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Jataka Tales
In 300 B.C, the Jataka Tales were written for the mankind to gain knowledge and morality. Ever since, Jataka tales have become story books that are both enjoyable as well as knowledgeable. Originally written in Pali language, Jataka Buddhist tales have been translated in different languages around the world. The luminous fables of ‘Jataka’ are intended to impart values of self-sacrifice, morality, honesty and other informative values to people.
No less than 547 in number, Jataka Tales are an important part of Buddhist literature. Jatak stories represent former incarnations of Buddha, at times like an animal, a bird and sometimes like a human being, the future Siddhartha Gautama. The setting of the stories is made in or near Benares (Varanasi), which is a holy city in north central India. Some of the popular story/ tale from Jatak collection are provided here.
No less than 547 in number, Jataka Tales are an important part of Buddhist literature. Jatak stories represent former incarnations of Buddha, at times like an animal, a bird and sometimes like a human being, the future Siddhartha Gautama. The setting of the stories is made in or near Benares (Varanasi), which is a holy city in north central India. Some of the popular story/ tale from Jatak collection are provided here.
Golden Swan
The Golden Swan
This is another nice story from the album of Jataka Kathaye (Tales). Once upon a time, there was a swan / goose that had striking golden feathers. This swan lived in a pond. There was a house near this pond, where a poor woman lived with her two daughters. The people were really poor and were leading a tough life. The swan found that the poor mother was passing a hard time with her daughters.
The swan thought, “If I give them one after another my golden feathers, the mother can sell them. She and her daughters can live in comfort with the money raised from it”. After thinking this, the swan flew away to the poor woman’s house. On seeing the swan inside the house, the woman said,” Why have you come here? We have nothing to offer you”.
The Swan replied, “I have not come to take anything, but I have something to give you. I know your condition. I will give my golden feathers one by one and you can sell them. With the money raised through it, you people can easily live in comfort”. After saying this, the swan shed one of her feathers and then flew away. This became a regular feature and from time to time, the swan came back and every time left another feather.
Like this, the mother and her daughters were happily leading their life by selling the feathers of the golden swan. Each golden feather got them enough money to keep them in comfort. But the mother became greedy to get all the feathers as soon as possible. One day, she said to her daughters, “Now, we will not trust this swan, possibly she may fly away and never come back. If this would happen, we will be poor again. We will take all of her feathers, when she will come the next time”.
The innocent daughters replied, “Mother, this will hurt the swan. We will not cause any pain to her”. But the mother was determined to catch hold the swan the very next time she comes. Next time, when the swan came, the mother caught her and pulled out all of her feathers. Now, the golden feathers of the swan changed into some strange feathers. The mother was shocked to see such feathers.
The Golden Swan said, “Poor Mother, I wanted to help you, but you wanted to kill me instead. As per my wish, I used to give you the golden feather. Now, I think there is no need to help you. Now, my feathers are nothing more than chicken feathers for you. I am going from this place and will never come back”. The mother felt sorry and apologized for the mistake committed by her. The Golden Swan said, “Never be greedy” and flew away.
Moral: Excess greed brings nothing.
This is another nice story from the album of Jataka Kathaye (Tales). Once upon a time, there was a swan / goose that had striking golden feathers. This swan lived in a pond. There was a house near this pond, where a poor woman lived with her two daughters. The people were really poor and were leading a tough life. The swan found that the poor mother was passing a hard time with her daughters.The swan thought, “If I give them one after another my golden feathers, the mother can sell them. She and her daughters can live in comfort with the money raised from it”. After thinking this, the swan flew away to the poor woman’s house. On seeing the swan inside the house, the woman said,” Why have you come here? We have nothing to offer you”.
The Swan replied, “I have not come to take anything, but I have something to give you. I know your condition. I will give my golden feathers one by one and you can sell them. With the money raised through it, you people can easily live in comfort”. After saying this, the swan shed one of her feathers and then flew away. This became a regular feature and from time to time, the swan came back and every time left another feather.
Like this, the mother and her daughters were happily leading their life by selling the feathers of the golden swan. Each golden feather got them enough money to keep them in comfort. But the mother became greedy to get all the feathers as soon as possible. One day, she said to her daughters, “Now, we will not trust this swan, possibly she may fly away and never come back. If this would happen, we will be poor again. We will take all of her feathers, when she will come the next time”.
The innocent daughters replied, “Mother, this will hurt the swan. We will not cause any pain to her”. But the mother was determined to catch hold the swan the very next time she comes. Next time, when the swan came, the mother caught her and pulled out all of her feathers. Now, the golden feathers of the swan changed into some strange feathers. The mother was shocked to see such feathers.
The Golden Swan said, “Poor Mother, I wanted to help you, but you wanted to kill me instead. As per my wish, I used to give you the golden feather. Now, I think there is no need to help you. Now, my feathers are nothing more than chicken feathers for you. I am going from this place and will never come back”. The mother felt sorry and apologized for the mistake committed by her. The Golden Swan said, “Never be greedy” and flew away.
Moral: Excess greed brings nothing.
Power of a Rumour
The Power of a Rumour
This one is a nice story from the album of Jataka Kathaye/ Tales. Once upon a time, it happened in a forest that a hare was resting under a banyan tree. He had an intuition of doom and thought, “What would happen to me, if the earth will break? “. Suddenly, he heard a weird striking sound. He said, “It’s happened, the earth is breaking up”. He jumped up and ran madly without even observing the direction.
When he was running through the forest, a hare saw him and asked, “What happened? Where are you going in such a hurry? “. The Hare cried,” The earth is breaking up. You better run too”. The second hare ran so fast that he overtook the first hare. As they were passing the forest, both of them shouted to other hares, “The earth is breaking up. The earth is breaking up”. Very soon, thousands of hares were running through the forest.
On seeing hares running through the forest, the other animals too got frightened. The news spread from mouth to mouth and soon, everyone came to know that the earth was breaking up. It didn’t take much time before all the animals joined the race. All creatures whether reptiles or birds, insects or four-footed animals, everyone was trying to escape and their cries of fear created chaos all around.
A lion standing on a hill saw all the animals running and thought,” What is the matter? “. He ran down the hill rapidly and positioned himself in front of the crowd. He shouted at them, “Stop! Stop! ”. The powerful presence of the lion curtailed the rising wave of fright among the animals. A parrot yelled, “The earth is breaking up”, alighting on a rock near him. The Lion asked,” Who said it? “. The parrot replied, “I heard it from the monkeys".
When the monkeys were asked, they replied that they had heard it from the tigers. When the tigers were asked, it was found that they were informed by the elephants. The elephants told that the buffaloes formed their source. Finally, when the hares were caught up, they pointed one to another until the one, who started this menace was recognized.
