Kyrotu

One bright spring morning, a merchant loaded his donkey with heavy sacks of salt and set off for the market. As they walked, they came to a river. The donkey slipped, fell into the water, and quickly climbed out. To its surprise, the load felt much lighter — the salt had dissolved. The merchant went back home and reloaded the donkey with fresh sacks of salt. When they reached the same river, the donkey pretended to slip. Again, the salt was ruined, and the merchant returned home frustrated. Realizing the donkey was playing a trick, the merchant decided to teach it a lesson. This time, he loaded the animal with large sponges. When they reached the river, the donkey “slipped” once more. But instead of feeling lighter, the load grew heavier as the sponges soaked up water. The merchant chuckled and said, “Clever tricks don’t work forever, my friend.”

One hot summer day, two travelers were walking along a dusty road. After a while, they grew tired and spotted a big tree by the roadside. It was a plane tree, with wide branches full of leaves. Grateful for the shade, they sat down beneath it to rest. As they looked up at the tree, one traveler said, “What a useless tree! It doesn’t give us any fruit or nuts. And its wood isn’t good for anything either.” To their surprise, the tree seemed to whisper in the breeze, “How ungrateful you are! Here I am, giving you shelter from the burning sun, and yet you call me useless?” Moral: Every part of nature has its own value. Don’t take blessings for granted.

One hot day, a thirsty crow was flying around, looking for water. He searched for a long time but couldn’t find any. Tired and weak, he was about to give up when he saw a water jug under a tree. The crow flew down and looked inside. There was a little water at the bottom of the jug! He tried to put his beak inside, but the neck of the jug was too narrow. He tried to tip the jug over, but it was too heavy. Then the crow had an idea. He saw some small stones lying nearby. He picked up the stones one by one and dropped them into the jug. As he did this, the water slowly rose higher and higher. Soon, it reached the top. The clever crow drank the water and flew away happily. Moral: Use your brain and don’t give up—there’s always a way!

Once upon a time in a village in India, there was a man who carried water from a stream to his master's house every day. He used a long stick across his neck with two large pots hanging from each end. One of the pots was perfect and always delivered a full pot of water. The other pot had a crack in it. By the time they reached the house, it would only be half full. This happened every day for two years. The perfect pot was proud of its work. But the cracked pot was ashamed. It felt like it was failing, doing only half the job it was supposed to do. One day, by the stream, the cracked pot spoke to the man. "I'm so sorry," it said. "Because of this crack, I lose water on the way, and you've been getting only half the amount from me. I've been useless all this time." The man smiled kindly. "Let me show you something on our way back," he said. As they walked home, the cracked pot noticed beautiful flowers growing along one side of th...

One day, a young woman told her father how hard her life had become. She was tired of struggling all the time. Every time she solved one problem, a new one came up. She felt like she just couldn’t take it anymore. Her father, who was a chef, didn’t say a word. Instead, he took her to the kitchen. He filled three pots with water and placed them on the stove. Once the water started boiling, he put potatoes in one pot, eggs in the second, and ground coffee beans in the third. He let everything boil for a while without explaining anything. His daughter waited impatiently, wondering what this was all about. After about 20 minutes, he turned off the heat. He placed the soft potatoes in a bowl, took out the hard-boiled eggs, and poured the coffee into a cup. Then he asked, “What do you see?” “Potatoes, eggs, and coffee,” she replied quickly. “Look closer,” he said. “Touch the potatoes.” She did—and noticed they were soft. Then he asked her to break an egg. She peeled it and sa...

One morning, all the employees arrived at the office and saw a notice on the front door. It said: "Yesterday, the person who was holding you back from growing in this company passed away. A funeral has been arranged in the gym. You are invited to attend." Everyone was shocked and felt a little sad. But soon, curiosity took over. Who was this person? Who was stopping my progress? they wondered. Slowly, they all headed to the gym. As more and more people gathered, the excitement grew. Security was even called in to manage the crowd. One by one, employees approached the coffin, eager to see who it was. But when they looked inside, each person went quiet. They were speechless. Inside the coffin was a mirror. And next to it was a sign: “The only person who can stop you from growing… is YOU.” Everyone who looked into the mirror saw their own reflection. That moment made them realize something important. Your success, your happiness, your progress—none of it dep...

