Animal Stories

The Clever Fox The Ass in the Tiger-Skin The Wicked Wolf The Tiger and the Greedy Man The Jackal and the Camel The Foolish Crocodile The Faithful Lion

The Clever Fox

Once there lived a clever fox in a forest. One day he saw a crow on the branch of a tree. She had a piece of meat in her beak. The fox thought, the crow has a piece of meat in her beak. I shall get it by a trick and eat it." Then the fox looked up at the crow and said, "Good morning, Mrs. crow, you are looking very bright. Your feathers are shining too. You are the queen of birds. Please sing a song in your sweet voice," The crow heard the praise of the fox and became proud and happy. She thought, "The fox has spoken the truth. I am really beautiful. I shall sing him a song and show him my sweet voice too." The crow lifted her head up and opened her mouth and cawed. The piece of meat fell down to the ground. At once the fox ran to it and ate it up. Then the fox said to the crow, "Stop your song. I wanted that piece of meat in your beak. I have eaten it now. Thank you. I shall give you a piece of advice. Remember it.

"Don't trust liars." The Ass in the Tiger-Skin

A poor washer man had an old ass. He did not give it any food. The ass became thin and weak. The washer man had a wife and seven children. He said, "I am working hard. But I am not earning a lot of money. I can't feed my wife and children well. How can I feed this donkey?" Suddenly he remembered a tiger-skin in the house. It was a gift to his father's good work. He thought, " I shall cover the ass with the skin and drive it into the field and won't go near it. My ass can eat a lot and grow fat too." The next day he dressed the donkey in the tiger-skin and drove it into the field of crops. The villagers saw the donkey in the tiger-skin. They thought, 'The tiger will kill us all. We shall write to the Collector and he will shoot it with the help of the police. Many days passed. The ass ate a lot of crop everyday, and grew stout and strong. One day the villagers received a letter from the Collector. He wrote in it, "I shall send you someone with a gun next week. He will shoot down the tiger. But there is no tiger in your village or in any place near your village. My officers tell me this." That evening all the villagers went to the field with big sticks. The washerman's donkey in the tiger-skin was in the field. Suddenly another donkey brayed from some places near the field. The washerman's donkey lifted up his head and brayed too. The villagers saw this. They heard the donkey's voice in the field, beat him out. In a few days the washerman's donkey became thin without and food and died.

The Wicked Wolf

Many wild animals live in a forest. The lion is one of them. He is the king of the forest. One day the lion was very ill. The fox, the wolf and the other animals in the forest gave the lion a lot of medicine. But the king of the forest did not become well again. The fox thought, "The lion has not become well again. He gets very angry without any reason or cause. I shall not go near him for a week. But I shall watch him secretly." The fox and the wolf

were not good friends. The wolf thought. "The fox has not visited the king of the forest for a week now. I lion and make him angry. The lion will kill the fox in his anger and my enemy will die." The wolf went to the lion and said, "O king how is your health? I pray for your good health. I am always thinking of you. Does the fox visit you every day now?" The lion shook up his mane and said, "Thank you for your kind words. Can you fox? Where is he now? He has not brought me any new medicine!" The wolf answered, "O my dear king, the fox is a wicked friend. He is working against you. He will kill you by a trick and make another lion the king of the forest. This is his wish. He said this to a friend of his and I heard it too. Be careful of the fox please." The lion got very angry, He at once said to the wolf "Go and bring the fox before me quickly, I shall punish him for his wicked wish." The wolf went to the forest and looked for the fox. At last he found the fox under the shade of a tree and brought him before the king of the forest. The lion asked the fox, "Where have you been all these days? You have not visited me for many days. You have no love for me. You have failed in your duty. I am going to punish you now." The fox replied, " O my great master! I shall always do my duty and love you. I have not visited you for some days. It is true. I was out in the forest and met many doctors and informed them of your illness. At last I have found out the cure for your illness from one of them." The lion was happy and said to the fox, "Have you? Tell me quickly. What is the cure for my illness?" The fox said, "The good doctors advise this cure for your illness. Kill a wolf and wrap your king's body in its warm skin." The lion was every happy. At once he jumped on the wolf and killed it. The wicked wolf died by his own wicked plan.

The Tiger And The Greedy Man

An old tiger lived in a forest. He was not strong. He could not hunt the animals. He starved for many days. One day he thought of a plan. He said, "I shall go to the river and take a bath. Then I

shall sit on the bank. In one paw I shall hold some sacred kusa grass. In the other paw, I shall hold a gold bangle." He carried out his plan. Every day he sat on the bank of the river with the kusa grass in one hand and the gold bangle in the other. For some days no one came that way. The tiger was sad and hungry. After a week a Brahmin passed that way. He was a poor and greedy man. The tiger saw him and said, "Come here, good sir, I will give you a gold bangle. You can give it to your wife or daughter or you can sell it for a lot of money." The Brahmin saw the gold bangle. He thought, "The tiger has spoken kind words to me. He is very old too. He will not do me any harm." Then the Brahmin asked the tiger, "You are sitting on the opposite bank of the river. Is the river very deep? Can I cross it safely? How can I trust you?" The tiger replied, "Don't be afraid of me. I am very old. I have lost all my teeth. I bathe in the river every day and give presents to the poor. The river is not very deep. You can easily come to me and take the bangle from my hand." The greedy Brahmin trusted the words of the tiger. He got into the water and walked a few steps. The river was not very deep. In a few minutes he was very near the opposite bank. But suddenly his feet sank into mud. The tiger said to him, "Do not be afraid, O Brahmin. I will come and pull you out." Then the tiger walked slowly to him, pulled him out and ate him.