The Lion asked the hare, “What made you think that the earth is breaking up?” The hare wavering in fear answered, “Your Majesty, I heard it cracking with my own ears”. The Lion investigated the matter and explored the sound that the hare had heard. Ultimately, he came to know that the sound had been caused by a large coconut falling from a tree. The coconut fell on a pile of rocks causing a minor landslide.
The Lion said to all the animals, “ Go back to your homes. The earth is absolutely safe. Next time onwards, check a rumour before acting on it”. The animals, which were now looking quite stupid, went back to their homes.
Moral: Check a rumour before acting on it.
This one is a nice story from the album of Jataka Kathaye/ Tales. Once upon a time, it happened in a forest that a hare was resting under a banyan tree. He had an intuition of doom and thought, “What would happen to me, if the earth will break? “. Suddenly, he heard a weird striking sound. He said, “It’s happened, the earth is breaking up”. He jumped up and ran madly without even observing the direction.When he was running through the forest, a hare saw him and asked, “What happened? Where are you going in such a hurry? “. The Hare cried,” The earth is breaking up. You better run too”. The second hare ran so fast that he overtook the first hare. As they were passing the forest, both of them shouted to other hares, “The earth is breaking up. The earth is breaking up”. Very soon, thousands of hares were running through the forest.
On seeing hares running through the forest, the other animals too got frightened. The news spread from mouth to mouth and soon, everyone came to know that the earth was breaking up. It didn’t take much time before all the animals joined the race. All creatures whether reptiles or birds, insects or four-footed animals, everyone was trying to escape and their cries of fear created chaos all around.
A lion standing on a hill saw all the animals running and thought,” What is the matter? “. He ran down the hill rapidly and positioned himself in front of the crowd. He shouted at them, “Stop! Stop! ”. The powerful presence of the lion curtailed the rising wave of fright among the animals. A parrot yelled, “The earth is breaking up”, alighting on a rock near him. The Lion asked,” Who said it? “. The parrot replied, “I heard it from the monkeys".
When the monkeys were asked, they replied that they had heard it from the tigers. When the tigers were asked, it was found that they were informed by the elephants. The elephants told that the buffaloes formed their source. Finally, when the hares were caught up, they pointed one to another until the one, who started this menace was recognized.
The Lion asked the hare, “What made you think that the earth is breaking up?” The hare wavering in fear answered, “Your Majesty, I heard it cracking with my own ears”. The Lion investigated the matter and explored the sound that the hare had heard. Ultimately, he came to know that the sound had been caused by a large coconut falling from a tree. The coconut fell on a pile of rocks causing a minor landslide.
The Lion said to all the animals, “ Go back to your homes. The earth is absolutely safe. Next time onwards, check a rumour before acting on it”. The animals, which were now looking quite stupid, went back to their homes.
Moral: Check a rumour before acting on it.
Jackal who saved lion
The Jackal who saved the Lion
Here is another interesting story from the collection of Jataka Tales. Once upon a time, there lived a lion in a forest. One day, when he went to drink water in a river, one of his feet got stuck into the damp mushy mud of the river. He tried a lot to get out of the mud, but to no avail. He had to lie without food for days because he didn’t find any help. On one fortunate day, a kind jackal came to drink water from the river. When he saw the lion, he went closer to the lion and said, “What is the matter? Why are you resting here?”
The lion narrated him the pathetic story. The Jackal instantly made a way out from the sand but the lion was unable to move his feet. As he was set in the same posture for last several days, his body became stiff. The jackal understood the condition of the lion and helped him to get out of the mud with an extra effort. The Lion was really thankful to jackal for his kind help. He was very happy to get free after so many days.
The Lion appreciated the effort made by the jackal. He offered the jackal to live close to him and also promised to give food to him whenever he caught food. The jackal accepted the offer and started living with the lion. Thus, they lived happily sharing the food. With the passing time, they expanded their families. The lion had cubs and the jackal had kid jackals. Both, the lion and the jackal were passing their days happily. They didn’t have any idea that their friendship was not liked by their families.
One day after a long time, the lioness, lady of the lion's house, asked her cubs that she didn’t like the amity between the jackal and her husband. The cubs conveyed the message to the kid jackals. The kids complained the matter to the lady jackal. The lady jackal conveyed the complaint to her husband.
The jackal went to the Lion and asked,” I helped you without any consideration in return. You had asked me to live with you, so I started living with you. Now, if you don’t want me to live with you, you should have told me yourself. What did you involve your wife and cubs to convey this? “. The Lion was shocked to hear such words. He said, “My dear friend, what are you saying? I don’t find any problem with you or your friendship”. He assured the jackal that he had no such ill-feelings for the friendship between them.
The Lion also assured that he would talk to the lioness and solve the whole matter. The jackal was intelligent and understood the situation. He said to the lion, “Dear friend, I know you are sincere, but our families could not exactly respond the same level of friendship. So, let us stay apart and meet often as friends. We could also hunt together. It would be better, if our families stay apart”. The Lion agreed to the proposal with a heavy heart.
The two families parted from each other as friends. The Jackal and the Lion continued to share the friendship. They often met each other and hunt together. Thus, the two friends shared a healthy friendship throughout their life.
Moral: Don’t expect your family to reciprocate the same level of friendship you have with someone.
Here is another interesting story from the collection of Jataka Tales. Once upon a time, there lived a lion in a forest. One day, when he went to drink water in a river, one of his feet got stuck into the damp mushy mud of the river. He tried a lot to get out of the mud, but to no avail. He had to lie without food for days because he didn’t find any help. On one fortunate day, a kind jackal came to drink water from the river. When he saw the lion, he went closer to the lion and said, “What is the matter? Why are you resting here?”The lion narrated him the pathetic story. The Jackal instantly made a way out from the sand but the lion was unable to move his feet. As he was set in the same posture for last several days, his body became stiff. The jackal understood the condition of the lion and helped him to get out of the mud with an extra effort. The Lion was really thankful to jackal for his kind help. He was very happy to get free after so many days.
The Lion appreciated the effort made by the jackal. He offered the jackal to live close to him and also promised to give food to him whenever he caught food. The jackal accepted the offer and started living with the lion. Thus, they lived happily sharing the food. With the passing time, they expanded their families. The lion had cubs and the jackal had kid jackals. Both, the lion and the jackal were passing their days happily. They didn’t have any idea that their friendship was not liked by their families.
One day after a long time, the lioness, lady of the lion's house, asked her cubs that she didn’t like the amity between the jackal and her husband. The cubs conveyed the message to the kid jackals. The kids complained the matter to the lady jackal. The lady jackal conveyed the complaint to her husband.
