The Tiger and the Lion.

One day a tiger felt that it was more powerful than the lion and wanted to challenge the
lion.  It went near the lion’s den and started shouting and making all kids of sounds.  It
was noon and the lion was fast asleep after a meal.  The sounds created by the tiger
woke up lion. 

“Who is there?”  Shouted the lion.

There was no reply but the shouts of the tiger increased.

The lion came out of its den and stood in front of the tiger that was shouting
continuously.

Staring deep into the tiger’s eyes the lion asked: “Why are you disturbing me, you can
go to any other place in the forest and shout as loudly as you can.  But I never allow you
to disturb me any more.”

The tiger looked furiously at the lion and

In the meantime an elephant that was passing by noticed the argument between the
tiger and the lion and came.

‘Stop quarrelling.  What is the problem? Let me know,’ demanded the elephant.
The lion explained the reason and the tiger stood to its stance.  The elephant felt
helpless to resolve their conflict.

Then came Dr. Dove.  It has inquired from the elephant:  What is going on here? 
Generally I do not see a tiger and a lion together?

The elephant reported the matter briefly.

That’s the entire problem? Yelled Dr. Dove.  

The elephant was surprised at the casual attitude of Dr. Dove. 

Don’t you think it is not a problem at all? : The elephant asked.

Yes it is very much a problem but not at all a difficult one to solve.   The elephant got
further perplexed with this response from Dr. Dove.

Dr. Dove now took the lead and starting flying in-between the tiger and the lion.

The tiger and the lion got disturbed with this.

Seeing them giving a pause to their loud arguments, Dr. Pigeon proposed:  Dear friends
you can solve the problem.

How both the tiger and the lion shouted.

Very simple the tiger can continue to shout and the lion can continue to sleep: said Dr.
Pigeon.

You stupid Dr. Dove.  You are fit only to pull out the thorns from the feet, clear dust from
the eyes and treat cut injuries of the animals but not the problems like this – yelled the
lion.

The tiger joined the lion and said:  leave us alone we shall solve our problems
ourselves.

No my dear friends, please listen to me.

Dr. Pigeon requested the lion to follow and enter the den quickly.  The lion thought for a
while and then followed Dr. Dove. As the lion entered the den, Dr. Dove took out two
lumps of cotton from its kit and approached the Lion.

Mr. Lion please listen to me these lumps of cotton help you proof yourself from the
sound pollution being made by the Tiger. Please place these lumps one each in to your
ears and experience for yourself.
The lion did as suggested and both the lion and Dr. Dove came out the den silently.

Dr. Dove told the tiger:  Mr. Tiger please shout as loudly as you can you will have no
objection from the Lion.

The tiger shouted loudly and the lion felt no disturbance.

The lion retuned to its den greeting the Pigeon by waving its paw.  The tiger got furious
at this gesture and continue shouting at its best – also puzzled as to why the lion has
become so calm.

Seeing this confused state of the tiger Dr. Dove told:  Mr. Tiger I told the lion of your
power and advised him not to quarrel with you.  You are more powerful than the lion. 
See the lion itself has agreed to it.

Tiger felt very happy and gently stroked Dr .Dove with its claw in appreciation of its
help.  Then Dr. Dove told:  Mr. Tiger you should not stay here that too before a lion’s
den.  Because seeing you here other animals might feel that you are serving the lion. 
So I suggest that you should to that hilltop and live there.

Yes, Dr. Dove I shall follow your advice and I thank you for this: saying this the tiger
proceeded to the hilltop.

The elephant was thrilled at this sudden change and astonishingly looked at Dr. Dove.

Dr. Dove fluttered its wings and flew towards south.

It was early in the morning.  The Little bird woke up with the sudden increase in the
volume of her mother’s voice.  The little bird came out of the nest and heard her mother
scolding her sister for not dusting her nest.  The words of scolding appealed this little
bird like a sweet music on that day.  The entire day it had used these words – you
stupid, dirty fellow, rascal, useless fellow, lazy creature, filthy animal, etc.

The way it uses these words to scold amuses others rather than hurting them.

Like a wild fire the news about the amusing way of scolding by this little bird has spread
in the forest.    The animals big and small, the big birds, even the big insects have
planned to visit this bird and get scolded by it.

