Kids love stories with animals in them. Stories of dense forests, strange birds and animals, beautiful flowers and sparkling rivers never fail to ignite their imagination. Fortunately, Indian folklore is full of stories with animals and birds and every other creature of the forest. Here we list 5 such stories which children everywhere will absolutely love.
Note: Beware of the questions that will undoubtedly follow!
1. The Elephants and The Mice – This is the story about a deserted city, where generations of mice live together, and are one day trampled upon by a herd of elephants passing through the city. The mice request the queen elephant to take her herd back by some other way and spare them. The queen agrees. A good deed is always rewarded and the mice are soon able to repay the favor, when they are called upon to rescue the herd who has been caught by some hunters.
2. The Monkey and The Crocodile – Forever a favorite with kids and adults alike, the Monkey and The Crocodile is one of the most read and widely narrated story from the Panchatantra. Kids love the friendly monkey who saves his neck by the use of his wits at the right time.
3. The Foolish Lion and The Clever Rabbit – Another favorite with kids, the story of the clever rabbit who hoodwinks the ferocious but hungry lion into jumping into a well to his death, makes for an excellent narration, be it a bedtime read or a storytelling session.
4. The Musical Donkey – Who doesn’t like singers? Especially if it is an adorable, albeit stupid donkey who feels like singing (or braying) in the middle of the night, while stealing cucumbers from a farmer’s field. Only to get caught. One actually feels sad to see him beaten up.
5. The Blue Jackal – This is a Panchatantra story about a jackal who hides in a vat of blue dye to escape the wild dogs chasing him, only to emerge blue colored. He goes back to the forest and fools all animals into thinking that he is special.
Read the complete list of Panchatantra stories here.
Which stories do your kids love? Let us know in the comments below.