The jackal went to the Lion and asked,” I helped you without any consideration in return. You had asked me to live with you, so I started living with you. Now, if you don’t want me to live with you, you should have told me yourself. What did you involve your wife and cubs to convey this? “. The Lion was shocked to hear such words. He said, “My dear friend, what are you saying? I don’t find any problem with you or your friendship”. He assured the jackal that he had no such ill-feelings for the friendship between them.
The Lion also assured that he would talk to the lioness and solve the whole matter. The jackal was intelligent and understood the situation. He said to the lion, “Dear friend, I know you are sincere, but our families could not exactly respond the same level of friendship. So, let us stay apart and meet often as friends. We could also hunt together. It would be better, if our families stay apart”. The Lion agreed to the proposal with a heavy heart.
The two families parted from each other as friends. The Jackal and the Lion continued to share the friendship. They often met each other and hunt together. Thus, the two friends shared a healthy friendship throughout their life.
Moral: Don’t expect your family to reciprocate the same level of friendship you have with someone.
Cunning Wolf
The Cunning Wolf
It is an interesting story from the collection of Jataka Tales. Once upon a time, some people from a certain town went into a forest for an excursion. They want to enjoy the holiday to its fullest. They took baskets full of eatables with them. They ate all the meat they had brought with them till the noon time. They didn’t leave anything for the dinner and suddenly realized that what they would eat in the dinner. They wanted to enjoy the vacation and without proper food, it was quite impossible.
One of the men said, “There is no need to worry. I will bring some fresh meat. We will make a fire here and roast it. It will be a great fun too”. After saying this, he took a club and went to the lake. He knew that the animals would definitely come to the riverside for drinking water. He lay down on the ground with a club in his hand and pretended as if, he was dead.
After some time, a group of wolves came down to the lake. When they saw the man lying on the riverside, they kept an eye on him for some time. The King of the wolves said, “I think, this man is playing trick on us. All of you stay here, while I will go and check whether he is really dead or pretending to be dead”. So, the cunning king of the wolves slithered up to the man and pulled his club a little cautiously. The man pulled back his club at once.
The King of the wolves ran from the place and shouted, “If you had been dead, you would not have pulled back you club when I tried to pull it. I caught your trick. You pretended to be dead so that you may kill one of us for your dinner”. The man quickly jumped up and tried to kill the wolf. He chucked his club at the King of the Wolves. Unfortunately, the man missed his aim and the wolf safely ran away. He looked for the other animals, but none of them was visible. All of them ran away.
The man got frustrated at this, but could not do anything. Thus, he went back to his friends and said, “I tried to get fresh meat by playing a trick on the animals, but the cunning wolf played a better trick on me. I am sorry. I could not get fresh meat for you”.
It is an interesting story from the collection of Jataka Tales. Once upon a time, some people from a certain town went into a forest for an excursion. They want to enjoy the holiday to its fullest. They took baskets full of eatables with them. They ate all the meat they had brought with them till the noon time. They didn’t leave anything for the dinner and suddenly realized that what they would eat in the dinner. They wanted to enjoy the vacation and without proper food, it was quite impossible.One of the men said, “There is no need to worry. I will bring some fresh meat. We will make a fire here and roast it. It will be a great fun too”. After saying this, he took a club and went to the lake. He knew that the animals would definitely come to the riverside for drinking water. He lay down on the ground with a club in his hand and pretended as if, he was dead.
After some time, a group of wolves came down to the lake. When they saw the man lying on the riverside, they kept an eye on him for some time. The King of the wolves said, “I think, this man is playing trick on us. All of you stay here, while I will go and check whether he is really dead or pretending to be dead”. So, the cunning king of the wolves slithered up to the man and pulled his club a little cautiously. The man pulled back his club at once.
The King of the wolves ran from the place and shouted, “If you had been dead, you would not have pulled back you club when I tried to pull it. I caught your trick. You pretended to be dead so that you may kill one of us for your dinner”. The man quickly jumped up and tried to kill the wolf. He chucked his club at the King of the Wolves. Unfortunately, the man missed his aim and the wolf safely ran away. He looked for the other animals, but none of them was visible. All of them ran away.
The man got frustrated at this, but could not do anything. Thus, he went back to his friends and said, “I tried to get fresh meat by playing a trick on the animals, but the cunning wolf played a better trick on me. I am sorry. I could not get fresh meat for you”.
Elephant and Dog
The Elephant and the Dog
This is another interesting story / tale from the Jataka collection. Once upon a time, there was a royal elephant that used to reside in the premises of the king’s palace. The elephant was very dear to the king, so he was cared, well-fed and well-treated. There was a Dog who used to live in the neighborhood of the Elephant shed. He was very weak and skinny. He was always fascinated by the smell of the rich sweet rice being fed to the royal elephant.
One day, the Dog could not resist the aroma of the rice and somehow, he sneaked into the Elephant’s shed. He ate the sweet rice that fell from the Elephant’s mouth. He liked the rice so much, that he started coming daily to eat the rice. For days, the huge Elephant didn’t notice the small dog as he was busy in enjoying the delicious food. Gradually, the Dog became bigger and stronger by eating such rich food. He came under the notice of the Elephant.
The Elephant used to enjoy the company of the Dog and started sharing his food with him. Both of them also started sharing time with each other and soon, they made good friends. They ate together, slept together and played together. While playing, the Elephant would hold the Dog in his trunk and swing him back and forth. It didn’t take long, when neither of them was happy without the other. They became great friends and didn’t want to get separated from each other.
Then one day, a man saw the Dog and asked the Elephant-keeper, “I want to buy this Dog. What price do you seek for the Dog?” The Elephant-keeper didn’t own the Dog still he sold the Dog and extracted a sum of money out of this deal. The man took the Dog to his home village, which was quite far away. The King’s Elephant became very sad after this incident. He missed his friend a lot and started neglecting everything. He didn’t want to do anything without his dear friend, so stopped eating, drinking and even bathing.
Ultimately, the Elephant-keeper reported this to the King; however he didn’t tell anything about the Dog. The King had a wise minister, who was known for his understanding of animals. At once, the King asked the minister, “Go to the Elephant shed and find out the reason for the Elephant’s condition”. The intelligent minister went to the Elephant shed and found the Elephant very sad. He looked the Elephant all over and asked the Elephant-keeper, “There is nothing wrong with this Elephant’s body, then why does he look so sad? I think this Elephant is grief stricken, possibly due to the loss of a dear friend. Do you know if this Elephant shared a close friendship with anyone?”
