The Donkey wants to Sing- Panchatantra Stories

                                There was a donkey who didn't know how to sing. But yet he loves to sing. This donkey work with the washer man all there. In the night he would wander around in search of food. He returns back in the morning. 

                            Wandering around the fields, he became a friend of a fox. The fox also needed the donkey's help to steal in the fields at night. The donkey steals the fields very effectively. He enters the fields and eat watermelons. The fox also loves watermelons very much. Every night they meet each other and enter several fields and eats something. In the morning both the friends return back to their home.

                                    One day while they were out, the donkey stood in the middle of the field and looked towards the sky. He thought for a while and said loudly "oh see how beautiful this full moon looks. It looks so wonderful. It's such a pleasant weather. I am so happy that I feel like singing away". Hearing this the fox was stunned and said to the donkey"you fool! you are in someone else's field and trying to steal their food. One must steal quietly. Nobody should know about it. How can anyone sing while stealing anything?".

                                    The donkey said "who will us at this hour? Everyone must me sleeping peacefully. I feel like singing a song right now. Tell me my friend which song should I sing?". The fox was very angry with the donkey. He said angrily "have you gone mad or what? on hearing your song, the watchmen sleeping here will get up. They will run and come here. They will beat us up with their sticks. Look, instead you quietly eat these sweet watermelons . Besides what will you get if you sing?". The donkey said "oh friend you live in a jungle so you don't understand songs. You have no ear for music. Now you see. Just see how I sing. Here my song and say if it is as sweet as the watermelons in this field".

                             The fox understood that nobody could stop the donkey now. He understood that it would be best if he ran away from there. He told the donkey "dear friend! you sing if you wish to. But before that I will go out from the field and keep a watch on the guards around. You can sing after I go alright?".

                               Then in a moment the fox jumped over the fence and was out of site. The donkey sang in a high pitch. Hearing the loud braying of the donkey, the watchman got up. Taking his stick, he ran towards the donkey. He started thrashing the donkey. With this the donkey fell on the ground. Then the watchman tied a heavy wood around the neck of the donkey and started hitting him over and over again. The donkey was lying on the ground, groaning and moaning in the pain.

                                   After a while he gathered strength. Slowly slowly with pain he got up and started to walk with the limb. The fox was standing outside the fence and watching. When the donkey came close, the fox said "oh great and mighty singer, you sang very well. Looks like the watchman likes your song very much. That is why I think he has even given you a reward. Hmm, he has even put a medal around your neck". Hearing this, the donkey started singing in pain.

--The End--

A Donkey with no Brain and Heart - Panchatantra Tales

                        Once upon a time there was a Lion in the forest. This lion has a Fox as his assistant. The lion goes to hunt and give a share of his hunt to the fox. One day the lion had a fight with Elephant in which the lion had badly wounded. Because of this he could not move his step ahead. So hunting was not at all possible for him. The lion was almost starving to death and this effected fox too. 

                             Finally one day the lion thought of a solution. He said to the fox "Oh fox! you are very smart. Persuade an animal and bring him here. Then with one single blow I will kill that animal". Hearing lion's words the fox left in search of a foolish animal. He wandered far and wide but he did not find a foolish animal in the forest. 

                         After sometime the fox reached to a village. There he saw a donkey gracing around. By seeing him the fox's eyes let up. The fox greeted donkey "Hey donkey! there is no green grass here. Then what are you gracing on? Does n't your owner give you enough food to eat?". For the first time someone was talking politely and showing concern to the donkey. With the heavy heart the donkey said "what can I say fox? I can't lift as much weight as I used to. So my owner does n't give enough food to satisfy my hunger". The fox showed sympathy towards donkey "my friend why don't you come with me to the jungle? Oh there is lot of green and juicy grass in the jungle. The donkey said "But there are wild animals also in the jungle". Hearing this the fox became cautious and said "now don't worry at all about the wild animals. You know the lion king has sent me here. Our king has thought of saving all animals who live in the village from the injustice by the men. The king has decided he will protect all the animals who live in the village and give them place in the jungle. Also he has decided to make you a minister". 

