Two Friends

It was the first day of the year.  The students were excited to be in the new class. Manoj was one of the students in the class.  He, like all others, had been promoted to the 9th grade.  He was a very intelligent and hardworking student. In the class, he used to sit in the first row and was attentive in all his classes.  His friend Ramesh, though intelligent, was playful and mischievous in class.  He was an average student.

Soon, the class teacher entered the class and the students stood up to greet her.  She was a young lady who looked kindly at the students.  After the introduction was over, the teacher started with the lessons right away.  The first class of the day was Maths.  Maths was Manoj’s favourite subject. Manoj would solve the problems faster than anyone else.  He knew almost all the formulae and knew when to apply them.  The teacher was happy to see such an intelligent boy in class.  She praised Manoj in front of everybody.

Ramesh, however, did not concentrate in class.  He spent most of his time daydreaming.  He formed a group of friends who were like him.  He would play with those friends in the evening when Manoj would be studying.  Soon, his studies were affected.  The teacher noticed that Ramesh was not performing well and pointed it out to him.  But, Ramesh did not listen. 

Soon, the term exams came.  Manoj stood first in almost all the subjects.  The teachers were proud of him.  Ramesh did not perform well.  He failed in many subjects.  The class teacher, who had earlier warned Ramesh was angry at him.  The teacher scolded him in front of the whole class.  Ramesh was sullen and depressed for over a week. 

Manoj tried to help his friend.  He talked to Ramesh.  He offered to sit with him and help him in the difficult topics.  But Ramesh was not interested.  He went back to his playful ways and loitered about with his friends.

His performance fell even worse in the next exam.  Gradually, Ramesh began to feel jealous of Manoj.  He hated to see all the teachers praise him.  All the boys in class looked up to him as a leader.  He felt left out of the class.  Soon, the friendship between Manoj and Ramesh grew cold.  Manoj noticed the change in his friend and tried to sort out the issues.  But Ramesh did not respond.  He was happy with his new set of friends – boys like him who did not study well and played all the time.

Ramesh grew even more jealous of Manoj when he was made the class leader.  All the students clapped when the teacher made the announcement but not Ramesh.  Ramesh felt angry at the teacher and his classmates.  He felt all the more angry and alone when he failed in all the subjects in the next exam.  The teacher and the school principal were disappointed at his performance.

Ramesh came to school the next day with a long face.  All his classmates began to avoid him.  He felt all the more jealous of Manoj when someone praised him.  One day an evil idea came to his mind.  Rahul was a boy who sat next to Manoj.   Rahul’s was from a rich family.   Ramesh decided to put his wicked plan into action.  The next day was Wednesday.  Every Wednesday, the boys had a session on physical education.  They would have to go to the playground to perform some exercises.

The next day, the boys left the class to go to the play ground.  Ramesh, deliberately, waited until the other boys had gone.  He then crept across the classroom to where Rahul was sitting.  Ramesh had planned to take Rahul’s wallet and to hide it in Manoj’s schoolbag.  When Rahul would find his bag missing, he would tell the teacher, a search would be organized and the wallet would be found in Manoj’s bag.  Manoj would be called a thief, humiliated and shunned by everyone.  That was what Ramesh wanted.

 Ramesh crept across the classroom.  He checked to see if anyone was looking.  He opened Rahul’s bag and took out his wallet.  He then went to Manoj’s bag opened it and was about to put it in his bag when Manoj entered the class room.  The sports teacher had asked him to fetch a register from the cupboard.    Manoj was shocked to see what had been done.  He was angry.  Ramesh was shocked that he had been exposed.  He knew that Manoj was the class leader and could haul him up before the school teacher and the principal.  His future would be ruined if the school were to expel him.

