A lazy grasshopper laughed at a little ant as she was always busy gathering food.

"why are you working so hard?" he asked, "come into the sunshine and listen to my merry notes." "But the ant went on her work. She said" I am lying in a store for the winter. Sunny days won t last for e!er." ""inter is so far the grasshopper back. away yet, "laughed

And when the winter came, the ant settled down in her snug house. She had plenty of food to last the whole winter. #he grasshopper had nothing to eat so, he went to the ant and begged her for a little corn. "$o", replied the ant, "you laughed at me when I worked. %ou yourself sang through the summer. So you had better dance the winter away."
MORAL : Idleness is a curse.

struggle that she could get free. But, to her sorrow, her beautiful tail had been cut off and left in the trap.

"&ow ugly I shall look'" moaned the fo(, " won t the other fo(es laugh at me ?" #hinking hard, the fo( hit upon a plan to sa!e herself from being laughed at.She called a meeting of his friends and said, "Brothers' ha!e you e!er wondered why after all, we carry these long tails?" )et us cut them off and be free from their nuisance." But the other fo(es had noticed her cut*off tail. #hey laughed aloud and replied, "%ou used to say that tails looked !ery fine when your own was all right. $ow that you ha!e lost yours, you want us to lose ours too."
MORAL : Dirty tricks seldom work.

+nce a wolf saw a goat atop a hill and said, ",ome down here, -iss .oat' #he grass here is greener and longer."

"#hank %ou," answered the goat, "the grass down there may be much better. But, if I come down you will get a

good meal. So, I prefer to stay here * where you can t reach. At least I am /uite safe."
MORAL : Let not others exploit your gentleness.

#here was once a miser. &e melted all his money into a block of gold and buried it in a pit. 0!ery day he would dig it up and smile to see it.

+ne night the gold*block was stolen. So, the miser was in tears. A friend of his saw him weeping and said, " %ou should bury a stone in the pit and look at it e!ery day. %ou ne!er spent moneywhen you had it "as it better then a stone anyway?"
MORAL : It is a cause to be a miser.

+nce the "ind and the Sun came to ha!e a /uarrel. 0ither of them claimed to be a stronger. At last they agreed to ha!e a trial of strength. "&ere comes a tra!eller. )et us see who can strip him of his clock," said the Sun.

#he "ind agreed and chose to ha!e the first turn. &e blew in the hardest possible way. As a result , the tra!eller wrapped his cloak e!en more tightly around him. #hen it was the turn of the Sun. At first he shone !ery gently. So, the tra!eller loosened his cloak from his neck. #he sun went on shining brighter and brighter. #he tra!eller felt hot. Before long he took off his cloak and put it in his bag. #he "ind had to accept his defeat.
MORAL : ury or !orce cuts no ice where gentleness does the "ob.

-ilk*maid had been to the meadow to milk her cows. $ow she was returning home with a pail of milk on her head. She thought, "I will make cream and butter out of this milk. #hen selling them, I will buy eggs. and when they hatch, I shall ha!e a good poultry farm." She further thought, "I shall sell some of my fowls and buy a fine dress. Seeing it on my body atthe fair, all the

boys will admire me. But I will turn them away 1ust tossing my head at them." )ost in day dreams, she forgot about the pail on her head. She tossed her head with a 1erk and the pail of milk came tumbling down. it was broken and all the milk got spilt. "2ear + dear '" she cried, "I ha!e lost my all."
MORAL: Don#t count your chickens be!ore they are hatched.

+nce a hare was roaming near a lake in a forest. Suddenly he saw a tortoise and mocked at him saying * "&urry up, you slow coach' 2on t you find life !ery dull taking so long to co!er a few yards? I could ha!e run to the other side of the lake by now." #he tortoise felt teased and dared the hare to a race. #he race was to be through the wood to a fi(ed goal. #he hare agreed laughingly. In a few minutes he was away and out of sight.

""hat a funny race it is'" he said to himself , "I am already half *way through. But it is too*too cold3 why not ha!e a nap in the warm sunshine?" #he tortoise walked steadily on and on. In a short time, he passed by the sleeping hare. #he hare slept far longer then he had intended. "hen he woke up at last, he looked around in surprise and said to himself," $ot e!en a sigh of the poor tortoise anywhere so far3 I had better trot along and finish the race." #he hare ran to the goal. &e was amazed to see all the animals cheering the tortoise who had arri!ed 1ust a minute earlier. how ashamed he felt indeed'
MORAL : $low and steady wins the race.

A thirsty crow once found a pitcher with a little water in it. But when he tired to drink thewater, he could not. #he pitcher was tall and his beak didn t reach the water.

#he clea!er crow thought and hit upon a plan. &e went

on dropping pebbles into the pitcher. #he water rose up to its neck and he /uenched his thirst.
MORAL : %ill !inds the way

+ne day a peacock met a crane and said, "So sorry for you. %ou ha!e so dull feathers. )ook at the fine colors of my feathers."

""ell'" replied the crane, "your look are brighter then mine. but whereas I can fly high up into the sky, all you can do is to strut about on the ground."
MORAL: &e'er !ind !ault with others.

farmer s boy went into his field. #here were some sheep and a pig there. &e picked up the pig that s/uealed aloud. ""hy are you making a fuss? "hen he catches us, we ne!er cry." said a sheep. "Shut up, cried the pig, "the shepherd wants only wool from you. But this boy is taking me away for my meat."
MORAL: Li!e is dear to e'eryone.

fisherman had been fishing for along time but without luck. At last he tugged at his net and saw a small fish caught in it.

"4lease let me go," begged the fish, "I will grow bigger in a few days and then you can catch me again."

#he fisherman said, "$ow that I ha!e caught you I won t let you go. If I lea!e you, I may ne!er see you again."
MORAL: A bird in hand is worth two in bush.

A town*mouse paid a !isit to his friend who li!ed in the countryside. #he country*mouse was happy to see his friend. So he prepared a fine feast for him. #he town* mouse looked at the fruit and the car of corn with hatred "Is this how you li!e ?" he asked, "life in the country does not offer much." &e persuaded the country*mouse to accompany him to the town and see allthe good things there.

So, the country*mouse packed all his belongings and off they went to the city. #he country*mouse was really surprised to see the things there. But as soon as they settled down to en1oy afine meal of cheese and fruit, a big cat leapt in through the window. Seeing the cat, both the mice ran into their hole to sa!e themsel!es, so the cat ate up all the cheese and fruit. "hen the cat had gone away, the out of their hole.

mice

came

"I am going," cried the country*mouse, "I like my simple fare in safety than this grand feast in such a danger."
MORAL: $a!ety is the !irst importance.

#wo fo(es watched a wild boar sharpening his tusks on a tree*trunk.

""hy do you do that?" asked one of them, "the huntsmen are not out today."

")et that be so," answered the boar, "but whene!er my life is in danger, I shall need my tusks and there will be no time to sharpen them."
MORAL: Lost time cannot be recalled.

+nce a )ark made her nest in a corn*field. Soon she laid eggs in it. After a few days small babies hatched out of them. +ne day the baby*larks o!erheard the farmer say, "I will call my neighbors to reap this field." #he Baby*larks got alarmed to hear this and told their mother about it. "2on t worry," said the mother.

Some days later, the farmer came again and said, I will call my relati!es to reap this field." #he baby*larks afraid again. "5ear not," said their mother.

But the ne(t day the farmer came there with his little son and said, "I will reap this field tomorrow."

"$ow is the time to go. "hen a man says he will do the work himself, he will certainly do it," said the mother* lark.
MORAL : Don#t !ear hollow threats.

A cock was scratching the ground with his claws looking for a tasty morsel to eat. "hile doing so, he chanced to turn o!er a stone and find a shining gem under it.

",ock*a doodle*do '" cried the cock and said, "It looks !ery fine and it may be !aluable to some people. But I would rather ha!e found a nice grain of corn."
MORAL: (ems can#t paci!y hunger.

+ne day a man was going to market with his son and his ass. they met a couple on the way. ""hy walk when you ha!e an ass to ride?" called out the husband, "seat the boy on the ass." "I would like that," said the boy, "help me up father." And the father did that willingly.

Soon they met another couple. "&ow shameful of you'" cried the woman, "let your father ride, won t he be tired?" So, the boy got down and the father rode the ass. Again they marched on. "poor boy", said the ne(t person they met, "why should the lazy father ride while his son is walking?" So, the boy got onto the ass too. As they went on, they met some tra!ellers. "&ow cruel of them'" #hey are up to kill the poor ass." cried one of the tra!ellers. &earing this, the father and the son got down. $ow they decided to carry the ass on their shoulders. As they did so, the tra!ellers broke into laughter. #he laughter frightened the ass. It broke free and galloped away.
MORAL: )ou can not please e'eryone

)ong ago, there li!ed a little boy named Sammy. &e was a good boy. &e was good in his studies, obedient to his parents, more intelligent than many other boys in his

class and kind to e!eryone. .rown*ups as well as those1unior to Sammy lo!ed him !ery much. But that aroused 1ealousy in many other boys who longed to be as lo!ed as Sammy. $ow there was another boy named #immy who studied in the same class as Sammy. 6nlike Sammy, he was not good at studies and always liked to play during school hours. &e misbeha!ed with his parents, bullied hisclassmates and e!en ill*treated Sammy. &e always tried to put Sammy down and belittled him before other kids in the class. But no matter what he did, Sammy s grades kept getting better and better. "hether in studies or in sports or from his classmates, Sammy kept getting accolades from e!erywhere. +n his eighth birthday, Sammy got a nice pen as a gift from his parents. &e brought it to school so that he could use it to take down the notes of the lectures that the teachers ga!e in class. #his was a !ery beautiful pen and it could help one write !ery fast. "hen #immy saw it, he was !ery 1ealous of Sammy. &e asked Sammy, "&ey, where did you get that? 2id you buy it?" "-y parents ga!e it as a birthday gift to me." replied Sammy.

#immy was o!erwhelmed with anger and 1ealousy. #he bad boy that he was, he rarely got any present from his parents. &e decided to steal Sammy s pen. 2uring recess, when e!eryone had gone out from the class, #immy opened Sammy s bag and took out his pen. #hen he hid it inside his bag and went out to ha!e his tiffin. "hen Sammy came back and could not find his pen, he informed his class teacher about it. #here was a hunt for the missing pen and the class teacher ordered the class monitor to search the bag of e!ery children inside the class. #he missing pen was soon found out of #immy s bag and the furious teacher asked the errant boy, "$ow #immy, what do you ha!e to say about it?" #immy was in tears. &e had nothing to say.

