Panchatantra Stories in English – Illustrated Tales
8 classic tales, with morals, in one collection
The Panchatantra has taught children through animals for two thousand years — a jackal who paints himself blue, a turtle who cannot stop talking, a lamb who is found guilty before the wolf invents the reason. Here are 8 of those tales in English, each with its illustration and its moral. Read them with your child on this page, or press Save PDF to keep the whole collection to print.
The Wolf and the Lamb Story – Panchatantra Tale with Moral
Here are more stories for kids. Today, from Panchatantra Tales!
🎧 Listen to the narrated version of this Panchatantra Tale:
Once upon a time, there was a forest. Forest was very dense and it was surrounded by hills and valleys. A small river flowed through it. There lived a wolf in this forest.
One fine day, the wolf was drinking water from a small stream. All of a sudden, he noticed that a lamb was also drinking water from the same stream down at some distance.The sharp-witted wolf started thinking about some trick so that he could attack the little lamb and make it his lunch.
So, he cried out at the lamb in a loud voice, “Hey, you son of a sheep, how dare you make the water dirty? Can’t you see I was drinking it here?”
Poor lamb was shocked to hear such a scream coming from a wolf. Asking for pardon he explained,”You must be mistaken sir! How could I make your water dirty, as you’re standing there at a higher place and I’m down here, so the water flows from you to me and not from me to you?”
The wolf found that the little lamb was not that stupid to fool it easily.
He started thinking about a new plan in order to create a dispute and to get a valid reason for killing the lamb, so he could eat its delicious flesh.”
“Do you remember that just a year ago you uttered all sorts of intimidating and abusive words for me?” said the wolf frightening the innocent lamb.
Gazing the wolf with wide eyes, surprised lamb replied, “How could it be possible sir? I wasn’t even born a year ago!”
“Shut up you stupid creature!” shouted the wolf again. “Are you trying to fool me? I totally remember it, if it wasn’t you then it must be your father, who’d abused me long ago.” he said.
“Oh! Then I apologize for my father’s misbehavior, if he really did it to you sir! This is what I could do at most.” shaking like a leaf, the lamb pleaded.
The awestruck little lamb was completely trapped by the wolf’s trick.
The wolf said, “I think you and your father are goons who commit a sin first and then try to dismiss it with your false arguments. I must teach a lesson to bullies like you and your family.”
Before the poor lamb could understand what was happening, the wolf jumped over it and tore it to pieces and ate it…
The moral
A wrongdoer needs no real reason, only an excuse – and against a mind already made up, even the truth is no defence.
The End.
Read more Panchatantra Stories with Beautiful illustrations.
The Bird with Two Heads Story – Panchatantra Tale with Moral
Read from the collection of moral stories for kids.
🎧 Listen to the narrated version of this Panchatantra story:
Once upon a time, there was a huge banyan tree beside a river where a strange bird lived.
The bird was unique as it had two heads, but only one stomach.
Once, the bird was wandering around and flying high in the sky. It saw some shiny, red thing on the river bed. The bird came down quickly and picked it up. It was a fruit. The bird had never seen such a wonderful fruit. He started eating it. It was the most delicious fruit the bird had ever eaten.
The second head saw this. It demanded to have some portion of that fruit. It said, “How could you eat that alone? It’s not good. I’m your twin head. Why don’t you share the tasty fruit with me? I also want some.”
The first head replied, “Be quiet! Why are you complaining so much? I know we’re twin heads, but don’t you know that we’ve the same stomach? Whichever head eats it, the fruit will go to the same stomach. So, it’s not important as to which head eats it. Besides that, I’m the one who found this fruit. So, it’s my right to have it.”
The second head on hearing this, felt very bad. It didn’t say anything at that time, but it became anxious because of such greedy behavior shown by the first head.
One day, the bird was flying in the sky enjoying the cool breeze.And suddenly the second head saw something. It was a tree loaded with fruits. The bird rapidly got down towards the tree. It plucked one fruit and was about to eat it when the first head shouted, “STOP!”
The first head stopping the second head said, “You must not eat this fruit. Don’t you know this tree bears the poisonous fruits? If you eat this fruit, both of us will die at once.”
The second head, gazing at the fruit pretended as if it was not listening.
The first head in a pleading voice, “Please think again, we share a common stomach so, if you’d eat this toxic fruit, it will kill us both. Why are you behaving so cruelly?”
