The Hungry Mouse

A mouse was having a very bad time. She could find no food at all. She looked here and there, but there was no food, and she grew very thin.
At last the mouse found a basket, full of corn. There was a small hole in the basket, and she crept in. She could just get through the hole.
Then she began to eat the corn. Being very hungry, she ate a great deal, and went on eating and eating. She had grown very fat before she felt that she had had enough.
When the mouse tried to climb out of the basket, she could not. She was too fat to pass through the hole.
" How shall I climb out?" said the mouse. "oh, how shall I climb out?"
Just then a rat came along, and he heard the mouse.
"Mouse," said the rat, "if you want to climb out of the basket, you must wait till you have grown as thin as you were when you went in."

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The Two Goats

Over a river there was a very narrow bridge. One day a goat was crossing this bridge. Just at the middle of the bridge he met another goat. There was no room for them to pass. "Go back," said one goat to the other, "there is no room for both of us".

"Why should I go back?", said the other goat. "Why should not you go back?"

" You must go back", said the first goat, "because I am stronger than you."

"You are not stronger than I", said the second goat.

"We will see about that", said the first goat, and he put down his horns to fight.

"Stop!", said the second goat. " If we fight, we shall both fall into the river and be drowned. Instead I have a plan- I shall lie down, and you may walk over me."

Then the wise goat lay down on the bridge, and the other goat walked lightly over him. So they passed each other, and went on their ways.

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The Two Frogs

Two frogs had lived in a village all their lives. they thought they would like to go and see the big city that was about ten miles away. They talked about it for a long time, and at last they set off to see the city. It was a hot day, and they soon began to feel tired. They had only gone a little way when one said to the other, "We must be nearly there. Can you see the city?" "No," said the other frog; "but if I climb on your back I might be able to see it." So he climbed up on the back of the other frog to see the city. Now when the frog put up his head, his eyes could only see what was behind, and not what was in front. So he saw the village they had just left. "Can you see the city?", asked the frog who was below. "Yes," answered the frog who had climbed up. " I can see it. It looks just like our village." Then the frogs thought that it was not worthwhile going any farther. They went back and told the frogs round the village that they had seen the city, and it was just like theirs.

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The Wolf

The Wolf Plays the Flute for The Clever Lamb

A wolf carried off a lamb. The lamb said, " I know you are going to eat me, but before you eat me I would like to hear you play the flute. I have heard that you can play the flute better than anyone else, even the shepherd himself."

The wolf was so pleased at this that he took out his flute and began to play.

When he had done, the lamb insisted him to play once more and the wolf played again.

The shepherd and the dogs heard the sound, and they came running up and fell on the wolf and the lamb was able to get back to the flock. 

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The Banker and The Pauper

Once upon a time there lived a pauper and a banker. The first was as poor as the second was rich. So it was inevitable that the rich man will be happier than the pauper. But their natures were opposite, for the poor man was happy whereas the banker was not. The banker was annoyed of the fact that while he tossed and turned in his bed at night, the pauper slept peacefully and always awoke rested and full of energy. One day the banker could stand it no longer. He decided to find out why the pauper was a happy man inspite of his poverty. So he summoned him to his house and asked him his yearly income because he believed that happiness could only be measured in terms of wealth. "I don't count too well, nor do I really care. I live each day as it comes and never worry about the next." "Well, then, just tell me how much you earn in one day," insisted the rich man. "I earn what I need. And even that would be too much were it not for all the Sundays and holidays when I must close my shop." The banker liked the pauper. He wished to thank him for coming to his house, so he presented the poor man with a bag of hundred gold coins. Now, to the pauper these coins, which meant so little to the banker, seemed a great fortune. He decided to hide the bag, so that he would have the money if ever he should need it. So, when he returned to his house, he dug a big hole in a secluded corner of the garden, threw the bag into it, and covered it with dirt. But from that day on, the poor man's life changed- he began to worry about the safety of his money. Every night he slept a little less, and each time he heard the slightest sound, he became anxious about the safety of his coins. Finally, he could bear his unhappiness no longer. He went to the garden, dug up the coins and returned them to the banker. The pauper had learned an important lesson, and so has the banker.

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The Donkey and The Little Dog

A man had a little dog, and he was very fond of it. He would pat its head, and take it on his knee, and talk to it. Then he would give it little bits of food from his own plate.