"hen Sammy saw #immy cry, he took pity on the boy. #he kind boy that he was, he had no ill*feeling against hisclassmate. &e re/uested his class teacher not to take any action against #immy, now that his stolen pen was found. #his opened #immy s eyes. &e could now see what a

good boy Sammy was. &e asked for forgi!eness from his teacher and Sammy. 5rom that day, he became friends with Sammy and gradually changed himself to be as good as Sammy. 0!eryone began to lo!e #immy and Sammy was proud of his new friend. 2espite being hurt by #immy, Sammy ga!e him back only lo!e in return. #his is how we should also treat our enemies. "ho knows? +ne day, our beha!iour may 1ust change themsel!es for the better.
Moral: Do not harm someone e'en i! he harms you. *e good to all.

*********************************************

+nce upon a time, there li!ed a farmer who had a little land. &is name was #uan and he was a !ery kind and good*natured person. &e li!ed in a hut on his land with his wife and children and earned by selling whate!er crops he could produce on his small land. #uan lo!ed to help others. "hene!er someone fell ill or needed something badly, #uan was there to help that person. If someone died in the !illage, #uan assisted the family members of the deceased person in whiche!er way he could. If anyone fell ill at night, #uan was right

beside the !illage doctor to help him prepare the medicines and tend to the sick. #here seemed to be none who hated this man. &e appeared to be lo!ed by one and all. But there was one person who hated #uan with all his heart. &e was 7uan, a neighbour of #uan, who li!ed in the land ne(t to him. A lazy person by nature, 7uan hardly put in as much effort to culti!ate his land as #uan did to produce crops in his own. So when the har!est season arri!ed e!ery year, 7uan found that he had !ery few crops to sell. #uan on the other hand, earned a handsome profit through the selling of his produces. +ne year, 7uan could no longer contain his 1ealousy. 7ust days before #uan was to reap his har!est, 7uan set fireto his crops at night. #uan was asleep at this time and it was only the alertness of one of his other neighbours that sa!ed much of his crops from being perished in the deadly flames of the fire that 7uan had lighted. "hen the flames were doused, #uan saw which direction the fire had started from. 7uan s animosity towards him was unknown to #uan. But he let the matters rest and decided to take action only if he saw 7uan repeating his dastardly act once again.

#hat year, #uan managed to sell the rest of his crops at a good price but he could not make much profit for a good part of his produces had been burnt. &e had a hea!y heart but he did not like to tell anyone about it. +nly days later, #uan was awakened by the sound of lamentations. &e went out to find a crowd beside 7uan s hut. &e rushed to find that 7uan s son had fallen ill. &e found that the !illage doctor was unable to pro!ide a cure to his illness. #uan knew what he had to do. &e untied his own horse and rode it. #hen he rushed to the town that was ten miles away and fetched a more e(perienced doctor who li!ed there. #his doctor was able to guess the disease correctly and pro!ided an e(act cure for it. "ithin hours, the boy was found to sleep soundly and #uan went with the doctor to take him back to the town. A day later, 7uan went to #uan s hut and began to weep bitterly. &e confessed to his sins but was surprised when #uan told him that he knew about it all. "%ou knew that I had set fire to your crops? And still you fetched the doctor for my son?" asked the astonished 7uan.

#uan nodded and said, "I did what I knew was right. ,ould I do wrong 1ust because you had done so?" 7uan stood up and embraced #uan. Both men were in tears and so were the others who stood by them. 5rom that day, 7uan changed himself. "ithin a year, he could produce much crops in his land through his hard work. "hen the others asked him how he had changed so much, he only replied, "It was the goodness and lo!e of #uan that transformed me."

Moral: *e nice to your !riends. *e nicer to your enemies.

*********************************************

-any many years ago, there li!ed a dog named #om. #om was adopted as a pet in a wealthy household and he was daily showered with nice foods and affections by her mistress -rs &a!isham. All day, #om li!ed in a kennel within the compound of the house and he tried his best to guard the home of his mistress. "hene!er a

thief or a burgler came within the !icinity, #om would bark as loudly as he could to scare the li!ing daylights out of the culprit. &e was the fa!ourite of his mistress. "hen night fell, he slept on a nice blanket inside his kennel and when day broke he had his food ser!ed before him in no time. But the neighbourhood dogs were not so lucky and they were 1ealous of #om s fortune. $ow and then, they would bark from outside the gates of #om s house and utter curses at him. All this disturbed #om a little, but he would only say, "4oor fellows, they ha!e to struggle so much for their food while I am so lucky. I must not shout at them and add to their misery." So he kept /uiet and went about his business, turning a deaf ear to their insults. +ne day, as he was taking a walk with his mistress, #om found that some young boys were throwing stones at those same dogs who insulted him. #he dogs were cornered and they had nowhere to go. #hey could in no way a!oid being hit by the stones thrown at them. -any of them were bleeding and barking feebly in protest. But the boys were not in a mood to let go of them so

lightly. #hey picked up bigger stones and rocks to ha!e more fun at the e(pense of the weak, helpless dogs. #om could not hold himself back. &e was of a strong build and had a !ery deep !oice. &e knew that he could scare the boys. &e managed to wrench his leash free out of his mistress hands and he ran towards the boys. #he boys were startled at the terrible barking that #om directed at them. #heir blood froze at the sight of the huge #om baring his fangs and running towards them. #hey dropped their rocks and ran away as fast as their legs could carry them. ".o home" #om said to his bloodied abusers "no one will disturb you anymore." &e ran back to his mistress who had seen all that #om did. She patted #om and praised him for his courage. #hat night, #om s mistress saw a strange sight. #he dogs whom #om had sa!ed in the morning had gathered near the gates of her house. It seemed to her as if they were telling something to her pet. "-aybe they are thanking #om for his bra!e gesture." she thought.

And right she was' 5rom that day, #om and his abusers had become friends. #om s kindness had won o!er his abusers hatred and he had earned their lo!e, respect and admiration that nothing on earth could buy.

Moral: *e good to all+ e'en i! they happen to be your enemies.

\ A TEST OF NUMBERS
Did you ever hear of the terrible war once fought between the creatures of the sea and the birds, which threatened to destroy the whole world? You may not have, because it all happened so long ago- ages before you or I were born. What is remarkable about this reat War is that it all began as a silly dispute between a whale and a little sandpiper. !ut then, as small disputes have a tendency of doing, it snowballed into a battle of epic proportions that posed a danger to the earth itself. Wouldn"t you like to know how it all turned out? #ere is the story, then. $any years ago, it was a normal day, like any other, on the faraway island in the %outh %eas. &he scene was a 'uiet lagoon. (long the beach, a sandpiper was running in and out of the water, picking up little minnows for breakfast. (ll of a sudden, a whale swam into the lagoon. Irritated at the sight of the sandpiper, it called out, )#ey, you* #ow dare you come into my water and take my fish? Don"t you know that I"m the master of the sea? !etter stay out of the sea- it belongs to us whales*) +ow, the sandpiper may have been small in si,e, but she was a spirited bird, who would not take such high-handedness lying down. $oreover, she was angry because

the whale"s sudden rising had swept away the minnow she was about to eat. -uriously she demanded, )Who says the sea belongs to you? If anything, it belongs to the sandpipers. We have a far greater claim over the sea than you fellows, because there are many more sandpipers in this world than there are whales. %o leave me alone and get lost*) &he whale could not believe his ears. )What* (re you cra,y?) he shouted. )You silly creature, the numbers of whales is much more than that of sandpipers. You can"t even begin to count them*) ).h, really?) asked the sandpiper in a challenging tone. )(re you ready to put it to the test?) ).f course*) replied the whale promptly. )Well, in that case I"ll call all my relatives here, and you call yours. /et"s count each side. We"ll see who has more*) ) ood idea* We"ll do 0ust that*) said the whale. &urning back towards the boundless ocean, he sounded a booming call. &he response was swift. -rom the east, the west, the north, and the south, whales began swimming towards the island. %oon the bay was so crowded with whales that the ocean surface was completely hidden by their bodies* $eanwhile, the little sandpiper was not idle. %he, too, was making her call in all the four directions. &here was a great whir of wings as sandpipers from all over the world came flying in to the faraway island in the %outh %eas. &hey came and landed on the beach and the trees. %oon, there were so many that they covered the entire land* %o far, both the sides seemed evenly matched. %o now, the whale sounded another call to summon his sea cousins-the dolphins, the seals, the walruses, and the porpoises. &hey began swimming into the lagoon in response to the call. When they all had arrived, there were so many sea creatures that they surrounded the island from all sides. 1verywhere there were new sea creatures spouting and diving. +ot to be outdone, the sandpiper sent out a call to her cousins-the gulls, the terns, the kingfishers, and the cormorants. When all the seabirds arrived, they covered not only the beaches, but also all the land right up to the mountains. &here was not an inch of land on that island that was not covered by birds. %o, which side had more? It was still hard to say. &hen, the whale thought, )If we whales eat up the beach, the birds will all drown. &hat will settle the issue once and for all, as then surely there will be more whales than sandpipers*) #e conveyed this to his relatives. &he whales started to take large bites of shore and sand2 in big gobbles, the beach started vanishing into the mouths of the whales.

$eanwhile the sandpiper thought, )Whales can survive only in the water. If we birds drink up all the sea, the whales will die. &hen surely there would be more sandpipers than whales*) &he sandpiper instructed her relatives to dry up the sea. (ccordingly, swarms of birds flew down to the ocean and drank and drank. &he water level began to come down sharply. #owever, the sandpiper soon noticed something alarming. !elow her lay hundreds of whales, gasping for breath on the dry shore as she had planned, but they were not the only ones* (ll the other creatures of the sea, including the minnows and crabs, also were dying without water* ).h, no*) cried the sandpiper. )What are we doing? &he minnows and other smaller creatures are our food, and they"re all dying. If they"re gone, we"ll all starve to death* 3uick, spit out all the water back into the ocean and revive them* Drying the ocean will not solve our problem2 it"ll only spell our doom*) (ll the birds obliged. &he water flowed back into the ocean and slowly, the whales started to move. &he tiny sea creatures burrowed into the sand or scurried away. It was only now, as he revived, that the whale reali,ed the full e4tent of his own folly. )#ow foolishly self-destructive we were*) he thought. )What were we fighting about, anyway? &he ocean is big enough for all of us- the sea creatures and the birds alike.) #e called a truce to the sandpiper, who was ready to accept as she too was regretting the 'uarrel. &he sea creatures and the sea birds dispersed on cordial terms, and the earth and the ocean were saved. %ince then, no one"s ever found out whether there are more sandpipers in this world or more whales. (nd the whales and the sandpipers have managed to get on fine without ever resorting to such a test of numbers again*

Moral:

Fighting over small issues can lead to big problems.

