Bond of Unity

Once upon a time there lived a merchant
He had five sons who were his descendants. They asked their father for their own share Co's congestion of space they couldn't bare. The wise father laid a bet So that in future they don't regret
He asked his sons each stick to get.Which he would use for his bet. The father told his son, "Break these."
And they broke each one with perfect ease.The father gathered the sticks from each And tied a bundle to make them teach

The bundle of five was so strong. No one was able to break that bond
They tried and tried and tried again.It wasn't possible, it was a pain.This is a moral we must recall. United we stand divided we fall.

The Foolish Scholars

Hinduism is the main religion of India, although many Indians belong to other faiths, such as Buddhism. Hindus believe in the caste system and are divided into four main groups. The caste system began as a division of labor, so that everyone did the work assigned to them. But soon people began marrying and living within their own castes and the system became a rigid way of life in India. Hindus belong to the caste in which they are born. Brahmins are the highest caste; they are entrusted with reading the holy books, performing religious rites, praying and teaching. The Brahmins are considered intelligent and full of wisdom and are respected next to gods. Hindus all over the world consider it their duty to support them financially by making donations. They strongly believe that the donations please the gods and that this ensures a better place in their next life.

Once there were four Brahmin friends. Three of them were scholars of scripture, while the fourth was illiterate. He was considered wise since he was the son of a Brahmin. One day the four decided to travel around the world to become rich.

They set out on their journey. They managed to earn a lot of money. One day, not long after they had set out, one of them was absent. The eldest scholar said to the other two, "Thank God he is not with us today. Now I have the opportunity to speak. We three are the great scholars, while he is illiterate. We have knowledge through education, while he does not. We can read the holy books and perform religious ceremonies, and he can only help since he can not read. Why, then, should we share our earnings with him?"

"I agree," said the second scholar. "Let us send him away."

But the third scholar was not happy with the suggestion. "No we can't do that. We have grown up together. It is not fair to abandon him now.

Eventually the three forgot their differences and remained friends with the fourth Brahmin. Soon the four were on the road again to continue with their long journey. "We must stop all this wandering about in search of wealth," though the fourth Brahmin. "We need to find jobs, and settle down."

Soon they came to a dense green forest, filled with birds and the sound of other animals. The forest was known to be home to tigers, lions and cobras.

"I don't want to go through the forest," said the first scholar. "The whole place is infested with snakes and birds."

"Well," said the fourth, "we have no choice. I am sure the animals will be too busy to notice us at this time of the day. Just the same, we should move very fast and very quietly."

They were halfway through the forest when they came upon a pile of bones beneath a large tree.

"Hey, look at that," cried the first scholar, considered to be the most intelligent of them all. "Let's use our knowledge and put these bones back together, to bring this animal back to life."

"Oh no, don't do that. You don't know what it is," said the fourth Brahmin.

"Why don't you keep quiet and let us do the thinking?" said the third scholar to the fourth. "You are the always afraid of something, because you are not learned as we are. You had better sit back quietly and let us do the right thing."

"All right," said the fourth Brahmin. "If you are so determined to bring life into these bones, let me first climb up a tree. I do not wish to stand by and watch a ferocious animal taking shape before my eyes." And, he quickly climbed up a nearby tree while the others stood and laughed at him.

"You are stupid and ignorant," jeered the first scholar after him.

But the fourth Brahmin ignored them. He sat on a branch and watched in silence as the first scholar collected the bones and arranged them into a skeleton. The second one added the skin, blood and flesh into the skeleton with his mystical powers. The third was about to put life into the body when the fourth called from the tree, "Watch out. It's the body of a lion. He will kill us all if you bring him to life."

But the others only laughed at him. "You just sit there and watch the magic of our skill and knowledge. It is a great thing to bring a dead creature to life," laughed the first scholar. "Only the learned can do so. You cannot understand the joy of mastering this skill."

The three then proudly carried on with their work. But as soon as the third scholar brought the lion to life, it sprang upon the three and killed them all. After making a great feast of his foolish creators, the created walked away for a deep slumber beneath the shade of a tree.

The fourth Brahmin watched it all, and when the lion went away, he cautiously climbed down the tree and ran home. He told everyone what had happened and added, "It is not knowledge but wisdom that is great. Alas, my learned friends did not understand this, in spite of being so well educated."