The Elephant-keeper said, “There was a Dog who used to eat, sleep and play with the Elephant. He has been taken by a stranger three days ago”. The Minister asked, “Where is the Dog?” and he replied,”I don’t know”. The minister went back to the King and said, “Your majesty, as per my opinion, the royal Elephant is not sick, but he is lonesome without his dear friend, the Dog”. The King said, “You’re right, friendship is one of the most wonderful things of life. Do you know where that Dog is?”
The Minister replied, “Elephant-keeper has informed that a stranger took him away and he didn’t know about his whereabouts”. The King asked, “How can we bring back my Elephant’s friend and make him happy again?” The Minister suggested, “Your Majesty, make a declaration, that whoever has the dog that used to live at the royal Elephant’s shed will be penalized”. The King did the same and the man who took the dog, instantly turned him loose when he heard the proclamation.
When got free, the Dog ran back as fast as he could to reach the Elephant’s shed. The Elephant was so delighted to see the Dog that he picked his friend with his trunk and made him sit on his head. The Dog waved his tail, while the Elephant’s eyes sparkled with happiness. The King was contented to see the happy Elephant once again. He also rewarded the minister for his wise judgment. Both, the Elephant and the Dog lived happily thereafter.
This is another interesting story / tale from the Jataka collection. Once upon a time, there was a royal elephant that used to reside in the premises of the king’s palace. The elephant was very dear to the king, so he was cared, well-fed and well-treated. There was a Dog who used to live in the neighborhood of the Elephant shed. He was very weak and skinny. He was always fascinated by the smell of the rich sweet rice being fed to the royal elephant.One day, the Dog could not resist the aroma of the rice and somehow, he sneaked into the Elephant’s shed. He ate the sweet rice that fell from the Elephant’s mouth. He liked the rice so much, that he started coming daily to eat the rice. For days, the huge Elephant didn’t notice the small dog as he was busy in enjoying the delicious food. Gradually, the Dog became bigger and stronger by eating such rich food. He came under the notice of the Elephant.
The Elephant used to enjoy the company of the Dog and started sharing his food with him. Both of them also started sharing time with each other and soon, they made good friends. They ate together, slept together and played together. While playing, the Elephant would hold the Dog in his trunk and swing him back and forth. It didn’t take long, when neither of them was happy without the other. They became great friends and didn’t want to get separated from each other.
Then one day, a man saw the Dog and asked the Elephant-keeper, “I want to buy this Dog. What price do you seek for the Dog?” The Elephant-keeper didn’t own the Dog still he sold the Dog and extracted a sum of money out of this deal. The man took the Dog to his home village, which was quite far away. The King’s Elephant became very sad after this incident. He missed his friend a lot and started neglecting everything. He didn’t want to do anything without his dear friend, so stopped eating, drinking and even bathing.
Ultimately, the Elephant-keeper reported this to the King; however he didn’t tell anything about the Dog. The King had a wise minister, who was known for his understanding of animals. At once, the King asked the minister, “Go to the Elephant shed and find out the reason for the Elephant’s condition”. The intelligent minister went to the Elephant shed and found the Elephant very sad. He looked the Elephant all over and asked the Elephant-keeper, “There is nothing wrong with this Elephant’s body, then why does he look so sad? I think this Elephant is grief stricken, possibly due to the loss of a dear friend. Do you know if this Elephant shared a close friendship with anyone?”
The Elephant-keeper said, “There was a Dog who used to eat, sleep and play with the Elephant. He has been taken by a stranger three days ago”. The Minister asked, “Where is the Dog?” and he replied,”I don’t know”. The minister went back to the King and said, “Your majesty, as per my opinion, the royal Elephant is not sick, but he is lonesome without his dear friend, the Dog”. The King said, “You’re right, friendship is one of the most wonderful things of life. Do you know where that Dog is?”
The Minister replied, “Elephant-keeper has informed that a stranger took him away and he didn’t know about his whereabouts”. The King asked, “How can we bring back my Elephant’s friend and make him happy again?” The Minister suggested, “Your Majesty, make a declaration, that whoever has the dog that used to live at the royal Elephant’s shed will be penalized”. The King did the same and the man who took the dog, instantly turned him loose when he heard the proclamation.
When got free, the Dog ran back as fast as he could to reach the Elephant’s shed. The Elephant was so delighted to see the Dog that he picked his friend with his trunk and made him sit on his head. The Dog waved his tail, while the Elephant’s eyes sparkled with happiness. The King was contented to see the happy Elephant once again. He also rewarded the minister for his wise judgment. Both, the Elephant and the Dog lived happily thereafter.
Hawks and Their Friends
The Hawks and Their Friends
It is another interesting story from the album of Jataka Tales. Once upon a time, there lived a family of Hawks in a lake near a forest. The family included Female-Hawk, Male-Hawk and their Kid-Hawks. All of them were passing their days happily. There also lived a Lion, a Kingfisher and a Turtle on the northern, the eastern and the southern shore of this lake respectively. One day, the Female-Hawk asked her husband, “Sweetheart, how many friends do you have near here?”
The Male-Hawk replied, “I do have friends, but not one in this part of the forest”. The Female-Hawk asked, “Dear, you must find some friends. At least, we should have some one who can help us, if ever we are in trouble or in danger”. The Male-Hawk asked, “With whom shall I make friends?” The Female-Hawk suggested, “You can make friends with the Kingfisher, the Lion and the Turtle, who lives on the eastern, the northern and the southern shore of this lake”.
The Male-Hawk liked the idea and went to the lion, the kingfisher and the turtle one by one and made friends with them. Everyone was happy to make a new friend. Everything was going smooth in their life. Suddenly one day, some men came to the forest for hunting. They hunted in the forest from morning till night, but found nothing. They didn’t want to go home empty-handed, so they went to the lake in order to see what they could find there.
After the whole day, they were tired. When they couldn’t locate anything even on the lake, one of them said, “let us stay here tonight and see what we can find in the morning". All of them agreed to the proposal. They made beds of leaves for themselves and lay down to sleep. They made their beds under the tree in which the Hawk family had its nest. However, the hunters could not sleep because they were disturbed by the flies and the mosquitoes.
Ultimately, they got up and built a fire on the shore of the lake, so that the fumes would drive away the flies and mosquitoes. The fumes awoke the hawks and the kid-hawks cried out. Hearing the cries of the Kid-Hawks, one of the hunters said to the other, “Did you hear that? That was the cry of the birds. They will make well for our breakfast. There are young ones in that nest” pointing towards the nest. The Hunters put more wood on the fire and made it blaze up.
The Hawks listened to the conversation of the hunters. The Female-Hawk got frightened and said to her husband, “These men are planning to eat our young ones. We have to ask our friends to save us. Ask the Kingfisher to help us, as we are in danger”. The Male-Hawk flew speedily to the Kingfisher’s nest and made him awake with his cry. The Kingfisher asked the Hawk, “Why have you come at this late hour of night?” The Male-hawk narrated the whole story to the Kingfisher.
