A Fairy tale story - The Poor Man and the Rich Man

   This fairy tale story is collected from Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm, Household Tales, translated by- Margaret Hunt (London: George Bell, 1884)

The Poor Man and the Rich Man

  The Poor Man and the Rich Man - Part 2

  A Fairy tale story by - The Brothers Grimm 

 

   The sun was high when the rich man got up and looked out of his window and saw, on the opposite side of the way, a new clean-looking house with red tiles and bright windows where the old hut used to be. 

   He was very much surprised, and called his wife and said to her, "Tell me, what can have happened? Last night there was a miserable little hut standing there, and today there is a beautiful new house. Run over and see how that has come to pass."

   So his wife went and asked the poor man, and he said to her, "Yesterday evening a traveler came here and asked for a night's lodging, and this morning when he took leave of us he granted us three wishes - eternal happiness, health during this life and our daily bread as well, and besides this, a beautiful new house instead of our old hut."

   When the rich man's wife heard this, she ran back in rush and told her husband how it had happened. The rich man said, "I could tear myself to pieces! If I had but known that! That the traveler came to our house too, and wanted to sleep here, and I sent him away." 

   "Quick!" said his wife, "get on your horse. You can still catch the man up and then you must ask to have three wishes granted you."

   The rich man followed the good advice and galloped away on his horse. Soon the rich man came up with the Lord. He spoke to him softly and gently, and begged him not to take it wrong that he had not let Him in directly; he was looking for the front-door key, and in the meantime the stranger had gone away, if He returned the same way He must come and stay with him.

Fables from the Panchatantra - The Musical Donkey

   This is one of the interesting fables from the Panchatantra collection.The Panchatantra is very well known fables collection in India. In every story of the Panchatantra, there must be an educational lesson and we consider as a moral of the story.

The Musical Donkey

  The Musical Donkey

   Once upon a time, there lived a washer man in a village. The washer man had a thin donkey. The donkey used to work for the washer man and carry loads of clothes to the river bank by the day. The donkey was not satisfied with the food that was provided by the washer man. In the nights, he usually wandered in the fields nearby and ate the crops stealthily.

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

   One day night, after a tasty meal of cucumbers, the donkey was extremely happy. He was so happy that he got a passionate desire to sing a song. He told the jackal that he was overwhelmed and wanted to express his happiness in a melodious song. The jackal immediately replied, "Don't be a fool. If you sing, the guards sleeping in and around this field will wake up and beat us black and blue with sticks”.

Fairy tale story - The Poor Man and the Rich Man

   This fairy tale story is collected from Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm, Household Tales, translated by- Margaret Hunt (London: George Bell, 1884)

The Poor Man and Rich Man

  The Poor Man and the Rich Man (Part-1)

  A Fairy tale story by- The Brothers Grimm

   In olden times, when the Lord himself still used to walk about on this earth among men, it once happened that He was tired and overtaken by the darkness before He could reach an inn. Now there stood on the road before Him two houses facing each other. One of them was large and beautiful and the other was small and poor. The large one belonged to a rich man and the small one to a poor man.

   Then the Lord thought, "I shall be no burden to the rich man, I will stay the night with him." When the rich man heard some one knocking at his door, he opened the window and asked the stranger what he wanted. The Lord answered, "I only ask for a night's lodging."

   Then the rich man looked at the traveler from head to foot, and as the Lord was wearing common clothes, He did not look like one who had much money in His pocket. 

   The rich man shook his head and said, "No, I cannot take you in, because my rooms are full of herbs and seeds. If I were to lodge every one who knocked at my door, I might very soon go begging myself. Go somewhere else for lodging," and with this he shut down the window and left the Lord standing there.

Indian Folk tale - The Tiger, the Brahman and the Jackal

   This Indian folk tale story is collected from the book named “Indian Fairy Tales”, which was selected and edited by Joseph Jacobs.

The Tiger, the Brahman and the Jackal

 The Tiger, the Brahman and the Jackal - Part 2

   An Indian Folk tale

   The Brahman told it all over again , but the jackal shook his head in a distracted sort of way, and still could not understand.

   "It is very odd," said the jackal, sadly, "but it all seems to go in at one ear and out at the other! I will go to the place where it all happened, and then perhaps I shall be able to give a judgment."

   So they returned to the cage, by which the tiger was waiting for the Brahman, and sharpening his teeth and claws.

   "You have been away a long time!" growled the tiger, "but now let us begin our dinner."

   "Our dinner!" thought the wretched Brahman, as his knees knocked together with fright; "what a remarkably delicate way of putting it!"

   "Give me five minutes, my lord!" he pleaded, "in order that I may explain matters to the jackal here, who is somewhat slow in his understandings."

   The tiger consented on that and the Brahman began the whole story over again to the jackal, not missing a single detail, and spinning as long a yarn as possible.

Aesop's fables - The Fox and the Grapes

   This fable is from Aesop's fables... This is a very interesting story from Aesop's fables. In every Aesop's fables, there must a lesson for us. we consider that as the moral of the story at the end.

The Fox and the Grapes

  The Fox and the Grapes

   In a very hot summer day, a Fox was walking through an orchard tree. The fox came to a bunch of Grapes just ripening on a vine which had been trained over a lofty branch.