On the second day came the elephant – the first animal to get the scolding from this
little bird.  The little bird scolded the elephant continuously for three minutes.  Seeing
this little bird scolding, the elephant rolled on the floor with peels of laughter.  Seeing the
elephant in that condition the little bird further added some unknown words to add to the
abuses.  This made the elephant gasp for its breath.

The elephant spread the news of the amusing way of scolding by the little bird further by
adding its own experience.  The entire forest has been buzzing with this news and the
several animals including the lions have started journeying towards this little bird’s
place.

Several animals waiting to see the process of scolding keenly surrounded the neem tree
on which this little bird lives.   Since the Lion was the king there, it has decided to get
the scolding first.  The mother of the little bird brought the little bird and made it sit on a
small stone. The lion approached the little bird and greeted by waving its head front and
back.  The little bird got annoyed and started scolding it as usual.

The lion was not able to control its laughter.  Seeing the struggle of the lion all the
animals watching this unique scolding event started laughing.  The lion’s laughter
increased and ended with a big roar.  That made the little bird to stop scolding and it
hugged its mother saying, “I shall never scold any one from now on”

All the animals scolded the lion for this and disbursed to their places.
 The Breathing Stone!

In their search for a viable place that offers food continuously a family of squirrels
migrated to the lakeside and started living there on the Palm trees.  The favorite place
for the kids in this squirrels family is the Palm tree that leans towards the lake almost
touching the surface of the water.

On the second day of their moving to the lakeside place and living on the palm trees,
the baby squirrels found a long rocklike thing floating on the water near the palm tree
that leaned towards the water.

Without a second thought the three baby squirrels jumped onto the long rocklike thing
floating on the water- half submerged.  The squirrels ran all across and they found an
up and down movement in the middle of the thing.  The squirrels stood there for
sometime to experience the movement and felt happy.  With call of their mother the
squirrels jumped back to the palm tree and went away.

No sooner did they see their mom, they competed with each other to narrate their
unique experience.  One baby squirrel said “Mom it is a breathing stone floating on the
wall.

Next day it was noon, the crocodiles in the lake had their lunch.  Three of them swam
across the lake and reached the other side of the lake where the squirrels live.  The
baby squirrels came out with their parents in amazement to find the three long black
rocklike bodies floating on the water near the palm tree.  The baby squirrels jumped on
to one of the crocodiles with merriment and soon followed their parents.

All the squirrels experienced the up & down movement to their joy and returned to their
home after an hour or so.

In the morning they came out to check whether these three crocodiles look like long
black rocks floating on the water.  They did not find any.  As they were preparing for
their lunch they saw their old friend Dr. Dove their longtime friend.  All the squirrels
shared with the Pigeon their experiences of playing on the breathing black long rock
that floats on the lake near the leaning palm tree.  They had compelled Dr. Dove to
have lunch with them.  Soon after having the lunch the baby squirrels lead Dr. Dove to
the leaning palm tree.  They found – this time – six black long bodies floating on water.

The squirrels were lost at the sight of this.  Dr .Dove understood the reason for their
exhilaration.  It took some time to dissuade them to continue playing on the floating
crocodiles in the water.

Once the squirrels came back to the palm tree Dr. Dove told them the reality.
You were living in the middle of the forest so far and have not seen the crocodiles that
live in big lakes, streams in the forest and prey on animals that pass through.   Now I
shall prove how they look like.  Saying this Dr. Dove started looking in all directions. 
The squirrels were yet to come to terms with what Dr. Dove described. 

In the meantime Dr. Dove spotted an elephant. 

Do not go anywhere and stay here.  I shall bring that elephant here to help you see the
crocodile.  In a few minutes time Dr. Dove returned by sitting on the scalp of an
elephant that holds a big stick with its trunk.

Please disturb these crocodiles with this stick My Dear Elephant – said Dr. Dove

The elephant executed its request by giving a jolt to the crocodile that floats in the
middle of six.  With this the crocodile surfaced its huge long mouth and opened it in a
swift movement.  This sudden movement, made the remaining 5 crocodiles move
towards the stick.  Thus they have shown their full bodies to the squirrels.

