Emperor Akbar was in the habit of putting riddles and puzzles to his courtiers. He often asked questions which were strange and witty. It took much wisdom to answer these questions. Once he asked a very strange question. The courtiers were dumb folded by his question. Akbar glanced at his courtiers. As he looked, one by one the heads began to hang low in search of an answer. It was at this moment that Birbal entered the courtyard. Birbal who knew the nature of the emperor quickly grasped the situation and asked, "May I know the question so that I can try for an answer". Akbar said, ... read more

Stubborn Goats Two goats came face to face while crossing a narrow bridge. “Let me pass” said one of them. “Never, you get out of my way” said the other goat. They quarrel each other and lost their balance. They fell into the stream down below and died! A few days later another two goats came face to face while crossing the same bridge. Both these goats were wise and patient. They made way for each other to cross the narrow bridge. Both reached their home safely. Moral: Better bend than break.

Lion and Poor Slave A slave, ill treated by his master, runs away to the forest. There he comes across a lion in pain because of a thorn in his paw. The slave bravely goes forward and removes the thorn gently. The lion without hurting him goes away. Some days later, the slave’s master comes hunting to the forest and catches many animals and cages them. The slave is spotted by the masters’ men who catch him and bring him to the cruel master. The master asks for the slave to be thrown into the lion’s cage. The slave is awaiting his death in the cage when he realizes that it is the s ... read more

Cocoon and the Butterfly Many of us know that a beautiful and colourful butterfly comes from an unappealing worm! Here is the story of a butterfly that was never able to live its life as a normal butterfly. One day, a man saw a cocoon. He loved butterflies and had a craze for its wonderful combination of colours. In fact, he used to spend a lot of time around butterflies. He knew how a butterfly would struggle to transform from an ugly caterpillar into a beautiful one. He saw the cocoon with a tiny opening. It meant that the butterfly was trying to make its way out to enjoy the world. ... read more

Grandpas Table A frail old man went to live with his son, daughter-in- law, and four-year old grandson. The old man’s hands trembled, his eyesight was blurred, and his step faltered. The family ate together at the table. But the elderly grandfather’ s shaky hands and failing sight made eating difficult. Peas rolled off his spoon onto the floor. When he grasped, the glass, milk spilled on the tablecloth. The son and daughter-in- law became irritated with the mess. “We must do something about Grandfather, ” said the son. “I’ve had enough of his spilled milk, noisy eating, and food on the ... read more