The best of children’s folktales, fables, animal lore, folklore, myths, fairy tales and legends from around the world! Discover our collected tales for kids from India, China, Burma and many other countries… Some of these tales will make you think, some will make you laugh, some will make you wonder, but almost all of them have hidden wisdom for you to discover!
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The Thirsty Crow
The Thirsty Crow [Illustrations by Shridevi] Kancharam had been flying for 10 hours without a halt. He had come to the western state of Gujarat to attend his childhood friend Bholuram’s wedding. He had stayed just for the wedding. As soon as it was over, he said good bye to his friend and left. Now he was flying back home. That was in Jaipur, Rajasthan. He was very, very tired. And thirsty, too....
Learning to Act
There once lived a brilliant student. He was on a quest to acquire more and more knowledge. Then he heard of a great Zen teacher to whom he travelled long to meet. On arriving at the teacher’s feet, he said, “Master teach me.” The Zen master received the student with a smile. He inquired about him. He asked in detail all that the student had learnt till then. Learning to Act [Illustration by Anup Singh] Later, he asked his assistant to get tea for the two of them....
The Jester and the Stranger's Language
Maharaja Krishna Chandra was the king of Bengal during the middle ages. It was customary for kings in those days to patronise talented people. So every king had his own court poets, artists, singers, town planners, architects and what have you. And plenty of ministers to advise him on different matters. And every king had a court jester. The jester was a very important person for his ability to make people laugh and feel happy. The king had a lot of serious work to do, lots of difficult problems to solve and deal carefully with rival kings!...
The Palm Reader
Hari Prasad was the most sought-after man in the marketplace. A palmist rumoured to be the best in the area, he lived-off people’s hands as he was believed to possess superior qualities of prediction. All he had to do was stare at the faint little criss-crossing lines on someone’s palm for a little while and bingo, the client would listen astounded, as the palmist laid his life history bare before him. The Palm Reader [Illustration by Shinod AP] The client would return home somewhat dazed by what he thought were the amazing powers of the astrologer....
The Fox and the Grapes
Fitru fox was in a relaxed mood. He had no work that day. Since it was a holiday, the farmer was at home guarding his chickens. There was no way Fitru could reach them. Luckily, there was some food left over from the previous night. Life was beautiful. He closed his eyes for a moment. The Fox and the Grapes [Illustrations by Shridevi] When he opened his eyes he found himself looking at one, two and three bunches of luscious grapes, and got excited....
The Lion Cub
The mama animals and birds of the jungle were having an argument of sorts. Actually, it was a game of showmanship, regarding their little ones. They were trying to find out which one of them had the largest litter. “I do,” said Mama Deer, and proudly displayed her brood of four sweet little deer. “No, no…look at mine. See how sharp their teeth are!” exclaimed Mama Jackal whose six cubs bared their fangs. All the animals who had assembled backed off a little, but Mama Jackal assured everyone they were only grinning....
Once they were Friends
There was a time when Madri, the cat, and Ketki, the mouse, were friends. They were such good friends that they lived in the same house. They played together, and went on hunts together too. Between the two, Ketki was the one with foresight. “Can you feel the chill in the air?” she asked her friend. “Winter is coming. And we haven’t saved any food! Let’s do it now or we will have to go hungry when winter sets in”....
An Unpleasant Smell
A prosperous money-lender or seth bought a house located right next door to the house of a tanner. From morning till evening the tanner converted hide into leather by treating it with tannin. From day one the money-lender was put off by the unpleasant smells of the tannery. So, he visited the tanner’s house and offered to buy his house. “I would love to sell the house if you buy it seth,” said the tanner. He had no intention of doing any such thing but he liked to play pranks....
The Rumour
“Bajai,” as we called grandmother, was the best storyteller in the whole world, says Madhu Gurung. She lived in the foothills of Mussoorie in a tiny village called Johri Gaun. And she always started her stories with a saying, “To the listener a garland of gold, to the storyteller a garland of all forest flowers and this tale that I tell you today will be heard in heaven.” Here Madhu Gurung presents one of the many stories that she heard from Bajai in her childhood....
How Stars Came into Being
This is a story about a long, long time ago. There was once an old man who smoked tobacco. He smoked tobacco in terracotta or clay pipes, called pikka. This old man had three sons. When the three sons grew up, he got them married one after the other. How Stars Came into Being [Illustrations by Sudheer Nath] It happened once, that the eldest son went to his wife’s parents’ house to attend a marriage....