Ramesh broke into tears and confessed to everything he had planned.  He begged Manoj to forgive him and not to tell anyone of what he had seen.  Manoj embraced Ramesh.  “I have always thought of you as my friend”, he said, “I forgive you”.  Ramesh felt ashamed of himself.  He put the wallet back in Rahul’s bag.   Manoj made Ramesh sit with him the front bench and helped him in his studies.  Soon, Ramesh’s grades began to improve.  Ramesh came to admire Manoj even more and the two boys became good friends once again.

Children, this story tells us about the damage jealousy can cause to friendship.  We should always love our friends and be happy at their successes.  This story also teaches us to be forgiving when our friends wrong us.

The Wolf and the little Kids

Once upon a time there lived a goat called Sheetal.  Sheetal made her home the forest of Ranjvan.  She lived there with her six children.  She grazed in the sweet grass which grew in the meadows.  In the evenings, she returned home. The little ones were the pride and joy of her life.

The forest was home to many predators.  Among them was Chandru, the wolf.  A wild and wicked creature, the wolf would devour any small animal which came across its path.

Sheetal was also scared of the wolf, particularly since she had her kids.  She had found a small cave at the foot of a hill.  She made a cosy and warm house inside for her family.

Every day, when she left in the morning to graze in the forest, here heart skipped a beat as she thought of her children.  She warned them about the dangerous wolf.  The little ones were too young to understand the full meaning of what she said. But they sensed that there was danger outside.  “Never open the door, children, to anyone when I am away”, she told them.   “Yes, Mamma”, the young ones nodded.  They looked so sweet and innocent.  The mother sadly bid good bye and went away into the forest.

A couple of hours later, there was loud knock on the door.  The youngest of the lot went to open the door.  But the eldest kid, Sonu sensed something amiss.  She went and pulled the young kid back. “That is not our mamma”, she said,” she would not be home so soon”.  After a short silence, there was a knock in the door. “I am your mamma, darlings. Open the door”, said a voice.  But the voice was rough and hoarse very much unlike the soft and sweet of their mother.

“You are not our mother”, the young kids said,” she does not have such a rough voice”.  The wolf was angry that his ruse had been discovered.  Frantically, he banged the door.    The kids feared that the door would give way any minute. But the door was a strong one.

Frustrated, the wolf walked back and forth in front of the cave. Sheetal had made a chimney to allow the smoke to escape from the kitchen when she was cooking.  It was a small opening.  As he was pacing in front, the wolf saw it.

He tried to jump but could not reach it.  Finally, he hit upon an idea.  He dug up mud near the cave and piled it up into a mound.  Standing on the mound, he jumped on to the opening.   As he   was trying to squeeze in, the tin pipe which was connected to the chimney gave a rattling noise.  The kids were frightened.  The wolf had returned.  They did not know what to do.

Sonu had an idea.  Entering the kitchen, she lit the stove and threw in some coals.  Soon, the hot embers were glowing.  She placed them below the opening into the chimney.

The wolf, meanwhile, was squeezing itself into the narrow pipe.  Sonu, reassured her siblings.  She put the next part of the plan to action.  Now that the wolf was inside the chimney pipe, she went and opened the door.  As he emerged out of the pipe, the wolf fell right on the smouldering coals.  The hot coals singed his fur and burnt him.  He yelped in great pain.  But he could not get out.  The little kids ran out of the cave.  Sonu quickly shut the door, locking the wolf inside.  She took his siblings and hid inside a bush near the cave.  When Sheetal returned in the evening, the kids narrated what had happened.  Sheetal was shocked.  She was full of praise for Sonu.

Now that the wolf was inside, Sheetal went around to her friends, the other goats in the forest.  She saw an opportunity to settle this once and for all.  The other goats too had suffered at the hands of the wolf.  The wolf had eaten many of their kids.  They came in a large herd to the cave.  The wolf had managed to get out of the fire.  He was in the living room.

Sheetal now opened the door.  At her signal, all the goats rushed inside.  The wolf did not know what was going on.  The angry goats fell upon the wolf and pierced him with their sharp horns.  Attacked by so many, the wolf did not stand a chance.  He bled to death at that very place.