The Jackal and the Camel

Once a jackal and a camel lived near a river in a forest. They were good friends. One day the jackal said to the camel, "There is a field of sugarcane on the other side of the river. There is a lot of sugarcane in it. I am hungry now. We can eat some of them. I can't swim across the river. Take me there, please!" The camel said to the jackal, "It is a good idea. I am hungry too. Show me the way to that field of sugarcane and I shall carry you on my back." The jackal thanked the camel and sat on its back. In thirty minutes they reached the other side of the river. Soon they entered the field of

sugarcane. The jackal jumped from the back of the camel to the ground. They walked on and came to the middle of the field. The jackal said to the camel, "There is lot of sugarcane here. Some of them are tall and ripe. Some of them are short and raw. They have not grown up well. Don't eat them." The camel asked the jackal, "Are you not eating the sugarcane with me? I am going to eat them slowly." The jackal answered, "No, I am not. I am very fond of fish, crabs and other things in the river. I shall go to the river, eat my dinner and return in thirty minutes." The jackal left the camel in the field, ran to the river and ate a lot of fish, crabs and other things. His stomach was full and then he returned to the field of sugarcane. The jackal said to the camel, "I have eaten plenty of fish and crabs. I am happy now. Have you eaten a lot of sugarcane? Are you happy too?" The camel replied, "No, I am not. Your stomach is small. You have filled It up quickly. But mine is big. I am eating very slowly. I shall finish my dinner and join you at the river-bank in a few minutes. The jackal was full of joy. He ran round and round the field and howled aloud for some time. Then he ran to the river-bank and waited there for the camel. The people in the village heard the noise. They said, "There is no one in the field of. sugarcane. A jackal has got into the field. He will eat all our sugarcane. we shall run to the field and drive him out." They ran very fast and reached the field in ten minutes. They saw the camel in the middle of the field. They beat it severely with their sticks and drove it out of the field. The camel ran fast to the bank of the river and saw the jackal there. The jackal asked the camel, "Have you eaten the sugarcane? Shall we return home now?" The camel said, "No, I haven't. First get on my back quickly. We shall cross the river and then talk of things." With the jackal on the back, the camel reached the middle of the river. Then the camel said to the jackal, "You are a very bad friend. You had your dinner. Then you howled and brought the villagers to the field. I had not eaten a lot of sugarcane. I have eaten a lot of the field Are you happy now?" The jackal replied, "No I am not. I am very sorry. always run about and howl after a good dinner. It is a habit of mine." The camel walked on silently. After sometime they reached a deep spot in the river. the water

reached the camel's hump. The camel stopped at once. Then it said to the jackal, "I always roll over in the water after my dinner. It is a habit of mine." Then the camel rolled over in the water. The jackal fell from the camel's back into the water and died. The camel crossed the river quickly and reached home safely.

The Foolish Crocodile

A monkey lived in a tree near the Ganges. His name was Sumuka. He ate a lot of jambo fruit and grew fat. One day he saw a very old crocodile. It came to the foot of the tree. Sumuka said to the crocodile, " Good morning, sir. You are old and week. What has brought you here? I am happy and full of joy today. It is my birthday. I will give you some jambo fruit." Then Sumuka threw down some fruit to the crocodile. The crocodile ate them with great joy. Then he slowly went back home. He lived on a mud bank in the river. The next day too, the crocodile came and the monkey gave him a lot of jambo fruit. The crocodile thanked the monkey and soon they became good friends. One day, the crocodile took some jambo fruit home to his wife. She ate them and said to her husband, "The jambo fruit is very sweet and good. Bring me some everyday." Every day the crocodile came to the monkey and took home a few jambo fruits for his wife. Four days passed. On the fifth day the crocodile's wife said to her husband, "My dear, the jambo fruit is very nice. Who gives it to you everyday? Is he a man or a bird or an animal?" The crocodile replied, "Don't you know this? I have a friend. He lives in the jambo tree on the bank of the Ganges. He is a monkey. He gives me the Jambo fruit every day." His wife asked, "Does he? I am very happy. Does he eat a lot of jambo fruit everyday ?" The crocodile replied, "Yes, he does? How will this information help you ?" His wife said, "Then bring me his liver. It will be a nice food for us. I shall eat his liver or die without any food." The crocodile was afraid of his wife. He was always obedient to her. The next day the crocodile went to the jambo tree and invited the monkey for a feast. He said, "My wife has prepared a good dinner for you. She expects you today."