   "Just the thing to fulfill my thirst," quoted the fox. Drawing back a few paces, he took a run and a jump, and just missed the bunch. 

   Turning round again with a One, Two, Three, he jumped up, but with no greater success. Again and again he tried after the tempting morsel, but at last had to give it up, and walked away with his nose in the air, saying: "I am sure they are sour.”

Indian Folk tale - The Tiger, the Brahman and the Jackal

   This Indian Folk tale story is collected from the book named “Indian Fairy Tales”, which was selected and edited by Joseph Jacobs.

The Tiger, the Brahman and the Jackal

The Tiger, the Brahman and the Jackal - Part 1

   An Indian Folk tale

    
   Once upon a time, a tiger was caught in a trap. He tried in vain to get out through the bars, and rolled and bit with rage and grief when he failed.

   By chance a poor Brahman came by. "Let me out of this cage, oh pious one!" cried the tiger.

   "No, my friend," replied the poor Brahman gently, "you would probably eat me if I did."

   "Not at all!" swore the tiger with many promises; "on the opposing, I should be for ever grateful, and serve you as a slave!"

   Now when the tiger cried and sighed, wept and swore. Then the pious Brahman's heart was softened and at last he agreed to open the door of the cage. 

   Then unexpectedly the tiger was seized the poor Brahman and cried, "What a fool you are! What is to prevent my eating you now, for after being caged up so long I am just terribly hungry!"

Fairy tale story - The Old Man and his Grandson

   This Fairy tale story is collected from Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm, Household Tales, translated by - Margaret Hunt (London: George Bell, 1884)

The Old man and his Grandson

 The Old man and his Grandson

  A Fairy tale story by - The Brothers Grimm

   Once there was a very old man, whose eyes had become dim, his ears became weak of hearing, his knees shacked. When he sat at the table he could hardly hold the spoon and spilt upon the table-cloth or let it run out of his mouth. His son and his son's wife were disgusted at this. So the old grandfather at last had to sit in the corner behind the stove, and they gave him his food in a pottery bowl, and not even enough of it. The old man used to look towards the table with his eyes full of tears. 

   Once, the old man's trembling hands could not hold the bowl and the pottery bowl fell to the ground and broke it. His son’s young wife scolded him, but he said nothing and only sighed. Then they gave him a wooden bowl for a few half-pence, out of which he had to eat.

Fables from the Panchatantra - The Sparrow and the Elephant

   This is one of the interesting fables from the Panchatantra collection.The Panchatantra is very well known fables collection in India. In every story of the Panchatantra, there must be an educational lesson and we consider as a moral of the story.

The Sparrow and the Elephant

 The Sparrow and the Elephant

   Once upon a time, there lived a sparrow with her family on a banyan tree. They built a nest and the sparrow laid her eggs in the nest. One afternoon, a wild elephant came under the tree unable to bear the heat of the sun. Suddenly in a fit of rage, the elephant broke a branch of the tree on which the nest was built. Unfortunately, all the eggs of the sparrow got crushed though the parents were saved. The she-sparrow was full of misery and began weeping for her eggs.

   A woodpecker, a close friend of the sparrow, heard her crying and moved by her grief asked her, “Why are you crying, my friend?”

   The she-sparrow said, “The wicked elephant has destroyed my offspring. If you are a true friend of mine suggest a way to kill him”. The woodpecker consoled her and told her that he knew a fly and she would definitely help them, to kill the elephant. 

An Indian Folk tale - How the wicked sons were duped

   This Indian folk tale story is collected from the book named “Indian Fairy Tales”, which was selected and edited by Joseph Jacobs.

    How the wicked sons were duped

   Once upon a time, there was a very wealthy old man in India. He was imagining that he was on the point of death, sent for his sons and divided his property among them. However, he did not die for several years afterwards; and miserable years many of them were. Besides the weariness of old age, the old man had to bear with much abuse and cruelty from his sons.Wretched, selfish ingrates! Previously they vied with one another in trying to please their father, hoping thus to receive more money, but now they had received their patrimony, they cared not how soon he left them—nay, the sooner the better, because he was only a needless trouble and expense. And they let the poor old man know what they felt.

   One day the old man met one of his friends and related to him all his troubles. The friend sympathized very much with him, and promised to think over the matter, and call in a little while and tell him what to do. The old man did so; in a few days he visited the old man and put down four bags full of stones and gravel before him.

Aesop's Fables - The Ass and the Lap-dog

The Ass and the Lap-dog

   This fable is from Aesop's fables... This is a very interesting story from Aesop's fables. In every Aesop's fables, there must a lesson for us. we consider that as the moral of the story at the end.

   The Ass and the Lap-dog

   Once there was a farmer owned an ass and a lap-dog. The ass worked hard all day, pulling heavy loads. But he was well looked after, and had a warm, comfortable stable, with plenty of fresh hay to eat and water to drink.

   The lap-dog stayed with his master all day, and lived in the house with him. He did no work, but was made much of, and even allowed to sit on the master's lap. 

   The ass saw the lap-dog leading a life of leisure, being petted by the master, and being given choice tidbits of food from the master's own plate, and the ass grew jealous of the lap-dog. 

   “I wish the master would love me as much, and give me as much attention as he does the lap-dog,” sighed the ass.