“Shut up!” shouted the second head. “Look, who’s talking about cruel behavior now? As I’ve seen and plucked this fruit, I’ve every right to eat it. Nothing would change my mind.”
The first head kept on begging and crying but the other head did not listen to his twin head. He wanted to take revenge. He ate that poisonous fruit and as it was to happen, both of them died on the spot!
The moral
Greed and revenge lead to one’s own destruction. When we share the same destiny, harming others ultimately harms ourselves.
The End.
Read more Panchantra Tales.
The Jackal and the Drum Story – Panchatantra Tale with Moral
Looking for fables for kids? We are back with one more Panchatantra Katha.
🎧 Listen to the narrated version of this Panchatantra Katha:
Once upon a time, there was a jackal. The jackal lived in a jungle. The jungle was very big and there used to be a battlefield near that jungle. One day, the jackal was hungry. He was roaming here and there in search of food. In doing so, he came across the old battlefield. In the battlefield, there was a big drum lying under a tree.
Whenever a gust of air was blowing, a small branch of that tree was striking against that drum and it was making a really scary, loud sound. At first, the jackal was terrified listening to such a large bang coming from a strange thing! He examined the drum from all the sides. The drum was lying silently. So, he thought, ‘The animal doesn’t seem to be harmful!’.
He went closer, still the drum didn’t do anything!! Now, gathering all the courage he had, he beat the drum with his front paws. And the drum made a fat sound, ‘Dhum, Dhum!’.
Horrified jackal just jumped off the drum and hid behind the tree. After a while, getting his senses back, the jackal started thinking, ‘There must be an animal hiding inside this big thing. If I tear this huge belly and get that animal out, I might get a tasty meal.’ The hungry jackal decided to give this idea a try.
Now we all know that the top of the drum is covered with animal skin, it’s not so easy to tear it. Same happened here, the jackal started beating the drum with his paws but the top of the drum was too tough to break off. Frustrated jackal started beating the drum more aggressively.
Nothing worked, yet the jackal began trying too hard to break the leather. He thought, ‘How shrewd the animal inside is to create such a strong hiding place!’ But, I’m not going to leave it after so much of hard work. My sharp teeth will tear it apart in a moment.’ He started biting the drum. The jackal on one hand was very much afraid of the unknown enemy, but on the other hand the hunger was pushing him to tear the drum off.
In a while, the jackal began to taste blood in his mouth. This made him too happy. He was almost ready to catch the animal. But, what was that!? The top of the drum was intact. No, It hadn’t been torn out at all! Instead the jackal had lost one of his teeth and his mouth was bleeding.
The blood he tasted was coming from this broken tooth!! The jackal thought that the animal inside the drum must have punched him to break his tooth. He was very annoyed and started whacking the drum too hard. Finally the top of the drum was ripped off. The jackal was amazed to look at the drum as he saw no blood coming out of this big animal, though its skin was cut into pieces!
Surprised, he entered the drum, hoping to get that animal inside this big belly he just tore out.
Alas! It was completely empty…
He got down the drum. Disappointed, the jackal sighed, ‘I hope no one has seen the whole episode. Such a fool I’ve been!’
In the meantime, the air blew once again and the branch struck the drum one more time. But, this time the drum didn’t make that loud, scary noise!
Watching this, the jackal felt relaxed. Proudly he thought to himself, ‘Even though I had to lose one of my teeth, I finally succeeded in killing this huge enemy!’
Pleased with his own bravery, the jackal now fearlessly went on searching for food!
The End.
Read more such interesting Indian Folktales.
The moral
Bravery is born when we face our fears; often, the things that scare us most are as empty as a hollow drum.
The Stork and the Crab Story – Panchatantra Tale with Moral
We are back with children’s story from Panchatantra. Let’s read it.
🎧 Listen to the narrated version of this Panchatantra story:
Long long ago, there was a Stork, you know what a Stork is, right? It’s a very tall, long-legged wading bird. We know long-legged water birds as wading birds, okay? So, this Stork we were talking about was living near a pond. The pond was full of different types of fish. Therefore he had enough food and was living comfortably. But as the years passed, the Stork grew older, so he wasn’t able to catch the fish very well. The Stork was very smart. He thought of an idea so that he would not have to stay hungry for long.
