

A wise man advised Abraham. He said some thing in the ear of Abraham. The next day
Ali was milking the cow. Then Abraham beat the cow in the front portion. The cow
started kicking. Ali shouted at Abraham. “You fool! Why do you beat the cow? Do not see
me milking the cow?"

“The front portion of the cow is mine. I can do anything. That is our agreement," said
Abraham.

Ali could not say anything. Finally he agreed to share the money. Abraham said, “Not
just money. You must also share the work of feeding and taking care of the cow too." Ali
agreed.

With regard to the tree, Ali had taken upper part of the tree. He made holes on the upper
part of the tree. A kind of sweet-smelling juice came out of these holes. The juice was
collected in pots. These pots were kept near the holes. Ali sold the juice for money. But
he did not share either the money or the juice with his brother.

Again the wise man advised Abraham. The next day Ali was on the top of the tree. He
was fixing pots near the holes. At that time Abraham was cutting the lower part of the
tree. Ali shouted at Abraham. But Abraham reminded Ali about the agreement. He said,
“I can do anything with my part. You can not question or stop me."

Ali now realized his mistakes. He said, “Abraham, I have been a bad brother to you. I feel
ashamed of my selfishness. I ask your pardon. I promise to look after you well
hereafter."

And so he did. Both the brothers lived happily. They shared the profit.
 Short Stories Collection III
Good Company and Bad Company

Two parrots had built their nest on a banyan tree. The female parrot laid two eggs in the
nest. After sometime, the eggs latched. Two chicks came out of them. The parent birds
took good care of them. After few weeks, the young birds were able to fly for some
distances. The father bird said, “We have taken good care of our young ones. We have
fed them well too. They have played together. They have learned to fly. Now they can
take care of themselves. Let us slowly leave them to decide on their own."

Every morning the parent birds flew out to fetch food for the young birds. Then they
returned in the evening with food for their young children. This was their lives went on
for a while.

A hunter saw this behavior of these birds. He learned that the old birds went out in the
morning. He decided to catch the young birds after the old birds would go away in the
morning. As planned he caught the young birds. The young birds struggled their best to
free themselves from the clutches of the hunter. One of the two young birds escaped
from the hunter. The other bird was taken in a cage by the hunter to his house.

“I caught tow birds. But I lost one parrot," said the hunter to his children. And he further
added to his children, “Keep this parrot safely in the cage and play with this parrot."

The hunter’s children played with the parrot. Very soon the parrot in the house of the
hunter learnt to speak few words. The children said to their father, “Dad, our parrot has
learnt to say a few words."

The other parrot flew away. It had escaped from the hunter. It flew for some time. Then
it came to a hermitage. Some holy men lived in the hermitage. They did not do any harm
to the young parrot. The young parrot stayed there. It listened to their talk. It learnt to
say a few words.

A certain traveler was walking near the hunter’s hut. He was tires. He sat nest the hut.
He heard the parrot speak. It said, “Fool, why have you come here? I will cut your
throat."

The traveler was very sorry to hear such bad words. He got up immediately. He left the
place in a hurry. Then he walked for some time and reached the hermitage. The parrot
was sitting on a tree near the hermitage.

The parrot spoke, “Welcome, traveler. Welcome to this hermitage. We have a lot of good
fruits in this forest. Eat whatever you like. The holy men will treat you well."

The traveler was surprised. He said to the parrot. “I met a young parrot near a hunter’s
hut. It spoke badly. I left the place immediately. Now I have met you. You speak so well.
Your words are kind and gentle. Both you and the other birds are parrots. Then why this
difference in your language is there?"

By this statement, the parrot in the hermitage guessed that the other parrot was none
other than its brother. The hermitage parrot said, “Traveler, the other parrot is my
brother. But we have lived in two different places. My brother has learnt the hunter’s
language. But I have learnt the language of holy people. It is the company that shapes
your words and deeds."

Good company helps you learn good things. Bad company makes you lean bad things.
 Short Stories Collection III

The Death of A Man Eater

Tigers eat flesh of other animals in the forest. Generally tigers do not kill tigers. They like
only the flesh of other animals. A tiger has to be very quick in catching other animals.
But an old tiger or a wounded tiger can not run fast. At such times it can only catch
people. People can not run as fast as animals. Therefore they became easy prey to tigers
or other animals. After eating human flesh once, a tiger will not get any other flesh. Such
a tiger is called a man-eater.

Once a tiger in a jungle in Uttar Pradesh in India turned a man-eater. It had killed women
and men in the forest. These people had gone into the forest to collect firewood, fruits,
roots and other things. After such incidents people stopped going into the forest.

Then the man-eater started to visit the nearby villages quite often. It killed people or
domestic animals. The villages became panicky. The concerned government wanted to
do something. It requested Jim Corbett to help the villagers. He agreed to track down
the man-eater.

Jim Corbett was an expert hunter. He had developed a lot of experience with tigers and
other wild animals. He was a lover of wild life. He did not like to kill wild animals for
pleasure or sport. But he had not hesitated to kill man-eaters. This was only to help the
people in trouble.

Jim Corbett arrived at the village with his rifle. The rifle was a powerful one. It could kill
big and strong animals like the lion, the tiger and elephant. He had collected all the
information regarding the man-eater. He selected a place. The tiger used to come there
often. Jim Corbett built a platform. This platform was fixed on a high branch. A young
buffalo was tied to the nearby tree. Jim Corbett waited all night. But the tiger did not
come. Perhaps it had scented the hiding man and his powerful.

Jim Corbett changed his plan. He went back to the village. After that the tiger came. It
killed the buffalo. Then it dragged the dead buffalo in the jungle. The villagers told Jim
Corbett this news. Jim Corbett then went into the forest in search of the tiger. At last he
reached the place. He climbed a tree to find out the tiger. The tiger had eaten a portion
of the dead body of the buffalo. It was lying at a distance. Slowly and cautiously he
followed the track. He found the tiger resting after a good meal. At first he hesitated to
shoot a sleeping tiger. But then this was not a good tiger. It was a man-eater. With this
thought in mind, he sent two bullets into the sleeping tiger’s head. The tiger died at once.
The villagers were happy.

Jim Corbett was rewarded for his bravery.