The Heron and the Crab

A heron once lived beside a big pond in a forest in South India. He enjoyed eating fish and other creatures from the pond for many years, until he became old and feeble. When he could no longer fish for himself, he had to think of a plan to get his daily food.

One fine day he stood in the middle of the pond, meditating on one leg, and let all the fish and frogs pass by unhurt. All the creatures of the pond were surprised at this.

A crab came to him and said, "Uncle, why are you so inactive these days? You have not caught even a single fish or frog."

"My child, times have changed," replied the heron sadly. "We are soon going to face very hard times. The creatures of the pond are going to die. I am told."

"How?" the crab asked in surprise.

"The pond has been sold off," explained the heron. "Soon it will be filled in and turned into a farm, which means that the creatures living here are going to die."

"Oh no," exclaimed the crab. "This is very serious. I must warn all the creatures immediately."

"That will be an act of mercy," said the heron. "God will bless you for your great deed of kindness." He watched with amusement while the crab rushed about, informing the other creatures of the pond's near end.

The fish were the first to be frightened. They rushed to the heron and said, "We've learnt about your concern for us. Please save us from this situation."

The heron looked at them thoughtfully and then said calmly, "I am just a bird but I think I know how to help you out of this plight. There is a big pond not far from here which, I am sure, is not sold, nor it is going to be sold, because of the poor quality of land around it. If you are willing and will cooperate, I can safely carry you there."

The fish surrounded the heron and pleaded, "Please take me first, I trust you, take me first, I am ready."

"I am not young or strong enough to carry all of you at a time," replied the heron. "I can only carry one at a time, holding you in my beak."

The fish were happy at that. They were very frightened and all that was important to them was to be transported to the other pond.

Over the next few days the heron carried them one at a time. But instead of taking the fish to the pond, he flew to a big rock and ate them with great relish.

The crab was observing all this wish suspicion. One day he came to the heron and said, "Uncle, please take me this time. I want to be saved too. You have been only taking the fish. This time, give me a chance."

"Of course, I will take you," replied the heron with pleasure, thinking that he would have the opportunity to try flesh of a different taste. He picked up the crab in his beak and began to fly.

From a distance the crab saw a pile of bones on the rock and instantly understood that they were the bones of all the fish who had left the pond in recent days. "Uncle heron, how far is the new pond from here?" he asked, summoning his courage.

The heron replied, "Which pond? This of your god and get ready to meet your death."

But the crab was smart. Very tightly, he grabbed the heron's neck in his claws, digging into his flesh. The heron had to open his beak and let the crab free. The crab was able to dig further into the heron's neck, who tried in vain to escape. Finally, the heron fell to the ground, choked to death.

The crab dragged the dead heron back to the pond and told the other creatures how the heron had betrayed their trust.

All the creatures of the pond thanked him for saving their lives and said that they had learned a lesson.

"Yes", said the crab. "A sweet tongue can be deceitful and one should beware of it."

The Lion, the Fox and the Ass

A lion once lived in the jungle near the city of Dehra Dun, in the north of India. He lived with his devoted servant, a fox. The lion would hunt for himself and, after he had eaten the best part of his prey, he would give the fox the leftovers. The two lived happily together in peace for many years until they both grew old and feeble. One day the lion was wounded in a fight with an elephant. He found it hard to move and hunt for his food.

"My dear fox, we are both going to starve to death this way," he said to the fox one evening. "I cannot go out to hunt any more. It is time for you to bring me an animal to kill here."

The next morning the fox set out in search of the prey. Soon he saw an ass grazing outside the city of Dehra Dun.

"Hello," said the fox to the ass. "You look very sad. What is the matter?"

"Oh, I am sick of my life as a beast of burden," replied the ass. "I carry the clothes of my master, a washerman, every day yet he is never grateful. Instead, he beats me with his stick and speaks to me rudely. I have no one to talk to because I am never free to find myself a friend. I am so tired of this life."

"That is very sad," said the fox. "It's not fair that your master should be so mean. You can not be a slave to this man for the rest of your life. Come with me, and find happiness in the jungle. Everyone is free and peaceful there. You will get plenty of food, good shelter and , if you desire, a bride."

The ass looked at the fox with interest, "A bride too?" he exclaimed, with a sparkle in his eyes.

"Yes, a bride too," said the fox. "I know a female ass that would make a good bride for you. She is also lonely and looking for a husband. She wants to marry and raise a family. This is no life for you," he added.

