A collection of traditional animal stories having moral lessons for all the family.
Excerpt:
1. The Jackal and the Rats
One day a jackal saw some rats going inside a hole. He stood by the hole on one leg. After some time the rats came out. The leader of the rats said to the jackal,” Why are you standing here on one leg?”
The jackal said,” I am standing on one leg because I am praying to God. I always do so.”
The rats thought that he was a saint. Everyday they would visit him, pay their respects and then go away. The jackal would watch all the rats go away. Then he would suddenly catch the last one and eat it.
After several days, the rat-leader found that many rats were missing. He decided to find out what was happening. So one day he told his friends,” Today all of you go first. I will come last.”
When the jackal saw the rat-leader leaving last, he sprang at him, but missed and fell on the rock. The rat-leader attacked him, dug his teeth into his throat and killed him.
All the other rats came back and had a feast.
A person of evil nature like the jackal in this story cannot be anybody’s friend, and should not be trusted.
2. The Monkeys and the Bird
One day it was raining in the forest. Some monkeys were running around. They were feeling cold. They saw some fireflies. From the distance the fireflies looked like fire.
One monkey said, “Friends, let us go near that fire. If we sit there, we will be warm.”
All the other monkeys agreed. A bird was sitting on a tree. It heard the monkeys, and said, “Friends, it is not fire. It is the light coming from the fireflies. You will not be warm if you go there.” One monkey said, “You are telling a lie. I will teach you a lesson.”
So saying he caught the bird and killed it. Then all the monkeys went near the fireflies but they did not find any fire there. Now they realized their mistake but it was too late. They had already killed the bird that had given them good advice.
One should listen to the advice given, and not act in haste.
