The Bows in the Shami Tree
Prince Uttara stood beneath a shami tree. High among its thick branches hung a large bundle. His companion, Brihannala, looked up and asked…
Jatayu and the Cottage at Panchavati
On the way to Panchavati, the travellers saw an enormous old vulture perched beside the path. Ram and Lakshman stepped in front of Sita at…
The Return to Ayodhya
Vibhishana asked Ram to remain in Lanka for a few days, but the fourteen years of exile had ended and Bharat was waiting. Ram said that he…
Kumbhakarna's Awakening and Last Battle
Ravana admitted before his council that Ram had broken his chariot and allowed him to return alive. He ordered Kumbhakarna awakened. The…
Lakshman Joins the Exile
Ram and Sita were preparing for the forest when Lakshman came to them. His decision was clear: he too would go. Ram did not immediately…
The Search and Jatayu's Final Message
Ram hurried toward Panchavati. Maricha's recovered form and false cry had revealed that someone had planned to leave the cottage unprotected…
The Road from Ayodhya to Chitrakuta
Many people of Ayodhya followed the chariot carrying Ram, Sita, and Lakshman. They did not wish to turn back. Ram understood their love, but…
Kaushika's Unbending Song
Kaushika's voice was not the loudest in the land, but people became quiet when he began to sing. He lived simply, offering every song to…
The Akhun's Son and the Impossible Rubies
An elderly Akhun, a respected religious teacher, once asked his four sons what work they hoped to do. Three chose familiar duties in the…
The Battle at Pushkara
The battle at Pushkara began with a roar of movement. Sahasra Ravana's commanders expected their size and weapons to break Ram's allies at…
The Churning of the Ocean and the Birth of the Maruts
As the travellers continued toward Mithila, Vishvamitra told Ram and Lakshman why the place they had reached was called Vishala. Its history…
The King Who Learned to Investigate
A king had two sons who loved learning. After their mother died, he married again. The new queen disliked the princes and falsely claimed…
The Parrot and the Stolen Throne
Long ago, King Bahadur Khan ruled a prosperous land. In the palace garden, he met an old faqir who knew a strange secret: for a little while…
The Wind Weapon
Sahasra Ravana entered the battle and surveyed the forces pressing against his army. Rather than meet each group, he raised a weapon…
How and Why Jatayu Met Ram
Jatayu was an old friend of King Dasharatha of Ayodhya. When they met, Jatayu named himself as Dasharatha's friend, and Ram honoured him…
The Deliverance of Aghasura
Krishna was about five years old. Early one morning he sounded a small horn bugle to wake his cowherd friends and their calves. Carrying…
Jhijhiya: A Folk Tradition of Bihar
Long ago, in the villages of Bihar, people celebrated Jhijhiya during the festival of Navratri. It is a beautiful folk tradition where women…
Four Brothers and the Little Bird
Four brothers lived beside a lake in Kashmir. One was good at planning, one at building, one at remembering paths, and one at noticing small…
King Joy and Secretary Splendor
King Joy was admired across his land, and his secretary Splendor was famous for thoughtful advice. Yet both men had one weakness: when…
Loss of Gains: The Monkey and the Crocodile
Beside the sea, a rose-apple tree bent over the shining water. A cheerful monkey named Red-Face lived in that tree. One day a crocodile…
The Frogs That Rode Snakeback
An elderly snake named Slow-Poison found hunting difficult. Near a pond full of frogs, he lay sadly on the bank and waited for someone to…
The Ruby That Chose Its Box
Four friends had crossed high passes and followed winding rivers on a long journey toward Srinagar. They had shared their bread, carried one…
The Snake and the Ants
A large black snake named Haughty lived beside an old anthill. He believed every small creature should move aside whenever he passed. One…
Gold's Gloom
Gold the mouse once lived with a large family beneath a small forest shrine. Near their burrow lay an old jar of forgotten coins. The coins…
The Five Friends and the Four Branches
Near the end of a long walking day, Manisiddhu and Shounaka rested beneath a banyan tree. Roots hung from its branches like ropes, and its…
The Foolish Friend
A king loved his pet monkey and trusted him as a constant companion. The monkey was loyal and eager to help, but he often acted before…
The Mice That Set Elephants Free
In the ruins of an old city lived a joyful community of mice. Cracked courtyards became playgrounds, empty rooms became homes and every…
The Sensible Enemy
A prince, a merchant’s son and a scholar’s son travelled to Climbing Mountain. Each found a precious gem and wrapped it carefully for the…