Bhola had a donkey named Khandya. Bhola was a kind and patient man, but Khandya was very lazy and always looked for ways to avoid work. One day, while carrying heavy sacks of salt, Khandya slipped and fell into a river. When he got up, he noticed that the load had become much lighter—the salt had dissolved in the water. Khandya was happy and thought he had found a clever trick. From that day on, Khandya made sure to fall into the river every time he carried salt. Bhola soon realized what the donkey was doing. He was losing money because of Khandya’s laziness. So, he decided to teach him a lesson. The next day, instead of salt, Bhola packed the sacks with cotton. Khandya, as usual, fell into the river thinking the load would get lighter. But to his shock, the cotton soaked up the water and became much heavier. Khandya could barely carry it. Bhola also scolded and gave him a few whacks. Khandya finally understood that being lazy only brings trouble. After that, he stopped playing...

Once there was an old lion who had grown so weak that he could no longer hunt for food. He thought, “If I don’t find a way to eat, I’ll starve.” After thinking for a long time, he came up with a clever but cruel plan. He decided to lie down in his cave and pretend to be sick. Whenever any animal came to visit and check on him, he would attack and eat them. The plan worked at first. Many kind animals came to see the “sick” lion and never came back out. But evil plans don’t last forever. One day, a smart fox came to visit the lion. As foxes are clever by nature, he stopped at the entrance of the cave and looked around carefully. He noticed something strange — there were only footprints going into the cave, but none coming out. The fox called out, “Hello, Lion! How are you feeling?” The lion replied weakly, “I’m very sick. Why don’t you come inside?” The fox said, “I would have come in, but I see many footprints going into your cave and none coming out. That tells me everythi...

One day, a little boy walked into a shop and pulled a soda crate over to a public phone. He climbed on top of the crate to reach the buttons and dialed a number. The shop owner watched curiously as the boy began speaking. Boy: “Hello, ma’am. Can I mow your lawn for you?” Woman (on the phone): “No, thank you. I already have someone who does it.” Boy: “I’ll do it for half the price, and I’ll even sweep the sidewalk and curb. Your lawn will look better than ever!” Woman: “I’m happy with the person who’s doing it now.” Boy: “Okay, thank you!” The boy hung up with a smile. The shop owner walked over, impressed. Shop Owner: “Son, I like your confidence and attitude. If you want a job, I’d be happy to hire you.” Boy: “Thanks, but I already have a job.” Shop Owner: “But... weren’t you asking for one just now?” Boy: “No sir. That was the lady I already work for. I just wanted to check if she’s happy with my work.” Moral: This is called self-appraisal —checking your own...

— A Motivational Story Once upon a time, there lived a poor priest who was very lazy. He never wanted to work hard, yet he often dreamed of becoming rich and living a life of comfort. Every day, he would beg for food to survive. One morning, someone gave him a pot of milk. He was thrilled and took it home carefully. He boiled the milk, drank a little, and added some curd to the rest so it would turn into yogurt. After that, he lay down to rest. As he lay there, he started daydreaming about the milk. “By morning, the milk will become thick curd,” he thought. “Then I’ll churn it into butter. I’ll heat the butter to make ghee and sell it in the market. With that money, I’ll buy a hen. The hen will lay eggs, and the eggs will hatch into chicks. Those chicks will grow into hens and lay more eggs. Soon, I’ll have my own poultry farm!” His imagination kept growing. “I’ll sell the hens and buy cows. I’ll open a dairy and sell milk to the whole village. Everyone will know me! I’ll be...

One day, a Lion was sleeping peacefully in the forest. A little Mouse happened to run across his face and woke him up. The Lion was angry and caught the Mouse with his big paw. “I’m going to eat you!” the Lion growled. The tiny Mouse squeaked, “Please let me go! If you spare my life, I promise I’ll help you someday.” The Lion laughed. “You? Help me? That’s funny!” But he was in a good mood, so he let the Mouse go. A few days later, the Lion got caught in a hunter’s net. He struggled and roared, but he couldn’t escape. Hearing the roar, the Mouse ran to the spot. He saw the Lion trapped and quickly began to chew through the ropes with his sharp little teeth. Before long, the Lion was free. “You see,” said the Mouse, “even a little creature like me can help a big one like you!” Moral: Even the smallest friend can be a great help.

