The Foolish King

Long ago in ancient India ruled a king named Chandra. The king lacked wisdom and was inefficient in ruling . One fine day the king decided to pay a visit to see what opinion people had on him. The king stepped out of the gates of his palace and found a man standing there. The man had a plump chicken in his hands. On seeing the king he bowed respectfully and said: 'Oh Great king , I gambled in your name and won this chicken. It belongs to you. Please accept it." "Give it to my poultry keeper," said the king.

A few days later the king saw the man standing outside the gates again. This time he had a goat with him. "I won this goat in your name, Dear king," he said after saluting the ruler. "It belongs to you." The king was pleased. "Give it to my goat-keeper," he said.

Some weeks later the man was at the palace gates once again. This time he had two men with him."I lost 500 Rupees to each of these men while playing in your name, Lord," said the man. "I have no money to pay them." 

The king realised he had made a mistake in accepting the man's gifts on the previous occasions. Now he could not refuse to help him. He paid off the two men and warned the gambler never to play in his name again.

Clever Tom

Tom was very brave and intelligent. One day, while playing, he went far into the forest. Just then a jackal saw him. He decided to eat the boy and came in his way. 

When Tom saw that he had no way to save himself, he said to the jackal, "Brother, I am not afraid of death but I want to die peacefully. So, I want to play my flute and dance to its tune. Then you can eat me."

The jackal permitted him. As soon as, Tom started playing his flute, his dog came running. The dog saw the jackal and leapt on it. 

The jackal ran for his life. Tom returned home with his dog.

The Donkey's Love

Once upon a time there lived two donkeys in a certain village. These two donkeys were good friends. One day they both, met each other at a crossroad. One donkey was healthy and the other weak. The healthy donkey asked the weak one, "What happened to you? Why do you seem so weak?" The weak donkey replied, "My master makes me work the whole day and doesn't give me enough food to eat and also beats me."

"Oh is that so" exclaimed the healthy donkey. "Then why don't you run away from your master's house." The weak donkey replied, "I think my job has better prospects. My master beats his only daughter, too. And whenever he does so, he says to her, "I'll marry you off to this donkey." For this reason I'm not running away."

The Giraffe's Long Neck

Long time ago, the earth was filled with different kinds of wild animals. During that period it was said that the giraffe's neck used to be short. One day, some animals of the jungle decided to play hide and seek. Monkey said that he would seek all the animals. 

All the animals ran to hide themselves but giraffe couldn't find a proper place to hide. He saw a hollow in a tree and tried to get inside. But his neck got struck in there. He tried hard to free himself but all went in vain. The giraffe started screaming.

On hearing the cries, all the animals came out of their hideouts. They pulled the giraffe out by his neck and it got elongated. Since then giraffe's neck is long.

The Two Neighbours

Once there were two ladies who were neighbours. One of them was very fat while the other was very thin. They always kept fighting with each other. All other neighbours were fed up of their quarrels.

One day, an elderly person said to both the ladies, "Why do you quarrel so much? Can't you be like the wheels of a two wheeler where one wheel compliments the other?"

At this the thin lady said, "Yes, but how can a vehicle move smoothly when one tyre is of a tractor and other of a cycle."

Everybody present there started laughing, hearing such a witty answer.

House For Sale

Robert was trying to sell his house since long but couldn't succeed. One day, he took out a brick from the wall of his house. 

His wife angrily asked him, "Why did you do that?"

Robert replied, "You are foolish! You don't know anything. I know why am I failing again and again in selling my house. I have never shown its sample to anyone. Now I have got a customer. I have promised him to this brick as a sample of our house."

His wife held her head at the foolishness of her husband.

The Talking Parrot

Once, a lady wanted to but a talking parrot for herself. So she went to a pet-shop owner and told him about her requirement. The shop owner said, "Yes madam, I have a talking parrot." Then he showed her a parrot.

The owner further said, "If you pull the string on the left leg, he'll say; Hi, how are you? And if you pull the string on the right leg, he'll say; I'm fine, thank you."

At this the lady asked, "What if I pull both the strings?" "Then I would fall from this perch, you stupid lady!" answered the parrot.

Foolish Robert

Robert got a job in a landlord's house. Once, a landlord's friend came to his house. The landlord called Robert and asked him to bring his binocular. 

Robert quickly went to the landlord's room and brought the binocular. After the friend left, the landlord called Robert and scolded, "You should have asked me which binocular to bring, the one from England or the one from London. It would signify how rich I am." Robert nodded his head.