One day the Stork was standing still in the pond with a sad face. He also wasn’t catching any fish. All the creatures in the pond, the fish, crabs, frogs were surprised to see this. A Stork would not hunt or fish, wasn’t it strange? So the oldest and the wisest Crab in the pond went up to the Stork to ask him what the problem was!? With the most sorrowful face and a heavy voice the Stork said, “I’m looking at this pond for the last time; I am going to fly away. I’ll miss this place and all of you my friends.” Young fish eagerly asked, “Why? What happened? Why are you leaving your home?” The smart Stork saw the plan working. He said, “I’ve heard that some people are going to fill this pond with soil. They are planning to grow crops here. What if this place dries up? I can’t see all of you dying.” All the creatures in the pond were terrified. The Stork added further in a shaky voice, “I am going to fly away from this miserable place. I have seen a larger pond nearby. Farewell to all my dear friends! I wish I could have helped you all!”
Listening to the Stork, all the small fish, frogs and crabs started requesting him to save them too. They wanted the Stork to carry them to the larger pond.
Why wouldn’t he agree?
The wicked Stork agreed upon carrying all of them one by one to the nearby pond. Poor fish, frogs and crabs started dreaming about a better, new life at a larger pond!
Now, the Stork started taking some of the fish in his beak at a time flying them away from this pond.
The fish in the pond were very happy about the new life their brothers were living in the new, larger pond. All of them were eagerly waiting for their turn. They didn’t know that the fact was, the Stork was taking them all to the big, black rock a little away from the pond. He used to sit on the rock and feast upon the poor fish, frogs and crabs! This became a routine that whenever the Stork felt hungry, he carried a couple of fish in his beak in the name of taking them to that bigger home. By making multiple trips, the cruel Stork had eaten most of the fish, frogs and crabs from this pond.
It was the old Crab’s turn now. He was happy that he could soon meet all his friends and would have a pleasant life once again. The Stork thought to himself, “Come on, you filthy Crab! Let me taste a different meal today. I’m a little bored of eating the same fish every day!”
He picked the Crab and started flying towards the big, black rock. Excited Crab looked down from the sky to check for his new home.
But he could see if there was any such place!! He still kept looking and what’s that?
There was a huge, black rock on the ground. And he could clearly spot the fish-bones scattered all over the place.
The wise Crab immediately understood the whole scenario. He tightly clasped the Stork’s neck with his knifelike claws. The Stork tried hard to get free. But the Crab was very angry and he grasped the Stork’s throat firmly. Finally the mean Stork fell dead on the ground.
Next, the Crab slowly crawled back to the pond and informed all his friends about the evil intentions of the Stork. He also told the whole story how he killed the Stork and managed to reach home safely. Everyone praised and applauded the Crab for quick thinking, his presence of mind and the bravery he had shown while tackling the wicked Stork!
The moral
Greed always leads to a bad end, and presence of mind can save you from the greatest dangers.
The End.
I found a few more moral stories for kids.
The Talkative Turtle Story – Panchatantra Tale with Moral
Today, it’s a children’s story from Panchatantra about a turtle who can’t stop talking. Let’s read it.
🎧 Listen to the narrated version of this Panchatantra story:
Long, long ago, there lived a turtle in a pond. He was friend with two geese (Geese is the plural form of Goose – you know what a goose is, right? It’s a bird like a Swan, not a Swan though!).
The geese used to visit this pond frequently so; all the three of them, the two geese and the turtle became very good friends. They enjoyed talking to each other and sharing their experiences.
The turtle liked to listen to the stories from the far land, told to him by his friends.
He used to think if he could also fly. All of them were living happily. The area faced a widespread of drought for several months (when there is very low rainfall or no rain at all, the condition is called drought! You already knew this? Very smart you are!!). So, due to drought all the rivers, lakes and ponds went dry. There remained very little water in the pond where the turtle lived.
Troubled by the thirst and scorching heat; birds and animals decided to migrate to some fertile lands where they could get enough water and food for living. The three friends also had to move to some better place.
They decided to go to a distant lake that was full of water. Flying to that distant lake was easy for both the geese, but what about the turtle? How could he reach to the lake that was quite far from this pond? It was impossible for him to reach there on foot. Poor turtle was disappointed. All the three started thinking about some solution. Geese didn’t want their dear friend to leave behind.