One day, a man was walking past a group of elephants when he noticed something strange. These powerful animals were tied with just a thin rope around one of their front legs. There were no chains, no cages—nothing strong enough to hold them back. Curious, the man asked a trainer nearby, “Why don’t the elephants try to break free?” The trainer smiled and said, “When they are young, we use the same rope to tie them. At that age, it’s strong enough to hold them. As they grow up, they believe they still can’t break free—so they never try.” The man was amazed. These strong elephants could easily escape, but they didn’t—even though nothing was really stopping them. It was all in their minds. Just like those elephants, many of us live with limits we’ve accepted from the past. We think we can’t do something just because we once failed or were told we couldn’t. Moral: Failure is part of learning. Don’t let past experiences hold you back. You didn’t fail because you’re not capable—you...

One Sunday afternoon, a doctor, a lawyer, a little boy, and a priest went flying in a small private plane. Suddenly, the engine failed. The plane started going down fast. The pilot grabbed a parachute and shouted, “We’re going down! Better jump!” Then he jumped out. Everyone looked around and saw there were only three parachutes left . The doctor quickly grabbed one and said, “I’m a doctor—I save lives! I must live!” Then he jumped. Next, the lawyer said, “I’m a lawyer, and I’m one of the smartest people in the world. I deserve to live too.” He grabbed a parachute and jumped out. Now only the priest and the little boy were left. The priest looked at the boy kindly and said, “My child, I’ve lived a long and full life. You are young and have so much ahead of you. Take the last parachute and live.” But the little boy smiled and said, “Don’t worry, Father. The smartest man in the world just jumped out with my backpack!” Moral: Being smart is good, but being kind, honest, and w...

One day, a little boy decided he wanted to meet God. He knew it might be a long journey, so he packed some Twinkies and a few cans of root beer in his bag and set off. After walking just a few blocks, he saw an old woman sitting on a bench in the park. She was quietly watching some pigeons. The boy sat down next to her, opened his bag, and was about to take a sip of root beer. But then he noticed the woman looked a little hungry. So, he offered her a Twinkie. She smiled and happily took it. Her smile was so beautiful that the boy wanted to see it again. So, he gave her a can of root beer too. She smiled again. They sat together for a long time, sharing Twinkies and root beer. They didn’t say a single word, but they smiled and enjoyed each other’s company. As the sun began to set, the boy felt tired. He stood up to leave, walked a few steps, then turned back and gave the woman a big hug. She gave him the biggest, warmest smile of all. When the boy got home, his mother noticed...

Thomas Edison tested over two thousand materials while trying to find the right one for the light bulb. After many failed attempts, his as sistant said, “All our work has been for nothing. We haven’t learned anything.” But Edison replied calmly, “Not at all. We’ve learned a lot. Now we know two thousand things that won’t work!” Moral: Mistakes aren't failures—they're steps toward success.

Once upon a time, there was a kind and generous man. He always helped others without expecting anything in return. He gave from the heart—simply because he cared. One day, while walking along a dusty road, he found a purse lying on the ground. He picked it up and saw that it was empty. Just then, a woman appeared with a policeman. She pointed at him and said he had stolen her money. “No, ma’am,” the man said calmly. “The purse was empty when I found it.” The woman cried, “Please give it back! That money was for my son’s school fees!” Seeing how upset she was, the man reached into his own pocket and handed her all the money he had. “I’m sorry for the trouble. Please take this,” he said gently. The woman took the money and left. The policeman stayed with the man to ask more questions. Later, the woman counted the money and realized she had more than she had lost. She was shocked—he had given her his own money. A few days later, the woman was on her way to pay her son’s scho...

I have a friend named Monty Roberts who owns a horse ranch in San Isidro. He often lets me use his ranch to host events that raise money for programs helping youth at risk. The last time I visited, Monty introduced me by sharing a story from his past. He said: “When I was a young boy, my father trained horses for a living. We moved around a lot, from one stable to another, which made it hard for me to stay in one school for very long. One day in high school, my teacher asked us to write about what we wanted to be when we grew up. That night, I wrote a detailed paper about my dream of owning a horse ranch. I even drew a map of a 200-acre ranch, showing where I’d build the stables, the track, and a large 4,000-square-foot house. I put my heart into that paper. Two days later, the teacher gave it back—with a big red F on the front and a note that said, ‘See me after class.’ I asked the teacher why I got an F. He told me, ‘This is an unrealistic dream. You have no money, no re...