"I think you are right," the ass said thoughtfully. "I will come with you and teach my master a lesson. I have a right to a better life."

He went to the jungle with the fox and soon they came to the lion's den. Before he knew what was happening, the old lion jumped from the den onto the ass, but with his injury and old age missed his aim. This frightened the ass, and he ran away from the den as fast as he could.

"What an impatient creature," cried the fox in anger. "The prey escaped because of your foolishness. Could you not have waited for a while, and then pounced at him?"

"Well," replied the lion, "it was not fault. You did not bring him close enough to me. I was scared I would miss him, so I jumped at him in a hurry."

The fox shook his head in despair and said, "Okay, I'll bring him once again. This time, be ready to pounce on him properly and kill him, before he has time to escape."

The fox ran after the ass, who was heading back towards the city. "Hey, wait for me," he called out. "What happened? Why did you run?"

The ass stopped and looked back at the fox. "Who was that with those bright eyes?" he asked. "Why did he jump at me like that?"

Realizing the ass had not known the lion, the clever fox replied, "My dear ass, that was the bride. She has been doing a lot of fasting and prayers to find a good husband. All the fasting has made her very thin. Nothing except her bright eyes can be seen. She was so happy to see after many years spent longing for a husband that in her eagerness she jumped at you, and you ran away."

"Oh, I am so sorry," said the ass. "I shall return and see her again." He wanted so much to be married and have a companion for life.

They returned to the den. This time the lion was careful and said in a soft voice, "Come closer, my dear. I love you."

The ass blushed and went further into the dark den, thinking his bride waited in the shadows. The lion raised his claw and, instead of the ass receiving the garland he expected, he was given a blow which killed him instantly.

The fox was happy this time. His master had killed the prey, and they were going to enjoy a good meal after so many days of hunger. He had an idea and said to the lion, "Master, you are tired. You should go and refresh yourself with a good bath at the river before eating the meal."

"That's true," said the lion. "I feel hot and exhausted already. You keep a watch over the body until I return." With that, the lion left the den and went down to the river to swim.

The fox was hungry. He looked at the dead ass, and thought, "I have earned this game by my intelligence. The lion is going to take the major share of the meal for himself, as usual. It is not fair. Well, this time I will not let it happen. I am going to finish my meal before he gets back."

So the fox set upon the ears and the brain of the ass and ate it with relish. When the lion returned, he looked at the dead ass and inquired angrily, "What has happened to the ears and the brain? Who has eaten it? I asked you to keep a watch while I went for a bath."

"My dear Master," replied the fox, "the ass had neither ears nor a brain. If he had any, do you think he would have come here again the second time?"

"Of course he would not have, you are very correct," agreed the lion. "I shall feed myself first, and then you can take the leftovers. You worked very hard this time. You deserve to eat also."

The fox sat down in one corner and chuckled to himself while the lion at what was left of the ass. He had deceived the mighty lion with his intelligence and ingenuity.

The Singing Donkey

Donkeys are used as beasts of burden by washer men in India. Although in recent years many rich Indians families have installed washing machines in their homes, the washing of clothes by washer men has been an Indian tradition for centuries. They belong to a caste of their own as it is a family trade, handed down from father to son for generations. Most washer men own donkeys which help them carry the dirty clothes to the nearby river or lake for washing. Each morning, the clothes are washed and hung to dry at the bank of the river, while the donkeys are kept tied to nearby trees. Later in the evening, the dry clothes are bundled on the backs of the donkeys and carried to the washer man's house for ironing, and then delivery. The donkeys are set free in the evenings once the washed clothes have been returned. They are allowed to roam free during the night, until work begins again the next.

There was once a donkey who became the friends with a fox during his night-time wandering. Since the donkey was older in age, the fox addressed him as Chachaji, which means uncle or father's brother, out of respect. The donkey called the fox Bhatija, or nephew.

One night the donkey and fox found their way into a cucumber farm. They ate the fresh cucumbers to their hearts' content. For the next few weeks they were at the farm every night enjoying the cucumbers.

"Oh, these are so delicious, I cannot stop eating them, Chachaji," said the fox one night.

They are luscious, dear Bhatija, but look at the sky and the bright full moon," replied the donkey. "It is so romantic. The night is so pleasant with the cool breeze. I feel like singing."