A donkey looked in at the window and saw the man and the dog.

"Why does he not make a pet of me?" said the donkey. 

"It is not fair. I work hard, and the dog only wags its tail, and barks, and jumps on its master's knee. It is not fair."

Then the donkey said to himself, "If I do what the dog does, he may make a pet of me."

So the donkey ran into the room. It brayed as loudly as it could. It wagged its tail so hard that it knocked over a jar on the table. Then it tried to jump on to its master's knee.

The master thought the donkey was mad, and he shouted, "Help! Help!" Men came running in with sticks, and they beat the donkey till it ran out of the house, and they drove it back to the field.

"I only did what the dog does," said the donkey," and yet they make a pet of the dog, and they beat me with sticks. It is not fair."

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The Crooked Hyena

In a thick bamboo jungle, two young pandas had started their new life. Both of them were very cute and chubby. They were born only a few days ago. Their mother had lovingly christened them Jackie and Mickey.

Jackie and Mickey were pretty young and weak. They were not even big enough to take care of themselves. Therefore their mother said, "Kids, you are growing now, you should be able to differentiate between a friend and a foe."

"Mother, who are friends and foes?" asked Jackie and Mickey.

"One who helps us and stands by us in all our odds is our friend. And one who harms us, kills innocent animals and birds, is our enemy. Do you understand anything?" asked their mother.

"Yes mother, we do understand. We will maintain a safe distance from our enemies and not even let them come near us, "Jackie and Mickey assured their mother.

"Good, my children. I was expecting the same understanding from both of you. Now I can leave you alone as you have grown wise, "said their mother and she gave her children a hug.

The next day Mother Panda went to visit her sister. She left Jackie and Mickey alone and went away.

All this while a Hyena was keeping an evil eye on Jackie and Mickey. He was looking for a right opportunity for the past few days. The Hyena's mouth watered when he saw the young and chubby pandas. With their mother away, the Hyena found that much-awaited opportunity.

The Hyena came near the bamboo and said, "Hello friends, what are you doing on the bamboo. Come near me, I will sing you a song and take you both for a jungle-ride."

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The Ass's Shadow

A man hired an ass from another man. He paid him two shillings to lend him the ass for the day.

It was a very hot day, and both men wanted to stand in the ass's shadow, so that they might be cool. But there was only room for one of them.

"Go away," said the man who had hired the ass. "Go away! It is my shadow today. I have hired the ass."
" You hired the ass," said the owner," but you did not hire his shadow. It is my shadow."

They went on, the hirer saying one thing and the owner saying the other. Then they began to fight, and while they were fighting one of them happened to hit the ass. Then the ass ran away. And it took its shadow with it !

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The Ant and the Grasshopper

On one fine summer's day in a field a Grasshopper was hopping about in a musical mood. An ant passed by bearing along with great toil an ear of corn he was taking to the nest.

The grasshopper invited the ant to sit for a chat with him. But the ant refused saying that "I’m storing up food for winter". " Why don’t you do the same?" asked the ant to the grasshopper.

"Pooh! Why bother about winter?" said the Grasshopper; we have got enough food at present." But the Ant went on its way and continued its toil.

Finally, when winter came, the Grasshopper found itself dying of hunger, while it saw the ants distributing corn and grain from their storage.

Then the Grasshopper understood that…

It is best to prepare for the days of necessity.

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Sweet Porridge

There was a poor but good little girl who lived with her mother. They had nothing to eat. One day, the child went into the forest, and there an aged woman met her who was aware of her sorrow. She gifted her with a little pot, which when she said, "cook, little pot, cook", would cook good, sweet porridge, and when she said, "stop, little pot", it ceased to cook. The girl took the pot home to her mother, and soon they were freed from their poverty and hunger, and ate sweet porridge as often as they chose. Once on a time when the girl had gone out, her mother said, cook, little pot, cook. And it did cook and she ate till she was satisfied, and then she wanted the pot to stop cooking, but did not know the word. So it went on cooking and the porridge rose over the edge, and still it cooked on until the kitchen and whole house were full, and then the next house, and then the whole street, just as if it wanted to satisfy the hunger of the whole world, and there was the greatest distress, but no one knew how to stop it. At last when only one single house remained, the child came home and just said, stop, little pot, and it stopped and gave up cooking, and whosoever wished to return to the town had to eat his way back!