The Kingfisher consoled the Hawk and said, “Don’t worry my friend. I will help you. Go back and comfort your mate. I am just coming”. The Male-Hawk flew back to his nest quickly and the Kingfisher also came at the location. On arriving, the Kingfisher saw the burning fire and instantly, beating the water with his wings sprinkled water on the fire and put it out. The Hunters made another fire and one of them, tried to climb up the tree. The Kingfisher put out the fire once again.
As often as a fire was made, the Kingfisher put it out. By the Midnight, the Kingfisher got very tired. The Female-Hawk noticed the condition of the Kingfisher and said to her husband, “The Kingfisher is tired. Go and ask the Turtle to come and help us. In the meantime, the Kingfisher may take some rest”. The Male-Hawk quickly flew down and asked the Kingfisher, “Rest a while friend. I am going to get the Turtle”.
Subsequently, the Male-Hawk flew towards the southern shore of the lake and wakened the Turtle. The Turtle asked the Hawk, “What happened friend? Why you have come?” The Male-Hawk replied, “A danger has come to us” and told the whole story about the hunters. He also said, “The Kingfisher has been working for hours and he is tired by now, that is why I have come to you”. At once, the turtle said, “I will help you”.
After this, the Turtle went to the place where the Hawks lived. He dived into the water, collected some mud and put the fire out with it. On seeing the Turtle, the hunters cried, “Why to bother for the young hawks? Let us kill this Turtle. It will make a nice breakfast for us. We have to be careful otherwise it will bite us. Let us throw a net over it and turn it over”. But they didn’t have nets with them, so they took some vines and tore their clothes to make a net.
When they tried to put the net over the Turtle, they could not roll him over. Instead, the Turtle suddenly dived down into the deep water making their efforts vain. The hunters got so impatient to get the turtle that they went down into the deep water. When they came out of the water, they said, “Half of the night, a Kingfisher kept putting out our fires. Now, we have torn our clothes and got wet while trying to get this turtle. We will make another fire and eat those young hawks at sunrise”. With this, they started making another fire.
The Female-Hawk was hearing the conversation of the hunters. She said to her partner, “I am afraid, sooner or later these men will get our young ones. Go and ask our friend, the Lion to help us”. The Male-Hawk flew to the Lion at once. The Lion asked the Hawk, “Why have you come at this late hour of night?” The Hawk narrated him the whole story. The Lion said, “Don’t worry friend. I just come. You go back and comfort your mate and the young ones”.
Soon, the Lion came roaring at the place. On hearing the Lion’s roar, the hunters cried, “Now, all of us would be killed”. They ran away from the scene as fast as they could run. When the Lion approached the tree, not even a single hunter was visible. At that time, the Kingfisher and the Turtle also came on the scene. The Hawks were happy to find the hunters were gone. They appreciated the efforts made by all of the friends and lived happily thereafter.
Moral: Friends in need are friends indeed.
It is another interesting story from the album of Jataka Tales. Once upon a time, there lived a family of Hawks in a lake near a forest. The family included Female-Hawk, Male-Hawk and their Kid-Hawks. All of them were passing their days happily. There also lived a Lion, a Kingfisher and a Turtle on the northern, the eastern and the southern shore of this lake respectively. One day, the Female-Hawk asked her husband, “Sweetheart, how many friends do you have near here?”The Male-Hawk replied, “I do have friends, but not one in this part of the forest”. The Female-Hawk asked, “Dear, you must find some friends. At least, we should have some one who can help us, if ever we are in trouble or in danger”. The Male-Hawk asked, “With whom shall I make friends?” The Female-Hawk suggested, “You can make friends with the Kingfisher, the Lion and the Turtle, who lives on the eastern, the northern and the southern shore of this lake”.
The Male-Hawk liked the idea and went to the lion, the kingfisher and the turtle one by one and made friends with them. Everyone was happy to make a new friend. Everything was going smooth in their life. Suddenly one day, some men came to the forest for hunting. They hunted in the forest from morning till night, but found nothing. They didn’t want to go home empty-handed, so they went to the lake in order to see what they could find there.
After the whole day, they were tired. When they couldn’t locate anything even on the lake, one of them said, “let us stay here tonight and see what we can find in the morning". All of them agreed to the proposal. They made beds of leaves for themselves and lay down to sleep. They made their beds under the tree in which the Hawk family had its nest. However, the hunters could not sleep because they were disturbed by the flies and the mosquitoes.
Ultimately, they got up and built a fire on the shore of the lake, so that the fumes would drive away the flies and mosquitoes. The fumes awoke the hawks and the kid-hawks cried out. Hearing the cries of the Kid-Hawks, one of the hunters said to the other, “Did you hear that? That was the cry of the birds. They will make well for our breakfast. There are young ones in that nest” pointing towards the nest. The Hunters put more wood on the fire and made it blaze up.
The Hawks listened to the conversation of the hunters. The Female-Hawk got frightened and said to her husband, “These men are planning to eat our young ones. We have to ask our friends to save us. Ask the Kingfisher to help us, as we are in danger”. The Male-Hawk flew speedily to the Kingfisher’s nest and made him awake with his cry. The Kingfisher asked the Hawk, “Why have you come at this late hour of night?” The Male-hawk narrated the whole story to the Kingfisher.
The Kingfisher consoled the Hawk and said, “Don’t worry my friend. I will help you. Go back and comfort your mate. I am just coming”. The Male-Hawk flew back to his nest quickly and the Kingfisher also came at the location. On arriving, the Kingfisher saw the burning fire and instantly, beating the water with his wings sprinkled water on the fire and put it out. The Hunters made another fire and one of them, tried to climb up the tree. The Kingfisher put out the fire once again.
As often as a fire was made, the Kingfisher put it out. By the Midnight, the Kingfisher got very tired. The Female-Hawk noticed the condition of the Kingfisher and said to her husband, “The Kingfisher is tired. Go and ask the Turtle to come and help us. In the meantime, the Kingfisher may take some rest”. The Male-Hawk quickly flew down and asked the Kingfisher, “Rest a while friend. I am going to get the Turtle”.
Subsequently, the Male-Hawk flew towards the southern shore of the lake and wakened the Turtle. The Turtle asked the Hawk, “What happened friend? Why you have come?” The Male-Hawk replied, “A danger has come to us” and told the whole story about the hunters. He also said, “The Kingfisher has been working for hours and he is tired by now, that is why I have come to you”. At once, the turtle said, “I will help you”.