HONEST PUNYAKOTI
.nce upon a time, there was a village in 5arnataka, which was situated at the foot of a hill. In this village lived a herd of cows, whose leader was a beautiful cow named 6unyakoti. %he had a single calf, whom she loved with all her heart. 1very morning, all cows would go to gra,e in a in a grassy meadow halfway up the hill, leaving their calves behind in the village. &hey would return to the village in the evening. +ear the pasture was a 0ungle, which was the abode of a tiger, named #ulia. In his youth, #ulia had been the terror of the whole 0ungle7 unfortunately, now he was old and weak. #aving lost his old agility, he found it very difficult to catch his prey in the

0ungle. #e had not eaten for several days and was weak from hunger. (t length, driven to despair, he came out of the 0ungle, hoping to find some food elsewhere. It so happened that at that very moment the herd was returning home from the pasture. (s he spotted them from afar, #ulia was thrilled. #e lay in wait for them behind a big rock, confident of getting a good meal. &hey had hardly come close enough, when, desperate with hunger, #ulia pounced* #owever, he had overestimated his ability and fell short of his target. &he herd scattered in panic and ran away. #ulia gave chase with all the speed he could muster. (las, it was pitifully inade'uate* #e was so weak and e4hausted that he could hardly run. #e was unable to catch even a single cow, and the herd made good its escape. #ulia climbed back on the rock in disgust, cursing his own rashness that had brought about this situation. (s he sat there in utter e4haustion, panting under the strain of his efforts, he suddenly saw a very welcome sight. &here, in the distance, was a lone cow walking along the path towards him* It was 6unyakoti, who had somehow got separated from the rest of the herd. %he was walking briskly ahead, saying to herself,8.h* I am late* $y child will be waiting for me.)%he was in such a hurry to reach home that she did not notice #ulia. &o #ulia, this seemed a heaven-sent opportunity to make up for the one he had s'uandered by his own foolishness earlier, and he was determined not to let go of it* 6atiently he waited, promising himself,8I shall not let this one go* I"ll have a good feast today.) #ulia waited until 6unyakoti had come very close. &hen he emerged from his hiding place and gleefully declared, licking his lips,)(t last, my patience has been rewarded* I shall have a delicious meal after so many days*) 6unyakoti was a wise and brave cow. %he reali,ed that she was no match for #ulia, even though he was old and weak. %o there was no point resisting. #owever, the picture of her hungry calf waiting eagerly for her, flashed before her eyes. %he said to #ulia, )I am ready to be your food. !ut can you please do me a favor? (t home, my child is waiting for me. Will you let me go and feed him? I promise you that I shall come back to youimmediately after that.) &he tiger burst into loud, sarcastic laughter. )Do you take me to be such a fool?)he asked. )Don"t I know that if let you go, you"ll run away, never to come back?) 6unyakoti said earnestly, )!elieve me I will. I give you my word with $other 1arth as my witness.)

#ulia sighed and said, )(ll right- you may go. !ut return soon*)6unyakoti gratefully said, )&rust me, I will* &hank you so much, #ulia*) %he ran all the way home and met her calf, who was waiting eagerly for her. %he fed him lovingly. (fter he had drunk his fill, she hugged him and said, )$y son, I have to bid you goodbye now. In fact, I have come to you on borrowed time. #ulia the tiger caught me, and I promised him that I would return to him after feeding you.) &he calf was aghast. #e said, )!ut mother, you don"t have to return*) !y now, all the other cows had gathered around 6unyakoti. &hey said in one voice, )#e is right. We will change our voice, )#e is right. We will change our route and avoid that pasture henceforth. What can #ulia do?) !ut 6unyakoti disdained the suggestion. %he said, )$ay be I can run away from #ulia, but I can"t run away from myself* If I did as you say, I would never be able to forgive myself. I gave #ulia a solemn promise that I would return, and he let me go because he trusted me to keep my word. #ow can I betray that trust? &ruth is everything to me.) (t this, her calf tearfully asked, )$other, who will feed me when I am hungry? Who will look after me? 6unyakoti turned to the other cows and said, )$y sisters, please treat my calf like your own child. !e kind to him for he has no one else but you.)%he turned to go. Deeply moved, all the cows said, )6unyakoti, we will also come with you to the tiger.) !ut 6unyakoti said, )6lease don"t. You must take care of my child.) )Don"t go, mother*)implored her calf. !ut 6unyakoti steeled her heart and ran towards the hill. $eanwhile, #ulia was thinking, )What a fool I was, to let my prey escape* I was too tired to think straight 9 that"s why I did something so cra,y* Who in his senses would come back voluntarily to face death, when he has a chance to escape?) #e was still running his own stupidity, when he saw her, he was astounded. #unger and weakness notwithstanding, #ulia could not help lauding the nobility of the cow who had kept her word and come back to die. )You are great*)he e4claimed. )I cannot eat such a truthful and noble animal as you. You are my own sister. o, 6unyakoti 9 go back to your child*)(nd he turned and walked away without a backward glance. &hanking the tiger for his noble gesture- which had been inspired by her own6unyakoti sped down the hill, and was happily reunited with her calf.

Moral: Honesty is always rewarded.

HOW THE BEAR LOST HIS TAIL

!elieve it or not, there was a time when the bear had a lovely long, furry tail- 'uite unlike the short, stumpy one he sports today* !ut how did he lose it? (h, therein hangs a tail-er, sorry, tale* &he bear was very proud of his beautiful tail. #e took great care of it and spent hours brushing it out and keeping it glossy and tangle-free. Wherever he went, he would spread it out like a fan behind him, and people had to walk round it. 1veryone was on tenterhooks around him, for, if they stepped on it byaccident, he would nearly snap their heads off* &he bear"s tail was also his main conversation topic. Whomsoever he met, he would ask, )Don"t you think my tail is the most beautiful tail you"ve ever seen?) (s you can imagine, the animals didn"t think much of the foolish bear, who had nothing to talk about e4cept the glory of his tail* #owever, all of them were frightened of his big claws and didn"t want to make him angry. %o, without e4ception they all told him, )Yes indeed, !ear 9 yours is the most magnificent tail in the whole world* (nd it makes you really smart and handsome*) .n hearing this, the bear would beam with pride and feel ten feet tall. #owever, he wouldn"t have been so happy if only he"d known what was coming to him. (s it turned out, among the animals who admired his tail was one who had resolved to teach him a lesson he would never forget* &his was none other than the fo4, who was furious with him ever since the day he had slapped him for treading on his precious tail. -rom then on, the fo4 had been biding his time, awaiting revenge* .ne icy cold day, the bear went lumbering down to the lake in the middle of winter2 the lake was completely fro,en over. (s he neared the lake, he saw a most alluring spectacle. .n the bank sat the fo4, and he was surrounding by a pile of fish* &he bear"s stomach was rumbling with hunger, and his mouth watered at the sight of so many delicious-looking fishes. #e approached the fo4 and said, )#ello, brother -o4* Where did you get all those fish?) &his was the moment the fo4 had been waiting for* )Why, I caught them, of course, from that hole*) he said nonchalantly, pointing to a hole in the ice before him. )!ut how?) asked the bear in bewilderment. )You don"t have any fishing tools, so what did you fish with?) :In reality, of course, the fo4 had seen him approaching from afar and carefully hidden his fishingimplements, making up his mind to play a trick on the unsuspecting bear*; )With my tail, as usual,) he answered in a casual tone.

+ow the bear was really astonished. )With your tail? !ut how can you fish with your tail?) he asked curiously. )Why, bear, don"t tell me you know the art of fishing with one"s tail*) e4claimed the fo4 in mock surprise. )Don"t you know it"s the best method for catching fish?) )<eally?) asked the bear, his eyes widening in wonder. )-ancy, I never knew that* =an I catch fish with my tail, too?) )%ure, why not?) replied the fo4, turning away to hide a smile. )With a long and beautiful tail like yours, you"ll never go hungry- you can always catch as many fish as you want to eat* Would you like me to show you how to do it?) )Yes, please*) said the bear eagerly. &he fo4 peered into the hole in the ice and said, )&here are no more fish left in this* /et"s go to another part of the lake where there"s more.) #e led the bear to a shallow part of the lake. &he bear swiftly dug out a hole in the ice with his claws. )#ere"s how you do it,) said the fo4. )%it down with your back to the hole and drop your tail into thewater*) &he bear obeyed, wincing at the contract with the icy water. #owever, he wanted the fish so badly that he 'uickly forgot the cold. )+ow,) said the fo4, )you"ll feel when a fish bites. %it absolutely still, and wait until a number of fish have bitten, and then you can pull out your tail with your magnificent catch*) &he bear"s mouth watered and he scratched himself with pleasure. )Don"t move*) ordered the fo4, and he sat still. ) ood*) said the fo4. )I"ll watch from those trees, so that I don"t scare away the fish.) &he bear sat stiffly, thinking about the fish 0umping onto his tail. It was tiring and after a while, he do,ed off. It became very cold and started snowing. &he fo4 collected his fish and returned home. (fter a couple of hours, he came back to the lake. #e saw that the bear was still e4actly as he had left him. #is fur coat was completely covered with snow, and he was snoring away to glory. It was such a ludicrous sight that the fo4 burst out laughing. -inally, he composed himself and went up to the bear. #e then shouted, )!ear, wake up* &here"s a fish on your tail* =an you feel it?) %tartled, the bear woke up. #e could feel a sharp pain in his behind.