The squirrels got frightened with the movement of crocodiles and requested Dr. Dove to
bring back Mr. Elephant.

With in a few minutes the crocodiles calmed down. One of them came out and said: 
Actually we feel the feather touch of these little squirrels when they play on us.   We do
not eat them.  They can play on us when we come here to rest after lunch.

The baby squirrels jumped with joy and said:  Thank you crocodiles. You do not frighten
us when you sleep.  But sleep always by floating near this palm tree that leans to the
water.

The crocodiles laughed and said OK; and submerged into the water.

The elephant felt happy for the gesture of the crocodiles

The squirrels family thanked Dr. Dove for the help it rendered to educate them.

As it was noon and sun was severe all of them rested in the shade of the nearby
banyan tree.
 A Dance in the Forest

In a very big forest there lived many animals and birds.  One day some of the birds were
discussion about the way the animals live.  The parrot said, “Look at me I do not eat any
bird or animal I just like fruits and eat them all the time.  I hate looking at these animals
as they hunt other animals and eat them”.  I feel that we the birds are the best in the
forest as we do not eat other birds for our survival”.

Many birds agreed to this argument and narrated their own opinions:

The sparrow said:  I eat the small insects that do harm to others that does not mean that
I am like these animals who kill all other good animals.

The woodpecker said:  See I protect trees by eating the white ants under their bark.  If I
do not do so many trees would have been eaten away by these white ants and other
insects.

The weaver bird:  You are aware that I am the best in the forest in making the nest. 
Show me any animal that can do like me.  These animals are lazy and live like rocks in
all seasons.

The humming bird said: I drink the nectar from the flowers and while doing so I do not
harm the flowers.  If help in pollination and make the forest look colorful with many
flowers.

Thus many birds narrated their own stories and ways of living.  Meanwhile they saw a
herd of elephants passing under the trees.  The parrot yelled at them: Hey big beasts do
you know that birds are the best ones in the forest.  You animals destroy forest, eat
other animals and create bloodshed for your survival.

One of the elephants responded by saying :  I do not know what you are talking but I
can tell this to other animals as I am going to attend the meeting called by the Lion.

The Lion – the king of the forest – is sitting on a big rock surrounded by many animals. 
The meeting began with the topic “How shall we celebrate the onset of sprint”.  Then the
elephant intervened and said:  we feel that we are the great in the forest.  I heard a
parrot saying that the birds are the best because they do not eat other birds for their
own survival.  Lets first solve this problem and by deciding who the best in the forest is,
the birds are we the animals.
All the animals got irritated at the statement of the parrot shared by the elephant.  The
wolf said: Lets call the birds here and we all can kill them and eat them at once then
there is no problem.  Haa Haaa joined the other animals.

Cool down: said the Lion.  If the birds feel that they are the best in the forest, we shall
allow them to prove.  They said that they do not eat other birds but it is false.  They do
eat other birds for their survival.  You are aware that the eagles are always on the look
out for chicks of hens and peahens.  They eat mercilessly all the chicks.  Birds are fools
and incapable creatures.  I pity them.   Let’s play with them for some time and prove our
might.  Dear fox, call all the birds at once here.

The fox approached the mangrove and yelled at the birds.  You seem to be having a
feeling that you are the best in the forest.  Lets us prove who is best in the forest.  All of
you can come to our meeting place near the lake and prove yourselves. 

Hearing this the birds felt challenged.  All of them flew towards the meeting place.

In the meeting place the most heated arguments took place.

Seeing the heat generated, the Lion said.  Meeting is adjourned to tomorrow in the
morning and asked all the animals and birds to disburse.

In the evening the grand old man who often visits forest and help animals and birds by
treating them came to the meeting place and asked some of the birds still sitting there:  I
heard a commotion in the afternoon what happened to you all.  I heard the loud sounds
of animals and birds too. Do you have any problem and  can I be of any help to you?

The birds said:  we had problem to solve between the birds and the animals.  We shall
prove who is best in the forest.  We argue we are the best but they argue as cruelly as
they can for their superiority.  It is good that you have come.  Why don’t you come for
the meeting tomorrow and help us.

The grand old man said Ok, I shall come tomorrow.

