One day, Little Bird invited Crow for dinner. Little Bird had spent the day preparing the meal, and when it was ready she waited for her guest to arrive. Some time passed, but Crow did not arrive. So Little Bird called out, ‘Where are you Crow, dinner is getting cold?’ A bird bath‘I am coming, I am coming,’ replied Crow. ‘I am just having a bath, and then I will put on my red shoes and I will come tum, tumming along and we will eat dinner together.’ So Little Bird waited some more, but still Crow did not arrive. Eventually, Little Bird called out again, ‘Crow, Crow, where are you? The ... read more

The Tale Of The Tyrant And The Butler Bernardo Visconti, the despot of Milan was in his day more feared than any other ruler was. Although he was pitiless, there was always a shade of justice in his cruelty. This is the story of a wealthy man and owner of one of the castles given to him by Bernardo. He was well known for his miserliness. One instance he was summoned to the court for having failed to feed his bullmastiffs (dogs), which had become vicious and attacked cattle. Therefore, he was condemned by Bernardo to pay a fine of four florins (gold coins). Upon hearing the amount, the mi ... read more

THE WIND AND THE SUN Once the Wind came to have a false pride of his strength- so much that he challenged the strength of the Sun. The Son tried to smile away the Wind's challenge but the Wind insisted on a trial of strength. The trial was to be upon a traveler. He, who would make the traveler put off his coat, was to be the winner. The Wind had the first attempt. He gathered all his force and came down upon the man trying to blow off his coat off his body. But the man felt colder and wrapped it even harder round himself. Now it was the Sun's turn. The Sun shined brightly. As obvio ... read more

The Arab and His Camel An Arab had a camel. One cold night the Arab lay asleep inside the tent while the camel stood outside. At midnight the camel awoke his master and requested him to allow him to put his head inside the tent as it was bitter cold outside. The Arab allowed him to do so. After a while, the camel asked the Arab if he might put his neck inside the tent. The Arab did not object to do it. Soon after the camel requested him again to allow him to bring his legs inside. The Arab agreed. Now the camel stood completely inside the twit. But as there was not space enough fo ... read more

The Duck Pond SO little Bridget took the baby on her right arm and a jug in her left hand, and went to the farm to get the milk. On her way she went by the garden-gate of a large house that stood close to the farm, and she told the baby a story:- "Last summer," she said," a little girl, bigger than you, for she was just able to walk, came to stay in that house she and her father and mother. All about the road just here, the ducks and the chickens from the farm, and an old turkey, used to walk about all the day long, but the poor little ducks were very unhappy, for they had no pond to swi ... read more