The Weaver Who Loved a Princess
In Sugarcane City lived a gifted young weaver and his closest friend, a clever carpenter. The weaver could make cloth shimmer like water…
The Weaver's Wife
In a busy weaving village lived a skilled weaver and his wife. Their home was modest, but they were known for offering food and rest to…
Madhav Das, Krishna, and the Stolen Jackfruit
While living in Jagannath Puri, the saint Madhav Das walked by the sea each evening. He loved Krishna as his closest friend, and devotional…
The Kind King and the Wise Queen
Once there was a kind king named Arjun and a wise queen named Meera. They ruled a beautiful kingdom of farms, orchards, and busy villages…
Brave Abhimanyu and the Chakravyuha
Long ago, during the time of the Mahabharata, there lived a young prince named Abhimanyu. He was the son of Arjuna and Subhadra and the…
Fierce-Howl and the Borrowed Crown
Long ago, a jackal named Fierce-Howl lived in a rocky cave at the edge of a great forest. Beyond the trees stood a busy city, and whenever…
Passion and the Owl's Untimely Call
At Lotus Lake lived Passion, a graceful swan admired for his gentle manners. One evening, when the water shone silver beneath the moon, a…
Shell-Neck, Slim, and Grim
Shell-Neck the tortoise lived in a lotus pond with his best friends, two ganders named Slim and Grim. For many seasons they swam, talked and…
Smart the Jackal's Cleverness Trap
Thunder-Fang the lion injured his paw while defending the forest from a wild elephant. Until he healed, his court had little food. With him…
The Crow-Hen's Clever Plan
In a great banyan tree beside a river lived a crow-hen and her husband. Their nest rested safely in the fork of a high branch, woven from…
The Elephant and the Sparrow's Team
A little sparrow nested on a strong branch deep in the forest. One blazing afternoon, a tired elephant pushed beneath the tree searching for…
The Lion and the Carpenter
Trust-God was a carpenter who entered the forest each morning with his wife to choose fallen wood. They carried flatbread, rice, vegetables…
The Plover Who Fought the Ocean
Sprawl and Constance, two little plovers, made their nest in a hollow above the line of wet sand. Constance worried that the tide might…
The Shrewd Old Gander
A flock of geese lived in a tall fig tree. The oldest gander noticed a thin vine curling around the trunk. ‘We should pull it up now,’ he…
Krishna and Sudama: The Power of True Friendship
Long ago, in the ancient city of Ujjain, two boys studied at the ashram of the wise Guru Sandipani. One was Krishna, a prince of the Yadava…
Little Krishna and the Butter Pot
Long ago, in the green and beautiful village of Vrindavan, there lived a playful little boy named Krishna. He had a bright smile, a loving…
Mahaprasthana: The Pandavas' Final Journey
Many years had passed since the great war of the Mahabharata. The Pandavas had ruled Hastinapura with care, repaired what war had broken…
The Winning of Friends: The Doves and the Mouse
Near an ancient Indian city stood a great banyan tree. Its branches sheltered birds, its shade cooled travelers, and its roots formed little…
The Four True Friends
After Hiranyaka the mouse freed Chitragriva's flock from the hunter's net, Swift the crow could not stop thinking about what he had seen. “A…
The Two Friends and the Bear
Once, two friends named Arjun and Ravi set out on a journey through a great forest. Before entering the trees, they promised, “Whatever…
Samudra Manthan: The Churning of the Ocean
Part 1: A difficult task Long ago, the devas had lost much of their strength. Their rivals, the asuras, had grown powerful, and the balance…
The Monkey and the Crocodile
There was a monkey who lived in a guava tree beside a river. He often gave guavas to a crocodile that passed underneath the tree. Soon, the…
The Story of Durga: The Mother Who Protected the Universe
Long ago, there lived a powerful and scary demon named Mahishasura. He was so strong that he had defeated all the kings on Earth and even…
The Race Around the Universe
One day, the sage Narada visited Mount Kailash, the home of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati. He carried a golden mango and said, "This is no…
The Great Panchatantra Tales
Long ago, in the southern Indian city of Mahilaropya, there lived a fair-minded king named Amarashakti. His three young princes were kind…
King and silly Monkey
Once there was a king and his minister was a monkey. The monkey was loyal but was an idiot. One day the king went to his room to sleep and…
Heron and cat
Once upon a time, the cat and heron became friends. One day the cat invited heron to eat at her house. Heron happily reached on time. The…