One evening, a young man took his elderly father to a restaurant for dinner. His father was quite old and weak. While eating, he accidentally dropped food on his shirt and pants. People around them stared with disgust, clearly uncomfortable. But the son remained calm and didn't seem bothered at all. After they finished eating, the son gently helped his father to the restroom. He wiped the food off his clothes, cleaned him up, fixed his hair, and carefully adjusted his glasses. When they came back to the dining area, the entire restaurant was silent, watching them. Some were embarrassed just by witnessing the scene. The son paid the bill and slowly walked out with his father. As they were leaving, an older man from another table called out, “Son, I think you left something behind.” The young man replied, “No sir, I haven’t.” The old man smiled and said, “Yes, you did. You left a lesson for every son—and hope for every father.” The restaurant fell completely silent. Moral...

A 10-year-old boy wanted to learn judo, even though he had lost his left arm in a terrible car accident. He started taking lessons with an old Japanese judo master. After three months of training, the boy noticed something strange — his teacher had only taught him one move. “Sensei,” the boy asked, “Shouldn’t I be learning more moves by now?” The master smiled and said, “This is the only move you need to know.” The boy didn’t fully understand, but he trusted his teacher and kept practicing. Months later, the sensei entered him into his first tournament. To everyone’s surprise, the boy won his first two matches with ease. His third match was harder, but when his opponent made a mistake and rushed at him, the boy used his one move and won again. Now, he was in the finals. His final opponent was older, stronger, and more experienced. At first, the boy seemed outmatched. Worried he might get hurt, the referee wanted to stop the match. But the sensei stepped in and said, “Let him ...

One day, a baby camel and its mother were resting when the baby asked, "Mom, can I ask you something?" "Of course, my dear. What’s on your mind?" the mother replied. "Why do we have humps on our backs?" asked the baby. "Well," said the mother, "our humps store water so we can survive long journeys in the desert without needing to drink." The baby thought for a moment and asked, "Okay… then why do we have long legs and big, round feet?" "Those help us walk through the hot desert sand. They keep us steady and stop us from sinking," the mother explained. "And why are our eyelashes so long? Sometimes they get in my eyes!" The mother smiled, "Those long lashes protect our eyes from sand and wind in the desert." The baby was quiet for a while, thinking. Then it looked around and said, "If we have all these great desert features… what are we doing here in the zoo?" Moral: You...

Once, a man got angry at his young daughter for using up a roll of expensive gold wrapping paper. Money was tight, and he didn’t think she should be wasting it. The next morning, the little girl brought him a box wrapped in that same gold paper. “This is for you, Daddy,” she said with a smile. The father felt guilty for getting so upset, but his frustration came back when he opened the box and saw it was empty. He scolded her, “Don’t you know a gift should have something inside?” The little girl looked up at him with tears in her eyes. “Oh, Daddy, it’s not empty,” she said. “I blew kisses into the box—all for you.” The father was heartbroken. He hugged his daughter and asked her to forgive him. Not long after, the little girl passed away in a tragic accident. For the rest of his life, the father kept the gold box by his bed. Whenever he felt sad or lonely, he would open it, take out an imaginary kiss, and remember the love his daughter had given him. Moral: The most val...

A man put up a sign above his shop that said, “Puppies for Sale.” As expected, the sign caught the attention of a young boy who walked up and asked, “How much do the puppies cost?” The shop owner replied, “Between $30 and $50.” The boy reached into his pocket and pulled out some coins. “I have $2.37. Can I see them, please?” The man smiled and whistled. A dog named Lady came running down the aisle, followed by five tiny puppies. But one of the puppies was slower than the rest. It limped and struggled to keep up. The boy pointed to the slow puppy and asked, “What’s wrong with that one?” The man explained, “That puppy was born without a hip socket. It will always walk with a limp and probably won’t run or play like the others.” The boy lit up and said, “That’s the one I want to buy!” The man said kindly, “You don’t need to buy that puppy. I’ll just give him to you.” But the boy got serious and said, “No. That puppy is worth just as much as the others. I’ll pay you...

