The Crystal Ball In the south of Spain, there was a small village whose people were very joyful. The children played under the shades of trees in the gardens of their homes. A shepherd boy named Nasir stayed near the village with his father, mother and grandmother. Each morning, he took his herd of goats up the hills to find a suitable place for them to graze. In the afternoon he would return with them to the village. Each night his grandmother would tell him a story - the story of stars. This story really interested Nasir. On one of those days, as Nasir was watching his herd and play ... read more

The Devoted Mother A mother duck and her little ducklings were on their way to a lake one day. The ducklings were very happy following their mother and quack-quacking along the way. All of a sudden, the mother duck saw a fox at a distance. She was frightened, and shouted, "Children, hurry to the lake. There's a fox!" The ducklings hurried towards the lake. The mother duck wondered what to do. Then she began to walk back and forth dragging one wing on the ground. Short Stories - Devoted Mother 2When the fox saw her, he became happy. He said to himself, "It seems she's hurt and can't ... read more

A fox was once very hungry and went in search of some food. He searched everywhere, but he couldn’t find anything that he could eat. Finally, with his stomach rumbling, he came upon a farmer’s wall. On top of the wall were the biggest, juiciest grapes the fox had ever seen. The rich purple color told the fox that they were ready to be eaten. The fox jumped high in the air to catch the grapes in his mouth, but he missed. He tried again and missed again. He tried a few more times but missed each time. Finally, the fox decided to go home all the while muttering, ‘I’m sure the grapes were sour any ... read more

The Tree and the Travellers Once, there was a huge tree with a broad trunk and innumerable branches right in the middle of a dry land. The tree gave rest and shelter to hundreds and thousands of travelers. Being located near four towns, and many villages, the tree was an ideal meeting point for travelers. One day, two travelers reached the tree after a long time of walking. Their destination was one of the towns nearby. It was a hot and sunny day, and the travelers were very happy to take a rest under the tree. Exhausted, they slumped under the tree. They slept for a while, enjoying the ... read more

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