The Three Butterfly Brothers

Honey, Bunny and Sunny were three brothers. And they were butterflies. The most handsome butterflies in all the land, and best friends, too. Their mother, had taught them all they knew. She told them many things, "But", she said, "the most important thing of all to remember is that you must always depend on and support each other. Together, you will be stronger than the Sun, Wind and Rain combined even though you fly on delicate gossamer wings. 

Individually you are just ordinary butterflies, weak and fragile. So never let each other down."When they grew up, Honey, Bunny and Sunny decided to explore the world, just as every good fairy tale character must do. So they set off, discovering wonders that they had never dreamed possible. Excited and laughing, they flew restlessly about as though there was no tomorrow.

Then a mean, black cloud spotted them and felt jealous of the fun that they were having. "Ha," he laughed to himself, "let’s see how loyal they really are to each other. I’ll put them to the test." He began to rain. Honey, Bunny and Sunny wings got wet, and soon, it was difficult for them to fly with wet, heavy wings. "We must find some shelter before our wings get damaged," they cried.

A Cherry tree sparkled with pink flowers. "Oh good cherry tree, please let us take shelter in your flowers until the rain cloud has gone" asked Honey the eldest."I can take you Honey since you are the pink butterfly," said the cherry tree, "for my flowers are pink. But I can’t take the other two". "If you will not take in my brothers, I will not take shelter here either," said Honey angrily. Bunny and Sunny tried to persuade Honey, but he would not agree.

Then they came upon the Red flowers of the Rose plant. The rain came down a little harder now, for the black cloud was a little annoyed that his plan had not worked. "Beautiful Rose," the three pleaded," give us shelter until the rain has gone…". "I can protect Bunny in my red flowers," said the tree, "but I cannot take in the other two." "Then I too will not take shelter here," cried Bunny. "I will never desert my brothers." The rain drenched them as the cloud grew furious.

The same thing happened when they came to the Sunflower plant, which dripped with a thousand yellow flowers. "If you will not help my brothers," said sunny, "I too will do without your help."And they flew away together. The cloud turned white with shame when he realized the love and loyalty the brothers shared.

Soon the Sun was shining through and Honey, Bunny and Sunny flew on happily, exploring the wide world once more.

The Two Little Angels

Two traveling angels stopped to spend the night in the home of a wealthy family. The family was rude and refused to let the angels stay in the mansion's guest room. Instead the angels were given a small space in the cold basement. As they made their bed on the hard floor, the older angel saw a hole in the wall and repaired it. 

When the younger angel asked why, the older angel replied, "Things aren't always what they seem." 

The next night the pair came to rest at the house of a very poor, but very hospitable farmer and his wife. After sharing what little food they had the couple let the angels sleep in their bed where they could have a good night's rest. 

When the sun came up the next morning the angels found the farmer and his wife in tears. Their only cow, whose milk had been their sole income, lay dead in the field. 

The younger angel was infuriated and asked the older angel, "How could you have let this happen? The first man had everything, yet you helped him. The second family had little but was willing to share everything, and you let the cow die." 

"Things aren't always what they seem," the older angel replied. "When we stayed in the basement of the mansion, I noticed there was gold stored in that hole in the wall. Since the owner was so obsessed with greed and unwilling to share his good fortune, I sealed the wall so he wouldn't find it." 

"Then last night as we slept in the farmers bed, the angel of death came for his wife. I gave him the cow instead. Things aren't always what they seem." 

Sometimes that is exactly what happens when things don't turn out the way they should. If you have faith, you need to trust that the outcome has a purpose. You just might not know it until some time later...

The Foolish Wolf And The Baby

An old nurse was trying to console a small baby who was crying badly. "Be quiet now," said an old Nurse to a child sitting on her lap. "If you make that noise again I will throw you to the Wolf." Now it chanced that a Wolf was going close under the window as this was said. So he crouched down by the side of the house and waited. 

"I am in good luck to-day," thought he. "It is sure to cry soon, and a daintier morsel I haven't had for many a long day." So he waited, and he waited, and he waited, till at last the child began to cry, and the Wolf came forward before the window, and looked up to the Nurse, wagging his tail.  But all the Nurse did was to shut down the window and call for help, and the dogs of the house came rushing out. "Ah," said the Wolf as he galloped away, 

Moral Of The Story: "Enemies promises were made to be broken."