Few days later, another friend of the landlord came to his house. The friend saw a lion skin and asked the landlord who had killed it. The landlord said that it was his father. 

The landlord then called Robert and asked him to bring his father's photograph. At this Robert asked, "Which one sir- one of England or one of London?"

Two Little Girls

Once there were two sisters named Annie and Jenny. One day they were cycling. Suddenly, Annie lost her balance and fell down and started crying. Jenny helped her in getting up and took her home.

At home, their mother bandaged her and asked their father to take Annie to a doctor for a tetanus injection. 

On hearing the name of injection, Annie immediately went to the kitchen and took out an apple from the refrigerator. 

Just then Jenny came into the kitchen and asked Annie whether she was scared of injection. At this Annie replied, "Yes, I am afraid of injection. That's why I am eating this apple. Didn't our teacher say that an apple away keeps the doctor away?"

The Innocent Motorist

One day, a motorist was arrested for driving at a very high speed. He was presented before the judge. 

The judge asked him, "Do you want to say something?"

The motorist said, "Sir, I am innocent."

The judge asked, "Didn't you read the traffic signboard, 30 km/hr?"

At this, the motorist said, "Sir, how could I have read that message when I was driving at the speed of 60 km/hr?"

I Always Stick To My Words

One day, two friends Nancy and Jenny went for shopping. Nancy asked Jenny about her age. First, Jenny tried to hide her age but when Nancy compelled her, she said, "I am just sixteen years old."

At this Nancy said, "Last year you said that your age was sixteen and now again you are saying you are sixteen years old. What's this?"

Jenny laughed and said, "I always stick to my words."

Both the friends started laughing at this witty comment.

Jack And His Foolish Daughter

Once there lived a farmer named Jack with his foolish daughter Alice.“Christmas is approaching Alice and You must clean the house well,” said Jack to his daughter and he went to his farm for work. The silly daughter thought that Christmas must be a man. “Are you Christmas?” she asked all the people going by. One wily person, who was going down the street, said that his name was Christmas. The silly daughter gave him everything inside the house and emptied the house. When her father came to know of this, he was very angry.

“Be careful this time. Keep the rabbit for Christmas,” warned Jack. The stupid girl called the man who called himself Christmas and gave him the rabbit. When her father came home and asked her about the rabbit, she said, “But father you told me to give it to Christmas!” 

He held his head in despair and vowed never to say anything to his daughter.

The Man With His Coconuts

One day a man who had been to gather his coconuts loaded his horse heavily with the fruit. On the way home he met a boy whom he asked how long it would take to reach the house.

“If you go slowly,” said the boy, looking at the load on the horse, “you will arrive very soon; but if you go fast, it will take you all day.”

The man could not believe this strange speech, so he hurried his horse. But the coconuts fell off and he had to stop to pick them up. Then he hurried his horse all the more to make up for lost time, but the coconuts fell off again. Many time he did this, and it was night when he reached home.

The Dirty Little Pig

One fine day, a dirty pig was soaking himself in a pool. A thirsty lion came to drink water, but unable to bear the heavy smell went away. The foolish pig thought that the lion cowed down seeing him and excitedly challenged him to a duel. “Maybe tomorrow,” replied the lion and turned away from the smelly pig. 

The pig went home and told his parents how he had challenged a coward lion. “What have you done you, foolish pig? It’s not you but your smell that made him run away,” explained his father. 

The dirty pig’s excitement crashed instantly. His father suggested that he should leisurely roll in the dirty waters so that he might stink even more and then meet the lion. The pig listened to his father. As soon as the lion approached him, the foul smell spread around and he ran away unable to bear it. Since then, pigs always keep themselves dirty so that no animal might come near them.

The Goat And His Master

Once, there lived a goat named Angus. He stayed with his owners, Mr. and Mrs. Douglas. They pampered Angus like a baby. However, Angus loved chewing woollen clothes and his master and mistress scolded him for doing so. One morning, Mr. and Mrs. Douglas had to go to the market. Before leaving, they put Mr. Douglas’ favourite woollen jacket on the clothesline. “Angus, don’t chew the jacket,” warned the Douglases. Once the Douglases left, it began to pour heavily. 