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The Ugly Duckling

Once upon a time down on an old farm, lived a duck family, and Mother Duck had been sitting on a clutch of new eggs. One nice morning, the eggs hatched and out popped six chirpy ducklings. But one egg was bigger than the rest, and it didn't hatch. Mother Duck couldn't recall laying that seventh egg. How did it get there? TOCK! TOCK! The little prisoner was pecking inside his shell.

"Did I count the eggs wrongly?" Mother Duck wondered. But before she had time to think about it, the last egg finally hatched. A strange looking duckling with gray feathers that should have been yellow gazed at a worried mother. The ducklings grew quickly, but Mother Duck had a secret worry.

"I can't understand how this ugly duckling can be one of mine!" she said to herself, shaking her head as she looked at her last born. Well, the gray duckling certainly wasn't pretty, and since he ate far more than his brothers, he was outgrowing them. As the days went by, the poor ugly duckling became more and more unhappy. His brothers didn't want to play with him, he was so
clumsy, and all the farmyard folks simply laughed at him. He felt sad and lonely, while Mother Duck did her best to console him.

"Poor little ugly duckling!" she would say. "Why are you so different from the others?" And the ugly duckling felt worse than ever. He secretly wept at night. He felt nobody wanted him.

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The Princess and the Pea

Once upon a time there lived a prince who wanted to marry a princess; but she would have to be a 'real' princess. He traveled far and wide to find one but nowhere could he get what he wanted. There were many princesses, but it was hard to decide how far 'real' they were. So he returned home sadly.

One evening a terrible storm rose along with thunder and lightning, and rain poured down heavily. Suddenly a knock was heard at the castle gate. On opening it was found that a princess was standing at the door. But, good gracious! what a sight the whether had done to her.

The water ran down from her hair and clothes; and she was in a very bad condition and "yet
she said that she was a real princess"?!, thought the queen.

We'll soon find that out," thought the old queen. But she said nothing. She went into the bed-room, took all the bedding off the bedstead, and laid a pea on the bottom; then she took twenty mattresses and laid them on the pea, and then twenty eider-down beds on top of the mattresses.

On this the princess had to lie all night. In the morning she was asked how she had slept.
"Oh, very badly!" said she. "I hardly closed my eyes all night. God only knows what was in the bed… I was lying on something hard. It was horrible!"

Now they knew that she was a 'real' princess because she had felt the pea right through the twenty mattresses and the twenty eider-down beds.

Nobody but a real princess could be as sensitive as that.

So the prince took her for his wife, for now he knew that he had a 'real' princess; and the pea was put in the museum, where it may still be seen, provided no one has stolen it!

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High and Lifted Up

It was a windy day.
     The mailman barely made it to the front door. When the door opened, Mrs. Pennington said, "hello", but, before she had a real chance to say "thank you", the mail blew out of the mailman's hands, into the house and the front door slammed in his face. Mrs. Pennington ran to pick up the mail.
     "Oh my," she said.
     Tommy was watching the shutters open and then shut, open and then shut.
     "Mom," he said, "may I go outside?"
     "Be careful," she said. "It's so windy today."
     Tommy crawled down from the window-seat and ran to the door. He opened it with a bang. The wind blew fiercely and snatched the newly recovered mail from Mrs. Pennington's hands and blew it even further into the house.
     "Oh my," she said again. Tommy ran outside and the door slammed shut.
     Outside, yellow, gold, and red leaves were leaping from swaying trees, landing on the roof, jumping off the roof, and then chasing one another down the street in tiny whirlwinds of merriment.
     Tommy watched in fascination.
     "If I was a leaf, I would fly clear across the world," Tommy thought and then ran out into the yard among the swirl of colors.
     Mrs. Pennington came to the front porch.
     "Tommy, I have your jacket. Please put it on."
     However, there was no Tommy in the front yard.
     "Tommy?"

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The Donkey Skin Girl

There was once upon a time a king who was so much loved by his subjects that he thought himself the happiest man in the whole world, and he had everything his heart could desire. His palace was filled with the rarest of curiosities, and his gardens with the sweetest flowers, while in the marble stalls of his stables stood a row of milk-white Arabs, with big brown eyes.