                      Hearing this great news, the donkey was delighted and he immediately got ready to go with the fox. The fox took him to the lion immediately. The poor lion was hungry since many days. He was happy to see a prey. The donkey was far and the lion tried to bounce on him. The donkey was stunned. He ran away from there immediately. The poor lion was left with nothing because his plan had failed so badly. The fox also felt terrible about it and told "Oh king! why you have show your heist? You should have attacked only after it came close. Never mind. I will get the donkey back here. You don't worry at all". Saying this the fox left from there. Since the lion lost his prey he was very sad and started thinking "that donkey was run away from here. Why will he come back?"

                        Just then the fox reaches the donkey. He started reassuring the donkey "really you have no brain at all. The king of the jungle came forward to welcome you and you scared of him and ran from there. How can a coward like you be a minister? If the king really wanted to kill you, would you be able to run? Tell me where would you have run for life? If the king would have chased you, would you be alive? You would have died as soon as he would bounce on you. Now come come. Come on its yet not late. Come with me. You still have a chance. I will explain to the king that he should make only you his minister. Come with me. Come come". Saying the fox brought the donkey to the line and took him to the lion.

                     This time the lion did not show any heist. He let the donkey come close. He then bounced on the donkey and killed him. The lion said to the fox "You keep watching him. I have n't had a bath in many days. I will go and bath before I sit to eat". By saying this to the fox the lion leaved to the nearby pond. The fox was very hungry. He could see a feast infront of him. He could not resist. He thought for a while and divert the brain and heart of the donkey. After sometime the lion finished his bath and came back. When he saw, he wondered the brain and heart of the donkey was missing. The lion was very angry. He roared very loudly. He asked the fox very angrily "what is this fox? I can't see the brain and heart of the donkey. Why is it so?". The fox said cheekily "Oh king! If this donkey had a brain and a heart, then would he come back to us to die? Oh king! the donkey didn't have a brain and a heart".

--The End--

The Talking Cave - Panchatantra Stories

                 
                  Once upon a time there was a Lion in a forest. One day he was searching for the food. But he can't find any animal. Finally he was tired and fed-up. The Sun was about set. The lion lost hope and thought "Never mind I think I have a fast today". The lion was returning to his cave. 

                    Just then his eyes fell upon another cave. The lion thought "Before I leave let me see in this cave. It will be fine if I found an animal here". Thinking this, the lion entered the cave. But what he saw was an empty cave. He thought it would be best to leave this cave and return back to his cave. Suddenly an idea stricken "It was nearly evening. The animal living in this cave would certainly come back. So let me sit here and wait which means I don't want to hunt for food. My hunger will be satisfied". So, the lion sat quietly inside the cave. He waited for the animal living in the cave to arrive. 

                  This cave belongs to a Fox and a Fox is a very smart animal. In a while after the long day of his hunt finally the fox reaches there. Suddenly the fox stopped by seeing the foot prints of the lion in-front of the cave and thought "I can see the foot prints going in to the cave but I can't see any foot prints coming out which means the lion is surely sitting inside the cave. Its good that I have come back to my cave before sunset. If I had been delayed a bit then he would have been surely got me because in the dark it would not have been possible for me to see the lion's foot prints".

                   The fox thought for a moment and suddenly he got an idea. He said in a loud voice "Cave! Oh Cave!". Then he was quiet for a moment and said again "Cave! Oh Cave! why are n't you talking today when I say Cave? Everyday you tell me welcome back. How was your day today?"

                The lion sitting hiding inside the cave thought "perhaps the cave talks everyday. But since I am here today, he is scared and is not being able to talk. So what if I talk instead of the cave?"

                    After sometime the fox said again "Cave! Oh Cave!". The lion hiding in the cave said in a soft voice "welcome back. How was your day today?". His voice is echoed in the cave. Hearing that the animals nearby the cave became alert. The Lion thought that now the fox would surely come in. But instead of the fox his voice answered "Lion King! Can a cave ever talk? OK then. Here I go. Bye Bye". The lion came out of the cave and seen the fox running away at full speed saving his life.

--The End--