Indian Folk tale - Why the Fish Laughed Part-1

   This Indian Folk tale story is collected from the book, named “Indian Fairy Tales”. This book is edited by Joseph Jacob, published by G.P. Putnam’s Sons, New York, London in 1910. This folk tale story book holds 29 Indian folk tale stories.  

Why the Fish Laughed

     Why the Fish Laughed (Part -1)

             - An Indian Folk Tale 

 

   As a certain fisherwoman passed by a palace crying her fish, the Queen appeared at one of the windows and pointed her to come near and show what she had. At that moment a very big fish jumped about in the bottom of the basket.

   "Is it a he or a she?" inquired the Queen. "I wish to purchase a she fish."

   On hearing this, the fish laughed loudly."It's a he," replied the fisherwoman, and proceeded on her rounds.

   The Queen returned to her room in a great rage; and on coming to see her in the evening, the King noticed that something had disturbed his Queen.

   "Are you feeling ill?" the King said.

   "No; but I am very much annoyed at the strange behaviour of a fish. A woman brought me one to-day, and on my inquiring whether it was a male or female, the fish laughed most rudely.", answered the Queen

   "A fish laugh! Impossible! You must be dreaming.", said the King.

   The Queen said to him, "I am not a fool. I speak of what I have seen with my own eyes and have heard with my own ears."

   "If it is like that, it is so strange! Be it so. I will inquire concerning it.", assured the King to his Queen.

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.

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.