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Contents:
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Page No.:
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Preface:
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The Monkey and the Crocodile
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7
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A Monkey lived on a rose-apple tree by the side of a river. The
rose-apple tree had plenty of fruits all the year round. There is nothing a
monkey likes better than rose-apples.
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The Big Lion and the little Rabbit
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14
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Once there lived a huge lion in a vast jungle. All the other
animals were afraid of him, because every day he hunted and killed them in
large numbers.
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The Stork and the Crab
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20
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Once upon a time there lived a stork by the side of a tank.
There were plenty of fish in the tank and the stork had enough to eat. Years
passed. The stork grew old and weak.
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The Crows and the Black Snake
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25
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Father Crow and Mother Crow had their nest in a huge banyan
Tree. They had been living there for a number of years and had many children.
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The Musical Donkey
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33
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Once a washer man had a donkey. The donkey was old and lean.
During the day the donkey had to carry heavy loads of clothes; at night he
was free to go about.
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The Tortoise and the Geese
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36
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Once there was a tortoise in a large tank. He had two geese as
friends. The geese used to come to the tank and the three of them spent much
of their time together.
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The Ass has no Brains
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40
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The Lion, the King of the Forest, had grown old. He could no
longer run fast. He could not hunt. Often he had to go without food. As time
passed, He grew weaker and weaker.
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The Girl who married a Snake
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47
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In a little village far, far away, there lived a Brahmin and his
wife. They were sad because they had no children. Daily they prayed and
offered sacrifices to God so that they might be blessed with a child.
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The Mice that ate Iron
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53
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Once there was a rich merchant called Naduk. As time went by,
his business became so bad that he not only lost money but got into debt.
Naduk was unhappy.
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Union Is Strength
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58
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Once a flock of
doves flew far away from their home in search of food. Though they flew for
miles and miles, they could not find anything to eat. Tired and hungry, they
were flying over a forest.
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The Brahmin's Dream
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62
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Long, Long ago there lived a poor Brahmin, who had to beg for a
living. Sometimes, he had to go without food for many days. Often he had
barely a handful to eat.
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The Lion-Makers
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68
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Long, Long ago, there lived four friends. They were fond of each
other and spent much of their time together. Three of them were very learned.
They knew so much that they thought there was nothing more to learn.
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The Jackal who killed no Elephants
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72
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Once upon a time, a lion and a lioness lived together in a
forest. One day, two little cubs were born to them. The lion and the lioness
were both very happy.
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Mouse-Maid made Mouse
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77
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On the banks of the Ganga, there lived a large number of holy
men. Their leader was a man of great learning. He also had magical powers and
could do wonderful things.
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The Loyal Mongoose
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82
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Once there was a farmer who lived with his wife at the far end
of a village. They had a little son and they loved him very much. One evening
when the farmer returned home from work, he brought with him a tiny little
mongoose.
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The Ungrateful Man
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85
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Long, Long ago there was a poor Brahmin. He could not find
enough work to do. Sometimes he and his family had to go without food. At
last the Brahmin decided to leave his village in search of work.
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The Cat's Judgement
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95
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A partridge lived in her nest beneath a large peepul tree. She
had been living there for many years. She was kind and friendly to all the
little animals and birds.
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The Four Friends
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100
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By a lake, in a forest, there once lived four friends. One of
them was a small brown Mouse. He had big black eyes and a long tail. He lived
in a snug hole near the edge of the water.
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The Blue Jackal
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107
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Once a jackal was roaming about in search of food. It was an
unlucky day for him. He could not get anything to eat. Tired and hungry, he
walked on and on until he strayed into a city.
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The Brahmin and the Goat
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111
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One day, a Brahmin received a goat as a gift. Carrying it on his
shoulders, he set out for home. Three rogues saw the Brahmin carrying the
goat. They were hungry.
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The Wise old Bird
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115
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Deep in a forest stood a very tall tree. Its leafy branches
spread out like strong arms. This tree
was the home of a flock of wild geese. They felt safe there.
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The Thief's Sacrifice
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119
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Long ago there were three young men. They were close friends.
One of them was a prince, the youngest son of a king. Another was the son of
the King's minister. And the third was the son of a rich merchant.
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The Guest
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126
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Once there was a bug. She had many sons and daughters, and they
had son and daughters of their own. They lived together in the corner of a
huge and beautiful bed. It was the King's Bed.
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The Lake of the Moon
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130
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A large herd of Elephants lived in a jungle. Their king was a
huge, majestic tusker. He looked after them with love and care.
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The King's Choice
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137
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There was a lion who was king of the forest. He was big and
handsome, fierce and strong. All the other animals brought him gifts from
every corner of the forest. The more he got, the more he wanted.
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Three Fish
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145
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There lived three big fish in a lake. They were close friends,
but quite unlike one another. One of them was wise. Whatever he did was after
careful thought.
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The Cave That Talked
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148
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A hungry lion roamed the forest in search of food. He could not
find any animal to kill. The more he wandered, the hungrier he became.
Finally, he saw the mouth of a big cave.
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The Elephants and the Mice
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151
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There was a large and beautiful city beside a lake. It had many
temples and fine houses. The people who lived there were happy and
prosperous. With the pasasge of time, the city lay in ruins.
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