After this, the Turtle went to the place where the Hawks lived. He dived into the water, collected some mud and put the fire out with it. On seeing the Turtle, the hunters cried, “Why to bother for the young hawks? Let us kill this Turtle. It will make a nice breakfast for us. We have to be careful otherwise it will bite us. Let us throw a net over it and turn it over”. But they didn’t have nets with them, so they took some vines and tore their clothes to make a net.
When they tried to put the net over the Turtle, they could not roll him over. Instead, the Turtle suddenly dived down into the deep water making their efforts vain. The hunters got so impatient to get the turtle that they went down into the deep water. When they came out of the water, they said, “Half of the night, a Kingfisher kept putting out our fires. Now, we have torn our clothes and got wet while trying to get this turtle. We will make another fire and eat those young hawks at sunrise”. With this, they started making another fire.
The Female-Hawk was hearing the conversation of the hunters. She said to her partner, “I am afraid, sooner or later these men will get our young ones. Go and ask our friend, the Lion to help us”. The Male-Hawk flew to the Lion at once. The Lion asked the Hawk, “Why have you come at this late hour of night?” The Hawk narrated him the whole story. The Lion said, “Don’t worry friend. I just come. You go back and comfort your mate and the young ones”.
Soon, the Lion came roaring at the place. On hearing the Lion’s roar, the hunters cried, “Now, all of us would be killed”. They ran away from the scene as fast as they could run. When the Lion approached the tree, not even a single hunter was visible. At that time, the Kingfisher and the Turtle also came on the scene. The Hawks were happy to find the hunters were gone. They appreciated the efforts made by all of the friends and lived happily thereafter.
Moral: Friends in need are friends indeed.
Wind and Moon
The Wind and the Moon
Here is another nice story from the collection of Jataka kathaye / tales. Once upon a time, there lived two friends in the shade of a rock. It would sound strange, but one of them was a lion and the other was a tiger. They were friends since their childhood. They knew each other from the time, when they were too small to understand the difference between the lions and the tigers. Thus, their friendship was not at all strange to them.
Moreover, the part of the mountain under which they lived was peaceful; it could be due to the presence of a monk who lived under the same rock. He was a hermit, one who lives far away from worldly affairs. One day, the two friends got into a stupid argument for some unknown reason. The Tiger said,” Everyone knows that cold comes when the moon decreases from full to new”. The Lion said, “You are a stupid fellow. From where did you hear such nonsense? Everyone knows that cold comes when the moon increases from new to full”.
The argument between them became stronger and stronger. Both of them were firm at their own opinion. They could not arrive at any conclusion to resolve the growing disagreement. They even started calling ill names to each other. Suddenly, they thought that like this they would lose their friendship. At last, they decided to go and ask the learned monk, who would definitely know about the actual answer.
Both of them went together to the peaceful monk and bowed respectfully before him. The hermit asked them the reason for their sudden arrival. They put their question to him and said, “Sir, only you can answer to this problematic question”. The hermit thought for a while and said, “It can be cold in any phase of the moon, from new to full and back to new again. It is the wind that brings the cold, whether from west or north or east. Therefore, both of you are right and neither of you is defeated by the other”.
The hermit also said, “Both of you share healthy friendship since your childhood. It is not good to get into arguments and think about separation. The most important thing is to live without conflict, to remain united. Unity is best by all means”. The Lion and the Tiger understood the message of the wise monk. They thanked him for the kind suggestion given by him. Both of them lived happily thereafter as good friends.
Moral: Weather comes and weather goes, but friendship remains.
Here is another nice story from the collection of Jataka kathaye / tales. Once upon a time, there lived two friends in the shade of a rock. It would sound strange, but one of them was a lion and the other was a tiger. They were friends since their childhood. They knew each other from the time, when they were too small to understand the difference between the lions and the tigers. Thus, their friendship was not at all strange to them.Moreover, the part of the mountain under which they lived was peaceful; it could be due to the presence of a monk who lived under the same rock. He was a hermit, one who lives far away from worldly affairs. One day, the two friends got into a stupid argument for some unknown reason. The Tiger said,” Everyone knows that cold comes when the moon decreases from full to new”. The Lion said, “You are a stupid fellow. From where did you hear such nonsense? Everyone knows that cold comes when the moon increases from new to full”.
The argument between them became stronger and stronger. Both of them were firm at their own opinion. They could not arrive at any conclusion to resolve the growing disagreement. They even started calling ill names to each other. Suddenly, they thought that like this they would lose their friendship. At last, they decided to go and ask the learned monk, who would definitely know about the actual answer.
Both of them went together to the peaceful monk and bowed respectfully before him. The hermit asked them the reason for their sudden arrival. They put their question to him and said, “Sir, only you can answer to this problematic question”. The hermit thought for a while and said, “It can be cold in any phase of the moon, from new to full and back to new again. It is the wind that brings the cold, whether from west or north or east. Therefore, both of you are right and neither of you is defeated by the other”.
The hermit also said, “Both of you share healthy friendship since your childhood. It is not good to get into arguments and think about separation. The most important thing is to live without conflict, to remain united. Unity is best by all means”. The Lion and the Tiger understood the message of the wise monk. They thanked him for the kind suggestion given by him. Both of them lived happily thereafter as good friends.
Moral: Weather comes and weather goes, but friendship remains.
Penny Wise Monkey
The Penny Wise Monkey
Here is another nice tale/ story from the Jataka collection. Once upon a time, there lived the King of a big and affluent country. The King was quite fond of traveling. Usually, he didn’t like to visit his own country; instead he went to other countries. One day, he assembled his army to move out for a holiday to some distant country. The King and his soldiers walked for the whole morning in the forest. After this, they went into the camp to take some rest.
The horses were also tired, so they were fed with peas. One of the Monkeys, who lived in the forest, was keeping a track of the things done by the king’s men from a distance. When he saw peas offered to the horses, he jumped down from the tree at once to get some of them. He quickly gobbled some peas, also filled his mouth and hands with them. Then, he went up the tree and sat down to eat the peas.
As and when, he sat there to eat peas; one pea fell from his hand to the ground. The greedy monkey dropped all the peas he had in his hands and ran down to look for the lost pea at once. Unluckily, he could not find that one pea. He climbed up the tree again and sat at rest. He was looking very sad. He said to himself, “To get one pea, I threw away what I had”.
The King was watching the monkey from the camp and said to himself, “I would not be like this stupid monkey, who lost much to gain a little. I will go back to my own country and enjoy what I have”. Thus, the King and his army marched back to their own country.
Moral: Value the things you have.