That was the end of the wicked wolf.  Sheetal lived with her kids in peace.  The kids grew up into fine and beautiful goats.

Children, this story tell us to be careful and follow the instructions our parents give us for our safety.  It also teaches us the importance of being calm and taking quick decisions in the face of danger.

The Wolf and the Little Deer

One upon a time there lived a small deer in a jungle.  The poor animal was an orphan.  Its mother had died a short while after he was born.

However, the little deer had managed to survive. He had found a small patch of grassland near a stream. The area was walled off  by sharp rocks and thorny bushes.  There was a narrow entrance through the rocks.

There was a wolf in the jungle.  The wolf was a mean and dangerous creature -a ruthless predator who would not spare any small animal he could get his paws on.    He chanced upon the rocky area while wandering in search of prey.   His sharp nose soon picked up scent of the little animal.  The poor deer was fast asleep in its shelter.

The wolf came closer and looked at the deer.  The deer, oblivious to the danger, was sleeping peacefully.  The wolf was disappointed to see that the deer was small.  He thought that he could feast on him.  But this little animal had only skin and bones.  He would provide very little meat.

The wolf hit upon a plan.  “I will fatten this animal for a few months”, he said to himself, “then, when he is plump enough, I will have him for food.”  The wolf stayed there while the deer slept.

It was evening when the deer awoke.  As he looked around, he was terrified to see the wolf.  The poor animal had never seen a wolf before with its sharp fangs and angry gaze.  The wolf sensed this.  He quickly put on a deceptive smile on his face.

“Little One! Do not be afraid.  I am not here to harm you.  I am only here to help you.”, he said.  The little deer was confused.  The wolf went on,”Your mother appeared in my dream yesterday and told me to take care of you.  She also showed this place where you live.  That is how I found you.”  Hearing this, the deer began to trust the wolf.  The wolf was pleased.

“Thank You, so much for your kindness”, the deer said.  The wolf gave a wicked grin.  From then on, the innocent deer began to trust the wolf completely.  The wolf took the deer along through the jungle.  He took him to places where there was plenty of grass.  The deer enjoyed the company of the wolf.  He was thankful for the wolf’s supposed kindness.

The other animals of the jungle observed the strange relationship of the wolf and the little deer.  The had never seen anything like this before.  The wolf would accompany the little deer almost everywhere.  The peacock was also observing this.  He was a kind bird.  He had lived in the forest for many years.  He knew that the wolf had some wicked plan.

One day, when the little deer was alone, the peacock flew down and perched beside him.  “Be careful, little one!”, the bird said, “The wolf is a wicked animal.  Do not trust him.”  The little deer was bewildered.  “The wolf is kind to me and helps me”, he thought, “How could he be wicked”.

A few weeks later, a rabbit which lived in the forest gave the same warning to the little deer.  He, too, had been observing the wolf.

By now, the deer had grown bigger.  The wolf was observing the deer greedily.  The deer had noticed the strange glances.  He wondered what the wolf was thinking.  He thought about the warnings had had received.  Soon, he understood that the wolf had some other plan regarding him.  He began to observe the wolf more closely.  The more he observed the more he became convinced that something was amiss.

The deer was getting fatter day by day.  The wolf began to sense that the time was right.  He began to put the final part of his plan to action.

One day, the deer was grazing atop a cliff.  The grass there was particularly sweet.  The wolf came near the deer with a  fake smile.  He came slowly towards the deer.  The deer began to sense danger.

The wolf came near and pounced on the deer.  But the alert deer deftly stepped aside.  The wolf lost his balance and tumbled over the cliff and fell into the deep valley below.  That was the end of the wicked wolf.

The deer was shaken by the sudden turn of events.  He went back to the forest and thanked the animals for their warning.  He lived there for many  years in peace.