One of the geese had an idea. He said, “I have a suggestion! What if the turtle holds a piece of stick in his mouth, and both of us fly slowly carrying each end of the stick in our beaks!?” The other goose and the turtle were very excited and agreed upon the solution. The only condition was the turtle could not speak while the geese would carry him. Turtle happily accepted to keep his mouth shut while travelling. But the geese were worried as they knew that the turtle was very talkative, and not to speak a single word was almost impossible for him. The turtle understanding his friends’ concern, promised not to open his mouth during the journey to the distant lake. And the day came when they had to start their journey, saying goodbye to their native pond. All the three were ready early in the morning. The geese were very much concerned, while the turtle was more excited.
Forewarning the turtle, one of the geese said, “Look my friend, we’re about to start for the distant lake and we will be passing over many places. Just keep in mind; you must not open your mouth in any case.” Understanding the instruction, the turtle nodded in agreement. Thus, the geese held the ends of the stick in their beaks, and the turtle grabbed middle part the stick with his teeth. They start flying. The geese went on flying higher and higher. Under them were passing some hills, valleys, plains and maidans. The turtle was amazed by seeing all this.
Astonished by the scenery, he was enjoying the cool wind. Now, as they just flew over a town; people of the town were taken by surprise as they had never seen any such view before. (What if we see a turtle flying with two geese? Of course, we’ll be shocked than surprised, right??) By seeing a turtle carried away by two geese like this, they started laughing and shouting at them. This cranky act by people annoyed the turtle a lot. He became very anxious by looking at the people who were making fun of them. Listening to the noise, angry turtle lost control of his mind and decided to explain the whole situation to the people.
As soon as he opened his mouth to speak, he lost the grip on the stick. And in no time he fell on the ground to his death. What a pity!! Everything happened so quickly that the geese could hardly understand the reason of their friend’s sudden death.
But we know that the turtle died of his foolishness and frustration.
The moral
Always listen to good advice and keep your mouth shut when it matters.
The End.
I found a few more moral stories for kids.
The Blue Jackal – A Panchatantra Story for Kids
It’s time for a wonderful Panchatantra story! Let’s read it.
Once, in a dense green forest, there lived a jackal named Chandarava. (The jackal used to make a high-pitched wailing sound, so चण्ड=very sharp or intense, रव=sound, was his name!) Chandarava was very lazy. Hunting for food was his least favorite thing to do, so he preferred wandering around looking for some leftovers.
One evening, Chandarava was very hungry. His stomach was making a weird grumbling sound- GUDGUD, GUDGUD! He roamed around for a while, yet could not find anything to eat in the forest. Gathering all his courage, he decided to sneak into a nearby village. But you know what happens when a wild jackal enters a village, right? BIIGGG TROUBLE!!
The village dogs spotted him… GRRR…. GRRR.. BHOW, WOW, BHOW, WOW!
A whole pack of mean street dogs started chasing after him. Terrified, Chandarava ran for his life with all the strength he had. He sprinted down narrow lanes, ducked under carts, and finally leaped over a wall into a laundry man’s house. In the middle of the courtyard of the house, a huge clay tub filled with indigo blue liquid dye was kept. Running frantically, Chandarava tumbled straight into the tub of blue dye!
‘SPLAASSSHHHH’!
The dogs barked outside for a while and eventually went away. Chandarava stepped out of the tub. He was shivering. But when he looked down at his paws, he was stunned! From head to tail, he was fully painted in bright, glowing cobalt blue! His original dull brown fur was completely covered in this weird blue hue.
When Chandarava walked back into the jungle, a strange thing happened. The wild animals, from the noble Lion, the fierce Tiger, the mighty Elephant, the timid Deer to the playful Rabbits; all stared at him in utter shock! They had never seen any such blue creature in their lives. Scared, they began running away!
Seeing them all in terror, wily Chandarava smiled. A cunning idea popped into his head!
Settling on a stump (You know that it’s the leftover bottom part of a tree stem after the tree is cut down, right?). So, sitting on the stump, raising his head boldly, Chandarava announced in a deep, booming voice, “Halt, animals of the forest! Do not fear! Lord Brahma himself has painted me blue and sent me from the heavens to be your King and protect you!”
The animals looked at his unique blue coat and believed every word this new creature said. Even the lion and tiger bowed before the Blue Jackal!