Here is another nice tale/ story from the Jataka collection. Once upon a time, there lived the King of a big and affluent country. The King was quite fond of traveling. Usually, he didn’t like to visit his own country; instead he went to other countries. One day, he assembled his army to move out for a holiday to some distant country. The King and his soldiers walked for the whole morning in the forest. After this, they went into the camp to take some rest.The horses were also tired, so they were fed with peas. One of the Monkeys, who lived in the forest, was keeping a track of the things done by the king’s men from a distance. When he saw peas offered to the horses, he jumped down from the tree at once to get some of them. He quickly gobbled some peas, also filled his mouth and hands with them. Then, he went up the tree and sat down to eat the peas.
As and when, he sat there to eat peas; one pea fell from his hand to the ground. The greedy monkey dropped all the peas he had in his hands and ran down to look for the lost pea at once. Unluckily, he could not find that one pea. He climbed up the tree again and sat at rest. He was looking very sad. He said to himself, “To get one pea, I threw away what I had”.
The King was watching the monkey from the camp and said to himself, “I would not be like this stupid monkey, who lost much to gain a little. I will go back to my own country and enjoy what I have”. Thus, the King and his army marched back to their own country.
Moral: Value the things you have.
Sandy Road
The Sandy Road
This is a nice story from the collection of Jataka Tales. Once upon a time, there lived a merchant in a small village. The merchant dealt in different kinds of goods. He wanted to sell his goods in the town, in order to gain good sum of profits. One day, he decided to go to the town to try his fortune. He arranged for some men who could go along with him. During the journey, he had to pass through a desert, so he also arranged for water, rice and firewood.
According to the plan, he packed his goods in several carts and set out for the journey along with his mates. When they reached the desert, the sun was shining on the fine sand, making it severely hot. In the day time, no one could dare to walk on it. One could only think of travel through the desert during the night time, when the moon made the sands cool. So, the merchant and his people waited for the night to start their further journey.
With the arrival of night, they started their journey. One of them, had knowledge about the stars, so he was guiding the way to other people by reading the position of stars. They traveled for the whole night without taking any break. At daybreak, they stopped and camped. They released the oxen from the carts and fed them. They made fire, cooked the rice and ate the food to their fill. They spread a huge covering over all the carts and the oxen. Subsequently, all the men laid down under it, to rest till the sunset.
When the sun set in the early evening, they again built fire and cooked rice. After the meal, they folded the covering and tied the oxen to the carts. As soon as, the sand became cool, they again started their journey across the desert. Night after night, they traveled in such manner and rested during the day time. On the last morning, the one who was guiding the group said, “In one more night, we will cross the desert”. Every one was happy to hear this, as all of them were tired.
After taking meal in the evening, the merchant said, “Now, you people can throw the water and the firewood because tomorrow we will reach the town. Tie the oxen and start”. The Guide took his position at first in the line of the carts, but instead of sitting and guiding the drivers, he laid down in the cart on the cushions. Soon, he was in a deep slumber because he had not slept for many nights and in the daytime, the sun had been so strong that he had not slept properly.
The oxen went on, for the whole night. Near daybreak, the guide awoke and looked at the last stars fading in the light. He said to the drivers, “Stop! We are in the same place where we were yesterday. The oxen must have turned about while I slept”. They released the oxen, but there was no water for them to drink, as they had thrown away the water the previous night. They spread out the covering over the carts and the oxen rested tired and thirsty. The men lay down too, saying, “Without wood and water, we are lost”.
Every one was tired and sat down. The merchant thought, “This is no time for me to sleep. I have to find water. The oxen cannot start unless they get water to drink. The people need water other wise they cannot cook rice. If I give up, we will lose. There must be water somewhere below”. He walked down and down, keeping a close watch of the ground. Finally, he saw some grass and thought, “There must be water somewhere below otherwise that grass would not be there”.
He ran back, shrieking to the people, “Get the spade and the hammer”. All of them jumped up and ran with the merchant to the spot where he saw the grass. They started digging and after much toil, they struck a rock. After this, they could dig no further. The merchant jumped down into the hole they had dug and kept his ear to the rock. He called to them, “I can hear water running under this rock. We must not give up”. Then, the merchant came out of the hole and said to the serving boy, “My boy, if you give up, we are lost. Please go down and try”.
The boy stood up raising the hammer high above his head and hit the rock with his full strength. He didn’t give up, thinking the words of the merchant. Every time the hammer came down, he thought that everyone must be saved. Ultimately, the rock broke, the boy hardly got any time to come out of the hole and it was full of water. All the men drank water, as if they could never get enough. They watered the oxen and took bath.
After drinking and bathing, they split the extra wooden yokes and axles from their carts. They made a fire out of it and cooked their rice. They had their meal and rested through the day. They also placed a flag on the well, so that the passing travelers could see and have water. After the sunset, they started their journey and reached the town in the morning. They sold the goods making huge profits and happily returned back to their village.
Moral: Will and Determination can achieve anything.
This is a nice story from the collection of Jataka Tales. Once upon a time, there lived a merchant in a small village. The merchant dealt in different kinds of goods. He wanted to sell his goods in the town, in order to gain good sum of profits. One day, he decided to go to the town to try his fortune. He arranged for some men who could go along with him. During the journey, he had to pass through a desert, so he also arranged for water, rice and firewood.According to the plan, he packed his goods in several carts and set out for the journey along with his mates. When they reached the desert, the sun was shining on the fine sand, making it severely hot. In the day time, no one could dare to walk on it. One could only think of travel through the desert during the night time, when the moon made the sands cool. So, the merchant and his people waited for the night to start their further journey.
With the arrival of night, they started their journey. One of them, had knowledge about the stars, so he was guiding the way to other people by reading the position of stars. They traveled for the whole night without taking any break. At daybreak, they stopped and camped. They released the oxen from the carts and fed them. They made fire, cooked the rice and ate the food to their fill. They spread a huge covering over all the carts and the oxen. Subsequently, all the men laid down under it, to rest till the sunset.
When the sun set in the early evening, they again built fire and cooked rice. After the meal, they folded the covering and tied the oxen to the carts. As soon as, the sand became cool, they again started their journey across the desert. Night after night, they traveled in such manner and rested during the day time. On the last morning, the one who was guiding the group said, “In one more night, we will cross the desert”. Every one was happy to hear this, as all of them were tired.
After taking meal in the evening, the merchant said, “Now, you people can throw the water and the firewood because tomorrow we will reach the town. Tie the oxen and start”. The Guide took his position at first in the line of the carts, but instead of sitting and guiding the drivers, he laid down in the cart on the cushions. Soon, he was in a deep slumber because he had not slept for many nights and in the daytime, the sun had been so strong that he had not slept properly.