Children, this story teaches us not to trust anyone blindly.  We must always be careful when people seem too friendly or helpful.  If we observe anything strange we must pay attention and talk to our parents or teachers.

The Wise Minister and the New King

Vishwaraja was the ruler of Nandpur.  He was known for his wisdom and integrity.  He ruled his kingdom wisely and well.  His subjects were happy and contented.  He was assisted in his royal duties by a council of ministers.  The council was headed by a wise minister named Chandrasena.
One day, the king summoned Chandrasena to his chambers.  Chandrasena went to meet the king.  He was surprised to see that the king was pale and weak.   The king’s personal physician was attending on him.   The king was unwell.    The king told him, “Chandrasena, I am very sick.   I will soon pass away. “.  The minister was shocked.  The king then said, “I do not have any children to rule after me.  After I am gone, you will have to search for a new king for the kingdom.”

Chandrasena was overcome with grief.  “Yes, your majesty.”, he said.   The king’s condition deteriorated steadily.  He grew increasingly weak.  A week later, the king passed away.  The kingdom plunged into sorrow.  A month of official mourning was declared.  Chandrasena presided over the funeral.

Weeks passed.  Life began to slowly return to normal in the kingdom.  Chandrasena remembered the king’s words to him.   He wanted an honest, just and kind person to ascend the throne.  Chandrasena conferred with the council of ministers.  The ministers discussed this for a long time.  They finally came out with a plan.  Chandrasena put the plan to action.

A few days later, an announcement was made.  Messengers were sent to each and every town and village in the kingdom.  Arriving at a village or town, the messengers beat a drum and summoned the people.  They, then, read the royal announcement.   A new king would be chosen from among the young men in the kingdom.  All young men who were interested should present themselves at the royal palace on a certain day.

There was great excitement among the people on hearing the news.  This sort of selection had never happened before.  Soon, young men from every town were preparing for the great day.  Every one of them wanted to become king.

As the day arrived, the prospective rulers assembled in the capital in the royal palace.  They were made to write a series of tests on various subjects.  At the conclusion of these tests, 25 of them were shortlisted.

The officials-in-charge presented them to Chandrasena.  Chandrasena was pleased with them.  They were the best that the kingdom had in terms of knowledge and intellect.  Yet, he still wanted to know if they were ready to be the king and lead the people and the kingdom into the future.

He had a plan in mind.  He summoned the young men and gave each of them a handful of seeds.  He said, “Young men, you have cleared all these tests with distinction.  I am truly proud of you all. “  But there is one last test I want you to pass.  I have given each one of you a handful of seeds.  You can go to your villages, plant the seeds in a pot and show me the crop in two months’ time.”
So saying, the minister sent the young men away.  They were received as heroes in the villages.  Each one of them was sure of becoming the king. 

Two months passed. The young men came to the capital again with the pots containing the crops.  All the pots were lush green with the fresh looking crops.  All except one.  One pot alone was barren.  All the pots were placed in a grand hall in the palace.  Chandrasena, chief of the ministers was to inspect them.

At the appointed time, Chandrasena came to the hall.  He went around and looked at the pots.  The came near the candidate with the barren pot.  He looked at him.  The young man was nervous.  Chandrasena smiled at him and said, “This is the new king”.

A great silence fell across the room.  Chandrasena explained, ”Every one of the remaining men have been dishonest.  I had dropped the seeds into hot water before giving it to you.  All of the seeds are dead.  There is no way they could have sprouted into crops.  You have replaced them with new seeds”.

The rest of the young men were ashamed.  They knew that what Chandrasena said was true. “Honesty is a great virtue”, Chandrasena said, “Only one among you is fit to be king.”

Soon, the honest young man, Vishwadutt, was crowned king of Nandpur. Chandrasena continued to serve as the head of the council of ministers.  The kingdom prospered under the wise and benevolent reign of Vishwadutt and the people lived happily.

