The Greedy Woman and the Golden Swan

Once upon a time in a far away land lived a poor, old woman named Sushma.  Sushma lived with her husband and three daughters.  They lived in a hut near a small piece of land on which they grew crops.  The field provided little to feed herself and her three daughters.  They lived a meagre existence.

One year the expected rains had not arrived.  The crops had dried up.  They had no harvest and could earn no money.  Soon, they were struggling to get food.

One day, late in the evening, as Sushma was thus sitting and thinking over her sad fate, a beautiful swan came and perched itself on the window.  Sushma looked up and saw the bird.  She was surprised for she had never seen a bird like that before.  The bird was made of pure gold.

The swan looked down kindly at Sushma and said, “I am Pushpak.  I belong to a  huge colony of golden swans that live in the valley in the far-off mountains.  I happened to pass by your village.  I saw only one house with the light on at this hour.  I was curious and came here”.  Sushma was startled to hear a swan speak.  She was silent for a moment and then broke down in tears and narrated her sad tale.

The swan had an idea.  It turned to Sushma and said, “I know that you humans are fond of gold.  Why do you not take one of my feathers and sell them in the market.  You and your children will have enough money to eat and live well for many months. “.  So saying it plucked a feather with its beak and threw it down to Sushma.  Sushma was delighted at the kind gesture.  She gratefully thanked the swan.

The Swan flew away leaving Sushma and the golden feather.  Sushma went to bed that night a happy woman.  The next day, she showed the feather to her husband and children.  She told them of the swan.  She cautioned them not to tell of the feather to anyone.  The children were happy to see their new fortune.  The next day, Sushma and her husband went to the nearest town and met with a leading jeweller.  She showed the golden feather to him.

The jeweller agreed to buy the feather and gave her a large sum of money in return.  Overjoyed, Sushma collected the money.  Then they went to the marketplace and bought food and clothing for her and her children.  They had never had so much money in her life.

 They returned home to her children with the food and new clothes she had bought for them.  They were overjoyed.  With the new found wealth, Sushma built a new house in their land.  She could now live a life of luxury.  Sadly, soon she grew proud and greedy.  She wanted more money so that she could buy more land and build a bigger house.  Her children, too, grew haughty as they showed of their  new clothes and jewellery to their friends.

But where would she get her money from?  An evil thought occurred to her.  The next month, the golden swan again came to her window.  The swan was happy to see Sushma and her family happy.  Sushma thanked the swan.  She then asked the swan to come inside her home.  As the innocent swan came inside, Sushma quickly the window.  The swan was alarmed.  Seeing the frightened look of the swan, Sushma gave a wicked smile and said, “I am sorry.  I am going to take away all your feathers. “.  The poor swan was terrified.  Without her feathers, it would surely die.

The wily Sushma stood there with a wicked grin on her face.  Then suddenly, the swan saw an opportunity to escape.  It had seen a gap in the tile in the roof.  The gap between the tiles was small, but it managed to squeeze through it and was free at last.  The angry swan looked down at Sushma and cursed her saying that the gold she had sold would turn to stone.  But the gold was now with the jeweller.  When the jeweller saw the gold brought by Sushma turn to stone.  He was shocked and angry at having been cheated.  He promptly reported the matter to the king.

The king sent his soldiers to Sushma’s house.  The soldiers arrested Sushma and her husband and put them behind bars where they remained for many years.   He sent the children to the royal orphanage to be taken care of while their parents remained in prison.

Children, this story tells us the need to be modest whether we are poor or rich.  We should learn to be content in all situations. It also teaches us to be thankful to others who help us and to be satisfied with what we have got.

The Greedy Monkey

Once upon a time, there was a forest in the southern part of India.  The forest was thick and mountainous.  It was home to dozens of different animals and birds.  There were also many other monkeys in the forests.

The monkeys made their home in the branches of the many tall trees in the forests.  They ate the fruits which grew in the trees.  They spent most of their time in the trees.  They scarcely came down except when they had to drink.  They drank water from a small stream which wound its way through the forest.

The monkeys moved around in groups.  Changu was one of these monkeys.  He lived along with the others in the forest.    However, he was very greedy.  He would always keep looking for things to eat.  He never shared anything he found with his fellow monkeys.

While the other monkeys would stop eating when they had had enough, Changu would eat even after his stomach was full.  If he saw any young or weak monkey with a banana or any other fruit.  He would pounce on the helpless creature and snatch its food from its hands.  No other monkey dared to stop him.  Changu was big and hefty in build.

One day, a hunter came to the forest.  This hunter specialized in trapping monkeys.  He would sell those monkeys to zoos where they would be kept as exhibits for the people to see.  Sometimes, he sold monkeys to circuses as well.  At circuses, the poor monkeys would be trained to perform tricks and antics to please the spectators.

It was indeed a cruel sight.  To see these free creatures of the forest either imprisoned in zoos or made to perform tricks.    The hunter had come today to the forest to catch a few monkeys.  He hoped to catch some big ones.  Big monkeys were the ones the zoo owners preferred.  They were ready to pay a handsome price for them.