Strangers who had heard of the marvels which the king had collected, and made long journeys to see them, were, however, surprised to find the most splendid stall of all occupied by a donkey, with particularly large and drooping ears. It was a very fine donkey; but still, as far as they could tell, nothing so very remarkable as to account for the care with which it was lodged; and they went away wondering, for they could not know that every night, when it was asleep, bushels of gold pieces tumbled out of its ears, which were picked up each morning by the attendants.

After many years of prosperity a sudden blow fell upon the king in the death of his wife, whom he loved dearly. But before she died, the queen, who had always thought first of his happiness, gathered all her strength, and said to him:

'Promise me one thing: you must marry again, I know, for the good of your people, as well as of yourself. But do not set about it in a hurry. Wait until you have found a woman more beautiful and better formed than myself.'

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Teller At Fault

At the time when the Tuatha De Dannan held the sovereignty of Ireland, there reigned in Leinster a king, who was remarkably fond of hearing stories. Like the other princes and chieftains of the island, he had a favourite story-teller, who held a large estate from his Majesty, on condition of telling him a new story every night of his life, before he went to sleep. Many indeed were the stories he knew, so that he had already reached a good old age without failing even for a single night in his task; and such was the skill he displayed that whatever cares of state or other annoyances might prey upothe monarch's mind, his story-teller was sure to send him to sleep.
One morning the story-teller arose early, and as his custom was, strolled out into his garden turning over in his mind incidents which he might weave into a story for the king at night. But this morning he found himself quite at fault; after pacing his whole demesne, he returned to his house without being able to think of anything new or strange. He found no difficulty in "there was once a king who had three sons" or "one day the king of all Ireland," but further than that he could not get. At length he went in to breakfast, and found his wife much perplexed at his delay.

"Why don't you come to breakfast, my dear?" said she.

"I have no mind to eat anything," replied the story-teller; "long as I have been in the service of the king of Leinster, I never sat down to breakfast without having a new story ready for the evening, but this morning my mind is quite shut up, and I don't know what to do. I might as well lie down and die at once. I'll be disgraced for ever this evening, when the king calls for his story-teller."

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King Grisly-Beard

A great king of a land far away in the East had a daughter who was very beautiful, but so proud and haughty and conceited, that none of the princes who came to ask for her hand in marriage was good enough for her. All she ever did was make fun of them.
     Once upon a time the king held a great feast and invited all her suitors. They all sat in a row, ranged according to their rank -- kings and princes and dukes and earls and counts and barons and knights. When the princess came in, as she passed by them, she had something spiteful to say to each one.
     The first was too fat: 'He's as round as a tub,' she said.
     The next was too tall: 'What a maypole!' she said.
     The next was too short: 'What a dumpling!' she said.
     The fourth was too pale, and she called him 'Wallface.'
     The fifth was too red, so she called him 'Coxcomb.'
     The sixth was not straight enough; so she said he was like a green stick that had been laid to dry over a baker's oven. She had some joke to crack about every one. But she laughed most of all at a good king who was there.
     'Look at him,' she said; 'his beard is like an old mop; he shall be called Grisly-beard.' So the king got the nickname of Grisly-beard.
     But the old king was very angry when he saw how his daughter behaved and how badly she treated all his guests. He vowed that, willing or unwilling, she would marry the first man that came to the door.
     Two days later a travelling fiddler came by the castle. He began to play under the window and begged for money and when the king heard him, he said, 'Let him come in.'
     So, they brought the dirty-looking fellow in and, when he had sung before the king and the princess, he begged for a gift.
     The king said, 'You have sung so well that I will give you my daughter to take as your wife.'

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Monkey and Dolphin

The Monkey and the Dolphin

         A sailor, bound on a long voyage, took along with him a Monkey to amuse him while on shipboard. As he sailed off the coast of Greece, a violent storm arose in which the ship was wrecked and he, along with his Monkey and all the crew were thus forced to swim for their lives. A Dolphin saw the Monkey fighting with the waves, and thinking him to be a man (whom he is always said to befriend), came and placed himself under him, to convey him on his back safely to the shore. When the Dolphin arrived with his burden in sight of land not far from Athens, he asked the Monkey if he were an Athenian. The latter replied that he was, and that he had a very noble origin. The Dolphin then inquired if he knew the Piraeus-the famous harbor of Athens. Supposing that a man was meant, the Monkey answered boastfully that he knew him very well and that he was his close friend. The Dolphin, indignant at these false words, dipped the Monkey under the water and drowned him in the deep blue sea.