Children, this story tells us the need to be honest.  We should have the courage to be honest even when we may appear to be at a disadvantage.  Honesty will always bring great rewards.

The Wicked Lion and the Wise Elephant

Once upon a time there lived a simple woodcutter named Bholu.  Bholu lived with wife and two small children in the town of Vikrampur.  Bholu was a kind and generous man.  Everyday, he went into the forest to fetch wood.

One day, Bholu went to the forest as usual.  The village carpenter had wanted to make an armchair.  Bholu was in search of a tree that would provide wood for fine furniture.  He walked about looking at the trees, one by one.

He could not find the perfect one.  As he wandered about, he did not notice that he was going deeper into the forest.    As he went further, he heard a deep roar.  Bholu froze in terror.  He had never heard anything like that before. He hid behind the trunk of a large tree.  Leaning forward, he looked around.  He saw a sight that he never expected to see.  A lion was trapped in a large cage.

The lion had sniffed the scent Bholu.  Its cries grew more and more sad.  Bholu was moved by the scene of such a large majestic animal in such a sad state.  He stepped forward and walked towards the cage.

The cage was made of iron with strong bars.  The trapped lion grew frightened on seeing Bholu.  It thought that he was the hunter.  Bholu smiled at the lion and put it at ease.

He then looked around. The door of the cage had a latch.  Bholu deftly opened the latch.  He then opened the door.  The lion realized what he was doing. He quickly got out of the door.

Bholu was happy.  He had brought freedom to a caged animal.  He turned to the lion expecting to receive his thanks and gratitude.

But to his shock, he found the lion baring his powerful teeth and uttering a loud growl that echoed across the forest.  “O foolish man”, the lion said, “You have saved me but now your are going to be my lunch”.

Bholu was surprised and angry at the lion.  He was also very afraid.  He had taken great risk and effort to free the animal.  But, the ungrateful beast wanted to eat him.

The lion moved towards him. His wild eyes shone with fierceness. His sharp teeth and his gaping mouth were a terrifying sight.  Bholu was frightened to death.  He quickly made a jump and made for the nearby tree.  He climbed fast and soon he was on a branch high away from the ground.  For now, he was safe.

The lion was angry. He let out a loud growl and walked about the tree.  “The man would have to come down eventually”, he told himself, “I will have my fill then”.

As he was thus going round the tree, an elephant happened to pass by that area.
He was puzzled to see a lion walking around a tree.  He asked what the matter was.
The lion replied, ”There is a man on top of the tree.  I am going to eat him.  I am waiting for him to come down. You can go away.”.

But Bholu from his perch up in the tree said, “O Elephant, listen to my sad tale”.  The Elephant looked up.  He saw Bholu holding tight to a branch. Bholu then told him of how he came to the forest and how he helped the lion. “Is this the way to repay someone who has saved your life?”, Bholu asked pitifully.

The Elephant understood what the matter was.  In the forest, he was known for his wisdom.  He understood the wickedness of the lion.  He thought of a clever plan.

“I do not quite understand the situation”, he said to the lion,  “You say you were in the cage and Bholu opened the cage”.  The lion nodded.  “Can you go back into the cage and show me how”.  The lion was annoyed. Nevertheless, he went inside the cage and stood. “This is where I was”, he said.  “I see”, said the elephant, moving towards the cage. He then swiftly locked the cage with the lion inside.  The lion was stunned.  “You wicked animal”, the elephant said, “you want to kill the very man who saved your life. You do not deserve freedom.”

The Elephant asked Bholu to come down.  He, then, carried a grateful Bholu on his back out of the forest.  Bholu thanked the elephant and returned home to his family. As for the lion, he remained in the cage until the hunters came.  They took and sold him to a zoo where he spent the rest of his life in a cage.

Children, this story teaches us to be grateful to those who help us.  Those who help others often put themselves in danger, we should appreciate their actions and be thankful.