)Yes, yes, I feel it*) he cried and 0umped up. &he ne4t moment, there was a popping sound. /ooking behind him, he saw, to his horror that his beautiful black tail had snapped right off* &here it lay, as if mocking him- a stiff, fro,en lump of fur, stuck in the transparent ice* (ll that was left on his backside was a small stump- an apology for a tail. ).h, no* $y lovely long tail*) Wailed the poor bear. &he fo4 ran away, laughing heartily. &he bear would have given anything to be able to get his hands on the fo42 if he had caught him that day, he would have killed him* !ut the fo4 knew this and was crafty enough to keep out of his way thereafter. (nd that is how the bear lost his beautiful tail. &o this day, bears sport short, stumpy tails. If you ever hear a bear groaning, it is because he"s still thinking of the lovely tail he lost that day*

Moral: Do not blindly believe what others say.

HOW THE CAMEL LOST HIS BEAUTY

.nce upon a time, the camel used to live, not in the desert, all the otheranimals. In those days, he was believe it or all the animals in the 0ungle. #e had two claims to beauty. pair of antlers, which had twelve branches and which added and the second was a thick, bushy tail. but in the 0ungle along with not* 9 &he handsomest of &he first was a magnificent much glory to his forehead,

(s you can imagine, the camel was very proud of his beautiful antlers and tail. #e took great care of them, which was a good thing. !ut I"m sorry to say that he had a bad habit, too that of ridiculing and laughing at other animals less fortunate than himself* =hief among them were the deer, who, in those days, had a bald forehead without antlers, and the horse, who had a thin, stumpy tail. &hese twoanimals were fre'uently the butt of the camel"s 0okes. %eeing the deer approaching, the camel would say, )Who do we have here? (h, it"s $r. !adly* (ren"t you lucky 9 you save so much time, as you don"t have to groom, or sharpen your antlers?) (ll the other animals would burst out laughing, and the deer would blush in embarrassment. %imilarly, the horse would be greeted with- )#ere comes $r. %tumpy* What happened to your tail, dear? Did a tiger eat it up? .r did someone tell you that stumpy tails are the fashion in the city?) &he horse and the deer were fed up with the camel"s teasing. .ne day, they happened to meet and talk, when the topic turned to the camel and his mockery. &he deer burst out, )I tell you, I"m heartily sick of that vain camel* It"s not my fault that I don"t have a

pair of magnificent antlers like his* >ust because he has them, what right does he have to make fun of me? #ow I wish I could teach him a lesson he will never forget*) &he horse said, )I feel e4actly the same. #e thinks too highly of himself. It"s time someone brought him down a couple of pegs* Why don"t you and I be the ones to do it?) I"d love to*) said the deer enthusiastically. )!ut what can we do?) )I have an idea,) said the horse. )#ere"s how we can do it?) and he outlined his plan to the deer, who listened eagerly and agreed. &he ne4t day, the camel was standing alone on the bank of a lake, admiring his reflection in the water, when the deer and the horse walked up to him. )Why, if it isn"t !aldy and %tumpy together* Where are you off to? 1n'uired the camel with his usual mocking laugh. &o his surprise, neither of the two blushed or looked embarrassed, as was their wont at his usual teasing. It appeared as if they were preoccupied with some worry, for, both looked grave* )-riend =amel,) said the deer, )You are such a handsome, ma0estic animal 9 with your great height, your robust body, those ma0estic antlers?) )?.and that lovely, thick tail*) cut in the horse. )&ruly you are the most good-looking animal in the entire forest*) &he camel swelled up with pride. #is heart warmed to the two animals, who had never praised him like this before. #e began to think that perhaps, they were not so bad after all 9 it was not their fault that they were ugly* (ll were not destined to be perfect like himself* &he deer"s voice broke into his meditations- )yes, -riend =amel, you are without doubt the handsomest animal, not 0ust of this forest but of the whole world* You are the pride and glory of our forest* +ot all of us are so fortunate. We are ugly, imperfect?which is why we face so many problems?.) #is voice tapered off into a half-sob. >olted out of his self-absorption, the camel asked his new-found friend, )What is the matter? Why are you so sad?) %adly the deer said, )&he horse and I have been invited to a party hosted by the animals of the ne4t forest. !ut how can I go there with such an ugly bare forehead? I will be the laughing stock of the entire forest*) )What about me?) put in the horse dismally. )I have such an ugly tail2 I"m not fit to show myself before a distinguished assembly* +o, there"s no help for it e4cept to skip the party. @nless?.) he paused, as if struck by a sudden thought, and took a sidelong look at the camel.

)Yes? @nless what? asked the camel eagerly. )-riend =amel, your tail and antlers would be the glory of any gathering- even that of the gods* &hey are things anyone would be proud to be seen in*) praised the deer and he went on, )If you could really make a fantastic impression on the animals of the ne4t forest.) )Why, yes, we could indeed*) said the deer, looking up as if such an idea had only 0ust occurred to him. )What a great idea, #orse* It is the only way two ugly animals like us can attend that party without losing face. I"m sure our friend =amel will agree to lend us his lovely possessions, as he is a noble,large- animal. #is nature is as beautiful as his body, as we all well know* %o won"t you lend your magnificent antlers to me and your splendid tail to the horse for the party, -riend =amel? 6lease?) &he camel hesitated. (lthough loath to part with his pri,ed possessions, even for a day, how could he refuse after hearing such fulsome praise? )You will return them to me immediately after you return from the party, won"t you?) he asked. ).f course* #ow could you even doubt it?) asked the horse in a hurt tone. )&he moment we are back, we will come right here to you and return your things. >ust wait for us at the same spot tomorrow evening, and we"ll meet you here,) added the deer. &he camel then look of his magnificent antlers and handed them to the deer, who immediately put them on and thanked him effusively. +e4t, he e4changed tails with the horse, giving him his thick, glossy tail and receiving in its place the latter"s stumpy one. &he horse also thanked him profusely. )(nd now, we"ll take your leave, friend*) said the deer. )&hank you so much for your help. %ee you tomorrow evening*) &he duo then vanished into the undergrowth, chuckling to them selves. &he camel"s bald forehead and stumpy tail made him feel awkward and ill at ease. &hat day, he stayed away from all his familiar haunts, lest the other animals tease him about his altered appearance* .nly now did he reali,e how the deer and the horse would have felt when he taunted them. #e wished they would come back soon and return his antlers and tail. &ime seemed to crawl past at a snail"s pace for the poor camel that day. #owever, at long last the ne4t evening arrived. In this eagerness to get back his things, the camel arrived at the appointed spot well before the stipulated time. #owever, the evening turned into night and still2 there was no sign of the borrowers* &he camel reali,ed that he had been tricked. In great fury, he sought out the two animals and ordered them to return his antlers and tail. #owever, they never

did* &he deer said, )I"ll return your antlers after the horse returns your tails*) &he horse said, )/et the deer return your antlers2 after that, I"ll return your tail*) %ince then many days and years passed, but the poor camel has not got back either his antlers tail. #e is deeply grieved about the loss. #ence, he rarely drinks water, for, when he comes to a pond to drink and beholds his reflection, the sight of his bare and ugly forehead, devoid of his handsome antlers, saddens him* &hus did the camel"s pride bring him to a sorry pass*

Moral: Pride goes before a fall.

HOW THE CAT FOUND ITS MASTER

$any, many years ago, the great forests of (frica were filled with many different kinds of wild animals. (mong them was 6aka the cat. (t that time, he had not yet started living with human beings, and was very much a wild animal. +ow, 6aka was small and cute and oh, so sweet-looking* !ut in reality, he was anything but sweet. #e was shrewd and ambitious, and wished to come up in life. !ut this was very difficult in the forest, which had so many terrible wild animals that were all much larger and stronger than him. .ne day, 6aka thought to himself, )&he law of the forest is A$ight is right". !ut I"m small and weak. %o, to become powerful, I must make friends with a strong animal* !ut it should not be 0ust any animal, but the strongest one possible* %o I must first find out 9who is the mightiest animal in the forest?) It did not take 6aka long to find the answer. It was %imba, the lion, who ruled supreme over the forest. &here was no animal who did not fear him. When he gave out one of his mighty roars, the entire forest shook in terror. !irds and animals alike scattered in panic at the very sound of his footsteps* 6aka decided to befriend %imba. #e followed him secretly and kept track of his movements. (t last, he found an opportune moment when %imba was lying contentedly on a rock, rela4ing after a good meal. athering courage, 6aka slowly walked up to him and greeted him with a )#ello, cousin*) )=ousin?) growled %imba. :-ortunately for 6aka, he was in a good mood and so did not tear him to pieces*; #e burst into a great roar of laughter. )#ave you ever taken a look at yourself? #ow can a puny fellow like you claim kinship with me- the king of the beasts? What a 0oke*) #umbly 6aka said, )I"m nowhere near Your $a0esty in si,e or power, I know. !ut aren"t we both members of the same cat family? $ay I have the privilege of serving you as a humble companion?)

