Stories have been an essential teaching aid in traditional educational systems in India; from the days of the Ramayana and Mahabharata, when children were sent to live with their gurus (teachers) at the gurukul. Girls and boys alike were initiated into the gurukul before the age of eight and stories were used to teach everything, from sciences and mathematics to arts and civics. The Panchatantra stories by Pandit Vishnu Sharma is one of the earliest and most popular compilation of such stories that teach valuable life lessons. The tradition of teaching through storytelling declined with the coming of colonial rule in India. However storytelling has been a part of Indian culture for more than 3000 years, the oldest recorded stories being from the Vedic period between 1700-1100 B.C. It is no surprise, then that Indian folklore is rich with countless stories.
As kids, me and my cousins were treated to countless stories by our grandmother. Here are 5 such stories from Indian folklore that your 4-6 year olds will love to hear over and over again:
1. Stories from Lord Krishna’s childhood
The mischievous and cute Krishna is not only a favorite with grown-ups. Even kids adore him. Kids at this age are at their naughtiest best and stories of a 7 year old Krishna fighting demons, saving the town of Gokul, getting into trouble with the elders, appeal to them. Here are a few stories from Krishna’s life that you can read to your child.
2. The King and The Drum
This is a story about a vain king who carries a terrible secret – that his ears are shaped like donkey ears. The only person who knows this is his barber, who is ordered to keep silent about it. But vanity never remains hidden for long. The secret comes out in front of everyone and it is not disclosed by any person, but by …drums! In an age when a lot of importance is given to vanity (we all can’t live without Facebook, can we!), this story is a great way to tell your kids about the importance of working hard. Oh, and don’t forget to get a drum to enjoy the narration even more!
Buy Indian Children’s Favorite Folk Tales
3. Story of Bheema and Hanuman
The epic Mahabharata is full of stories that teach valuable lessons. However, none is as appealing as the story of Bheema and Hanuman. Once, during exile, Bheema ventures deep into the forest looking for a particularly fragrant flower that Draupadi asks for. On his way, he finds his path blocked by an old monkey. Angered at being delayed, and full of arrogance at his muscular prowess, he orders the monkey to move out of his way. The monkey slowly opens its eyes and says, “I am an old monkey, and cannot move. Why don’t you just push my tail away from your path and go on.” Angered even further, Bheema tries to move the tail, but is unable to do so, even after using all his might. He then realizes that this is no ordinary monkey and bows down. The monkey is indeed Hanuman, who reveals himself in his true form and advises Bheema to keep his arrogance under control, as the world cannot be moved by arrogance, but by kind words.
4. Lord Ganesha and the Moon
The elephant headed, pot-bellied Lord Ganesha is another favorite with all kids, as are his stories. One story from his life that all children love is that of his curse on moon. One day Ganesha is invited to a big feast in his honor. Due to his love for sweets he gorges on them. As he walks back, he notices that his belly has swollen due to all the sweets he has eaten. In order to hide his swollen belly, he wraps a snake around it and leaves by a dark path in the night, so that he can remain hidden. Unfortunately the moon sees him and bursts out laughing at his state. Angry, Ganesha curses him to always remain hidden from that day onwards. The moon realizes his mistake and apologizes. Ganesha also realizes that he should have controlled his anger. Unable to take back his curse, he says that from that day, the moon would grow thinner everyday and would disappear for only one day in a month. This story teaches an important lesson in controlling one’s anger.
Tell us which was your favorite childhood tale from Indian folklore in the comments below.
Buy the Complete collection of 110 Indian Folktales and Legends from Amazon(IN) and Amazon.com.