The Wicked Farmer and the Donkey with a Torch

Vishwadutt was a farmer who lived in the village Ashokapura.  He was a rich man who owned many acres of farmland.  Vishwadutt lived in a palatial house in the centre of the village. He lived with his wife and three children. He was a man of importance in the village and held a prominent role in the village council, the Panchayat.

Though he had money and stature in society, Vishwadutt was a selfish and greedy man.  He always wanted to have more.

Whenever Vishwadutt saw a field that he liked.  He would summon the farmer who owned it. Being a person of wealth and power, Vishwadutt was feared by the village folk.  The farmer would hasten to Vishwadutt’s house.  There, Vishwadutt would offer to buy the field for a sum of money.  Some farmers would agree to his demands.  If a farmer refused, Vishwadutt would threaten him with dire consequences.  Most of the farmers would give in and surrender their fields.

Thus, as time passed, most of the fields in the village belonged to Vishwadutt.

Just near the sprawling fields which belonged to Vishwadutt was a small parcel of land.  The field belonged to a small farmer called Ranjitdas.  Ranjitdas took good care of the field.  He lived in a small house at the edge of the field with his wife and two small children.  During the harvest, he kept some of the grains for food.  He sold the remainder of the yield.  The money was not much.  But it was enough to keep Ranjitdas and his small family fed and clothed for the rest of the year.

Vishwadutt had long had his eyes on the field.  He decided that he should the make the field his.  This small field, alone, did not belong to him.  He owned the larger field beside it.  This field lay between his field and the small river which flowed through the village.  Its advantageous location near the river and the bountiful crops which grew on it had captured his attention.

The next day, Vishwadutt summoned Ranjitdas to his home. When Ranjitdas came, he offered to buy the field. But Ranjitdas refused saying that it was the only field he had.  Vishwadutt argued, cajoled and threatened him.  But to no avail. Ranjit would not agree.

Vishwadutt was unhappy.  No had been so forthright to him so far.  Till now, he had been able to buy whatever field he desired.  He was angered by the stubbornness of Ranjitdas.
Vishwadutt felt insulted.  Here he was, a leading person in the village and a small farmer with a tiny piece of land hand declined a generous offer which he had made.  He would not let this insolence go without a response.  If he did, the matter would be known that a small farmer had stood up to Vishwadutt and soon he would lose the respect and fear he commanded among the village folk.

He could not sleep that night.  He tossed and turned in his bed thinking of how he could take the field from Ranjitdas.  While he thus thinking, an evil scheme came to his mind.  He waited for a few days. He went about as if nothing had happened.

Then, he put his evil plan into action.  One dark moonless night, he had his servants catch a donkey.  The servants tied a lighted torch to the tail of the unfortunate animal.  They, then, sent the donkey in the direction of Ranjitdas’ field.  Soon Ranjitdas’ field would be alight.  It was harvest time and the standing crops would be burned to ashes. Ranjitdas would suffer heavy losses. He would have to sell his field.  Thus, went Vishwadutt’s evil plan.

The donkey approached Ranjitdas’ field.  Ranjitdas had kept a dog in the field.  He had found the dog as a helpless pup on the streets.  He had raised it as a pet for his family.  As soon as the donkey came near, the dog ran towards the intruder and barked.  The donkey panicked and ran in the opposite direction where Vishwadutt’s fields lay.

The servants tried to chase the donkey away. But the frightened animal ran into the fields.  Soon, Vishwadutt’s fields were on fire.  The servants tried everything they could to put it out.  The fire, however, continued to spread as the wind blew towards Vishwadutt’s fields and soon the fields were reduced to ashes. In the morning, Vishwadutt was shocked to see the devastation in his fields.  He had learnt his lesson.  No longer did he try to harass Ranjitdas.

Children, this story teaches us to be humble.  We should respect people who are poorer than we and come from less privileged backgrounds.  This story also teaches us not to be greedy.  Every evil scheme will eventually backfire on the person who designed it.