%imba considered the re'uest and boomed, )#mmmm?. ( king needs an attendant. (ll right, you can be mine*) -rom then on, 6aka was constantly in %imba"s company. #e would accompany %imba on his hunts and eat his leavings. #e would do odd 0obs for him and flatter him. In this manner, many months rolled by. .ne day, %imba was stretched ma0estically on a huge rock, sunning himself. 6aka sat on his back, brushing his fur for him. (ll of a sudden, there was a loud commotion. /ooking down, they perceived nearly all the animals of the forest fleeing in great terror. %urprised, %imba boomed from the rock-)#ey, you there, stop* Why are you running? #owever, no one had the time to stop and e4plain7 all the animals, big and small, continued their mad dash. (t this, %imba furiously 0umped down to block their path and roared- )I"m the king of the forest* +ow tell me what you are running away from* Who dares pursue you?) ( monkey paused 0ust long enough to gasp, )5ing or not, you better run too, if you value your life* &embo the elephant is on the rampage*) #e then fled away. %imba"s face paled. Without another word he turned and ran into the undergrowth, calling over his shoulder, )Don"t stand there gaping, 6aka- escape*) 6aka was shocked at the Aking"s" cowardly flight, and thought, ).h* %o the powerful lion is afraid of the elephant* &hat means the elephant is mightier than him. In that case, he"s the one I should cultivate-he"ll make a better friend than a silly lion*) %oon, &embo calmed down and the forest returned to normal. !iding his time, 6aka approached him and said, ).h, &embo* You are the most magnificent, graceful animal I have ever seen* I would be honoured if you"d only let me be your friend*) +o one had ever praised &embo so much before. %o he was greatly flattered, and accepted the offer. &hus, 6aka left %imba and became &embo"s companion. #e would go about in great style2 riding on &embo"s back and would keep him happy by praising him. $any days passed thus. &hen, one day, 6aka found &embo in great panic. )What"s the matter, friend? #e asked. &embo cried, )6aka, run for your life* &here"s a hunter in the forest*) 6aka had never seen a hunter before. %o he lingered to see the terrible creature who had scared the great elephant so much. %oon the hunter came into view. $uch to 6aka"s surprise, he was a puny, insignificantlooking creature, nowhere near &embo in height or ma0esty*

)Well, well*) thought 6aka. )&his hunter seems much more powerful than &embo, for all si,e and bulk* I should befriend him instead of that fat fool*) %lowly he came down from his perch on the tree. himself against his leg. oing close to the hunter, he rubbed

&he hunter stooped, picked him up and said, )I"ve had no luck with my hunting today. !ut I think you"ll make a nice, cuddly pet*) #e carried the cat home to his cave outside the forest. )(t last I"ve found the most powerful friend,) thought 6aka happily, sitting on the hunter"s shoulder as he marched ma0estically ahead. !ut as he entered his doorway, 6aka saw a smaller figure- a woman- sitting inside the cave. It was the hunter"s wife. %he shouted at him- )(t last you"re back- and that too empty-handed* You good 9 for 9 nothing fellow* Instead of food, you bring home a useless cat*) $uch to paka"s astonishment, the mighty, powerful hunter did not say a word in reply, but merely stood there, hanging his head. #is wife commanded, )+ow go and chop the firewood* #urry up- don"t 0ust stand and gape*) )Yes, dear*) said the hunter meekly, and rushed to obey. 6aka thought 9 )#mm?.(t last I have found the mightiest creature of all- mightier than the hunter, the elephant and the lion* I shall become her friend*) When the hunter"s wife found that 6aka could make himself useful by catching mice :which she hated;, she accepted him into the household. 6aka had at last found his true master* &hat is why, to this day, the cat still prefers to sit at the feet of the woman of the house*

Moral: A clever person makes the best use of opportunity.

HOW THE HARE RESCUED THE SUN

/ong, long ago, there were numerous birds and animals living in the vast plains of %iberia, which are known as the tundra. .ne day, a terrible calamity befell them. &he tundra was suddenly shrouded in darkness* It was like a never-ending night2 in vain did the animal wait for the sun to rise and illuminate their world once again. &he hours turned to days, and the days to months. &he land was enveloped in gloom and misery as all the animals and birds stumbled about in the darkness, seeking their food by touch.

@naccustomed to living in the dark, many animals met their end in confrontation with unseen dangers. It was evident that this state of affairs could not go on for much longer, for, the surviving animals were badly demorali,ed. (t length, it was decided to call a ground council2 envoys were dispatched to the council from every species of animal and bird. Barious alternatives were discussed during the council. (t length the old raven, who was considered the wisest of all, spoke up- )-riends, I would like to make a suggestion. If you agree, I shall fly out and try to discover the cause of this darkness and its remedy.) )!ut how will you make the flight in the darkness?) protested other animals. )It is dark here, too,) pointed out the raven, )and aren"t we moving about? (nyway, someone has to do this2 we can"t spend the rest of our lives in this darkness* %houldn"t we find a remedy?) (ll the animals and birds agreed, and the brave raven set off on his mission. (fter many days of patient waiting, loud wing-beats in the dark announced his arrival. &he animals were delighted, and 'uestioned him as to what he had found out. &he raven triumphantly announced, )$y friends, I have managed to find the cause of the darkness*) )What is it?) asked the fo4 an4iously. )&he light that used to brighten our land is called the %un. I understand that some evil spirits have stolen the %un. It seems they live in a great cavern, close to our land* &hey keep it in a huge stone pot. If we can steal back the %un from the evil sprits, our world will once again be filled with light. .ne of us must go and bring it back. It cannot be me, because I am old and frail, and the task calls for strength. You should send a really big and strong animal. %o, who shall it be?) )&he polar bear*) cried all the animals in one voice. )#e is the biggest, and the strongest of us all*) (t that moment, the oldest animal of the tundra- a half-deaf owl- who had been do,ing was woken up by the commotion. %he asked a little bird what had happened, and was informed that the polar bear was to be sent to rescue the %un. ).h, no*) cried the owl. )&hat won"t do at all* #e may be big and strong, but he is a slow-witted, lumbering beast* +o sooner will he come upon some scrap of food than he"ll forget all about his mission. (nd we"ll never get the %un back*) &he animals reali,ed that what the owl said was true2 the bear couldn"t be trusted to bring back the sun. )#ow about the wolf, then?) suggested the mole. )(fter the bear, he is the strongest and besides, he"s much faster.) &here was a chorus of agreement.

)1h, what are they saying?) the half-deaf owl asked the snow bunting. )&hey"ve decided to send the wolf,) replied the bunting. )#e"s the strongest and swiftest of us all, after the bear.) )<ubbish* %trong and swift the wolf may be, but he"ll never get the %un back for you*) said the owl decisively. )#e"s far too greedy to be entrusted with such an important task* #e"ll go after the first deer he sees and gobble it up2 and he"ll forget all about the sun.) #earing the owl"s words, the animals had to agree. )&hat"s true,) they said. )%ure enough, the wolf is greedy and when he sees a deer he will stop to kill it, and forget about the %un. !ut then, whom shall we send?) )I"ll tell you,) said the owl. )If at all anyone has a chance of bringing back the %un, it is the hare* #e may not be big or strong, but he"s very swift on his feet, and is not selfish like the bigger animals. #e has a good chance of retrieving the %un, for no one can catch him. &hus it was that the hare was chosen for this important mission. Without further ado, he set off on his 0ourney, guided by the raven. #e hopped and skipped for many days across the land until at last he spied a shaft of light far ahead. (s he came closer, he perceived a ray of light coming from under the earth through a narrow crack. =reeping up to the crack, he put his eye to it. &o his delight, he could make out a ball of fire lying in a great white stone pot, its rays lighting up a vast underground cavern. #e reali,ed that he had found what he was looking for.) &hat must be the %un,) he thought. #owever, he reali,ed that while the task of locating the sun had been accomplished, the harder part- that of retrieving it from the cavern- still lay ahead* #ow was he to do it? athering all his courage, the little hare s'uee,ed through the crack, let himself down on to the floor of the cavern and hopped over to where the ball of fire lay. &hen he snatched it up from the stone pot, and took a flying leap upwards through the crack. &he ne4t moment, there was pandemonium. (ll at once, the evil spirits came swarming up the crack, raising a hue and cry, in hot pursuit of the hare* &he hare ran as fast as his legs would carry him. #owever, his pursuers were much faster, and it was long before they were almost upon him. &he hare thought fast. >ust as they were about to grab him, he gave the ball of fire a hard kick with his hind legs, breaking it in two une'ual parts. With a second kick, he sent the smaller part flying high into the air until it reached the heavens. (nd there, it became the gentle $oon.

+e4t, a third kick sent the bigger part flying even higher, so that it soared into another region of the sky to become the mighty %un. &he earth was flooded with bright light* !linded by the glorious light and terrified, the evil spirits scampered back underground, never to appear on earth again. &ired but triumphant, the brave little hare ran back to the tundra, where he was hailed by all the animals, as the valiant hero who rescued the %un. &o this day, he holds a very special place among the animals of the tundra*

Moral: Do not udge a person by his si!e.

HOW THE LION AND JACKAL WENT HUNTING

/ong, long ago, when the wilds of (frica abounded with animals of all kinds, life was not easy for the smaller animals. &hey had so many enemies 9 all much stronger than them 9 that they had to use all their wits to survive. .ne such clever little animal who outwitted all his foes, as you have already seen, was 5alulu the rabbit2 another !weha the 0ackal. +ow, !weha was not a particularly good hunter, since he lacked the speed and the strength to track down and overpower his prey. #owever, he made up for this weakness by his cunning. #e had an e4ceptionally smooth tongue and could talk his way out of every difficulty. #e was also adept at flattery, and many a time used this gift to great advantage with the bigger animals. .n occasion, !weha"s wife began scolding him, saying, )It"s more than a week now since you brought home any food, and I"m dying of hunger. You are a real good-fornothing* o and make arrangements for food at once*) !weha said, )What do you take me for? >ust wait and see 9 I shall go hunting with %imba the lionhimself* &hen there will be no limit to the meat I shall bring home*) ).h, really? %imba must be out of his mind if he takes you for a partner*) taunted his wife. @nfa,ed, !weha merely asked her again to wait and see, before leaving the den. #e went to %imba and began flattering him. )@ncle %imba, you"re the strongest animal I ever saw* #ow powerful and sinewy your body is*) he e4claimed. )When you go into the 0ungle, all the animals scatter in terror* &he sound of your booming voice is enough to set them trembling with fright* Who could dare stand up to you? &ruly you"re the master of the entire 0ungle.) #e went on in this manner for a few more minutes. &hen, when he had accomplished the task of bringing the lion into a good mood, he humbly asked, )@ncle %imba, when you go hunting, will you take me also along, please?) )Whatever for? (re you going to hunt along with me?) asked %imba, laughing.