There was once a blind girl who hated herself just because she couldn’t see. The only person she cared about was her boyfriend—he was always kind, supportive, and never left her side. She used to say, “If I could ever see the world, I’d marry you.” One day, someone donated a pair of eyes to her. After the surgery, she could finally see everything—including her boyfriend. To her surprise, he was blind too. When he asked her, “Now that you can see the world, will you marry me?” she was stunned and turned him down. Heartbroken, he quietly walked away. Later, she received a letter from him that simply said: “Please take good care of my eyes.” Moral: When life changes, people can change too. Sometimes, we forget the sacrifices others made for us, especially when things start to go our way. Gratitude and loyalty matter, no matter the circumstances.

Once, there was a young boy who had a bad temper. One day, his father gave him a bag of nails and told him, “Each time you lose your temper, hammer a nail into the fence in our backyard.” On the first day, the boy drove 37 nails into the fence. Over the next few weeks, he slowly learned to control his anger. As he did, he hammered fewer nails each day. He realized it was easier to stay calm than to hammer those nails. Eventually, there came a day when he didn’t lose his temper at all. Proud, he told his father. “Great job,” his father said. “Now, every day you stay calm, pull one nail out of the fence.” The days passed, and one by one, the boy removed all the nails. When he told his father, the man took him by the hand and led him back to the fence. “You’ve done well,” the father said. “But look at the fence. It’s full of holes. It will never be the same.” He continued, “When you get angry and say hurtful things, they leave a scar—just like these holes. You can stab someone w...

One day, a man found a butterfly’s cocoon. He watched it closely. After some time, a small hole appeared. The butterfly was trying to come out. The man sat there for hours, watching it struggle to get through the tiny opening. Then it stopped. It looked like the butterfly couldn’t go any further. Feeling sorry for it, the man decided to help. He took scissors and carefully cut the rest of the cocoon so the butterfly could come out easily. And it did. But its body was swollen and its wings were small and weak. The man waited, hoping the wings would grow and the butterfly would fly. But it never did. The butterfly spent its whole life crawling around. It could never fly. What the man didn’t realize was this: the butterfly needed the struggle to get through the cocoon. It was nature’s way of pushing fluid from its body into its wings. Without the hard work, the butterfly could never grow strong enough to fly. Moral: Struggles help us grow stronger. If we avoid all challenges or ...

A long time ago, a king placed a big rock in the middle of a road. Then he hid nearby to see if anyone would try to move it. Some rich merchants and important people came by. They simply walked around the rock. Many of them complained loudly, blaming the king for not keeping the road clear. But no one tried to move the rock. After some time, a poor man came along carrying a bag of vegetables. When he saw the rock, he put down his load and began to push it. It took a lot of effort, but he finally managed to move the rock to the side of the road. As he picked up his bag again, he noticed a small purse where the rock had been. It was full of gold coins and a note from the king. The note said the gold was a reward for the person who cleared the road. Moral: Every problem we face is a chance to grow. While some people only complain, others take action—and that’s where true opportunity lies.

Once there was a farmer who used to sell butter to a baker. One day, the baker decided to check if he was really getting a full pound of butter. When he weighed it, he found out it was less than a pound. Upset, he took the farmer to court. The judge asked the farmer, “Do you use any standard weight to measure the butter?” The farmer replied, “Your Honor, I’m a simple man. I don’t have proper weights, but I do have a scale.” “Then how do you measure the butter?” the judge asked. The farmer said, “Well, Your Honor, before the baker started buying butter from me, I used to buy a pound of bread from him. Every day, when he gave me the bread, I put it on my scale and gave him the same weight in butter. So if the weight is wrong, it means his bread was never a full pound.” Moral: What you give is what you get. Be fair and honest with others.