The monkey said to the crocodile, "Thank you for your invitation. I cannot cross the river." The crocodile replied, "You can get on my back. I will carry you home." The monkey trusted the crocodile and got on his back. Then they entered the water together. The crocodile walked slowly on land. But he swam quickly in water. The money was afraid and said to the crocodile, "Friend, please go slowly." The crocodile thought, "Sumuka is in my power now. He cannot escape. I will tell him the truth". Then the crocodile said to the monkey, "O friend, think of god now. My wife is going to kill you today and eat your liver. She is not giving you and feast." The monkey was afraid. But he did not lose courage. Suddenly an idea came to his mind. He said, "My dear friend, I am very sorry for you and your wife. She wants my liver for food. It isn't with me now. It is in a hole in a branch of the tree. I have only my heart with me here." The crocodile said, "You have done a wrong thing. Without your liver, my wife won't eat you. She will be angry and kill me too. We shall go back to the tree and return quickly with it." The monkey was very glad and agreed. They went back to the tree. The monkey climbed quickly to the top of the tree and said, "O foolish friend, go back to your wife and get her curses. Do you leave your liver on the mud bank? My liver is in my body and not in the tree. I cannot lose it for your wife's dinner. You Are Cruel. I have Made a mistake and have trusted you. God will punish you both for your cruelty." The crocodile went away sadly.

The Faithful Lion

Saint Gerasimus was a monk. He lived happily with many monks and his donkey. He spoke to the people about God and his mercy. He helped the poor and the sick people. So everyone in the village loved him. One day saint Gerasimus and his donkey went to the river at noon. They bathed in the river and returned with a jug of water. On the way they heard a lion's roar. The donkey was afraid but Gerasimus was not afraid. He listened carefully to the sound of the lion's roar. It came again and again. It was sad and painful. After some time the lion came towards them.. He limped with great difficulty. He lifted one of

his forelegs and showed it to the saint. He did not attack Gerasimus and his donkey. Gerasimus and his donkey. Gerasimus thought, "Someone has done some harm to the lion. Poor some thing! His eyes are full of tears. I shall help him and be kind to him." Then he took the paw of the lion's left leg in his hand and examined it. He removed it gently and carefully. The lion did not cry again. He held the saint's hand thankfully. He followed the saint to his house on the hill. He did not go back to the forest. At first the monks in the house were afraid of the lion but he did not do them any harm. They liked his company too. The monks said to Gerasimus, "Look! You have brought a lion to our place. He is big and strong. He is kind and harmless too. We shall not give him any meat. Bring him up on milk and porridge only." Gerasimus agreed to this. The lion was obedient to him. He sat with Gerasimus at table and ate with him his porridge and milk. At night the lion lay near him and kept watch over him. One day Gerasimus went Out with his lion and donkey to the market. On the way a man in tears appeared before him. He said to Gerasimus. "O, kind saint! My child is very ill. Will you come with me and give him some medicine and pray for his health?" Gerasimus left the lion and the donkey near a big tree and said to them, "Be here, I shall return to you in a few minutes. Don't go to sleep." But soon the lion closed one of its eyes and watched the donkey with the other. In a moment it fell asleep. Someone came that way. He saw the donkey with a lot of things on it. He was a thief. He took away the donkey with its things. After some time the lion woke up. He did not see the donkey. He roared very loudly for some time. Gerasimus returned to the tree after forty-five minutes. He saw the angry lion. He did not find the donkey with it. He thought, "The lion has killed the donkey. Is it not a beast of the jungle" He looked at the lion angrily and said, "You have failed in your duty. I don't want your friendship. Don't follow me to the house." The lion did not listen to his words. Its eyes were full of tears. It followed him again to the monk's house. Everyone in the house was angry with the lion. They treated him very badly. They put him in the stable and tied him with a rope to a pillar. They gave him all the work of the donkey. The lion

bore their cruelty with patience. The lion thought, "One day my master will learn the truth. I am not at fault. He will know it then." On a Saturday Gerasimus and the lion went to the town. The saint bought a lot of things and loaded them on the back of the lion. The boys in the town laughed and said, "Look! The lion is doing the work of a donkey." Suddenly the lion roared very loudly. The children were terribly afraid. The lion leaped forward towards a man and his donkey. They were standing near a tree by the side of the road. Gerasimus turned round and went to the man. It was his own donkey. The man was the thief. He was trembling all over. Gerasimus said to the lion, "Don't hurt him. He has done wrong. He has stolen my donkey. He will not steal it again. God will punish him." The man knelt before the saint and said, "Forgive me, please. I won't do it again. You have saved my life from the lion thank you." Then Gerasimus, with the lion and the donkey, returned to the house with all his things. The donkey was also happy. The other monks in the house were also happy. They treated the lion very kindly from the day. Five weeks passed. Gerasimus fell ill and died on a Friday morning. They buried him with deep sorrow. The lion sat near his grave with tears in his eyes. He did not eat anything that day. He thought of his kind master and friend. In the evening he died near his master's grave.