Yesha Desai

Once upon a time a king had a son named Prince Wicked. He was very cruel and used to hurt everyone by his actions and words. Nobody in the kingdom liked him and feared the day he would take over the reins of the kingdom. One day, when the prince was swimming in the river, suddenly a fierce storm rose in the sky. It started raining heavily and a flash flood came in the river. A big wave came out of nowhere and took away the prince with it. The servants saw the prince getting washed away into the river, but deliberately did not do anything to save him. They thought that it was better for all of them to let such a diabolical prince die. They went to the king and told him that the prince went missing somewhere in the storm.In the meanwhile, Prince Wicked was trying to save himself from drowning in the flood water. Luckily, he came across a wooden log and climbed upon it. The prince, along with the log started floating farther down the river.Because of the flood, some water had also rushed into the homes of a rat and a snake that lived near the river bank. In order to save their lives, the rat and the snake caught hold of the wooden log on which the prince was lying. The storm had also destroyed a tree on which a young parrot lived. The young parrot was thrown into the river with a strong gust of wind. He was unable to fly because of his tender and wet wings. When he saw the wooden log, he also perched himself on it. Now there were four of them on the log, floating down the river together.Just around the bend in the river, a certain poor man lived. He heard the cries of the prince and jumped into the river to save him. With much effort, he was able to drag the wooden log to the shore. Now the prince and the animals were safe.He built a fire to keep them warm and also gave them some hot milk to drink. The poor man, however, first attended to the animals as they were weaker and needed instant care. This made the young prince angry, and he said to himself, “Instead of taking care of a prince, this man is looking after these worthless animals.” This made the prince turn against the poor man.A few days later, the storm subsided and everybody decided to go back to their homes. First of all, the snake bid farewell to the poor man saying, “Father, you have been very kind to me! I know a place where there is abundant gold hidden. Whenever you need it just come to my home and call out, “Snake!” and I will show you that place.”The rat also knew about some hidden money. He bid adieu to the poor man and said, “If ever you want money, come to my home and call out, “Rat!” and I will take you to a place where a lot of money is hidden.”Then the parrot came, saying, “Father, I do not know of any treasure. But if you ever wish to eat the best quality of rice, then come to the place where I live and call me out. Together with my family, I will gather the choicest of rice grains from the fields for you.”Now it was the prince’s turn to take the poor man’s leave. He was not at all grateful to the poor man for saving his life but he had heard all the animals conveying their words of gratitude, so he also pretended to be as thankful and said, “Come to me when I become the king, and I will give you great riches.” So saying, he returned to his kingdom.Sometime after this incident, the poor man decided to visit all those whom he had saved and to find out whether they were still true to their words or not. First of all, he went to the snake, and standing near his hole, called out, “Snake!” At once the snake came out and said, “Father, I am so happy to see you. You may take all the gold that is buried here.” The poor man was happy to know that the snake was willing to keep his promise. He said, “When I need it, I will come and collect it.”Then, the poor man went to meet the rat. The rat was also very happy to see the poor man and wanted to take him to the place where the money was hidden. The poor man said, “When I need the money, I will come back to you.”Going next to the parrot, he called out, “Parrot!” The bird flew down from its nest as soon as he heard the call. He welcomed the poor man and asked if he wanted the fresh rice grains from the fields. The poor man thanked the parrot and promised to avail the parrot’s offer some other time.Lastly, the poor man went to visit the price, who had now become the king. When the king saw the poor man, he was filled with hatred. Instead of rewarding him, the king thought of punishing the poor man for insulting him. So, the king ordered his men to arrest him and march him up on the streets. He instructed them to beat the poor man at every corner of the street and then finally chop off his head.The king’s soldiers reluctantly carried out his orders. While they were marching him on the street, the poor man cried over and over again, “It is better to save poor, weak animals than to save a prince.”The poor man told the story of their king’s ungrateful act to each and every person on the street. The crowd was filled with rage to hear about their king’s atrocity and thanklessness. They decided that he did not deserve to be their king anymore and with the help of his own soldiers, killed him. The crowd decided to choose the poor man as their king and the poor man ruled them with compassion and wisdom.He also invited his friends, the snake, the rat and the parrot to live with him. The animals kindly consented and also brought the gifts that they had promised him. The king got a tube of gold made for the snake to live in, a glass box for the rat and a cage of gold for the parrot. All the animals lived happily ever after with the king. Moral:Acts of cruelty are always paid back tenfold.