The oxen went on, for the whole night. Near daybreak, the guide awoke and looked at the last stars fading in the light. He said to the drivers, “Stop! We are in the same place where we were yesterday. The oxen must have turned about while I slept”. They released the oxen, but there was no water for them to drink, as they had thrown away the water the previous night. They spread out the covering over the carts and the oxen rested tired and thirsty. The men lay down too, saying, “Without wood and water, we are lost”.
Every one was tired and sat down. The merchant thought, “This is no time for me to sleep. I have to find water. The oxen cannot start unless they get water to drink. The people need water other wise they cannot cook rice. If I give up, we will lose. There must be water somewhere below”. He walked down and down, keeping a close watch of the ground. Finally, he saw some grass and thought, “There must be water somewhere below otherwise that grass would not be there”.
He ran back, shrieking to the people, “Get the spade and the hammer”. All of them jumped up and ran with the merchant to the spot where he saw the grass. They started digging and after much toil, they struck a rock. After this, they could dig no further. The merchant jumped down into the hole they had dug and kept his ear to the rock. He called to them, “I can hear water running under this rock. We must not give up”. Then, the merchant came out of the hole and said to the serving boy, “My boy, if you give up, we are lost. Please go down and try”.
The boy stood up raising the hammer high above his head and hit the rock with his full strength. He didn’t give up, thinking the words of the merchant. Every time the hammer came down, he thought that everyone must be saved. Ultimately, the rock broke, the boy hardly got any time to come out of the hole and it was full of water. All the men drank water, as if they could never get enough. They watered the oxen and took bath.
After drinking and bathing, they split the extra wooden yokes and axles from their carts. They made a fire out of it and cooked their rice. They had their meal and rested through the day. They also placed a flag on the well, so that the passing travelers could see and have water. After the sunset, they started their journey and reached the town in the morning. They sold the goods making huge profits and happily returned back to their village.
Moral: Will and Determination can achieve anything.
Merchant of Seri
The Merchant of Seri
This is another nice story from the collection of Jataka Tales. Once upon a time, there lived a merchant of Seri, who sold brass and tin ware. He used to go from place to place, in order to sell his products. He was usually accompanied by another merchant, who also sold brass and tin ware. The second merchant was greedy. He wanted every thing for free and if he bought something, he paid as little as possible.
One day, when they went to a town, they divided the streets between them so that none of them interferes in each other’s marketing. Both of them moved through the streets they had chosen and called, “Tin ware for sale. Brass for sale”. People came out of their homes and traded with them.
There lived a poor old woman and her granddaughter in a house. Once the family had been affluent, but now a golden plate was the only expensive item left with them. The grandmother didn’t know that it was a golden plate. However, she had kept this plate because in the old days, her husband used to eat from it. It was placed on a shelf among the other pots and pans not in the regular use.
The greedy merchant passed this house, calling, “Buy tin ware. Buy brass utensils”. The grand-daughter heard the cries and said to her grandmother, “Grandmother, please buy something for me”. The old woman replied, “Child, we are too poor to buy anything. Even, I don’t have anything to trade”. The girl said, “We have one old plate. Let’s see what the merchant will offer for the old plate. We don’t use it often and perhaps, he will take it and give us something that we want”.
The old woman called the merchant at the door-step of her house. She showed him the plate and said, “Sir, will you take this plate and give something in return to this little girl”. The greedy man took the plate and scratched its backside with a needle. He found that it was a golden plate. He hoped that he would fetch it without paying anything. He said, “Does it worth? Not even a half penny”. He went away throwing the plate on the ground.
One day, when they went to a town, they divided the streets between them so that none of them interferes in each other’s marketing. Both of them moved through the streets they had chosen and called, “Tin ware for sale. Brass for sale”. People came out of their homes and traded with them.
There lived a poor old woman and her granddaughter in a house. Once the family had been affluent, but now a golden plate was the only expensive item left with them. The grandmother didn’t know that it was a golden plate. However, she had kept this plate because in the old days, her husband used to eat from it. It was placed on a shelf among the other pots and pans not in the regular use.
The greedy merchant passed this house, calling, “Buy tin ware. Buy brass utensils”. The grand-daughter heard the cries and said to her grandmother, “Grandmother, please buy something for me”. The old woman replied, “Child, we are too poor to buy anything. Even, I don’t have anything to trade”. The girl said, “We have one old plate. Let’s see what the merchant will offer for the old plate. We don’t use it often and perhaps, he will take it and give us something that we want”.
The old woman called the merchant at the door-step of her house. She showed him the plate and said, “Sir, will you take this plate and give something in return to this little girl”. The greedy man took the plate and scratched its backside with a needle. He found that it was a golden plate. He hoped that he would fetch it without paying anything. He said, “Does it worth? Not even a half penny”. He went away throwing the plate on the ground.
The other merchant was passing through the houses. It was decided that either of them could go through any street, which the other had left. The merchant passed through the same house and called, “Buy tin ware. Buy brass utensils”. The little girl heard the cries and asked her grandmother to see what the merchant would give for the plate.
The old woman said, “My child, the merchant who came earlier, went away throwing the plate on the ground. I have nothing else to offer in trade”. The girl replied, “Grandma, that merchant was bad-tempered. This merchant looks nice. Ask him, might be he’ll give some small tin ware”. The old woman accepted the idea and asked the girl to call the merchant. The girl showed the plate to the merchant.
As soon as the merchant took the plate in his hands, he came to know that it was of gold. He said, “This plate can’t be afforded with what all I have here. This is a golden plate. I am not rich enough to buy it”. The grandmother replied, “But, a merchant who came here a few moments ago threw it on the ground saying that it was not worth even a half penny and went away”.
The merchant said, “It was worth nothing to him. If you value it, take the dishes you want to take”. The little girl took some dishes of her choice but the merchant was not satisfied with the offer. So, he gave all the money and his wares to the old woman. He required eight pennies for the transport, so he asked the old woman for it.
The old woman readily gave him the amount. The merchant took the pennies and left the place. He quickly went towards the river and paid eight pennies to the boatman, to take him across the river. Soon, the greedy merchant went back to the house of the old woman. When he reached the desired house, he called up the girl and said, “Bring that plate and I will give you something for it".
The grandmother replied from inside, “No. You considered the plate worthless, but another merchant has paid a huge price for it and taken it away. It is a golden plate”. Thus, the greedy merchant got angry and left the place. He cried, “Due to this other merchant, I have lost a small fortune. That was a golden plate”. He ran down to the riverside and saw the other merchant in the boat. He called loudly, “Hello, Boatman. Stop your boat”.
The merchant in the boat asked the boatman not to stop. Accordingly, the boatman didn’t stop. The merchant reached the city which was on the other side of the river. He sold the golden plate and got enough money for his living. So, he lived happily thereafter.
Moral: Honesty is the best policy.
