EpicsFable & folk tale
The Squirrel and the Bridge
An army is building a bridge of rocks across the sea. The bears and monkeys carry huge boulders. And one tiny squirrel keeps rolling in the sand and running to the shore. Is that really helping?
KindnessFable & folk tale
Androcles and the Lion
A runaway slave hiding in a desert cave meets a lion with a wounded paw. Years later, in a roaring arena in Rome, they meet again.
For KidsFable & folk tale
Birbal's Khichdi
A poor man stands all night in an icy lake to win a reward from Emperor Akbar. But the court says a far-away lamp kept him warm, and he gets nothing. Then Birbal starts cooking his khichdi.
For KidsFable & folk tale
Counting the Crows
Emperor Akbar asks his court a question nobody could possibly answer. How many crows live in the city? Birbal answers at once.
For KidsFable & folk tale
Tenali Rama and the Thieves
One hot summer night, clever Tenali Rama spots two thieves hiding in his garden. Instead of shouting for help, he has a quiet chat with his wife, loudly enough for the thieves to hear.
For KidsFable & folk tale
The Ant and the Grasshopper
All summer long, Grasshopper sings while Ant carries grain. Then the first cold wind blows across the field.
For KidsFable & folk tale
The Blue Jackal
A hungry jackal falls into a tub of blue dye and comes out a colour no animal has ever seen. The whole forest bows to him. But can he keep his secret?
For KidsFable & folk tale
The Boy Who Cried Wolf
A bored young shepherd finds a funny way to bring the whole village running up the hill. It works once. It works twice.
For KidsFable & folk tale
The Clever Rabbit and the Lion
A greedy lion makes the animals of the forest send him one of them every day for his dinner. When it is the little rabbit's turn, he walks very, very slowly, because he has a plan.
ReflectionFable & folk tale
The Empty Pot
An old emperor gives every child in the land a single seed. Whoever grows the finest flower, he says, will rule after him. One boy's seed will not grow.
For KidsFable & folk tale
The Fox and the Grapes
A hungry fox spots a bunch of shining purple grapes, high up on a vine. He jumps and jumps. Then he says something very interesting.
ReflectionFable & folk tale
The Golden Touch
A god offers King Midas any wish he likes, and the king already loves gold more than anything. By the next morning, everything he touches shines.
For KidsFable & folk tale
The Goose That Laid the Golden Eggs
A poor farmer and his wife find a golden egg in their goose's nest. Then another. Then another. One golden egg a day should be plenty, shouldn't it?
For KidsFable & folk tale
The Little Red Hen
A little red hen finds some grains of wheat and asks her friends to help her plant them. "Not I," says the cat. "Not I," says the dog. "Not I," says the duck. But at the end, everyone wants a slice of bread.
ReflectionFable & folk tale
The Shortest Line
Emperor Akbar draws a line on the floor and sets his court a puzzle. Make it shorter, he says, without touching it.
For KidsFable & folk tale
The Thirsty Crow
On the hottest day of the year, a tired crow finds a pitcher with a little water at the very bottom. Her beak can't reach it. So she thinks.
For KidsFable & folk tale
The Town Mouse and the Country Mouse
A plain little country mouse visits her grand cousin in the big town, where the food is fancy and the plates are silver. But there is something the town mouse forgot to mention.
ReflectionFable & folk tale
Two Monks and the River
Two monks bound by strict vows come to a flooded river, where a young woman is waiting, unable to cross. One of them does something the other cannot forget.
ReflectionFable & folk tale
The Blind Men and the Elephant
Six men who have never seen an elephant each touch a different part of one, and each is certain he knows exactly what it is. An ancient parable from India.
For KidsFable & folk tale
The Lion and the Mouse
A mighty lion laughs when a tiny mouse promises to repay his kindness one day. Then the hunters' net falls.
ReflectionFable & folk tale
The Old Man Who Lost His Horse
His horse runs away, and the neighbours say what bad luck. The old man only says, "Who knows?" An ancient Chinese story about good fortune and bad.
For KidsFable & folk tale
The Tortoise and the Hare
The fastest animal in the meadow is so sure of winning that he stops for a nap. The slowest one simply keeps going.
For KidsFable & folk tale
The Monkey and the Crocodile
A clever monkey shares sweet fruit with a crocodile every day. But one afternoon, halfway across the river, his friend tells him a terrible secret.
ReflectionFable & folk tale
A Cup of Tea
A proud professor visits a Zen master to learn about Zen, and talks the whole time. The master quietly pours him some tea, and keeps on pouring.
For KidsFable & folk tale
Stone Soup
A hungry traveller arrives in a village where nobody will share. All he asks for is a pot of water and a fire, because he knows how to make soup from a stone.
MotivationFable & folk tale
The King and the Spider
Defeated, hunted and hiding in a cave, King Robert the Bruce of Scotland was ready to give up. Then he watched a spider try, and fail, and try again.