This is a classic story from Jataka tales.This is a story of parrot, rat and snake.Moral(s) of the story: gratitude

Prince wicked and the grateful animals

Shina Utavani

Lord Shiva made a rule when Lord Ganesha was born, he said that to achieve success in any endeavour, Lord Ganesha must be worshipped first. So, everyone used to worship Lord Ganesha before going for a war.However, Lord Shiva forgot about his own rule and left for a war with the demons in Tripura. He did not worship Lord Ganesha before going for the war. While he was on his way in his carriage, the wheel peg got damaged. It was only then that Lord Shiva remembered that he had forgotten to offer prayers to Lord Ganesh before departing for the war.He offered his prayers to Ganesha and proceeded to the battleground. Lord Shiva won the war! Moral:You must follow certain rules, even if you are the one to define the rules.

This is a story of Ganesh and Shiva.Moral(s) of the story: discipline

Lord Ganesha and Lord Shiva

Ravina Sewani

Once a goat was grazing on the grassy slope of a hill near a stream. It decided to taste the grass on the hills across. A narrow log served as a bridge across the stream. While crossing the bridge, it saw another goat coming from the other side. The bridge was so narrow that only one animal could cross the bridge at a time.The first goat said to the other, "Let me pass first." "You let me pass first", snapped the other goat. They started arguing and finally got into a terrible fight. They lost their balance and fell into the stream.The other goats grazing on the hills saw this and learnt a lesson. After few days, two other goats faced the same problem. One goat said to the other, "I'll sit down and you can step over my body." "Thank you. Next time, I'll sit down and let you cross first."Thus both of them were able to cross the bridge safely. Moral:Wisdom is better than weapons of war.

This is a story of goat and understanding.Moral(s) of the story: cooperation and understanding

Two Goats

There was once a boy named Peter who lived with his grandfather. He was six years old. Their house was situated near a forest. His grandfather had a cat named Ivan and a duck named Sonya. One morning, Peter went for a walk near his house. Little peter saw the forest and decided to go on a hunt in the forest.His grandfather never allowed peter to go into the forest. So, peter decided to go when his grandfather was asleep. He slipped out from his house at night. He was very happy to finally go for a hunt. Sonya and Ivan also joined him to protect him. Peter took his popgun and went for a journey to the forest. Peter heard about a wolf that lived in the forest who used to tease people. Peter decided to hunt the wolf so the people could live without fear.As soon as they reached the forest, a little bird named Sasha saw Sonya coming towards the lake. The bird asked Sonya, “Are you a bird? What kind of bird you are and can you even fly?”. Sonya became a little nervous and said, “What kind of bird you are? Can you even swim?” Listening to this Sasha replied, “Birds can never swim.” Sonya said, “Yes, they can” and she jumped into the lake to show the bird that she can swim. The little bird was amazed.Back at home, the grandfather was awake and saw that the peter’s room was empty. Ivan and Sonya were also not there at home. The grandfather knew Peter would have gone to the forest. The grandfather ran towards the forest and saw peter in the forest. The grandfather said peter to come back home with him. Peter denied. As they were arguing, suddenly they saw the wolf coming towards them. The grandfather, peter and Ivan hid behind the tree. But the duck was still in the water. Peter shouted at Sonya and asked him to hide. But the duck was very scared and jumped out of the water. The duck was out of the water but very near to the wolf. As soon as Peter saw the duck, he ran towards the wolf to catch him. Peter had a rope and he went towards the wolf with the rope in his hand. The little bird helped peter to tie the rope around the wolf’s head. They were able to catch the wolf. The duck did not know what was happening so he hid under the tree.Peter and his grandfather took the wolf towards the zoo. Little Bird and Ivan also left for the zoo with them. But Sonya was still in the forest. Peter and his grandfather were so happy that they forgot about the duck. When they were returning from the zoo, they realized that Sonya was not with them. The grandfather and peter felt very bad. They all were very sad and went back to him. As they reached home, they heard the voice, “Quack, Quack”. Peter was surprised hearing the voice and saw Sonya hiding behind the tree. They all were very happy that Sonya was alive and safe.Peter was brave and everyone considered him a hero as he saved everyone from the Wolf. They all lived happily ever after.