)6erish the thought* #ow can I presume to hunt along with you, as if I were your e'ual?) asked the 0ackal meekly. )+o, @ncle %imba, I will merely be your servant 9 to carry the meat and to eat your leavings*) )Bery well,) said the lion. %oon they set off on the hunt together. !efore long, the lion spotted a large buffalo, whom he cashed on to a high bank, overpowered and killed. It was a long and difficult hunt, for2 the buffalo was a strong and bulky one. +eedless to say, %imba did all the work, while the 0ackal was content to stand back and praise his valour and heroism* !y the time the buffalo was dead, the lion was tired, hot and thirsty. #e badly wanted a drink of water. )!weha, I"m going down to the river for a drink,) he declared. ) uard my buffalo until I come back. (nd don"t you dare eat until I"ve returned and had my fill*) ).f course not, @ncle %imba*) said !weha, putting on a shocked e4pression. )You go in peace2 I"ll look after the buffalo.) %imba descended from the high bank into the river, and began to drink. +o sooner was his back turned than the sly 0ackal 'uietly removed the stone on which %imba had to step to climb back to the bank* +e4t, !weha ran to bring his wife. &he two of them began feasting greedily upon the meat of thebuffalo. $eanwhile, %imba, having drunk his fill, tried to climb back up the steep bank but failed. )!weha*) he roared. )#elp me climb up to the bank*) !weha instantly appeared at the top, peeping down in apparent an4iety. )Don"t worry, @ncle %imba*) he called. )I will let down a rope with which you can climb up*) &urning back, he ordered at the top of his voice, )Wife, get me a good strong rope of buffalo hide*$ake sure it"s really strong, so that @ncle %imba can climb up safely*) (side, he whispered to her, ) ive me the oldest and most worn-out rope you can find*) #is wife gave him an old rotten rope. 1ating ravenously all the while, !weha and his wife slowly let the rope down. %imba held on to the rope and began struggling up the steep bank. #e had not climbed more than a 'uarter of the way when !weha gave the rope a 0erk. It broke and poor %imba tumbled all the way down, coming finally to lie near the river. +ow, !weha began noisily thrashing a dry hide lying there. (s he did so, he uttered realistic howls of pain and shouted, )Wife, how could you give me a weak rope that caused @ncle %imba to fall?)

#earing the supposed fight between the couple, the lion roared from below, )!weha, stop beating your wife and help me up at once*) )<ight away, @ncle %imba*) shouted !weha. )I shall let down a good, strong rope. Wife, get me the best one you have, or else?*) #e then turned to her and whispered, )!ring another thin old rope*) %he obliged, and he let the rope down. %imba began the climb. When he was halfway across, !weha cut it with his teeth, so that it snapped in two and %imba tumbled down once again. -or the second time, !weha began beating up the old hide, shouting, )Wife, didn"t I ask for a strong rope? #ow dare you give me another weak one?) )!W1#(*) bellowed %imba so loudly that the ground vibrated. )%top beating your wife this instant and come and help me, or you"ll regret it*) )Wife,) called out !weha aloud, ) et me another rope, and this time make sure it"s a good strong one*) &hen he whispered to her, ) ive me the weakest one you can get*) !weha let down the third rope, and %imba began climbing on it. #e had nearly reached the top when !weha gave it a sudden 0erk. %+(6* &he rotten rope split in two. 6oor %imba fell all the way to the ground to crash upon a rock, breaking his leg* #e lay there, moaning in pain, unable to move or even call out. $eanwhile, the selfish !weha and his wife ate their fill of the buffalo and ran away. &hat was the day the lion decided never again to have a 0ackal for his hunting partner*

Moral: "ever trust a known betrayer# however sweet his words

KALLU OUTWITTED
5alulu the rabbit was one of the cleverest animals in the (frican 0ungle. #e was forever looking for new ways to outwit his enemies and make some profit in the bargain. .ne day, as he was wandering through the 0ungle, he happened to see a mother monkey and her baby climb up a tree. (ll of a sudden, the young one slipped from the branch and fell. !ut before he could touch the ground, the mother swiftly reached out with her long tail, looped it around his arm and swiftly pulled him up*

&he watching 5alulu was filled with wonder. What an ingenious use of one"s tail* %uddenly he had an idea. Why not make use of this principle himself? &hough he had no long tail, he could use a rope to lasso ob0ects and draw them to him* 5alulu now began e4perimenting on his new idea in right earnest. #e gathered some forest creepers and twisted them into a strong rope. &his he knotted into a lasso, and lay in wait for unwary animals to test his lasso on. #e set traps with his lasso at various places over the ne4t few days. &he trap was in the form a noose lying on the ground. $any animals, who unwittingly stepped on the noose, found themselves held fast in the 0ungle thickets and could only free themselves with much effort. #owever no one suspected 5alulu"s hand in it. It took him only a couple of days to be convinced of the efficacy of his rope trick. -or the time being, he had no use for this particular weapon. !ut that did not prevent him from practicing it assiduously at every opportunity, till he had perfected it. (fter all, one never knew when it might come in useful* It was his motto to be prepared for every eventuality. %ome time later, &embo the elephant- the king of the animals- decided to build a village for the animals. #e summoned a meeting of all the inhabitants of the 0ungle and informed them of his decision. (ll thought the village a good idea and all agreed to help in the building activity. &he work was to commence the ne4t afternoon. (ll the animals reported to the building site on time, e4cept for 5alulu. !ut that was nothing new. When did he ever show up on time when there was work to be done? ( couple of hours after the appointed time, when the animals were well into their work, 5alulu woke up from his siesta, yawned, stretched and thought he might 0oin the others and put in a spot of work after all. #e got up and la,ily sauntered towards the worksite. #e was not even midway through when suddenly, the most delicious aroma floating through the air made him stop dead. #is nose twitched as he gave himself up to a series of sniffs. What was that? (bandoning the idea of going for work, he turned and followed his nose-which led him a long way, through many meandering forest trails. (fter a lengthy trek, he finally ,oomed in with unerring accuracy on the source of the divine fragrance- &embo"s dwelling* &embo lived with his family in a clearing at one end of the 0ungle. #e was not home, having gone to work on the village site. !ut his wife was here. 6eeping through the bushes, 5alulu saw her stirring at a large pot that was steaming away on the fire. -rom the pot wafted a delectable aroma- the one that had lured him this far*)&hat must be &embo"s dinner,) decided 5alulu.

(s he watched from his hiding-place, &embo"s wife went in to get something. %ei,ing the opportunity, he ran up to the pot and peeped in. ( dish of beans was cooking. 5alulu was already hungry, and when the wonderful aroma hit his nostrils, he felt 'uite di,,y with longing. #e knew that he had taste the dish* #earing the sound of &embo"s wife returning, he hastened back to his hiding place. #e watched patiently as she added seasoning and finished cooking. -inally, leaving the dish to cool, she went in :little knowing that greedy 5alulu was watching and waiting;* &his was the moment 5alulu had been waiting for. #e ran up to the pot and began blowing upon it to cool it. (s soon as it was somewhat cool, he ate it all up in big gulps. It was very delicious. !urping in satisfaction, he crept away. &hat night, &embo was furious when he reached home and found that his beans had been stolen. Whoever had stolen his dinner? &he ne4t morning, he summoned %imba, the lion and ordered,)/ast night, someone had the temerity to steal my dinner. +o doubt he will try the same trick tonight. I want you to lie in wait and pounce upon the thief when he makes his appearance*) +ow, 5alulu was hiding in the bushes and heard the whole e4change. #e had every intention of returning that evening to have one more meal of those delicious beans. !ut how could he steal them when the lion himself was standing guard? %uddenly, an idea struck him as he remembered his trusty rope. #e spent the night setting a trap on the ground near the cooking pot, which he concealed under some leaves. &hat evening, when the animals had gone to work on the new village, 5alulu strolled out into the open and began to eat &embo"s beans, with one eye on %imba"s hiding place. #aving finished his meal, he ran off. (s he e4pected, %imba leapt up and chased him. 5alulu bolted through the trap that he had set. (las for the poor %imba* (s he ran, he did not see that he has put his foot into the noose, and the te4t moment, he found himself dangling in mid air* #e thus remained, wriggling and s'uirming, until the other animals returned and released him. +ow, %imba was too ashamed to say that he had been fooled by a little rabbit, so he declared that an unknown animal had ensnared him. &he ne4t day, the furious &embo deputed $bogo the buffalo to watch the beans. &his time, 5alulu had set a noose between two palm trees. When 5alulu had finished his meal of the king"s beans and was strolling away, the buffalo charged him. #owever, like his predecessor he, too, stepped on the noose, and was left dangling ignobly in the air until the animals arrived to rescue him. /ike %imba, the mighty $bogo, too, was ashamed to admit that the rabbit had got the better of him, so he only said that an unknown miscreant had trapped him.

In this manner, in the coming days, =hita the cheetah, $bwa the hunting dog, =huwi the tiger, and !weha the 0ackal were in turn deputed to guard the food, and all were laid low by 5alulu"s trap. (t length, +ko the crab, wiser than the rest, approached &embo privately and said,)If your wife will smear me with salt and put me into your dinner of beans tomorrow, I will catch the thief.) &embo did not e4pect the tiny crab to succeed where all the mighty animals had failed2 nevertheless, having no option, he decided to give it a try. (ccordingly +ko was secretly smeared with salt and left in the dinner-pot. &hat evening 5alulu crept up to the pot and ate up the beans as usual marveling over how the beans were even better than usual, being so deliciously salty* (ll of a sudden, he screamed in pain, as someone nipped his ear. It was +ko, of course, and he clung tenaciously on to 5alulu"s ear with his sharp teeth. +o matter how much 5alulu tried to dislodge him, he hung on for dear life. 5alulu begged, pleaded and threatened, but all to no avail. +ko clutched the pot with his pincers while biting 5alulu"s ear, so that he could not run away. #e thus held 5alulu prisoner until the other animals returned, and saw who the thief was* &hey decided to pay him back e4actly as he had treated them. -or si4 days he had to do without any dinner, and every day they went off to work leaving 5alulu tied by his own rope to a tree. !y the end of this period, he had grown so emaciated that they took pity upon him and let him go. #e loped off, promising never to play such a trick again. !ut do you think he can keep his word?

KALULU AND THE TIGER

/ife in the (frican 0ungle was not easy for 5alulu the rabbit, who had many enemies among the bigger, more powerful animals. &hey were 0ust waiting for the opportunity to kill and eat him, and it was only by his nimble wits and agility that he managed to escape each time. .ne of the most dangerous of these enemies was =huwi, the tiger. $any a time, 5alulu had had a narrow escape from his clutches, and he was now so furious that he had sworn to have 5alulu for lunch at the earliest opportunity. -or many days after this, 5alulu was careful to stay out of =huwi"s way. #owever, as time passed, he grew careless and let his guard slip. .ne day, 5alulu happened to meet his old friend, 5ima the monkey, at the foot of an old tamarind tree. #e was so busy chatting that he failed to notice his dreaded foe creeping upon him. It was only when the light was blotted out by a wide shadow that the friends looked up to see the tiger standing within touching distance, glowering menacingly at them* )(t last I"ve got you, 5alulu*) &he booming voice was so terrifying it sent a chill down 5alulu"s spine. iving a shriek of fright, 5ima turned and scrambled up the nearby tamarind tree.