The whole jungle started treating Chandarava like a king! The Lion, the Tiger, the Bear, the Wolf and many other animals hunted fresh meat for him every single day, while he relished this free food relaxing on his royal rock throne! Now, to protect his secret, Chandarava sent away all the other jackals from the forest so that nobody would recognize him.
Everything was going perfectly well, until that one full moon night…
The moon was shining brightly in the night sky. Deep in the distant hills, a pack of wild jackals gathered and began to howl together,
“AWOOOOOOO! AWOOOOOOO!”
Chandarava was sitting on his high throne, surrounded by his animal subjects. Now, tell me one thing that no matter how regal a jackal pretends to be, can a jackal ever change his true nature? As soon as the sound of howls reached his ears, Chandarava could not resist the natural instinct.
He couldn’t control himself!
Overjoyed Chandarava looked up to the moon and at the top of his lungs howled,
“AWOOOOOOO! AWOOOOOOO!”
The animals felt fooled after knowing that Chandarava wasn’t any heavenly king, he was just an ordinary jackal!
“HE IS AN IMPOSTOR!” roared the angry Lion.
Within a moment, the angry animals chased the deceitful blue jackal out, caught him and beat him to death!
The moral
False appearances and fake titles cannot hide true character for long. No matter how much one pretends, a person’s true nature always reveals itself!
Read more short stories for kids at Swati’s Journal.
The Lion and the Clever Rabbit – A Panchatantra Story for Kids
It’s time for a wonderful Panchatantra story! Let’s read it.
Long, long ago, deep inside a thick jungle, there lived a huge, ferocious lion named Bhasuraka. He was the king of that jungle. With big sharp claws, a thick golden mane, and a roar so loud that every single animal in the forest would stop dead! He not only looked terrifying, but he was also very cruel and merciless. He enjoyed hunting and killing animals. Though he needed only one animal a day for his food, Bhasuraka used to kill many animals everyday.
Every single morning he would go out hunting. Deer, rabbits, buffaloes, goats, boars any of the animals he would chase it down and kill it. The animals were so scared that they avoided to step outside their burrows. Some thought about running away to another forest, but where would they go? This was their home.
One day, all the animals gathered. The elephant, the deer, the rabbits, the jackals, the monkeys everyone came. Together, they marched to Bhasuraka’s cave.
They bowed before the lion and said in the softest tone possible, “Your Majesty, we are your humble subjects. You kill many of us in a day. If this continues, there will be no food left for you. We request you to accept this new arrangement. What if we send you one animal every day, right to your cave? You will receive fresh meal at your door, without running, without chasing! We promise that we will send one animal to you everyday.”
Bhasuraka thought for a while. ‘A meal delivered every day? No effort at all?’ He liked this proposal.
“Fine!” he growled. “But if my meal is late even once…” he let out a thundering roar and declared “…I will eat every creature in this jungle.”
GRRRRRRRRRR!
The poor animals trembled, but they agreed. Every morning, one animal would walk to the lion’s den and it would never walk back. It was the new law of the jungle now. This arrangement worked. Bhasuraka was also happy because he got variety of tasty food everyday without making any efforts.
One day, it was the turn of a rabbit. Although the rabbit was tiny in size, he was very, very clever.
When the rabbit was told that it was his turn, he didn’t cry, he didn’t panic.
All the animals came to send him off with a heavy heart. “I will go,” the rabbit said calmly. “But I will go my way. I don’t want all of you to accompany me to the cave.”
He started towards the cave walking as slowly as possible. On his way, he stopped to sniff every flower. He sat under a tree and counted the clouds. On the trail to the cave, he spotted a well. The curious rabbit peeked over the edge of the well. He could see his own reflection in the water. Suddenly an idea struck him! He instantly made a plan to get rid of Bhasuraka forever.
And just as you’ve imagined, Bhasuraka was FURIOUS! He was so hungry that his stomach was playing the drums. GRUMBLE GRUMBLE GRUMBLE! He was pacing back and forth in his cave, roaring and smashing his paws on the ground.
Then, little rabbit appeared at the entrance of the cave. Bhasuraka looked down and what he saw? Just a tiny, trembling rabbit!?
“YOUUUUU!?” he roared. “.. all they have sent is YOU… you miserable rabbit! Also, you are so late. This is an INSULT! Today, after eating you, I will tear this entire jungle apart!”
