Ravina Sewani

King Vikram was given the duty of bringing Betal to a tantric. Betal traditionally means ‘evil spirit’. Each time Vikram tried to capture Betal, it told him a story that ended with a riddle. If Vikram could not answer the question correctly, Betal agreed to remain in captivity. But, if the king knew the answer and still kept quiet, his head would burst into a thousand pieces. And if King Vikram spoke, Betal would escape and return to his tree.Betal told another interesting story, as King Vikramaditya carried him on his shoulders.Many years ago, there lived a king named Badsa. He was a great ruler and was loved by all his subjects. He had a son named Agni, who was wicked and had many vices. Unlike his father, he would not make a good ruler. This worried Badsa very much.One day, while the king was holding court, Agni burst into the room and announced, “I feel I am ready to take over the throne. You are old and I suggest you step down. If you do not, I will form an army to overthrow you.”Badsa was a peace-loving man and knew his son would go to great extents to take the throne. Ashamed that he was giving up the throne to his son without a fight, he denounced his title and decided he would spend his life in the forest in meditation.Meanwhile, in his kingdom, Angi tormented his subjects and the kingdom grew very unhappy.One day, as Badsa sat in meditation, he heard an old woman sobbing loudly. When he asked what the matter was, she replied, “I have only one son and a demon has vowed to eat him tonight!”Disturbed by what he had just heard, Badsa offered to sacrifice himself to the demon.The old woman and her son tried to convince him to change his mind but the king was adamant to help her out.As per his plan, when the demon arrived later that night, Badsa offered himself. The demon did not think twice before quickly eating the king. Thus, the old woman’s son was saved.Here, Betal asked King Vikramaditya, “What do you think of the old king’s sacrifice?”King Vikramaditya thought for a moment and then replied, “There is no sacrifice here. This was not a selfless act by the king. He felt guilt for leaving his subjects at the hands of his unworthy son and offered himself to the demon in the hope of achieving moksha.Betal replied, “I think you are right in your judgement. But since you have spoken, I will fly back to my peepul tree.”Saying this, Betal flew away, leaving King Vikramaditya to draw his sword and chase him once more. Moral:Always be ready to take accountability of your actions.

This is a story of king, demon, salvation and Vikram Betal.Moral(s) of the story: sacrifice

King Badsa and His Son

Optimism

Honesty

confession

smartness

strength

greediness

helpfulness

karma

kindness

benevolence

faith

Generosity

love

Wisdom

competition

ignorance

carelessness

arrogance

hard work

laziness

jealousy

happiness

Obedience

morning person

routine importance

cheating

over confidence

foolishness

Empathy

knowledge

peace

idiot

Family Value

equality

tolerance

motivation

determination

Bravery

Courage

struggle

passion

sacrifice

Friendship

sharing

uniqueness

lying

Trust

inclusivity

justice

self love

fear

weakness

Responsibility

health hygiene

confidence

dedication

Cooperation

Understanding

self worth

Respect

Gratitude

compassion

discipline

mean

caring

Patience

judgement

acceptance

Selfishness

unity

regret

betrayal

salvation

pride

anger

Forgiveness

Effort

devotion

boasting

Curiosity

perseverance

hope

loyalty

control

satisfaction

success

failure

modesty

penance

alertness

doubt

repentance

precaution

pretention

naughty

sadness

promise

poverty

salvation stories

Kids moral stories help in improving their imagination & relate to real-world life. Here are age-specific bedtime stories for children by renowned storytellers.

King Badsa and His Son

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