The One-Eyed Deer

One day a Deer was grazing in the jungle. A hunter saw the deer and tried to shoot her but luckily the deer escaped. However the arrow hit the deer's right eye and she was unable to see through her right eye forever. So to avoid any danger she always used to feed on a high cliff near the sea, with her sound eye looking towards the land. By this means she could see whenever the hunters approached her on land, and often escaped by this means. Her injured eye always pointed towards the sea, from whence she entertained no anticipation of danger. 

Some boatmen sailing by saw her and found out that she was blind of one eye, and hiring a boat rowed under the cliff where she used to feed and shot her from the sea. Yielding up her last breath, she gasped forth this lament: "O wretched creature that I am! to take such precaution against the land, and after all to find this seashore, to which I had come for safety, so much more perilous."

Moral Of The Story: You cannot escape your fate.

The Wolf's Feast

A lazy wolf always wandered in the jungle for food without doing any hard work.  A shepherd used to bring his sheep's to same jungle to feed them on the green leaves. The wolf while wandering always used to look greedily at those sheep's" I wish I could eat these delicious sheep's one day" he used to murmur. But the Wolf found great difficulty in getting at the sheep owing to the vigilance of the shepherd and his dogs. 

But one day it found the skin of a sheep that had been flayed and thrown aside, so it put it on over its own pelt and strolled down among the sheep. The Lamb that belonged to the sheep, whose skin the Wolf was wearing, began to follow the Wolf in the Sheep's clothing; so, leading the Lamb a little apart, he soon made a meal off her, and for some time he succeeded in deceiving the sheep, and enjoying hearty meals.

Moral Of The Story: Appearances are deceptive.

The Rose and the Amaranth

A rich merchant had a very beautiful garden. In that garden there were two plants who were good friends the Rose and the Amaranth. They blossomed side by side in the garden. One bright day the Amaranth said to her neighbor Rose, "How I envy you your beauty and your sweet scent! No wonder you are such a universal favorite." 

But the Rose replied with a shade of sadness in her voice, "Ah, my dear friend, I bloom but for a time: my petals soon wither and fall, and then I die. But your flowers never fade, even if they are cut; for they are everlasting."

Moral Of The Story: "Greatness carries its own penalties."

The Old Woman and the Wine-Jar

AN Old woman found an empty jar which had lately been full of prime old wine and which still retained the fragrant smell of its former contents. She greedily placed it several times to her nose, and drawing it backwards and forwards said, "O most delicious! How nice must the Wine itself have been, when it leaves behind in the very vessel which contained it so sweet a perfume!"

Moral Of The Story: The memory of a good deed lives.

The Village Lady And Her Two Pots

One day a woman from the nearby village came with her two pots to fetch water from the near-by river. Suddenly she remembered that she left her main door unlocked and worried that some thief may enter inside. So she left her two pots on the river bank and went running towards her home thinking that she can lock her door and come back again to fetch her pots. The two Pots had been left on the bank of a river, one of bronze, and one of earthenware. When the tide rose they both floated off down the stream. 

Now the earthenware pot tried its best to keep aloof from the bronze one, which cried out: "Fear nothing, friend, I will not strike you." "But I may come in contact with you," said the other, "if I come too close; and whether I hit you, or you hit me, I shall suffer for it."

Moral Of The Story: The strong and the weak cannot keep company.

Mercury And The Woodcutter

A Woodman was felling a tree on the bank of a river, when his axe, glancing off the trunk, flew out of his hands and fell into the water. As he stood by the water's edge lamenting his loss, Mercury appeared and asked him the reason for his grief. On learning what had happened, out of pity for his distress, Mercury dived into the river and, bringing up a golden axe, asked him if that was the one he had lost. The Woodman replied that it was not, and Mercury then dived a second time, and, bringing up a silver axe, asked if that was his. "No, that is not mine either," said the Woodman. 

Once more Mercury dived into the river, and brought up the missing axe. 

The Woodman was overjoyed at recovering his property, and thanked his benefactor warmly; and the latter was so pleased with his honesty that he made him a present of the other two axes. 