The White Elephant and the King of Benaras

Once upon a time there lived a herd of elephants in the forests adjoining the foothills of the mighty Himalayas.

The herd was led by a beautiful white elephant.  The elephant was wise and kind to his subjects.  He lived with his elderly mother.  The mother elephant was advanced in years and was weak.  She was also blind.  Her dutiful son, the white elephant, took great care of his mother.  He loved her very much.

One day, one of the elephants came across a man wandering in the forest.  The man was famished and disheveled.  His clothes were dirty and he was in a bad state.  The White elephant was immediately informed of the intruder.  The white elephant approached the man.  The frightened man only ran further away.

The White elephant went close to him.  “Do not be afraid”, he said, “we have come to help you”.    The man, who had by now overcome his fear, narrated his sad story.  “I am from a party of woodcutters who were chopping wood in these forests”, he said.  “I went deeper into the forest in search of wood and soon discovered that I was lost”, he sobbed.  He said that he was wandering desperately to get out of the forest for seven days.

The White elephant took pity on him.  He knew the way out of the forest.  He took him to his dwelling and gave him fruits to eat.

A few days later, the White Elephant asked one of the elephants to guide him on the way home.  The man, whose name was Ghanshyam, thanked the elephant very much.

 Ghanshyam came out of the forest and found his way to Benaras.    Just then he heard the news of the death of the Royal Elephant of the King of Benaras.  The whole city of Benaras and the Royal household were in a state of mourning.

As soon as the period of mourning was over, the officials of the palace set about searching for a new elephant which would be the Royal Elephant.  They promised a reward of ten thousand gold coins to someone who would suggest a good elephant.

Ghanshyam suddenly remembered the White Elephant.  He recalled its stately appearance and grand bearing.  If only, he could catch the elephant and give it to the king, he would be a rich man.  In his greed, he had forgotten his debt of gratitude to the kind elephant.

The wicked Ghanshyam approached the Chief Minister and told of his adventure and the white elephant.    Ghanshyam, offered to lead them to the elephant.

A few days, the minister assembled a group of mahouts and other elephants from the royal stables.  A detachment of soldiers were also to accompany the group into the forest.    Ghanshyam took the royal party straight to the pond where the elephants used to bathe.

The royal party positioned their own trained domestic elephants around the lake and sealed all the escape routes.  Unfortunately, for the white elephant, that day he had come to bath with only a couple of his close friends.  The other elephants were in another part of the forest.    Outnumbered and surrounded, the white elephant was caught.

Soon, mahouts atop the tame elephants threw thick ropes over the white elephant and tied him.  The White elephant was led away from the forest to Benaras.  The White elephant was heartbroken when he thought of his poor blind mother.

In Benaras, the white elephant was the talk of the town.  The king was also impressed with the new elephant.  He admired the white complexion of the elephant and his graceful poise.

Soon, the White elephant was decked with all the finery reserved for the elephant of state.  He was then led to the royal stables where a special enclosure was ready for him.  The minister ordered the choicest foods to be placed before him.  But the White elephant did not touch him.  He was depressed.  The king noticed his moody appearance.  He thought that it was due to the stress of capture.

But the white elephant never recovered from his depression.  He was constantly thinking of the forest and his mother.  The king was concerned.  He went down to the royal stables to find the reason for the elephant’s sadness.

The elephant told him the reason for his sadness.  He told him of his poor mother and how he was separated from her and was always thinking of her.  The king was deeply moved.
He was angry with his ministers for having been so cruel.  The next day, he ordered his minister to return the white elephant to the forest.  The white elephant thanked the king and returned to the forest to be with his mother.

The king, made one of his own elephants, the royal elephant.  He ruled Benaras for many years wisely and well.  The White elephant lived in the forest for many years with his mother and his companions.

Children, this story tell us to not to be considerate towards others and their feelings.   If we have unknowingly caused sadness to others, we need to correct our mistakes.