"Chachaji, please don't do that," begged the fox. "We will be in great trouble if the guards hear your singing. It is best to be quiet and enjoy the cucumbers."

"My dear, I cannot help singing in these beautiful surroundings," sad the donkey, clearing his throat for a song.

"Chachaji, you know you do not have a melodious voice. Your singing will only make the guards angry," said the fox.

"What do you know about music and rhythm? You do not appreciate the beauty of music," replied the donkey with hurt in his voice.

Now Chachaji, please stop it. Your singing will please no one but yourself. It will only make the watchman rush out and give you the kind of reward which you will remember the rest of your life."

"You think I cannot sing?" said the donkey proudly. "I know I can sing very beautifully. Sit down and listen to me quietly, my dear Bhatija."

It was obvious that the donkey was not going to take the fox's advice and that soon they would be in trouble with the watchman.

The fox decided to save himself. "Chachaji," he said, "wait a little. Let me go out and keep watch over the guards. You can sing to your heart's content once I have gone."

The fox hurriedly left the farm before the donkey could begin his loud, harsh singing. The watchmen were already on the lookout for the animal who had been taking the cucumbers at nigh and, as soon as they heard the singing of the donkey, they rushed out towards him with their heavy sticks. They beat the donkey until he fell unconscious to the ground. They then tied a stone to his neck before leaving him to die.

Fortunately, the donkey recovered, and somehow dragged himself out of the farm to where the fox was waiting for him.

"So in spite of my warnings you did sing, Chachaji," said the fox, laughing. "And is this the reward the guards have given you? Well, accept my congratulations."

"Bhatija, do not taunt me," moaned the donkey in a gruff voice. "I am already depressed. I was a fool not to have listened to good advice given by a friend. I have suffered heavily as a result. Please leave me to lament over my foolishness."

In the morning when the washer man found the donkey, he swore at his own fate. "What good is a wounded donkey to me? I have to work and provide for my family, I cannot waste time on a foolish donkey who gets himself injured overnight." The washer man hurried off, carrying the bundle of dirty clothes on his head and leaving the donkey behind.

The Wise Rabbit

There once lived a lion in the thick jungle at the foothills of the Himalayan Mountains. He was ferocious and cruel. He hunted and killed more creatures than he required for his meals.

One day the animals of the jungle got together and decided that they would have to speak to the lion, otherwise, with the way he was killing, there would be no creatures left in the jungle. So they went to where the lion lived to convince him to change his ways.

"Your majesty," said the monkey, "We have noticed that you hunt many more animals that you can eat. There will soon be no animals left in your kingdom. You will be a king without any subjects. We suggest that you do not go hunting any more. Instead, allow us to send you an animal each day for your food. You will get your food, and no more lives shall be lost unnecessarily."

"All right," replied the lion in a gruff voice. "But I warn you that if one day I do not receive my food, I'll kill everyone of you."

All the animals bowed their heads in respect to the lion and agreed to his warning. From that day on, an animal was sent to the lion for his daily meal without fail. For a while everything went very well. Then one day it was the turn of an old and intelligent rabbit. He set out to the lion's den with four of his nephews. He was telling them about his youth, when he was able to run swiftly to defend himself from the ferocious animals of the jungle. The old rabbit did not want to die.

"I don't want to give myself to the cruel old lion," he said. "I am sure I can save myself, even now when I am old. I don't need to run at this age, but need to use my intelligence."

Suddenly he saw an old well and thought of an idea. "My dear nephews," said the rabbit, "you must wait for me near this old well. Stay quiet when the lion turns up. I will be with him. I am sure I can save myself - and the other animals too."

When the rabbit arrived at the lion's den, the lion was furious at him turning up so late.

"Why are you so late? It is past my meal time," the lion roared in anger.

The old rabbit bowed his head low to show respect to the lion. "Sorry your majesty," the rabbit said quietly, "but it is not my fault. It is not even the fault of the other animals. They had packed me off with four other rabbits because they said I was too tiny for your voracious appetite."

"Then where are the other rabbits?" should the hungry lion.

"On the way we met another lion who stopped us and said that he was the king of the jungle," said the rabbit shaking in fear. "We told him about you, and that you were very big and strong, and that is why no one but you could only be the king of the jungle."

"And then what happened?" asked the lion, feeling proud and mighty.

"He asked me to leave my nephews with him and to bring you to him," replied the rabbit. "He said that he would fight a duel with you, and the one who wins will be considered the king of the jungle."