This is a story of cat, forest, swan and wolf.Moral(s) of the story: bravery

Peter and the wolf

A new juggling clown came to the Versailles to join the local circus. The clown performed multiple tricks, earning a little money from his show.One day, there was a large show organised in the celebration of the mayor’s daughter’s birthday. Lots of people were invited and everyone was enjoying the show.That was when two little girls started passing jokes about the clown. As they were in the front seat, the clown heard them. He became anxious about his performance and wondered, “Was it not good? Was he alright? Did everyone think lowly of his skills?”While worrying about this, he dropped one of the juggling balls. The crowd booed him on the stage and the clown quickly, tearfully left the stage.The clown was very embarrassed about the way he had messed up. He kept on thinking, “What if that is all everyone thinks about ever again? What if he never gets to perform again? What if he never gets better? How will he earn his keep?”In the time he was worrying about his reputation and other people’s opinions, the ringmaster came to visit him. The clown did not notice him coming and felt further embarrassed when he realised that the ringmaster had been talking to him.He blushed and apologised for his disordered look and lack of focus. The ringmaster only sighed and sat down in front of the clown.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“Mistakes happen by everyone. That is no reason to beat yourself up over it.”&nbsp;He said.The clown only sniffled, “But sir. What if no one likes me? What if no one likes my tricks?”The ringmaster looked truly confused, “And why would that happen? You are amazing and very talented. A little mistake is not a reason for people to dislike you. Is there something else that is wrong?”&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The clown hesitated. He did not want his boss to feel like the clown was inept and then in turn fire him. But he quietly said, “Some people were talking about me. I could hear them. Are my tricks not good enough?”The ringmaster sighed, “Listen son, what I say now, you must remember for life. Where there is light, there is a shadow. You must not worry about the criticism and only try to make yourself better. Have a little faith in yourself.”The journey towards feeling like a good enough artist was not easy for the clown but like the ringmaster said “Where there is light, there is shadow.” And the clown tried to understand the motto and live by it.Moral:Learning and success come from mistakes and failures.

This is a story of clown and failure.Moral(s) of the story: hard work and success

The new clown in the town

Ann visits her mother’s family home after many years of living in the city.She is immediately in awe of her surroundings. Her mother takes her to visit the large backyard that they had. It was full of so many big trees that were gently swaying in the cool breeze.Ann sees so many different types of trees and she knows nothing about them so she asks her mother to explain them.Her mother takes her hand and firstly they stop by the Banyan tree. The Banyan tree is a mighty tree with roots hanging from its branches. The roots are very thick and Ann thinks that the tree is a giant.“The roots, fruits and buds of Banyan tree can cure diabetes, diarrhea, inflammation and a lot more. Also, it is so big with so many leaves that it keeps the air clean.” Her mother says. “ When I was a child, I used to swing from their roots. Do you want to try?”Ann nods excitedly and has a lot of fun swinging. After that they see the Palash tree. “This is a Palash tree. Its flowers have a lot of nectar for the bees to make honey.”Ann looks up in awe, “It is very beautiful.”Ann’s mother nods and then they stop in front of the Peepal tree, “ Peepal tree is very important in the Hindu religion. It is also used in making medicines which can cure Asthma, skin diseases, constipation and even snake bites.”Ann looks up at the Peepal tree which was also known as the sacred fig and was left in awe as she learns about its benefits.Then they visit the Jamun tree which has Jamun fruits hanging from it. They eat some Jamun as her mother explains, “Jamuns are high in Vitamin A and Vitamin C. They have a very high nutritional value.”“This is a Deodar tree. It is very tall and its fragrant wood is used in making incense and oil.” Her mother says as Ann sniffed at the bark of the Deodar tree.They stop at the Tamarind tree. It has a thin trunk but a very huge canopy. “The tamarind tree grows the tamarind fruits which are used in kitchens for flavouring foods.”Next, Ann’s mother tells her about the Sal trees. Ann notices that the sal is very tall and slim. Her mother tells her, “They have very thick leaves which are used in making serving plates”.Lastly they visit the Neem tree. “Neem trees keep the air clean and burning their leaves is often used for repelling mosquitoes. It is used in making herbal medicines and in making skin care and hair care products.”As they leave, her mother says, “See. Trees are so helpful and essential for our survival. We must always protect them.”Ann learns a lot and decides to plant more trees and protect them. Moral:Trees give us most things that we need in order to survive and so we must always conserve them.