The rabbit started acting scared. He shivered and spoke in a shaky little voice. “Y-Y-Your Majesty! Please forgive us. It’s neither my fault nor of the other animals! Knowing that I’m too small to satisfy your hunger, the animals sent four more rabbits with me. A total of five rabbits were sent to you this morning, FIVE! But on the way, a terrible thing happened. Another lion came out of another cave. He claimed that he is bigger and stronger than you. He said from now, only he gets to eat all the food. He grabbed four of my brothers and gobbled them up just like that! He only let me go to carry a message to you.”
“Another Lion??” “In MY jungle?” Bhasuraka’s eyes went wide.
“What message did he send?”
The rabbit lowered his head. “He said… tell your craven king that this jungle belongs to me now.”
On hearing this, Bhasuraka exploded with rage. His mane stood straight up, his claws dug into the ground, and his eyes turned blood-red!
“Where is this stupid lion? Show me! I will crush him right now!”, Bhasuraka roared fiercely.
“Your Majesty! I have seen him, he is very big and horrifying. I must warn you that his den is like a stronghold. Also he is a mighty lion so, to attack and kill him in his own place would be a difficult thing to do.” said the little rabbit.
Bhasuraka gave the rabbit a mean look.
The rabbit led the angry lion through the jungle towards that old, deep well.
Pointing his tiny paw at the well, the rabbit told Bhasuraka in a frightened voice, “There! He’s hiding in that fortress down there. Please be careful while you peer inside!”
Bhasuraka with an arrogant smile, stomped to the edge and peered down into the well. And there appeared a massive, fearsome lion staring right back at him! Big golden mane, sharp claws, angry blood-red eyes, glancing at him wrathfully!
(You already guessed it, didn’t you? It was his own reflection! But Bhasuraka? He had no idea!)
“HOW DARE YOU!” Bhasuraka roared into the well.
And what came back?
His own voice, echoing off the walls of the well; just as loud, just as angry! It sounded EXACTLY like another lion roaring back at him.
Bhasuraka believed that there was another lion in that well. He completely lost his mind. With a mighty leap, he jumped straight into the well!
SPLASHHHHH!
The water was deep. The walls were smooth and slippery. There was no way out. The cruel, terrible lion sank to the bottom, and that was the end of Bhasuraka.
Little rabbit hopped back to the jungle. All the animals were surprised to see him alive, eyes wide, hearts pounding.
“Bhasuraka is gone,” the tiny rabbit announced gladly. “Nobody needs to be afraid any more.”
At first, nobody believed him. A rabbit defeated a lion? But when they all rushed to the well and peeked inside, they saw the truth. The jungle erupted in cheers! They lifted the clever rabbit onto the old elephant’s back and paraded him through the entire forest!
From that day on, the elders in the jungle would say, “Don’t ever forget, the smallest rabbit defeated the mightiest lion, not with strength, but with brains!”
The End.
The moral
Size and strength are not everything. A calm mind and a clever plan can defeat even the mightiest bully. And those who are blinded by anger and pride, they always end up destroying themselves.
How about reading more Panchatantra stories for kids?
The Monkey and the Crocodile – A Panchatantra Story for Kids
It’s time for a wonderful Panchatantra story! Let’s read it.
Once upon a time, on the banks of a big, beautiful river, there was a huge Java plum tree. What’s this Java plum? You must be wondering, it’s our Jamun or Jambu, as we call it in India! This Jamun tree was laden with plump and juicy, deep purple fruits that looked like shiny jewels hanging from the branches.
With the other birds and small animals, the tree was also home to a monkey. His name was Raktamukha, (meaning Red-face - you know, Macaque is a type of monkey found in India; having a red face!) He spent his days cheerfully swinging through his happy home. Every morning, Raktamukha would leap from branch to branch, singing songs and eating tasty jamuns.
One sunny afternoon, a large crocodile named Karalamukha (meaning Ferocious face - after all he was a terrible looking, fearsome crocodile!) swam up to the riverbank and lay down under the shade of the Jamun tree. He looked exhausted and very hungry. Raktamukha saw him. Being very kind hearted, he called down, “O Crocodile! This is my home, and since you’ve crawled here, you’re my guest. You look very tired and hungry. I want to welcome you with the sweetest jamun fruits. Please eat them and get some rest!”
