A tiger was sitting on the bank of a pool in a dense forest in the Deccan. He had bathed and was wearing a flower garland, looking very saintly. He kept calling out to passers-by offering them a gold bangle. Most people went by without heeding him, but one greedy traveller stopped. For a moment […]
It was the King of Pigeons flying along with his entourage. He was a beautiful bird with a speckled neck. They noticed the grains of rice on the ground below. The Pigeon King was a very wise bird. So when he saw that his flock wanted to eat the rice, he said, “Yes, we’ll have
Vishnu Sharma began with a story to teach the King’s sons how wise friends can find a way to overcome difficulties, even if they are not rich or powerful. Once upon a time, a shalmali tree stood on the banks of the Godavari river. Hundreds of birds roosted on that tree every night. A hunter
The King continued to think deeply, ‘Is everything based on fate only? Or can we make some effort to change ourselves and what happens to us?’ he wondered, ‘I think we must make efforts to achieve something we wish for.’ “After all, even a lion cannot get its food by simply waiting in its den!
Long, long ago on the banks of the holy river Ganga was the great city of Pataliputra, the capital of a powerful kingdom. It was ruled by King Sudarshana. One day, King Sudarshana was travelling through his kingdom and heard someone reciting a verse that stated that wisdom is the most important possession a person
In a forest, there lived a cruel lion who killed animals every day. One day, all the animals asked him to stop killing the other animals. The lion said, “One of you has to come every day to be my meal. The day no one comes, I will kill you all.” One day, it was
On a lonely night, a jackal was running for his life. He was being chased by some mongrels. Soon, the jackal reached the end of the village where a washerman lived. To save his life, he entered the washerman’s house and jumped into a vat of indigo. He hid there until the mongrels had left.
Zona del Silencio, also known as Mapimí Silent Zone, lies in northern Mexico. Legend says that in this area, electromagnetic transmissions cannot be received, radio doesn’t work, compasses do not point to magnetic north, and the flora and fauna have abnormal mutations. The myth started in July, 1970 when the US military fired an Athena
Zodiac Killer was directly linked to at least five murders in Northern California in 1968 and 1969. From 1969 to 1974, he made threats through letters to area newspapers and the police. A letter written to two newspapers declared, “I am the killer of the 2 teenagers last Christmas at Lake Herman.” A symbol consisting
Zhangye Danxia Landform Geological Park is situated in the province of Gansu in China. It was formed by the erosion of red sandstone, forming isolated peaks. Its special geological structure, combined with long-term desert conditions, and wind and water erosion gave its present appearance. Geologists believe that it was formed by the folding of layered
The Yonaguni Monument is an underwater mystery off the coast of the Ryukyu Islands, Japan, discovered in 1986 by Masaaki Kimura. The massive underwater rock formation is speculated to have existed for more than 10,000 years. Yonaguni is composed of sandstone and mudstone that dates back 20 million years. Kimura claims that the site was
The Yeti or Abominable Snowman is an ape-like creature who carries a large stone as a weapon and makes a whistling sound, taller than an average human, and is said to inhabit the Himalayan region of Nepal, Bhutan and Tibet. The scientific community has generally regarded the Yeti as a legend, given the lack of
Lower Pecos River, an archaeological region on the borders of Texas and Mexico, houses the most famous White Shaman Cave. It has a stunning pictograph dating back 4,000 years in the Pecos River style, and is the most impressive rock painting in the world. They are realistic presentations of human figures and animals, including canines,
White Rainbow, also known as a Fog Bow, is just like a regular rainbow. It occurs when sunlight shines through water droplets. But because fog droplets are smaller than rain droplets, a lot of colour is lost. When we stand with the sun behind us and look into a bank of fog, the sunlight is
Sitting on top of Temple Mount in the old city of Jerusalem is the Golden Mosque. Inside the shrine is a huge stone with a hole. Under the stone lies a cave called the ‘Well of Souls’. It is believed that the souls of the dead wait for judgement day beneath this cave. You can