The hunter set up his trap.  It was an ingenious trap.  It was not a cage like other traps.  It was a small bottle which was chained to a tree.    It did not look like a trap at all from first appearances.
Changu had few friends in the forest.  Few animals wanted to keep company with such a selfish and ill-mannered creature.  Changu did not mind.  He wanted his way and he had it.

Meanwhile, the hunter had set up his ingenious trap.   It was evening, when Changu reached his tree with the fruits.  He carefully put the fruits he had collected that day in the hollow of the tree trunk.  The place was a closely guarded secret.  Changu looked around and he saw the new bottle.  The bottle was made of metal.  He went near to inspect the strange bottle.  The bottle was open.  It had a large neck.  Curious, Changu put his hand into the bottle.

The neck was narrow.  He could barely squeeze his hand inside.  As he felt his way inside, he felt small nuts inside.  He felt them over.  He was overjoyed.  They were indeed nuts.  And what more! They were cashew nuts.  He was delighted.  He had eaten cashew nuts a long time back.  They were rare in the forest.

 He tried to take them.  It was then that he discovered the problem.  His hand would not come out with the nuts.  The neck of the bottle was designed such that only an empty hand of the monkey could pass through.  He had managed to squeeze his palm inside when it was empty.  But his palm full of nuts was too big to come out.

He tried to tilt the bottle down.  He could not as the bottle was fixed to a tree trunk by a metal pipe.  He looked around.  There was no one.  He waited and thought.  How could he abandon the cashew nuts?  It was then that the saw a slight rustle among the nearby bushes.  A hunter ran towards him with a spear and a net in his hand.

Changu was alarmed.  He wanted to run but his hand was trapped.  He could have dropped the nuts inside the bottle and withdrawn his empty hand out.  But he did not have the heart to do so.  He was too greedy for that.

The hunter came closer and closer.  Changu still held on to his bottle and the nuts.  In no time, a net fell upon him.  He was trapped.  The hunter called out to his friends who were also in hiding.  They came and bundled Changu into a waiting vehicle.  He was thus led to a life of captivity.

Children, the moral of this story is that Greed leads to Destruction.  Changu could have taken out his hand from the bottle.  But he was not in a mood to let go of the nuts.     There are many people who go after easy riches and get entangled in various troubles.  We need to be happy and thankful for what we have.

The Fisherman and his Greedy Wife

Once upon a time, there lived a poor fisherman named Ravidas in the village of Matsyapur, a small village which was located near the seashore. 

Ravidas was a poor fisherman.  He did not have a boat of his own.  He worked in the boat of a rich fisherman who lived nearby.

Ravidas lived in the village with his wife.  The small income that he managed to earn from his job as a fisherman was just enough for both of them to live by.

Always cheerful and ready to help others, Ravidas was liked by his fellow fishermen.

Sadly, his wife, Anandi was very different.   She was always unhappy over over one thing or another.  She would constantly grumble about their poor condition and of not being rich.

One day, early in the morning, Ravidas was walking along the sea seashore. He was pondering over his poor condition when he saw a beautiful fish writhing in the sand.  The fish was unlike any fish he had seen in his years as a fisherman.

He went near to investigate the strange fish.  The fish was remarkably colourful with long beautiful fins.  The fish was almost near death.  The fish looked at Ravidas and with great difficulty said, “Help me! I am dying”. Ravidas was first startled by a talking fish.  But he recovered himself and listened.  The fish continued, “I am the king of a kingdom of fishes deep in the ocean.  I have been stranded in the seashore as the tide went back.  I will die soon.  Please help me”.

Ravidas quickly lifted the fish in his hand and carried it to the edge of the sea.  As he carried the fish towards the sea the fish smiled at him with gratitude and said, “Friend, I am eternally grateful to you.  If you ever need my help or if you have any request, just come to this seashore and call for me.  My name is Neel Raj.”

Ravidas gently let the fish down. As soon as his hand touched the water, the fish wriggled out of his palms and into the sea.

In the evening, he narrated this incident to his wife.  His wife was shrewd. She told Ravidas that the fish can help them come up in life.  “Go to the fish tomorrow morning and ask him for a big house for us”, she said.  Ravidas did as he was told.  He went to the seashore and called for the fish king.   Neel Raj appeared.  Ravidas told him what he wanted.  The Fish King used his magical powers.  And presto! There was a house.

Ravidas’ wife was happy.  She had a beautiful house now.  She was busy showing it off to her neighbours.  But soon she grew tired of the house in a few months.  She wanted something bigger.  She soon went back to her old grumbling.   “Go to your fish friend and ask him for a palace and a kingdom”, she told her husband.

Unable to bear her taunts, Ravidas went to the sea and told the King fish, Neel Raj about his wife’s desire.  The Fish King promptly fulfilled his request.
When Ravidas returned to his home, he found it missing.  It its place was a beautiful palace.   Anandi was happy.  But this happiness would last only for a short while

Anandi wanted more.  “How wonderful would it be if I could be the queen of the sea!  I would be able to have all the fishes under my dominion.  “We would not need to go out fishing any more”, she thought.