Raktamukha plucked a bunch of ripe jamuns and tossed them down into the river. The crocodile snapped them up. SQUISH, SQUISH!
“How delicious these fruits are!” Karalamukha thought. He thanked the monkey for the generous sweet treat. In the evening, he left for his home.
Now, Karalamukha started visiting Raktamukha everyday. They became best of friends! Every afternoon, Karalamukha would swim across the river to visit Raktamukha. They would chat for hours about the river, the forest, and the monkey would share the freshest fruits with his dear friend.
One day, Karalamukha told Raktamukha that he wanted to take some jamuns for his wife. Listening to his dear friend’s wish, Raktamukha happily plucked some more fruits for Karalamukha’s wife. The crocodile carried a mouthful of fruits home. When his wife tasted the sweet jamun fruits, she felt super happy. “O dear husband! Have you ever thought, if the monkey gets to eat these sweet fruits every day, how sweet and tender his heart must taste?” She demanded greedily, “I want to eat the monkey’s heart!”
Karalamukha was horrified! “He is my dearest friend!” he pleaded. “I can not betray him.”
But his wife kept demanding and she refused to eat anything until she got the monkey’s heart. Reluctantly, the crocodile had to hatch a plan for bringing Raktamukha’s heart to his wife.
The next day, Karalamukha swam back to the tree and said, “O my dear friend! My wife is so delighted by tasting the delicious jamuns you sent. Now she wants to thank you personally, and so she has prepared a grand feast for you today. You must come to our home across the river for dinner!”
Raktamukha always wondered about the crocodile’s home so, feeling thrilled by the offer he smiled and said, “I would love to, but you know I cannot swim!”
“Don’t worry,” replied the crocodile readily. “You just hop onto my back, and I will carry you safely across!”
Without doubting Karalamukha’s intentions, Raktamukha climbed down the tree and he gladly hopped onto the crocodile’s back. Karalamukha glided into the deep water.
SPLASH, SPLASH!
When they reached the middle of the river, where the water was deep and dark, Raktamukha was sitting tight, he never experienced so much water all around. Slowing down, Karalamukha observed that his friend was feeling nervous. Now the crocodile decided to reveal his evil plan. He told Raktamukha, “Don’t mind my friend, but after eating the sweet jamun fruits, my wife wants to taste your yummy heart! I definitely thought about our friendship first, but how could I refuse my dear wife’s demand? That is why I am taking you to her.”
Raktamukha’s heart missed a bit, but he did not panic! He took a deep breath and used his sharp presence of mind.
He let out a casual laugh, “Oh, my dear Karalamukha! Why didn’t you tell me earlier? Of course I would gladly give my heart to your wife! But we monkeys keep our hearts safely stored in the hollow of our tree during the day. I also have left my heart back on the Jamun tree!”
The foolish crocodile gasped, “Really? You left it behind?”
“Yes!” replied Raktamukha confidently. “Turn around and get me back to home immediately so, I can fetch my heart from the hollow of the tree, and then we can go to your house. We must not keep your wife waiting.”
Without giving it a second thought, the silly crocodile turned around and swam as fast as he could. They rushed back to the riverbank.
SWOOSH, SWOOSH!
Just as they reached the shallow water near the shore, Raktamukha leaped off the crocodile’s back, scrambling up the bank, he climbed up the Jamun tree as fast as lightning!
Clever monkey sitting safely in tree laughing at crocodile
Raktamukha safely perched on the highest branch. Karalamukha asked him in a sweet tone, “What’s taking so long? Just grab your heart from the hollow, so that we can leave. My wife must be waiting for us.”
Raktamukha looked down and laughed loudly. “Ha ha ha! You foolish crocodile! Can anyone ever separate the heart from his body and keep it on a tree? You deceived a friend who trusted you, but your own stupidity has tricked you! Just leave and never come back. We’re not friends anymore.”
Karalamukha really felt ashamed. Realizing he had lost both a true friend and the delicious fruits forever, he silently sagged back into the deep water.
SLOOSH, SLOOSH!
The End.
The moral
Presence of mind and quick thinking can save you from the greatest dangers. Never trust a traitor, for deceit and greed will always lead to foolish downfall!
Read more short stories for kids at Swati’s Journal.