Leif Eriksson was the son of Erik the Red and born in about 970 in Iceland and he died somewhere in 1020 (50 years) in Greenland. Said to have been the first person ever to have discovered North America when his ship was blown off course Leif Eriksson sighted land on the other side of […]
The hares were in panic. They called a meeting and wondered how to deal with the herd of elephants. Finally an old hare said, “You leave it to me. Let me think. I’ll find some way to solve our problem.” The hares were puzzled how the Old One was going to find a solution. But
Two swans and a talkative turtle lived in a lake. They were close friends. In the summer, when the lake began to dry up, the swans decided to move to another lake. But the turtle could not fly. So he asked the swans to find a strong wooden stick. He said, “You hold the stick
Long ago in a forest, there lived a herd of elephants. They had a lake where they would regularly drink and bathe. During one rainy season, however, there was very little rain. So, their lake became dry. The elephants needed a lot of water. Soon, they became desperate. So, they went to their king and
Long-Bill heard the King’s story but said, “I told them, Sir, that you will also become petty like a petty master if you serve him!” They asked the crane, “What do you mean?” “Haven’t you ever looked into trick mirrors? In them, a fat man will appear thin and a giant will look like a
Reinhold Messner was born on 17th September 1944 in Brixen, Italy and he still lives there today. An Italian mountaineer, adventurer, explorer and author Reinhold Messner is the first to climb all the 14 independent mountains on the Earth that are more than 8,000 metres high. He has climbed Mount Everest without bottled oxygen, crossed
A Spanish explorer and conquistador Hernando de Soto was born on 27th October 1495 in Spain and he died on 21st May 1542 (aged 47 years) in Ferriday, United States. Credited with discovering the Mississippi River Hernando also explored the parts of the nine states in the United States. In 1514, he assisted in the
A jackal lived in a cave deep in the forest. Every morning, he would go out looking for food and would return in the evening. One day, an old lion hid in the cave. He thought, ‘Some animal lives here and is sure to return. I will eat him up.’ In the evening, when the
Juan Ponce de Leon was born in 8 April 1460 in Santervas De Campos, Spain and he died in July 1521 (aged 61 years) in Havana, Cuba. Juan was a Spanish explorer and conquistador. Sailing to the New World Juan became the governor over a section of land which made him rich. In 1506, he
Zheng He was born in 1371 in the Yunnan Province, China, and he died in 1433 (aged 62 years). A great Chinese explorer and fleet commander Zheng He went on seven voyages to establish Chinese trade in new areas. Travelling all the way to Calicut, India, he made trading and diplomatic ties with about 25
A crow was flying in search of water on a hot summer afternoon. He couldn’t find a single drop. Thirsty and tired, the crow sat on the branch of a banyan tree. Suddenly, he saw a pitcher on the other side of the tree. Delighted, the crow flew to the pitcher and saw there was
Samuel de Champlain was born 13th August 1574 in Brouage, France, and he died on 25th December 1635 (aged 61 years) in Quebec, Canada. An explorer and cartographer who is considered the founder of the Canadian city of Quebec, Samuel helped colonize French North America. Sailing to Canada he became the first European to explore
Soon the washerman’s donkey began to look plump and healthy. He was not exhausted carrying his master’s loads on his rounds. The farmer to whom the corn fields belonged was not very happy. He would find his corn had been grazed every day. He began to keep watch at night, holding a stout cudgel. Soon
Sir Francis Drake was born in 1540-1544 in Tavistock, England, and he died on 27th January 1596 in Portobelo, Panama. An explorer and a privateer Francis Drake was the first Englishman and second European to sail around the world. On his first voyage to Africa he captured people and sold them as slaves. He became
A washerman named Vilasa lived in Hastinapura. He had a donkey who carried his heavy loads. But the washerman never had enough to feed him. So, the poor donkey became weak. One day, Vilasa found a tiger’s skin lying on a road while he was on his rounds. He picked it up and then, slowly,