A group of frogs was hopping through the forest when two of them accidentally fell into a deep pit. All the other frogs gathered around the edge and, seeing how deep it was, said there was no way to get out. “You should give up,” they shouted. “There’s no hope!” But the two frogs didn’t listen. They kept trying to jump out, again and again. Still, the frogs above kept yelling, “It’s useless! Just give up!” After a while, one of the frogs became discouraged. He believed what they said, gave up, and sadly died. The other frog kept jumping with all his strength. The crowd kept shouting at him to stop, but he jumped even harder—until finally, he made it out! Surprised, the other frogs asked him, “Didn’t you hear us?” The frog smiled and said, “Oh, I’m deaf. I thought you were cheering me on!” Moral of the story: Words are powerful. They can either lift someone up or break them down. One kind word can help someone get through the hardest moment in their life. On the other hand, ha...

One day, a man was walking through an elephant camp. He noticed something strange. The huge elephants were not kept in cages or held by chains. Instead, each elephant was tied by just a thin rope around one leg. The man was surprised. These powerful animals could easily break free from the rope, but they didn’t even try. He was confused and wanted to know why. So, he asked one of the trainers nearby, “Why don’t these elephants break the rope and run away?” The trainer smiled and said, “When they are very young, we use this same rope to tie them. At that age, it’s strong enough to hold them. As they grow up, they still believe the rope is too strong. So, they never try to break free.” The man was amazed. These strong elephants stayed in place because they believed they couldn’t escape—even though they had the power to do so. Moral of the Story: Sometimes, we stop ourselves from doing great things just because of a belief we’ve held for too long. Don’t let old doubts hold you...

Once in a small town, there lived a kind and generous merchant named Manibhadra. He and his wife were well-loved by everyone because of their warm hospitality. People often visited their home and enjoyed their kindness. But one day, tragedy struck. A terrible storm sank all of Manibhadra’s trading ships, which were carrying expensive goods. He had borrowed money from many people, and now they all came asking for their money back. To repay them, Manibhadra had to sell everything he owned. In the end, he was left with nothing. What hurt him most was that even his friends stopped visiting him. "They were only here for my wealth," he thought sadly. Feeling hopeless, Manibhadra began to think, “I have nothing left to give my family. Maybe it’s better if I end my life.” With these dark thoughts, he fell asleep. That night, he had a strange dream. A monk appeared and said, “If you touch me on the head with a stick, I will turn into gold that will last you many lifetimes.”...

Once in a quiet village, there lived a poor Brahmin. He was wise and well-read, but he didn’t like to work. Every day, he lived on whatever food the villagers gave him out of kindness. One morning, as usual, the Brahmin woke up, finished his daily prayers, and went out to ask for alms. The villagers gave him various things—some gave rice, others gave lentils or vegetables. One kind woman gave him a big bag of flour. "How lucky I am today!" thought the Brahmin. "This much flour will last me a long time." He went home, cooked a simple meal, and hung the rest of the flour in a clay pot from a hook above his bed. “This way, the rats won’t get to it,” he said, feeling proud. Then he lay down for a nap. As he rested, his mind started to wander. "I’ll keep the flour until there’s a famine. Then I’ll sell it for a high price. With that money, I’ll buy two goats. Soon, the goats will have babies and I’ll have a whole herd. I’ll sell milk and make even more money...

Once in a forest, there lived a proud and powerful lion. He didn’t hunt just when he was hungry — he killed animals for fun. Every day, some creature would fall victim to his cruelty. The other animals were very worried. “If the lion keeps killing like this,” said the bear, “soon no one will be left!” “He doesn’t even eat what he kills,” said a small hare. “We must do something,” said the monkey. So, all the animals gathered and went to speak with the lion. “O King of the Jungle,” they said, “we are afraid. If you keep hunting every day, all of us will be gone. We have a request: instead of hunting, please let one animal come to you each day as your meal. That way, you won’t need to hunt, and we can live in peace.” The lion thought for a moment and agreed. “Very well,” he said. “But don’t be late — or else!” From that day on, the animals took turns. Every day, one of them would go to the lion. One day, it was the hare’s turn. The little hare didn’t want to die. He thought...