The next day morning all the birds and the animals gathered at the meeting place.  The
grand old man took some time to arrive.  His arrival was welcomed by the Lion who was
once save by the grand old man.  Dear grand old man I am glad that you are here, hear
all our arguments and tell us who the best in the forest is.

Both the sides amply briefed the grand old man.  The birds and the animals became
silent and await the judgment of the grand old man.

The grand old man said:  The argument of the birds that they do not eat other birds is
both wrong and right. So in the arguments the birds and the animals both win and lose.
That makes the problem nil.  The birds and animals got confused at this. Seeing their
faces, particularly of the Lion’s the grand old man clarified it further:

Though the hens and pen hens come under the family of birds they live mostly on the
ground and they do not fly for their survival they run for their survival so actually come
under the family of animals.  The chicks of the birds also do not fly they just run on the
ground so they are also animals. Since Eagles eat these chicks it amounts to eating
other birds for their survival like the animals do.  This means birds eat and do not eat
other birds for their survival.

Most important thing is this:  If the animals like Lion, tiger, cheetah, fox and wolf do not
eat other animals like sheep, goat, etc the population of these grass eating animals
increase making the forest dry and difficult for all to survive.  Similarly the birds help in
pollination and cross-pollination, propagation of trees   and help add beauty to the
forest.  The forest becomes dull without any one of you.  So neither the birds nor the
animals are best in the forest, the forest itself is the best because it gives us food,
shelter and protection from the human beings. 

Hearing this the Lion said: what a brilliant man are you my dear grand old man. I agree
with you that it is the forest that is the best.  The birds do chirped the same opinion.

Then the squirrel said:  this is the best time to celebrate the onset of spring. Let’s
dance….

All the animals danced and make merry…..

Joseph hurried to finish his breakfast.  It was a bright and sunny day and he wanted to
go outside and play.

He swallowed a mouthful of cereal.  "Bye, Mom," he said. "I'm going outside to play
ball."

"Not before you get your chores done,' his mother said.  I'm baking a pie for dessert and
I want you to go pick some raspberries."

Joseph's mouth watered as he thought about taking a delicious bite of pie.

"I love to pick raspberries," he said, grabbing a basket and skipping out the door.

Walking through the meadow, he came upon a rabbit munching on a carrot.

"Hello, Mr.  Rabbit," Joseph said.  "Would you be so kind to tell me where I might find
some raspberries?"

"I couldn't be much help finding raspberries," the rabbit said, wiggling his nose. "My
carrots have an excellent crunch, why don't you try a bunch?"

Joseph pulled some carrots out of the ground and put them in his basket.  "Thank you,
Mr. Rabbit," Joseph said, and skipped away whistling.

Hearing a noise high up in a tree, Joseph stopped and saw a squirrel  gathering nuts
and storing them in a hole.

"Pardon me, Mr.  Squirrel, but would you be so kind to tell me where I might find some
raspberries?"

"Oh, little boy, there are no raspberries up here.  There are only nuts to pick from the
trees. Try some nuts before you leave, and you'll forget about raspberries."

Joseph picked some nuts from the tree and dropped them in the basket.  He waved
goodbye to Mr. Squirrel and continued his journey.

He entered the dark forest and was scared…just a little.  But maybe he would find
raspberries. He heard a noise ahead of him. Walking slowly towards the noise, he found
a black bear sitting on a log eating something gooey.
"P-p-pardon me, M-M-Mr.  B-b-ear, do you know where I might  find some raspberries?"

"Little boy, come closer to me and I'll give you something tasty called honey," the bear
smiled.

Joseph stepped closer to the bear and dipped his hand in the honey.  It tasted delicious
and sweet.

The bear leaned towards Joseph and roared.  "The honey tastes good, but not as good
as you will little boy."

Joseph screamed and ran out of the forest.  He jumped over rocks and ran through the
meadow all the way home. He looked behind him and was happy to find that the bear
didn't follow him.  Looking down at his basket he frowned. He had carrots, nuts, and
some of the bear's honey that dripped in the basket, but no raspberries.

Walking into the kitchen he had an idea.  With his mother's help, Joseph baked a
surprise dessert using his carrots, nuts, and honey. At dessert, he ate every crumb of
his honey-nut carrot cake and it was the best cake he ever tasted.