“Oh, the coat is getting wet! I must pull it down,” thought Angus. However, even before he knew it, he was chewing the coat. When the rains stopped, Angus realised what he had done. “Oh no,” he thought, “this time they will throw me out of the house.” He decided to keep quiet about it. When the Douglases returned, Mr. Douglas asked, “Has the wind blown away my coat?” Angus promptly nodded. However, Mrs. Douglas noticed a strand of wool sticking against Angus’ chin. “Why! It’s the jacket wool,” screamed Mrs. Douglas. “So you’re the culprit,” confirmed Mr. Douglas. 

Poor Angus had to go without his lunch and dinner. He swore never to chew wool again.

The Donkey and His Friends

Once upon a time there lived a donkey in a small village. The donkey's master was cruel man. He used to make the donkey work for long hours and never fed him well.  The donkey was getting weak and old day by day. Then his master began to think of turning him out, but the donkey, guessing that something was in the wind that boded him no good, ran away, taking the road to Bremen; for there he thought he might get an engagement as town musician. When he had gone a little way he found a hound lying by the side of the road panting, as if he had run a long way.

"Now, Holdfast, what are you so out of breath about?" said the donkey. "Oh dear!" said the dog, "now I am old, I get weaker every day, and can do no good in the hunt, so, as my master was going to have me killed, I have made my escape; but now, how am I to gain a living?" "I will tell you what," said the donkey, "I am going to Bremen to become town musician. You may as well go with me, and take up music too. I can play the lute, and you can beat the drum."

And the dog consented, and they walked on together. It was not long before they came to a cat sitting in the road, looking as dismal as three wet days. "Now then, what is the matter with you, old cat?" said the donkey. "I should like to know who would be cheerful when his neck is in danger?" answered the cat. "Now that I am old my teeth are getting blunt, and I would rather sit by the oven and purr than run about after mice, and my mistress wanted to drown me; so I took myself off; but good advice is scarce, and I do not know what is to become of me."

"Come with us to Bremen," said the donkey, "and become town musician. You understand music." The cat thought well of the idea, and went with them accordingly. After that the three travellers came across a yard, and a hen was perching on the gate with all her might. "Your cries are enough to pierce bone and marrow," said the donkey; "what is the matter?"

"I have foretold good weather for Lady-day, so that all the shirts may be washed and dried; and now on Sunday morning company is coming, and the mistress has told the cook that I must be made into soup, and this evening I am to be killed and so I am perching with all my might while I can to get some help."

"You had much better go with us, poor hen," said the donkey. "We are going to Bremen. At any rate that will be better than dying. You have a powerful voice, and when we are all performing together it will have a very good effect." So the hen consented, and they went on all four together.

But Bremen was too far off to be reached in one day, and towards evening they came to a wood, where they determined to spend the night. The donkey and the dog lay down under a large tree; the cat got up among the branches, and the hen flew up to the top, as that was the safest place for her. Before he went to sleep he looked all round him and perceived in the distance a little light shining, and he called out to his companions that there must be a house not far off, as he could see a light, so the donkey said,

"We had better get up and go there, for these are uncomfortable quarters." The dog began to fancy a few bones, not quite bare, would do him good. And they all set off in the direction of the light, and it grew larger and brighter, until at last it led them to a robber's house, all lighted up. The donkey, being the biggest, went up to the window, and looked in. "Well, what do you see?" asked the dog. "What do I see?" answered the donkey; "here is a table set out with splendid eatables and drinkables, and robbers sitting at it and making themselves very comfortable." "That would just suit us," said the hen.

"Yes, indeed, I wish we were there," said the donkey. Then they consulted together how it should be managed so as to get the robbers out of the house, and at last they hit on a plan. The donkey was to place his forefeet on the window-sill, the dog was to get on the donkey's back, the cat on the top of the dog, and lastly the hen was to fly up and perch on the cat's head. When that was done, at a given signal they all began to perform their music. The donkey brayed, the dog barked, the cat mewed, and the hen perched; then they burst through into the room, breaking the window. The robbers fled at the dreadful sound; they thought it was some goblin, and fled to the wood in the utmost terror. Then the four companions sat down to table, made free with the remains of the meal, and feasted as if they had been hungry for a month. And when they had finished they put out the lights, and each sought out a sleeping-place to suit his nature and habits. The donkey laid himself down outside on the dunghill, the dog behind the door, the cat on the hearth by the warm ashes, and the hen settled in the loft, and as they were all tired with their long journey they soon fell fast asleep.

