Once, a baby was born in a family of Brahmins. This baby was very illustrious. The baby turned into a very educated man in time. One day, he renounced the world and became an ascetic. He performed heavy penances. The stories of his penances and dedication spread everywhere. God also heard about them. He wanted […]
An old man, who had been a warrior, had become a monk. He and his brave son, Conrad, came to live in a forest to protect the people of the countryside from all evils. One day, when Conrad went to cut wood, a huge white wolf leapt out at him. Unable to take out his
Once, a merchant and his wife were very religious. They had a son who never prayed or performed any religious duties. One day, his mother sent him to a temple to listen to a saint’s sermons. She hoped that listening to the sermons would change him. She also promised to give him money if he
A farmer went to his fields every day past a large stone-cross. He stopped there daily to offer a prayer before he went on his way. One morning, he saw a little black insect on the cross, scurrying up and down, looking very troubled. It seemed to be in some kind of agony. ‘It seems
There lived a hunter whose wife was a terrible shrew. She yelled and screamed, and talked non-stop, till he was driven out of the house to get some peace! When he went hunting, he took his two dogs also with him. One day, when he went out with his gun and his dogs, he could
Mirabella was the daughter of King of the Silver Isles who, unfortunately, died. Her mother married again and had a son, Gliglu, whom she wished to be the King. She disliked Mirabella, so she sent her into the forest, hoping the wolves would eat her up! Mirabella, not knowing her mother’s wickedness, missed her. She
Princess Altamira was very ugly, but her father, the King of Alcantara, and his flattering courtiers praised her so much that she believed she was beautiful. The King had invited Prince Alanbam to marry the Princess. To welcome him, the whole city was decorated, bands played martial music, crowds gathered in the streets. The court
A king had a very talkative minister. Once he started talking no one could say a word. The king was fed up of him and wanted to teach him a lesson. Now, there was a man who was a wonderful marksman. The king came to know about him. He went to the man and said,
In Tuy lived Juan Rivas, a clever and good student, but he was extremely poor. Often his friends helped him, so he continued studying, but there came a time when he ran out of all money for his studies and his food. He had to find a way to get enough money to pay back
Once upon a time, there were three brothers whose only possession was a pear tree. They took turns guarding it, two going out to work, while the third stayed home to guard the tree. One day, an Angel decided to meet the brothers and came to the house disguised as a beggar, pleading for a
Once, an antelope lived in a forest. It had a favourite tree whose fruits it used to eat every day. A hunter also used to hunt in that same area. One day, the hunter saw the antelope eating fruits from his favourite tree. After that, the hunter observed the antelope for a few more days.
A rich farmer had three sons, the eldest being very bossy and rude and the second one blindly following him. They bullied the youngest, Janko, who was a good-hearted, honest fellow. Their father had one eye that always wept. The two elder ones couldn’t find the secret of the weeping eye, but Janko learnt that
Once, a salesman sold pots and pans and trinkets. A girl wanted to buy a bracelet from him but she had no money. She asked her grandmother, “Can we give our dirty old plate in exchange for the bracelet?” The grandmother agreed. The salesman examined the plate and realised that it was of gold. But
Once, there was a man who had a beautiful wife. He loved his wife very much. But the wife was very cruel. She ill-treated her in-laws who were blind. One day, she said to her husband, “Leave your parents in the forest. I cannot take care of them.” At first, the man refused but due
Once, there was a sacred tree. A holy spirit resided in that tree. Many people came to pray to the spirit and offered precious gifts to it. One day, a poor man brought a loaf of bread to offer to the spirit. But he did not offer it as he felt the spirit would not