This made the lion angrier. "How dare he! I am the only king of this jungle. Come, show me this arrogant lion. I shall crush him to death in no time and teach him a lesson for life."

The rabbit bowed his head again and said, "Quite right, sir. He should be punished. Let us hurry before he kills the other four rabbits, and takes your food away from you."

The rabbit took the lion to the old well and said, "The other lion lives in a castle inside the well. Be careful of him. The hidden enemy is more dangerous. Fight him and kill him on the spot, and then you can enjoy your meal in peace."

"Where is the lion?" roared the lion as he climbed the edge of the well and peered inside.

"There he is, sir," said the rabbit pointing to the lion's reflection in the water. "He is showing his temper. Look sir. How dare he try to show is temper. We know that you are the most powerful king of this jungle. How dare he try to equal you!"

The lion saw his reflection in the water and roared in anger. The thought that the other lion was doing the same, and in his anger he jumped inside the well, desperate to kill his enemy.

The lion fell with a great splash into the water. His head hit the rocks at the bottom of the well and he died. The rabbit was fully of joy because his trick had worked. His nephews came out of hiding and they celebrated the death of the lion. They ran to the other animals and informed them of the death of the hunter. Everyone was full of praise for the old rabbit.

"Intelligence is surely far superior to physical strength," the wise old monkey said to the rabbit that afternoon as they peacefully rested by the mango tree.

The Talkative Tortoise

Once a tortoise lived near a pond in a forest. One day he met a pair of geese who had come to drink water from the pond. "Hello", said the tortoise. "It is a beautiful day. Too good to sit inside the house. Where do you live?"

"Not far from here" replied Shanti, one of the geese. "We often come to drink water, but we have never seen you before."

"I usually stay indoors," replied the tortoise.

He and the geese became friends and started meeting every day. The tortoise would come out of the pond and the three would spend a long time wandering around the forest happily talking and gossiping.

Not long after, there was a famine and the trees in the forest died as the rivers and ponds dried up. Many birds and animals died because there was no water available. Those that lived in the forest started looking for somewhere else to live. Even the geese decided to leave for a better place.

Before leaving, they came to the tortoise and said, "We have decided to go away from this dry forest before we also die. We have come to say goodbye to you and wish you all the best."

"So you are leaving me to face my death?" cried the tortoise. "What kind of friends of you? I am so frightened living here alone and facing this deadly environment. Take me with you," he pleaded.

"How can we take you with us?" Shanti replied. "You cannot fly. We do not wish to leave you here to face death, but we don't know how to take you with us."

"I know I can't fly," the tortoise said with tears in his eyes. "But you can help me. I can tell you how, if you are willing to take me along."

"How?" the geese asked. "We will take you if we can."

"All right then," said the tortoise with a sign of relief. "Get a strong stick and hold it on either side with your beaks. I can hold onto the middle, with my mouth. Then you can fly carrying me along."

Shanti and her partner immediately accepted the proposal and set out to find a suitable pond for the tortoise's new home. Once they found one, they returned to the tortoise with a large stick.

"Now that is a good strong stick," said the tortoise. "Let us start our journey. This place is becoming a bit too dry."

"All right, let us start our journey," replied Shanti. "But first, remember that you must not speak at all. If you open your mouth, you will fall. So remember to stay quiet throughout the journey."

"I am not a fool," replied the tortoise. "I know what could happen."

"Well then, let us go," Shanti said. "I want to take you with us to our beautiful pond where we know you are going to be happy, and we can live the way did in the forest. We don't want to lose you."

They began their journey towards their new home. The tortoise was taken up with the sights he saw along the way, and very often he felt like saying something about them. But he remembered Shanti's advice.

Soon they were flying over a large city, where there were a lot of people. Suddenly they saw a crowd clapping hands and pointing to them, saying, "Look, look there! The geese are carrying away a foolish tortoise."

The tortoise became very angry. He could not bear it any more and opened his mouth to tell the crowd off. He fell right into the middle of the crowd and died.

"What a foolish tortoise," laughed one of the crowd. "Did he think he could fly by himself?" The others joined him in making fun of the tortoise's stupidity, while the geese cried for their loss. They were sad and their hearts were filled with pain. "Our poor friend," cried Shanti. "He did not understand that real happiness comes from keeping quiet."