Once in a forest, there lived a jackal named Gomaya. He was lazy and never hunted for food. Instead, he waited for younger jackals to catch something and then chased them away to eat it himself. The other jackals grew tired of this. They met and made a plan to stop him. “We work hard to catch food,” said one jackal, “and Gomaya just takes it from us!” “I have an idea,” said another. “We’ll take turns hunting, and while one of us eats, the rest will guard him from Gomaya. He can’t fight all of us together.” From that day on, Gomaya could no longer steal food. Whenever he tried, the other jackals chased him away. They even stopped him from hunting in that part of the forest. Hungry and weak, Gomaya wandered far into another part of the forest. Days passed without food, and he grew more tired. One day, he came across an old, abandoned battlefield. Suddenly— Bang! Bang! Bang! A loud, scary noise filled the air. Frightened, Gomaya ran as fast as he could. But after a while, he...

Once in a dense jungle, there lived a group of jackals. They usually survived by eating leftovers from the lions’ hunts. Among them was an old jackal. The younger jackals bullied him and never let him share the food. Tired and hungry, the old jackal thought, “If I stay here, I’ll starve. I must find food on my own.” He left the jungle and wandered for days, but no one shared food with him. Wherever he went, animals chased him away. One evening, desperate and weak, he crept into a nearby village. The moment he stepped onto the streets, a group of dogs spotted him and started barking. Terrified, the jackal ran. With dogs close behind, he jumped into the nearest open house and fell— splash! —into a large vat filled with a smelly blue liquid. It was indigo dye from the washerman’s workshop. Soaked and stinking, he climbed out and peered outside. Strangely, the dogs had run away in fear. Confused but grateful, he slipped back into the forest. At dawn, the jackal went to a waterh...

Once upon a time, in a quiet little stream at the edge of a meadow, there lived a big old Frog. He sat on his lily pad all day, proud of how large he was. All the other frogs respected him. Even the dragonflies, flies, and fish stayed out of his way. In that stream, the Frog was king. Nearby, a farmer owned the meadow. He had an old Ox who had worked hard for many years—pulling ploughs, carrying heavy loads, and helping the farmer’s family. Now that the Ox was old and tired, the farmer decided to let him rest. He brought the Ox to live in the peaceful meadow near the stream. The Ox was happy in his new home. The grass was green, the air was fresh, and there were flowers everywhere. He spent his days eating grass and lying in the sun. The animals of the meadow had never seen a creature so big! Butterflies flew out of his way, bees stopped buzzing, and even the ants paused to stare. The dragonflies rushed to tell the Frog. “There’s a huge monster in the meadow!” they cried. ...

One cold winter day, the forest was quiet. Snow covered the ground. The squirrels and hedgehogs were sleeping in their warm homes. The birds had flown to warmer places. Not even a snail could be seen. Only a big black crow was flying through the cold sky, looking for food. She had been flying all day but hadn’t found even a crumb. No mice, no leftovers—nothing at all. She was cold, tired, and very hungry. “I guess I’ll go to bed without dinner tonight,” she sighed. Just as she was about to give up, she saw a thin trail of smoke rising far away. “Smoke means fire... Fire means someone is cooking… and cooking means food!” thought the Crow. She flapped her wings quickly and flew toward the smoke. It came from a big farmhouse. Inside, the farmer’s wife was cooking a warm stew. Fresh bread sat on the table, and by the open window, a piece of butter and a big chunk of cheese were cooling. The Crow spotted the cheese. Without a sound, she flew down, grabbed the cheese in her beak,...

Once in a quiet village, a kind Brahmin lived with his wife and baby son. One day, while returning from another village, the Brahmin saw a baby mongoose crying next to its dead mother. “Oh, poor thing,” he said. “It won’t survive alone.” Feeling sorry for it, he picked up the little animal and took it home. “Gowri,” he said to his wife, “I found this baby mongoose. Let’s take care of it.” Gowri nodded. “Alright. I’ll raise it along with our son.” The mongoose grew up in their home, eating and playing like part of the family. It slept beside the baby in the cradle and loved him like a brother. As time passed, the boy and the mongoose became best friends. But as the mongoose grew bigger, Gowri began to worry. “This is a wild animal,” she thought. “What if it hurts my child someday?” She moved the mongoose’s bed away from the cradle and kept a close eye on it. One afternoon, when the Brahmin was out, Gowri needed to fetch water from the river. Her son was fast asleep in...

