Category Archives: INDIA
12. THE BATS
Long ago, a fierce fighting broke out between the beasts and the birds. The birds pecked at the beasts and flew away. The beasts were helpless as the birds used to fly out of their reach after pecking at them. This battle went on for many days. The bats on their part kept themselves aloof. They didn’t join either the birds or the beasts. They preferred to go with the winner. They thought to themselves: “Ours is a special position, we’re birds because we can fly, we’re beasts because we don’t lay eggs”. The bats only watched the birds and the beasts fight with each other.
So the fighting went on. Seeing the birds in a winning position, the bats would join the birds, and the next time they would support the beasts, because the beasts seemed to be winning.
On the other hand, the birds and the beasts seemed to have become tired of their continuous battle. So, they decided to make peace. The king of birds and the king of beasts both sat together to find out some way to a permanent peace. Ultimately, both of them decided to forget the past and become good friends. They also decided not to allow the bats community either to join the birds or the beasts, because they were opportunists.
At last, the bats were left alone. They felt ashamed of themselves. They hid themselves in the dark caves and crevices. They came out of their hiding only at twilight-when the birds were back to their nests and the beasts were not yet out of their dens.
❖ One should avoid fair-weather friends.
11. THE BAD LADY AND THE WOLF
Long ago, there lived a carpenter in a village. He was gentle but his wife was of a wicked nature and bad character. She detested her husband, because he was much older than her. Her infidelity drove her to become friendly with some other young men. One day, she met such a man who showed interest in her. But the man was in fact a thief. He knew that she was a lewd woman and had a lot of money with her. So, with a pretension of love, he decided to rob her. He said to her, I love you very much. I know, you too love me. Why don’t you marry me. Come to me with some money. Then, we’ll run Alay to some other town; marry there and live comfortably, thereafter.”
10. THE ASS HAS NO BRAINS
Once there lived a foolish donkey in a town. The town was situated near a forest. There, in the forest lived king lion and his minister, a cunning fox. Once, king lion was badly wounded in a fierce fighting with an elephant. He became unable to hunt for his prey. So he asked his minister, the cunning fox to bring some good meal for him. As the fox used to share the prey, which king lion hunted for his meals, he at once, set out to search for food.
9. SOMILAKA THE WEAVER AND WEALTH
Long, long ago, there lived a weaver in a town by the name of Somilaka. The cloth he wove was so fine and beautiful that even the king liked it. But somehow, he still remained a poor man, while other weavers were quite rich, even though they wove inferior cloth. This bitter fact made Somilaka sad. He left his native village and went to settle down in some other town to try his luck. In this town also, Somilaka couldn’t earn much money. He became frustrated and decided to commit suicide. He made a rope of grass, prepared a noose and tied the rope’s other end to the high branch of a tree. He put the noose round his neck. As he was about to jump on to the ground, he heard a voice from the heaven calling, “Hold it, don’t commit suicide. It is I, God. I’m pleased with your hard work. Ask any boon of me and I’ll grant it.”