When midnight drew near, and the robbers from afar saw that no light was burning, and that everything appeared quiet, their captain said to them that he thought that they had run away without reason, telling one of them to go and reconnoitre. So one of them went, and found everything quite quiet; he went into the kitchen to strike a light, and taking the glowing fiery eyes of the cat for burning coals, he held a match to them in order to kindle it. But the cat, not seeing the joke, flew into his face, spitting and scratching. Then he cried out in terror, and ran to get out at the back door, but the dog, who was lying there, ran at him and bit his leg; and as he was rushing through the yard by the dunghill the donkey struck out and gave him a great kick with his hindfoot; and the hen, who had been wakened with the noise, perched loudly.

Then the robber got back as well as he could to his captain, and said, "Oh dear! in that house there is a grewsome witch, and I felt her breath and her long nails in my face; and by the door there stands a man who stabbed me in the leg with a knife; and in the yard there lies a black spectre, who beat me with his wooden club; and above, upon the roof, there sits the justice, who cried, 'Bring that rogue here!' And so I ran away from the place as fast as I could."

From that time forward the robbers never ventured to that house, and the four Bremen town musicians found themselves so well off where they were, that there they stayed. 

The Three Friends And Their Tracks

Once, 3 friends lost their way and got stranded in the middle of the forest. They didn't know where they were and hence they decide that they will stay in the forest for some days until they find their way. 

So the next morning, one man went in search of some food. After many hours, he came back with a deer over his shoulder. The other two men were surprised to find how he got a deer with no weapons over which the man replied, “I find tracks, I follow tracks, and I got a deer". They both were slightly confused but decided to ignore and began to eat. 

A week later the second guy went in search of food and came back with an elk over his shoulder. The other two asked him how he managed to get the Rabbit. He simply replied, "I find tracks, I follow tracks, and I got a Rabbit". 

Now it was the turn of the third guy. He thought to himself “I'm going to get a better animal.” So the guy left but he did not return for a long time. Finally, after long hours of waiting, they saw him coming back. His clothes were torn with scrapes and bruises all over his body. He was bleeding. They asked him, “What happened?". He looked at them and replied, “I find tracks, I follow tracks, and I got hit by a train".

The Clever Painter

A powerful sultan who was blind in one eye invited three artists to paint his picture.

“If you do a bad portrait, I will punish you,” he warned, “ but if you do a good one I will reward you. Now start!”

The first artist produced a picture that showed the sultan as he was: blind in one eye.

The sultan had him executed for showing disrespect to his monarch.

The second artist showed him with both eyes intact.

The sultan had him flogged for trying to flatter him.

The third artist drew him in profile, showing only his good eye.

The sultan, pleased, rewarded him with gold and honours.

The Boss And His Employees

One day, a CEO of a company threw a party for his executives at his mansion. At the back of the mansion, the CEO had a large swimming pool anyone had ever seen. The pool was, however, filled with hungry alligators. The CEO told his executives "I think an employee should be measured by courage. Today I am what I am because of my courage and this is what has made me a CEO. So this is a challenge to all of you present here: Who has the courage to dive into this pool, swim through these alligators, and make it to the other side? The one who will do it will win anything they desire - money, property, jewels, anything!"

All the employees laughed at the outrageous offer and proceeded to follow the CEO. Suddenly, they heard a loud splash. Everyone turned around and saw that the HR manager was in the pool, swimming for his life. He dodged the alligators left and right and made it to the edge of the pool. He pulled himself out just as a huge alligator was about to snap at his shoes. The surprised CEO said, "You are amazing. I've never seen anything like this in my life. You are brave and surely beyond measure and I will give you anything you want. Tell me what I can do for you. 

The manager panted for breath, looked up and said, “Can you tell me who pushed me in the pool?"

The Dog And The Wolf

A dog slipped off his leash one day and went for a walk in the woods. After a time, he met a wolf.

The dog said to the wolf, "Brother wolf, you look so thin! How can you be happy when you are so thin? You should come live with me and my master. I eat everyday and I never want for food."

The wolf thought for a moment and replied, "Yes, you are right. Why should I be out here in the wild hunting for small bites of food when someone else will give it to me? And you are so well fed. Very well, I will come to live with you."

"Good," said the dog, "then follow me."

As they trotted off to the dog's home, the wolf noticed a patch around the dog's neck where the fur had been worn off.

"Brother Dog, " asked the wolf, "why do you have that patch around your neck where there is no fur?"

The dog slowed down, stopped and turned to the wolf with tears in his eyes.

"That is where my master place the leather leash around my neck. They do this so that they can control me and keep me in my place." replied the dog, sadly. 

"Never!" said the wolf as he began to trot back into the forest. "I would rather be starving and free than to be fat and a slave."