Once, a wild donkey lived alone in the forest. He had no friends and felt very lonely. One day, a jackal walked by and saw the sad donkey. "Why do you look so down, my friend?" asked the jackal kindly. "I have no one to talk to. I'm always alone," said the donkey with a sigh. "Don't worry," said the jackal. "From today, I’ll be your friend." And from that day on, the donkey and jackal became the best of friends. They walked together, talked, and shared their time. One cool, moonlit night, the two friends were walking near a village. They saw a grove full of ripe fruits. “Wow! Look at those juicy fruits!” said the donkey. “Let’s eat some!” “Sure,” said the jackal. “But let’s be quiet. We don’t want to get caught.” They crept into the grove and ate as much as they wanted. Then they lay under a tree, full and happy. “That was so good,” said the donkey. “But something’s missing.” “What’s missing?” asked the jackal. “Music!” sa...

Once there was a kind peddler who sold many things—shoes, shawls, toffees, fruits, and more. Every day, he loaded his goods onto his old donkey and walked from village to village, selling his wares. The peddler whistled happily as he walked, while the donkey followed behind, carrying the heavy load. At the end of each day, they returned home. The peddler counted his coins with a smile, but the poor donkey dragged himself wearily to his stable, aching all over. “Ah, my poor back!” the donkey would moan every night, collapsing on the hay. An old grey cat, who also lived in the stable, would watch him sadly and whisper, “Poor old donkey,” before slipping off into the night. One morning, the peddler packed the donkey with sacks full of salt. They were heavier than usual. “This salt will make me rich today!” the peddler said, excitedly. “Everyone needs salt!” The donkey groaned but said nothing, just followed as always. Later that day, the donkey was hot and tired. He saw a strea...

Once upon a time, a crow and his wife built their nest on top of a big banyan tree near a river. They were very happy there. One day, the female crow laid some eggs. But soon, a big snake that lived in a hole under the tree slithered up and ate them all. The crows were heartbroken. “This snake is so cruel,” cried the female crow. “We must stop him! He will keep eating our eggs!” The male crow said, “Let’s go to our friend the jackal. He’s very smart. Maybe he can help us.” So, the crows flew to the forest to visit the jackal. When he saw them, he said, “Hello, my friends! Why do you look so upset?” The crows told him everything. “Each time we lay eggs, the snake eats them. Please help us get rid of him.” The jackal thought for a moment and then smiled. “I have a plan,” he said. The next day, just as the jackal said, the queen of the nearby palace came to bathe in the river with her maids. As always, they left their clothes and jewelry on the riverbank. The female crow f...

It was a bright spring day. The sun shone in the clear blue sky. A flock of sheep grazed happily on a hillside, while their lambs played nearby. The shepherd, seeing that everything was peaceful, lay down to rest under a big tree and soon fell asleep. High above, an eagle was flying in the sky. Suddenly, it swooped down and picked up a little lamb in its sharp claws. Before the other lambs could even make a sound, the eagle flew away with its catch. The shepherd heard nothing—he was still fast asleep. Up in the tree, a crow had been watching everything. He was amazed. "Wow!" thought the crow. "That was clever. What a smart way to get food! Why do we crows always eat old scraps when we could be like the eagle?" Feeling bold, the crow decided to copy the eagle. "It looks easy," he said to himself. "All I have to do is choose a sheep, grab it, and fly away!" Just below the tree, a big old ram was grazing. He had strong horns and thick wool....

Once, near a river in a forest, a crane and his wife lived in a nest on a tree. They were very sad. Every time the crane’s wife laid eggs, a big black snake came out of a hole in the same tree and ate them. One day, the crane went to his friend, the crab. “I feel hopeless,” he said. “That sneaky snake has eaten our eggs again!” “Don’t worry,” said the crab kindly. “You have a smart friend. Let’s think of a way to stop him.” The crab sat quietly and thought hard. Suddenly, he had an idea. “I have a plan!” he said and whispered it into the crane’s ear. The crane quickly flew home and told his wife the plan. He was full of hope. “Are you sure this will work?” asked his wife. “What if we’re making a mistake?” But the crane wanted to try. He flew down to the river and caught some small fish. Then he went to the hole where a mongoose lived. He dropped one fish at the hole’s entrance, then another a little farther away, and continued making a trail of fish all the way to the tree w...