5alulu knew he was trapped* #e could not hope to run away 9 not when chuwi was this close. #is mind worked at lightning speed he thought of a plan. #e turned to face his foe, and was hard put to suppress an involuntary shudder. =huwi"s eyes had a murderous glint in them, and he was displaying all his fierce-looking teeth in a triumphant grin. =omposing himself, 5alulu said calmly, )(ll right, =huwi, you can eat me, if you like* What difference does it make, if we"re all going to die anyway? $aybe it would be better this way 9 'uicker and less painful*) =huwi paused, nonplussed. )What are you talking about?) )#aven"t you hard, then? ( terrible hurricane is about to hit the 0ungle. It"ll be here any moment now. If we"re caught in it, we"ll all perish, without a doubt*) )What*) &he predatory gleam died out of =huwi"s eyes, to be replaced by a look of terror. #e knew all about hurricanes. &hey were terrible things 9 the crashing trees, the howling wind, the pouring rain* In his fright, he forgot himself so much as to appeal to his prey. )!ut?but what can we do, 5alulu?) he asked. )Well,) said 5alulu, )I intend to hide somewhere till the hurricane has gone. !ut in your case, it"s going to be more difficult* !eing so big, you"ll not find a safe place to hide, where the wind can"t get at you. #mmm?/et me think*) #e pretended to be lost in thought, while =huwi waited an4iously. %econds later, he said, )I have it*) )&ell me*) said chuwi eagerly. 6ointing to the tamarind tree, 5alulu said, )&his tree is ancient and sturdy, and has withstood many storms. What you could do is to get yourself tied up to this, so that you don"t get blown away.) =huwi eagerly grasped at this straw. ) ood idea* Would you tie me up, 5alulu, please?) )Well?) said 5alulu pretending to hesitate, )I have to go and find a suitable hiding place for myself?) )6lease, 5alulu*) 5alulu relented. )(ll right. et some strong vines from yonder creeper, and I"ll tie you.)

&he tiger obeyed his bidding. &aking the vines, 5alulu tied him up to the tree. )&ighter*) shouted =huwi. )I don"t want to be blown off*) #iding his laughter, 5alulu tightened the knots until =huwi could hardly breathe. &hen, with a ) ood luck, =huwi*) he hopped off.

%ome time later, a few goats happened to come that way. )#ey, look at this*) they cried in delight. )&he tiger is tied to a tree* Wonderful* +ow we need fear him no more*) )-oolish goats,) said =huwi sternly, )don"t you know there"s a horrible hurricane on the way? <un away and hide while you can*) )( hurricane* Who told you about it?) asked one of the goats. )5alulu,) answered chuwi. #e was surprised to see all the goats burst into laughter. )(nd you believed him?) asked one of them in between chuckles. (nother added, )You"ve been nicely tricked* &here are no signs of any hurricane. &he sky is 'uite clear, and there is no wind.) =huwi saw red* #e now reali,ed how 5alulu had made a fool of him, and was more determined than ever to get free and eat him. &he sight of the goats gamboling about made him drool with hunger. #ow he wished he could sink his teeth into their tender flesh* !ut 5alulu had tied him so tightly that it was impossible for him to free himself without assistance. &aking care to keep his voice soft and pleasant, he asked the goats, )=ould you untie me, please?) !ut the goats took one look at the gleam in his eye and knew what he was up to. )+o way*) they cried, and ran off, still laughing. .n their way, they told all they met that it was celebration time because =huwi was firmly tied to the tamarind tree. $eanwhile =huwi was in despair. 1ventually he looked up and saw 5ima, the monkey :who had leapt away at his approach; peering at him from between the leaves. )5ima dear, won"t you untie me?) he asked. )+ot I,) answered 5ima promptly. )If I do, you"ll eat me*) )+o, no* I promise I won"t. I"ll even reward you with a bunch of ripe bananas2 only untie me*) +ow 5ima was a rather foolish monkey, and he believed the cunning tiger. /ured by the bait of bananas, he came down and began gnawing away at the rope. !efore long, it broke and =huwi was free* &he ne4t moment, =huwi grabbed 5ima, smacked his lips and said, )(h* $y meal at last*) 6oor 5ima could only stare at him in terror. It was fortunate for him that 5alulu returned to check on chuwi at that very moment, and saw what was going on* 5alulu thought fast. >ust as =huwi was lifting 5ima to mouth, he called out 9 )=huwi, shame on you* Is that any way to eat a monkey?)

)#ow else would one do it?) asked =huwi, swinging the terrified 5ima before his nose. )It"s much more appeti,ing to throw the monkey into the air and catch him in your open mouth. !ut not all can do it*) (s usual, =huwi acted first and thought afterwards. %tung by the challenge, he declared, ).f course I can do it*) #e tossed the little monkey high in the air and waited for the tender delicacy to drop into his open mouth. (s he floated up into thy branches, the agile 5ima hooked his tail on a branch to break his fall and scampered higher into the tree* 5alulu 'uickly shook the tamarind tree. &he ne4t moment, several* /arge, tart pods dropped from the overhanging branch into =huwi"s open mouth* =hoking and coughing, poor =huwi spat out the awful fruit. #e then ran away into the 0ungle, swearing that he would make a meal of that rabbit the very ne4t time he found him* !ut can anyone ever catch clever 5alulu?

Moral: $uick wit solves many problems.Moral: %vil actions lead to punishment some day.

KIBOKO'S FUR COAT

$any, many years ago, long before you or I, or even our great-grandparents, were born, there was a time when hippos did not live in the water as they do now. Instead, they lived in the (frican wilds in the company of the other animals. Would you believe it if I told you that in those days, 5iboko, the hippo, was the handsomest of all the animals? You might find it hard to relate this with his present ugly appearance, but yes, it is true* &hose were the days when he sported a wonderful thick coat of soft brown fur. +or was this his only claim to beauty2 he also had a pair of long, silky ears and a magnificent bushy tail. %o you can imagine that he was very good-looking indeed* @nfortunately, 5iboko"s nature was not half as beautiful as his appearance* #is problem was that he was e4tremely vain. &he other animals praise for his beauty had turned his head, and he now believed that he was the greatest animal in the 0ungle* #e had become obsessed with his looks and would spend hours at the river every day, feasting his eyes upon his own reflection and turning his body this way and that to admire himself from every angle. .ne day, as he was ma0estically ambling towards the river as usual, who should he meet en route but 5alulu, the rabbit* =onceited about his own beauty, he felt pity for the rabbit who :he thought; was so ugly. -orgetting all his manners, he condescendingly declared- )6oor 5alulu2 I feel sorry for you* #ow ridiculous you look

with your coarse coat, over-long ears, twitchy nose and that ugly short tail* (nd your clumsy hopping gait, too* I"m so glad I don"t look like you*) 5alulu was so angry that words failed him. #ow dare the arrogant hippo talk to him like that* Without pausing to retort, he hopped away, thinking, )>ust you wait, 5iboko* I"ll teach you a lesson you won"t forget in a hurry*) !lissfully unaware of the fact that he had 0ust earned himself a dangerous enemy, 5iboko lumbered on to the river, where he gloated over his reflection, saying to himself, )Indeed I"m lucky. #ow elegant-looking I am 9 so unlike that ugly hare*) $eanwhile, back home, 5alulu was thinking furiously of how best he could avenge his humiliation. %oon, an idea struck him. #e 'uickly busied himself collecting a pile of soft, dry grass, which he tied into a bundle. &hat evening, he visited 5iboko as if nothing had happened. In a tone brimming with adulation, he humbly addressed him thus, )5iboko* You are the pride and glory of our 0ungle. &he winter is almost here. I"m worried about you. You know, it is all right for us ordinary folks, but a magnificent animal like you should not spoil his superb body by sleeping on the cold, hard ground* 6lease accept this gift from me. It is a bed of soft grass for you to sleep on.) -oolish 5iboko puffed up with the pride on hearing the praise. Without in the least suspecting anything amiss, he accepted the bundle and haughtily declared, )Indeed, it is the duty of you all to ensure that my beauty is maintained, and I am glad to see that you, for one, are aware of your responsibility* &hanks*) .n hearing this, 5alulu nearly choked with fury. <eally, was there no limit to the fool"s pride? )>ust wait awhile, $r. #andsome, and see what happens*) he said to himself, and took leave of 5iboko as graciously as he could. 1ager to try out his soft new bed, 5iboko spread it out at once in the usual place. )#mmm?.soft and comfortable* +othing less than what I deserve*) he commented as he lay down upon it. $oments later, he was snoring away to glory. $eanwhile, 5alulu ran to the village ad0oining the forest. (t the centre of the village, he found a large fire, which had 0ust been e4tinguished. #owever, a few live coals remained on the edge. +o one was about, and he 'uickly grabbed the lumps and put them into a broken pot which was lying nearby. #e then dashed back into the 0ungle with the pot. #e found 5iboko still snoring away in his warm, soft bed. 5alulu crept up to him noiselessly and dropped the glowing coal lumps on the dry grass. It was a windy night and a strong bree,e soon began blowing. It was not long before the sparks from the coal, fanned by the bree,e, turned into a conflagration*

5iboko woke up with a start, to find flames all around him and over him. 6anic-stricken, he trashed about wildly, trying to beat out the flames. !ut it was of no use 9 his magnificent fur coat was soon burning like a brand. In great agony, he raced towards the river. 5alulu was standing by, watching the spectacle. #e leapt out of the way 0ust in time, as 5iboko in his mad rush nearly crashed into him. 5iboko reached the river and leapt headlong into the cool water. <elief came only when he held his breath and dived below the surface. &he flames were put out, and the cold water felt good against his burning skin. #e lay there for a long time, letting the soothing sensation wash over him. #ours later, 5iboko climbed out of the water, feeling sore and painful all over, and very furious. )Where"s that devil of a rabbit?) he roared. )/et me 0ust get hold of him, and I"ll give him the hiding of his life*) #owever, before going in search of 5alulu, 5iboko had to first look at his reflection, to find out the e4tent of the damage caused by the fire. #e peeped down at the water 9 and what an awful shock he got* %taring back at him from the clear water was a pinkish-grey, wrinkled, bald creature* @nable to believe his eyes, poor 5iboko gaped in stupefaction. #is lovely fur coat 9 the envy of the whole 0ungle 9 was gone* #is beautiful bushy tail was burnt to a stump* @gly, round, small pink ears poked out where his long silky ones used to be* Without his handsome fur coat, his legs looked short and stubby and his body looked bulky and obese. #e looked?positively ugly* 5iboko burst into a loud wail. #e had been so proud of his looks, and this was the worst possible fate that could have befallen him. #eart-broken, he fled back into the water to hide his body from anyone who might see him. =rying and howling in shame, he lowered himself beneath the surface so that only his eyes and nostrils could be seen. -rom then on, he remained in the water. #is descendants followed suit. &hat is why, even today you find the hippopotamus always immersed in water. .nly at night, when he is sure that no one iswatching, does this once magnificent animal come out to walk and gra,e at the edge of the forest. ( heavy price, indeed, that poor 5iboko paid for his vanity*

Moral: Do not be vain about your beauty.