This is a story of banyan, deodar tree, jamun tree, neem tree, palash tree, peepal tree, sal tree and tarmarind tree.

A backyard full of trees

Nishita Sanghvi

Once upon a time in a small village lived a gardener who grew different varieties of fruits, he was amongst the few who grew such fresh fruits and sold them.It was a custom in the village that the first grains, fruits, or vegetables were offered to the queen as a gift and this time it was the Gardner's turn to make the offer.The queen of that village was a nice lady but extremely moody and short tempered. However, the gardener somehow was not aware of this. It was the time of the year when grapes could be grown at their best and so the gardener grew grapes, and decided to gift some to the queen. The queen loved to have grapes. So he packed a big bunch of grapes and took them to offer to the queen.At the palace he waited for his turn to come, but the queen was probably not in the best of her moods. As she tried one of the grapes, instead of being thankful she frowned at the Gardner and threw the grapes on his face.The Gardner was in shock but he was quick and clever to react. He said, “thank you God!&nbsp;You have been very kind!”&nbsp;On hearing this, the queen was really amazed. She asked him in amazement, “Why on earth are you thanking God?”; to which he replied, “I was going to get a watermelon for you, I am lucky I changed my mind. What if you had thrown the watermelon on my head”.The queen started laughing and her anger vanished. She not only distributed the grapes in the kingdom but also gave the gardener a gift.Moral:Wit can overpower anger.

This is a story of Queen and the gardener.Moral(s) of the story: wisdom

The Witty Gardener

Pallavi Hota

A cute, little caterpillar along with his grandma resided in a jungle. His body being heavy, he used to crawl whenever he moved from one place to another. He was always hungry and ate a lot. He was very slow in doing everything. Other creatures, the ants, the insects made fun of him. This made him unhappy sometimes and he thought he was good for nothing. But his grandma never failed to encourage him and kept telling him to wait for the happy days ahead.When autumn arrived, he thought of flying like every other creature but couldn't do so. This made him even more sad that he cannot chase the flying leaves and play around.And then when the winter arrived, he slept all the time. On seeing this, the caterpillar and grandmaís neighbour - the ant asked grandma why does the caterpillar sleep every time? The grandma replied, ìlet him, it is good for him.î One day the caterpillar struggled to get out of his blanket and when he finally got out he saw himself as a beautiful butterfly. He could not believe his eyes that he had become so handsome with beautiful wings. He was very happy to fly and play around with other creatures.

This is a story of caterpillar and butterfly.

The Handsome Butterfly

Once, a man sold his well to a farmer in return for some money. Next day, when the farmer went to draw the water from that well, the man forbade him to draw the water from it. He said, “I have sold you just the well, not the water, which is why you cannot draw the water from the well.”The farmer felt cheated and appealed for justice in the Emperor’s court. He narrated the entire incident to the Emperor and demanded the man to be taken to task for being dishonest with him.The Emperor called Birbal and handed over this case to him. Birbal summoned the other man also in the court.When the man presented himself before the court, Birbal asked him, “Why don’t you let him use the water of the well? You have sold the well to the farmer.” The cunning man replied, “Respected Sir, I have sold the just the well to the farmer, not the water. And thus, he has no right to draw the water from the well.”Birbal smiled and said, “Very well! But, since you have sold the well to this farmer, you have no right to keep your water in the farmer’s well. You must either pay rent to the farmer to keep your water in his well, or you take your water out of his well immediately. You must keep the thing that belongs to you with yourself. Am I right?”The cunning man realized that it was not possible for him to cheat the farmer anymore. He apologized to him for his trickery and withdrew his claim over the water of the well. Moral:Trickery and cunningness will always someday be discovered and outwitted.

fingers stories

Stories help in improving a child's imagination. Here are a few interesting ones for you to narrate to your child.