151 Panchatantra Tales

Once, there was a stag. He lived in the jungle. He was a loveable creature and all his friends and family loved him a lot. One day, the stag fell ill. Before his condition could worsen, he moved to a safe place, away from predators. The place was full of green grass. The stag’s condition […]

A snake charmer made a living by roaming around the village, amusing the crowds with his pets and their tricks. But the snake charmer was cruel. One night, he thrashed the monkey. Next morning, the snake charmer saw that the monkey had run away. But he did not feel bad. He continued with his shows.

Once upon a time, in a forest, there lived three friends – a monkey, a crow and an elephant. They loved one another a lot. But they also had many disagreements and could never arrive at a proper decision. One day, when they met near a huge banyan tree, the monkey said to the elephant

Up in the mountains, there lived a lion and a tiger. They were great friends. There was also a monk who lived in a cave in the mountains. Sometimes, the lion and the tiger would visit the monk to seek advice and to learn new things. One day, the friends had an argument regarding the

A butcher sat in his shop, selling meat. There were a few people in the shop. There was a dog in the shop too. He stood in a corner, waiting quietly, looking for a chance to pick up the scraps of meat. When the butcher cut a piece of meat, it fell on the ground.

There was a man in a village. He had a donkey. He would tie the bags of salt on the donkey’s back and sell them in the market. On the way, they had to cross a stream. One day, the donkey’s foot slipped and he fell into the water with salt bags and all. The

There was once a hare, who lived near a hill. A tortoise also lived near by. The hare always made fun of the tortoise because he was slow. The tortoise couldn’t bear the insults and, one day, he challenged the hare to a race. The hare was amused. He replied, “All right. Whoever reaches the

A hunter laid a trap in a forest. A lion got trapped in the cage. He tried to escape with all his might, but couldn’t. Then he sat down quietly. Some time later, he saw a monk passing by. He called the monk and asked to be set free. “I won’t harm you, I promise,”

It was a cloudy day. The animals in the forest were quiet. A storm was brewing in the air. So they all stayed at home. But the trees in the forest were having a discussion. “The animals and the birds rest in our shade, but they dirty the space around us before they go,” said

Once, there was a man who lived in a village. He was lazing on his cot with his pet dog beside him. Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. It was the postman. He handed a letter to the man. When the man read the letter, he said to his dog, “We have to

One day, a hunter was returning home after catching a pigeon. Since it was raining, he took a short cut. On the way, he met a fisherman, who was returning home after catching a bag full of fish from a lake in the forest. They began talking and soon became friends. The fisherman said, “I

There were two friends named Sojal and Ojal. One day, Ojal said to Sojal, “Let us bury our wealth in the forest. If we keep it with us, it will get spent or stolen.” The friends went to the forest and buried their wealth under a tree. At nightfall, Ojal stole all the money. In

Once, there was an astrologer who was renowned for his accurate predictions. The king summoned him one day and said, “I am worried about my future. Tell me what there is in store for me.” The astrologer said, “Your Majesty, I will tell you about the good things first.” Then he told the king about

There was a pack of jackals. One day, they saw an elephant near a water hole in the forest. They decided to have him as a meal. The chief of the jackals said to his pack, “I will befriend the elephant and trick him. Join me near the swamp.” Then he went to the elephant

There was once a flood in a village. A storm continued for two days and it did not stop raining. Water entered the people’s homes and their belongings started floating. The streets were full of cots, utensils, boxes and many other things. Amid these things were two pots, floating along at a distance. One was