LOMDEN AND THE WOLF

.ne afternoon, $emna the sheep was gra,ing in a mountain pasture along with the rest of the flock. +ow, the other sheep were content to remain in the pasture under the eye of the shepherd, who had warned them not to stray. !ut $emna, who was young and adventurous, thought, )#ow boring it is to gra,e in the same meager pasture, day after

day* &he shepherd is a silly fellow who"s scared of every little thing2 that"s why he keeps telling us not to venture out of this tiny space. #ow I wish I could go out and e4plore the terrain for myself* &hat valley on the east looks so green- I"m sure the grass and leaves there will be much thicker and 0uicier than this dry grass*) 6resently she saw that the shepherd was do,ing, and that the others in the flock had their attention elsewhere. (ll of a sudden, a daring thought struck her- why not sei,e this opportunity to sneak away from the flock and e4plore that inviting valley? %urely she could gra,e there to her heart"s content andget back before she was missed* %oon, the little sheep was treading the glorious path of freedom. $errily, she frisked and bounded her way to the valley. (las, she had re0oiced too soon* -or, all of a sudden, she was stopped in her tracks by the sight of a large, ferocious wolf who stood blocking her path* #e eyed the plump sheep with delight and boomed, )(h-ha, what have we here? ( delicious dinner- 0ust what I"d been longing for*) 6oor $emna, who had never anticipated such a danger, was rooted to the spot. %he was no terrified that she could not even bleat aloud* %he stood there as if mesmeri,ed, staring at the wolf with terrified eyes. )=ome, come, my dear, don"t look so stricken,) said the wolf. )&here"s nothing to be sad about- on the contrary, you should re0oice* You"re going to fulfill the purpose of your life, by providing a delicious meal to a poor, starving wolf*) $oving menacingly towards her, he paused, as if struck by a new thought, and said, ).n second thoughts, I don"t think I shall have my meal here, in the open. It"ll be much tastier if savoured at leisure, in the privacy of my cave* !ut then, my cave is far from here, and if I kill you now it"ll be 'uite a 0ob to drag your plump body :here he paused to leer at $emna and lick his lips, as she shuddered in fright; all the way there* %o I"ll lead you to the cave as my honored guest* =ome on*) =lutching poor $emna by the scruff of her neck, he began dragging her towards the mountain. %uddenly, $emna saw a familiar figure gra,ing in a corner of the valley. It was /omden, the clever here. -inding her tongue, she called out- )/omden, help me* &he wolf is going to eat me*) &he wolf said, ).f course I am. Do you think that little here is so foolish as to try to protect you? Why, I can knock him dead with one swipe of my paw* &he only reason I"ve chosen you instead of him for dinner is that you"re plumper and would make a tastier meal*) /omden wondered what he could do to $emna. &he wolf was right- he was much stronger than /omden and would not hesitate to kill him if challenged. %uddenly, he had an idea.

&urning to the wolf, /omden said, )#ow right you are* I would indeed be a fool if I tried to help the silly sheep who has been caught by one so powerful as you* (nd as I"m no fool, I shall help you instead.) )#elp me* #ow?) asked the wolf curiously. /omden said, )!efore you go any further, let me 0ust run down the valley to make sure that there are no hunters around who could deprive you of a good meal.) &he wolf said, )I never thought of that* o on then, /omden2 I"ll wait for your return.)

&he hare swiftly loped away into the bushes and soon vanished out of view. (s he raced along, he kept his eyes open for anything that might come in useful. %oon, he came to a spot where, evidently some hunters had recently camped. (ssorted litter lay all round the remains of their camp-fire. /omden stopped to rummage among the rubbish, and found a piece of paper and a strip of felt. )(h* >ust the thing I need*) he e4claimed happily as he picked them up. #aving made some arrangements, /omden then ran back to where the wolf was waiting for him. )Well?) asked the wolf impatiently on seeing him. )Did you spot any hunters?) )#unters? +o,) answered /omden, )but I did find something that might be of interest to you.) #e showed him the paper, which had been rolled up and tied with the piece of felt. )It seems to be a message from the Imperial 6alace* It bears the 1mperor"s seal,) he declared. )What does it say? <ead it and tell me. You know I can"t read,) said the wolf. /omden reverentially opened the paper and pretended to read it. #e said, ).h, this is an order from the 1mperor* /et me read it out to you.) /oudly he declaimed the imaginary order, )I, the mighty emperor, hereby issue an order for a gown to be made from the fur of seventy-five wolves. I have been able to find only seventy-four wolf hides so far. I hereby command all inhabitants of my land to find one wolf at the earliest, and bring him to my palace, dead or alive. (nybody who fulfils my wish will be rewarded handsomely.) &he wolf turned pale on hearing this pronouncement. /omden thoughtfully said, )#mmm?.a handsome reward* !esides, when the 1mperor himself commands it, who can disobey?) #e turned to look meaningfully at the wolf. &he wolf, now a far cry from his earlier fierce self, trembled in fear and pleaded, )6lease, /omden, don"t inform anyone of my whereabouts* /et me go and hide*) <eleasing $emna, he took to his heels.

/omden laughed heartily at the sight of fleeing wolf. $emna heaved a great sigh of relief and fervently said, )&hank you, /omden*) )It"s all right, $emna* o back to your flock and don"t stray away in future. (fter all, I may not be there to rescue you the ne4t time,) warned /omden. ( chastened $emna took his advice and returned to the flock, very much the wiser for her little adventure*

Moral : &here is always safety in numbers.

THE TREE THAT CHANGED ITS HABITS

/ong, long ago, in a forest near Baranasi, there lived a handsome young antelope. #e was very fond of the fruits of a particular tree. 1very fruits that dropped from it. In a village bordering the 0ungle, there lived a hunter who captured and killed antelopes and deer. #e used to set traps for animals under the fruit-bearing trees. When the animal came to eat the fruit of the tree, it would be caught in the trap. #e would then take it away and kill it for its meat. .ne day, while visiting the forest in search of game, the hunter happened to see the antelope standing under its favorite tree, eating fruit. #e was delighted. )What a big, healthy antelope*) he thought. )I must catch him. I will get a lot of money by selling his meat.) &hereafter, for many days, the hunter kept track of the antelope"s movements. #e reali,ed that the antelope was remarkably vigilant and fleet-footed animal, and that it would be virtually impossible for him to track him down. #owever, he had a weakness for that particular tree. &he crafty hunter swiftly concluded that he could use this weakness to capture him. 1arly one morning, the hunter entered the forest with some logs of wood. #e climbed the tree and put up a machan :platform used by hunters; on one of its branches by tying the logs together. #aving set his trap at the foot of the tree, he then took up position on the machan and waited for the antelope. #e strewed a lot of fruits on the ground beneath the tree to conceal the trap and lure the antelope. #e did not have to wait long. %oon enough, the antelope came strolling along. #e was very hungry and was eagerly looking forward to his usual breakfast of delicious ripe fruits. .n the tree-top, the hunter, having sighted him, sat with baited breath, willing him to come closer and step into his trap. #owever, the antelope was no fool. 1ven in his hunger, he did not give up his vigilance. (s he neared the tree, he stopped short. &he number of fruits lying under the tree seemed considerably more than usual. It would have taken a whirlwind to bring down so many fruits2 but the previous night had not been particularly windy* What is more, the other trees in the vicinity appeared normal2 there were not so many fruits scattered below them* %urely, something was amiss, decided the antelope.

#e paused 0ust out of reach of the tree and carefully began e4amining the ground. +ow, he saw what distinctly looked like a human footprint. Without going closer, he looked suspiciously at the tree. &he hunter was well hidden in its thick foliage2 nevertheless the antelope, on close scrutiny, was now sure that his suspicions had not been unfounded. #e could see a corner of the machan peeping out of the leaves. $eanwhile the hunter was getting desperate. Why wasn"t the antelope coming nearer to eat his favorite fruit? %uddenly, he had a brainwave. )/et me try throwing some fruit to him,) he thought. )$aybe that will lure him to the tree.) %o the hunter plucked some choice fruits and hurled them in the direction of the antelope. (las, instead of luring him closer, it only confirmed his fears* &he antelope said to him self, )&he fruits are coming flying towards me, instead of dropping on the ground as usual. %ince when did trees start throwing their fruits? +ow I"m certain that there is a hunter up the tree, and it is he who is throwing them at me to bring me closer, so that he can trap me*) <aising his voice, he spoke in the direction of the tree-)/isten, my dear tree, until now you have always dropped your fruits on the earth. &oday you have started throwing them at me* &his is a most un-treelike action of yours, and I"m not sure I like the change* %ince you have changed your habits, I too will change mine. I will get my fruits from a different tree from now on-one that still acts like a tree*) &he hunter reali,ed that the antelope had outsmarted him with its cleverness. #e was so furious that he did not bother to continue the face of hiding. 6arting the leaves to reveal himself, he grabbed his 0avelin and flung it wildly at the antelope. !ut the clever antelope was well prepared for any such action on his part. iving a saucy chuckle, he leapt nimbly out of harm"s way. &he 0avelin missed him by a wide margin and got embedded in the ground. &he antelope laughingly called out, )!etter luck ne4t time, . hunter*) &he frustrated hunter was left shouting furious curses, as he bounded away into the deep forest, never to be seen again*

Moral: Forewarned is forearmed.