One day a wolf was eating his dinner very quickly. By chance a piece of bone stuck fast in his throat. The bone gave him great pain and he was very much upset. He ran up and down and sought help from every animal he saw. He promised to pay a good reward to him who would be able to bring the bone out. But none came to his help. At last a crane came and agreed to draw out his bone. The crane put his long bill into the wolf’s throat and pulled the bone out. The wolf was thus relieved of his trouble. The crane now asked for the promissed reward.

One hot day a crow became very thirsty. He searched for water here and there for a long time. At last he found a Jar. There was a little water at the bottom of the Jar. But it was too low and was beyond his reach. He tried many means to get it. But all his efforts failed. He then thought upon a plan. He picked up some stones with his beak and dropped them one by one into the Jar. At this, the water came up to the mouth of the Jar. The Thirsty Crow drank as much as he could. Thus by this clevei trick the crow got what was beyond his reach.

Once upon a time two friends were walking through a forest. Suddenly they saw a bear-coming towards them both of them were afraid. One of them ran off and got upon a tree to save  himself. He did not think for a while what would happen to his friend. The other friend   did   not know how to climb a tree. He hit upon a plan. He heard  that the bear does not touch a dead man. So he lay down on the ground posing to be dead. Soon   the   bear came up to him, Smelt his face, nose and ears and then went away taking him for dead.

A Dog lived in a village. He was very greedy. He used to steal this and that from the houses of villagers. One day the dog stole a piece of meat from a butcher’s shop and ran away with it. On his way there was a small river. There was a bridge across the river. When the dog came to the middle of the bridge, he looked down and saw his own shadow and took it for another dog with another piece of meat in his mouth. He said, “How big a piece of meat the dog has ! I must have it for myself.” So he gave a loud bark.

There was a hare. He met with a tortoise. The hare laughed at the tortoise. He said, “you cannot walk with your short legs. But I can walk very fast.” “Yes, I am sure, I will beat you in a race,” said the tortoise. The hare was full of joy, for he was quite sure of an easy win. They started from the same place at the same time. The hare began to run very fast. The tortoise was left far behind. The hare said to himself, ‘There is no need for me to run so fast. Let me have a little nap now.” So saying, the hare fell asleep by the road side.

Once upon a time there was a Shepherd. He tended his sheep in the fields outside a village. There was a forest nearby. He was very fond of Jokes. One day in mere sports he shouted to the farmers working in the fields. “The wolf, the wolf.” The men ran up to him. But they found nothing there. The boy simply laughed at their folly. So they went away. The boy did this many days and the men ran to his help. Every time they found that it was a mere Joke. So they got angry and decided not to come to his help any more. One day the wolf really came.

Once a crow sat on a tree with a piece of meat in her beak. She took it from a shop. A fox appeared there. He liked to have the meat from the crow. “How beautiful is the crow ! She must have a sweet voice too”—said the fox to himself. The crow heard it. She was full of pride at the praising words of the fox. “Oh ! dear crow, Please sing me a song.” Said the fox. “Caw ! Caw !” cried the crow very loudly. Alas ! The piece of meat dropped on the ground as soon as she opened her beak. Then and there the fox picked it up and ran away from there.

Once two cats stole a piece of cake. They tore it into two. But the pieces were not equal. One was larger than the other. Each of the cats wanted to have the larger share. So a quarrel arose between them. They then went to a monkey to settle the quarrel. The clever monkey got a chance. He brought a scale. He placed the two pieces on each of the scale. But as one piece was lighter in weight, he ate a bit from the heavier piece. This time the heavier piece became lighter. This trick he began to play to make the two pieces equal in weight.

Once upon a time there was a very poor man in a village. He lived with his wife and children. In great distress the poor man left home. He entered into a forest. There he met with a saint. He told him of his poverty and sufferings. The holy man took pity on him. He gave him a wonderful goose. Saying, “My man, take this goose, home. It will lay a golden egg daily. By selling the eggs you will soon get rich.” Full of joy the man went home. For some time all went well. The goose laid an egg everyday. The egg was made of gold. He sold it in the market and got much money.

শৃগাল ও ছাগল

    এক শৃগাল হঠাৎ এক গভীর গর্তে পড়িয়া গিয়াছিল । সে গর্ত হইতে উঠিবার নিমিত্ত নানাবিধ চেষ্ঠা করিল ; কিন্তু কোনোও মতে কৃতকার্য হইতে পারিল না । সেই সময়ে এক ছাগল ঐ স্থানে উপস্থিত হইল। সে পিপাসায় অতিশয় কাতর হইয়াছিল, জলপানের নিমিত্ত ব্যগ্র হইয়া শৃগালকে  জিজ্ঞাসিল, ভাই ! এ গর্তের জল সুস্বাদু কি না, এবং ইহাতে অধিক জল আছে কি না ?