Story

The Mercury and the Woodcutter

Many, many years ago a wood-cutter was cutting down a tree on the bank of a river. His axe fell into the water and he was very sad. While he was sitting sadly, Mercury came there and asked, "Why are you sad ?"

"I have let my axe fall into the river, "said the woodcutter.The god leaped into the water and brought out a golden axe. But the woodcutter said, "It is not mine."The second time the god brought out a silver axe. This too he refuses to take.

For the third time the god dived, and brought back the iron axe. When the woodcutter saw this, he shouted, “There, that's my axe!

But the god said, "You have not tried to deceive me. Take your own axe and also the other two. They are your reward for honesty."

Moral : Honesty is the best policy.

Rhinoceros and Calf

Black rhinoceros live in the mountainous rain forests and grassy scrub lands of Africa.Rhinos eat leaves, twigs, and branches of plants.Although they cannot see very well, they have good senses of hearing and smell. There skin is thick and though.A bird called a tick bird eats insects off the rhino's rugged skin. This helps to keep it clean. A baby rhino is called a calf.A calf is protected by its mother. A mother rhino can be very dangerous if her calf is threatened.Because rhinos are hunted for their horns, there are only about fifteen thousand in the world today.Illegal hunting must be stopped so that these creatures can survive.

Shaikh Chilli

Sheikh chilli was one day carrying a basket full of eggs to sell in the market. On the way he said himself, "I shall get a good sum of money for these eggs. With this money I shall buy hens. The hens will have chickens, and they will become many in number. I shall make a good fortune out of them. Soon I shall be one of the richest merchants of the town."

He went on thinking, "I will marry a rich wife. Then I shall have children. If my wife and children do not obey me, I shall be angry. They will try to please me. When they come near me, I shall kick them thus."

So saying he kicked the air. In doing so he took his hands off the basket. The Basket fell on the ground, and the eggs lay broken in a heap.

Moral : It is useless to build castles in the air.

The Dog and his Shadow

There was a greedy dog. He stole a piece of meat from a butcher's shop. Then he ran away to save himself and the piece. Before long he reached a stream. He stopped, for a while, on its bridge and locked at the river flowing underneath. He saw his own reflection in its clear water. He took it for another dog with a larger piece of meat in his mouth.He could not bear the sight. He jumped into the river at once. He opened his mouth to get hold of the larger piece. But he lost his own and did not get the other. He was greedy. He was, therefore, a loser.

Moral : Don't be Greedy.