She asked Ravidas to approach the Fish King Neel Raj and ask him to make her the queen of the sea.  Ravidas was hesitant.  But he was too weak-minded to stand up to his wife’s demands.  He went to the sea as before and called out to Neel Raj.  The Fish King appeared as always.  Ravidas told him of his wife’s demand.
The Fish King Neel Raj looked at Ravidas with a mix of sadness and displeasure.  “Friend”, he said, “It seems you have a very greedy wife. Nothing I give will satisfy her.  What you need is the ability to earn by hard work.  I am taking back whatever I gave you.” Ravidas was shocked.  The fish continued, “Friend, I will however give you a new boat with which you can fish in the sea and earn your living.  Wealth without work can never satisfy.”  He looked at Ravidas.  Ravidas was ashamed of himself and of his wife.  Deep in his heart, he knew that whatever the fish said was true.
He returned to his village a wiser man.  The palace and his wealth were gone.  Instead, he found a new boat in front of his simple house.  His wife was sullen for a few days.    Ravidas worked hard and fished in his new boat.  Soon he came up in life with his hard earned money.  His wife, too, came to her senses and understood the significance of hard work.
Children, this story teaches us to be content and thankful for what we have.  Instead of grumbling about our difficulties, we should try to patiently overcome them with hard work and come up in life.

The Wise Elephant and the Greedy Monkey

Once upon a time there lived a wise elephant in a  forest.  The forest was huge and spread over many hundreds of acres with plants and animals of all kinds. 

The forest was a  paradise where all the animals lived in harmony under the benevolent rule of the Elephant. The animals of the forest loved and adored the elephant.  They looked upon the elephant as a father-figure.  The elephant, for his part, saw all the inhabitants of the forest as his own children.

One day a monkey entered the forest.   He had lived in another forest.  He found a home in one of the tree branches.  He was a cunning and a greedy creature.

The monkey  was jealous of the elephant and the respect he commanded.  He imagined himself as the ruler of the forest with all other animals paying homage to him.

The monkey went about the forest spreading rumours about the elephant.   He said that the elephant was greedy and only cared about himself.

The rumours spread through the forest.  They soon reached the Elephant’s ears.  The elephant was pained to hear them.  He had always considered himself to be a servant of the forest and its inhabitants.

He knew that his reputation was at stake.  It was only a matter of time before more people started to believe him.  He thought for a while and hit upon a wise plan.

A few days later, the elephant summoned all the inhabitants of the forest.  He asked all the animals to assemble in a open field in the middle of the jungle.

On the day of the meeting, the animals gathered together at the appointed place.  The shrewd monkey was also there.

The elephant began, ”Friends, I have been in this forest for many years.  I have tried to do my best to you.   I have been your friend and guide.   But now, there are rumours about my integrity and my character.  Some say that I am greedy and hungry for power.  I have all along acted as a servant of the forest and its dwellers.”  The other animals began to feel sorry for the elephant.  They knew that everything that the elephant said was true.

The elephant continued, “So, Friends!  Today I have decided to relinquish my authority over this forest to this monkey who desires my office.”  All eyes now turned on the monkey who was surprised by the sudden attention.

The elephant looked at the monkey.  “Friend”, he said, “I offer to step aside for you.  But before that I want you to specify what area you wish to rule over.  Our forest is huge and broad.  I suggest that you run around the forest over each area over which you want to govern.  Whatever area you cover during your run will be yours.” he said.  The monkey was pleased.   The other animals were also sad that their ruler for so many years was planning to step aside.  Some were angry at the insolence of the monkey.  But all agreed that the task was fair and were ready to give the monkey a chance.

The next day the animals assembled at the field at daybreak.  The monkey was there.  He planned to run all over the forest to stake his claim to rule.   The monkey began by running over the nearby river bank.  He then ran across the small hill which lay nearby and the marshes and the ravines and the thickets.

He was tired but would not rest.  He wanted to stake his claim to as large a territory as possible.  It was noon.  The monkey kept running. He could hardly breathe.  He did not pause even to eat or to turn back.

Dusk was turning into darkness and soon it was night.  The other animals  had been waiting the whole day for the monkey to return.  But there was no sign of the monkey.

The next day, the sun rose.  There was no sign of the monkey. Some time later, a pair of geese who were flying by told of a monkey who was lying motionless on the ground a few miles away.

The Elephant and the other animals quickly made their way to the location.  They found the monkey on the ground.  They lifted the monkey off the ground.  They were happy to find that it was still alive.  It had fainted out of exhaustion.

The elephant went to a nearby stream filled his trunk with water and sprayed it on the unconscious monkey.  The monkey slowly revived.  After he had drunk some water and had had some food, he realized where he was.

In his greed for more land, he had worked himself almost to the point of death.  He realized his folly.    He apologized to the elephant who was happy that the monkey had learnt his lesson.  The kind elephant hoisted him on his back and carried him back to his home.

Calm and tranquility returned to the forest and the monkey lived in peace with the other animals for many many years.

Children, this story teaches us not be greedy for power.  A leader is to serve the people.  A person who is greedy can never be a good leader.