When the Woodman told the story to his companions, one of these was filled with envy of his good fortune and determined to try his luck for himself. So he went and began to fell a tree at the edge of the river, and presently contrived to let his axe drop into the water. 

Mercury appeared as before, and, on learning that his axe had fallen in, he dived and brought up a golden axe, as he had done on the previous occasion. Without waiting to be asked whether it was his or not, the fellow cried, "That's mine, that's mine," and stretched out his hand eagerly for the prize: but Mercury was so disgusted at his dishonesty that he not only declined to give him the golden axe, but also refused to recover for him the one he had let fall into the stream. 

Moral Of The Story: "Honesty is the best policy."

The Hare With Many Friends

There lived a Hare in the jungle who was very popular with the other beasts who all claimed to be her friends. But one day she heard the hounds approaching and hoped to escape them by the aid of her many Friends. So, she went to the horse, and asked him to carry her away from the hounds on his back. But he declined, stating that he had important work to do for his master. "He felt sure," he said, "that all her other friends would come to her help." 

She then applied to the bull, and hoped that he would repel the hounds with his horns. The bull replied: "I am very sorry, but I have an appointment with a lady; but I feel sure that our friend the goat will do what you want." The goat, however, feared that his back might do her some harm if he took her upon it. The ram, he felt sure, was the proper friend to apply to. 

So she went to the ram and told him the case. The ram replied: "Another time, my dear friend. I do not like to interfere on the present occasion, as hounds have been known to eat sheep as well as hares." The Hare then applied, as a last hope, to the calf, who regretted that he was unable to help her, as he did not like to take the responsibility upon himself, as so many older persons than himself had declined the task. By this time the hounds were quite near, and the Hare took to her heels and luckily escaped.

Moral Of The Story: "A Friend In Need Is A Friend Indeed."

The Horse And The Donkey

A Horse and a donkey were travelling together, the Horse prancing along in its fine trappings, the donkey carrying with difficulty the heavy weight in its panniers. 

"I wish I were you," sighed the donkey; "nothing to do and well fed, and all that fine harness upon you." 

Next day, however, there was a great battle, and the Horse was wounded to death in the final charge of the day. His friend, the donkey, happened to cross by shortly afterwards and found him on the point of death. "I was wrong," said the donkey.

Moral Of The Story: Better humble security than gilded Danger.

The Hares And The Frogs

The Hares were so persecuted by the other beasts, they did not know where to go. As soon as they saw a single animal approach them, off they used to run. One day they saw a troop of wild Horses stampeding about, and in quite a panic all the Hares scuttled off to a lake hard by, determined to drown themselves rather than live in such a continual state of fear. 

But just as they got near the bank of the lake, a troop of Frogs, frightened in their turn by the approach of the Hares scuttled off, and jumped into the water. "Truly," said one of the Hares, "things are not so bad as they seem".

Moral Of The Story: "There is always someone worse off than yourself."

The Fox Who Lost His Tail

One day was wandering alone in the jungle. While doing so the fox unexpectedly caught in a trap. The fox tried to free himself from the trap and was successful, but while doing so the fox lost his tail. Thereafter, feeling his life a burden from the shame and ridicule to which he was exposed, he schemed to convince all the other foxes that being tailless was much more attractive, thus making up for his own deprivation.

He gathered a good many foxes and publicly advised them to cut off their tails, saying that they would not only look much better without them, but that they would get rid of the weight of the brush, which was a very great inconvenience. One of them interrupting him said, "If you had not yourself lost your tail, my friend, you would not thus counsel us."

Moral Of The Story: Distrust interested Advice.

The Abandoned Bats

Long ago all the animals in the jungle used to live peacefully with each other. They were all good friends. One day while playing together the Birds and the Animals had a small argument and that eventually turned into a big conflict. A great conflict was about to come off between the Birds and the Beasts. When the two armies were collected together the Bat hesitated which to join. The Birds that crossed his perch said: "Come with us"; but the Bat simply said: "I am a Beast." Later on, some Beasts who were crossing underneath him looked up and said: "Come with us"; but he said: "I am a Bird." 