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Three Little Pigs

Once upon a time there were three little pigs, who left their parents to see the world.

All summer long, they roamed through the woods and over the plains, playing games and having fun. None were happier than the three little pigs, and they easily made friends with everyone. Wherever they went, they were given a warm welcome, but as summer drew to a close, they realized that all drifting back to their usual jobs, and preparing for winter. Autumn came and it began to rain. The three little pigs started to feel they needed a real home. Sadly, they knew that the fun was over now and they must set to work like the others, or they'd be left in the cold and rain, with no roof over their heads. They talked about what to do, but each decided for himself. The laziest little pig said he'd build a straw hut.

"It will only take a day,' he said. The others disagreed.

"It's too fragile," they said but he refused to listen.
Not quite so lazy, the second little pig went in search of planks of seasoned wood.
It took him two days to nail them together.
But the third little pig did not like the wooden house.” It takes time, patience and hard work to build a house that is strong enough to stand up to wind, rain, and snow, and most of all, protect us from the wolf!"

The days passed, and the wisest little pig's house took shape, brick by brick. From time to time, his brothers visited him, saying,
"Why are you working so hard? Why don't you come and play?" But the stubborn bricklayer pig just said "no".

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The Frog Prince

One fine evening a young princess put on her bonnet and clogs, and went out to take a walk by herself in a wood; and when she came to a cool spring of water with a rose in the middle of it, she sat herself down to rest a while. Now she had a golden ball in her hand, which was her favourite plaything; and she was always tossing it up into the air, and catching it again as it fell.
     After a time she threw it up so high that she missed catching it as it fell; and the ball bounded away, and rolled along on the ground, until at last it fell down into the spring. The princess looked into the spring after her ball, but it was very deep, so deep that she could not see the bottom of it. She began to cry, and said, 'Alas! if I could only get my ball again, I would give all my fine clothes and jewels, and everything that I have in the world.'
     Whilst she was speaking, a frog put its head out of the water, and said, 'Princess, why do you weep so bitterly?'
     'Alas!' said she, 'what can you do for me, you nasty frog? My golden ball has fallen into the spring.'
     The frog said, 'I do not want your pearls, and jewels, and fine clothes; but if you will love me, and let me live with you and eat from off your golden plate, and sleep on your bed, I will bring you your ball again.'
     'What nonsense,' thought the princess, 'this silly frog is talking! He can never even get out of the spring to visit me, though he may be able to get my ball for me, and therefore I will tell him he shall have what he asks.'
     So she said to the frog, 'Well, if you will bring me my ball, I will do all you ask.'
     Then the frog put his head down, and dived deep under the water; and after a little while he came up again, with the ball in his mouth, and threw it on the edge of the spring.
     As soon as the young princess saw her ball, she ran to pick it up; and she was so overjoyed to have it in her hand again, that she never thought of the frog, but ran home with it as fast as she could. 

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Snow White

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs

Once upon a time in a great castle, a Prince's daughter grew up happy and contented, in spite of a jealous stepmother. She was very pretty, with blue eyes and long black hair. Her skin was delicate and fair, and so she was called Snow White.

Though her stepmother was a wicked woman, she too was very beautiful, and a magic mirror told her this every day, whenever she asked it. "Mirror, mirror on the wall, who is the loveliest lady in the land?" The reply was always; "You are, your Majesty," until the dreadful day when she heard it say, "Snow White is the loveliest in the land." The stepmother was furious and, wild with jealousy, began plotting to get rid of her. Calling one of her servants, she bribed him with a rich reward to take Snow White into the forest, far away from the castle. Then, unseen, he was to put her to death. The greedy servant, attracted to the reward, agreed to do this deed, and he led the sweet little girl away. However, when they came to the fatal spot, the man's courage betrayed him and, leaving Snow White sitting beside a tree, he mumbled an excuse and ran off. Snow White was thus left all alone in the forest.

Night came, but the servant did not return. Snow White, alone in the dark forest, began to cry bitterly. She thought she could feel terrible eyes spying on her, and she heard strange sounds and rustlings that made her heart thump. At last, overcome by tiredness, she fell asleep curled under a tree.

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