Luckily at the last moment peace was made, and no battle took place, so the Bat came to the Birds and wished to join in the rejoicings, but they all turned against him and he had to fly away. He then went to the Beasts, but soon had to beat a retreat, or else they would have torn him to pieces. "Ah," said the Bat, "I see now, 

Moral Of The Story: "He that is neither one thing nor the other has no friends."

The Fisherman And The Little Fish

It happened that a Fisherman, after fishing all day, caught only a little fish. 

"Pray, let me go, master," said the Fish. "I am much too small for your eating just now. If you put me back into the river I shall soon grow, then you can make a fine meal off me."

"Nay, nay, my little Fish," said the Fisherman, "I have you now. I may not catch you hereafter."

Moral Of The Story: A little thing in hand is worth more than a great thing in prospect.

The Bald Man and The Fly

Once there was a Bald Man who sat down after work on a hot summer's day. A Fly came up and kept buzzing about his bald pate, and stinging him from time to time. The fly bite the bare head of the Bald Man who, endeavoring to destroy it, gave himself a heavy slap. 

Escaping, the Fly said mockingly, "You who have wished to revenge, even with death, the Prick of a tiny insect, see what you have done to yourself to add insult to injury?' The Bald Man replied, "I can easily make peace with myself, because I know there was no intention to hurt. But you, an ill-favored and contemptible insect who delights in sucking human blood, I wish that I could have killed you even if I had incurred a heavier penalty." 

Moral Of The Story: Revenge will hurt the Avenger.

The Frog and The Ox

One afternoon a grand and wonderful ox was on his daily stroll, when he was noticed by a small haggardly frog. The frog was too impressed with the great ox, impressed to the point of envy.

"Look at this magnificent ox!" he called to all his friends, "He's such a grand size for an animal, but he's no greater than I am if I tried."

The frog started puffing and swelled from his normal size.

"Am I as large as the wonderful ox?" he asked his friends.

"No, no, not near as grand as the ox," they replied.

So, the frog puffed himself up more and more, trying to reach the state of the ox.

"Now? now?" asked the frog.

"No, no. But please, don't try anymore," pleaded his friends.

But the frog continue to puff and swell, larger and larger until he finally burst.

Moral Of The Story: Self-conceit may lead to self-destruction.

The Labourer and the Nightingale

A Labourer lay listening to a Nightingale's song throughout the summer night. So pleased was he with it that the next night he set a trap for it and captured it. "Now that I have caught thee," he cried, "thou shalt always sing to me."

"We Nightingales never sing in a cage." said the bird.

"Then I'll eat thee." said the Labourer. "I have always heard say that a nightingale on toast is dainty morsel."

"Nay, kill me not," said the Nightingale; "but let me free, and I'll tell thee three things far better worth than my poor body." The Labourer let him loose, and he flew up to a branch of a tree and said: "Never believe a captive's promise; that's one thing. Then again: Keep what you have. And third piece of advice is: Sorrow not over what is lost forever." Then the song-bird flew away.

The Wind And The Sun

The wind and the sun argued one day over which one was the stronger. Spotting a man man traveling on the road, they sported a challenge to see which one could remove the coat from the man's back the quickest.

The wind began. He blew strong gusts of air, so strong that the man could barely walk against them. But the man clutched his coat tight against him. The wind blew harder and longer, and the harder the wind blew, the tighter the man held his coat against him.The wind blew until he was exhausted, but he could not remove the coat from the man's back.

It was now the sun's turn. He gently sent his beams upon the traveler. The sun did very little, but quietly shone upon his head and back until the man became so warm that he took off his coat and headed for the nearest shade tree.

Moral Of The Story: Kindness effects more than severity.

The Widow And Her Little Maidens

There lived a Widow in a small village. The widow was very unkind. She had two servants whom she kept pretty hard at work. They were not allowed to sleep enough in the mornings. When the dawn breaks the old lady would make her servants wake up and made them to work hard for the whole day without allowing them to take rest. The two servants were very angry with the widow lady's attitude and disliked intensely having to get up at such an hour, especially in winter-time: and they thought that if it were not for the hen waking up their Mistress so horribly early, they could sleep longer. So they caught it and wrung its neck. But they weren't prepared for the consequences. For what happened was that their Mistress, not hearing the hen crow as usual, waked them up earlier than ever, and set them to work in the middle of the night.