1.

Midas, a Greedy King

Once upon a time, there lived a king named Midas. He was one of the richest kings of his
time. Though he had vast wealth, beautiful palace and many servants, he was not satisfied.
He was extremely greedy and loved gold more than anything else in the world.

One day, a fairy appeared before him and offered to grant him one wish. Without thinking
twice, King Midas wished that whatever he touched would turn into gold. The fairy warned
him to be careful, but Midas insisted. The fairy granted his wish and disappeared.

At first, Midas became very happy. He touched stones, flowers, tables and chairs, and
everything turned into gold. He thought himself the happiest man on earth. But soon his
happiness turned into sorrow. When he sat down to eat, his food turned into gold. When he
tried to drink water, it also turned into gold. He became frightened.

The worst moment came when his dear daughter ran to him. As soon as he touched her, she
turned into a golden statue. Midas cried bitterly and realized his foolishness. He prayed to
the fairy to take back the gift.

The fairy appeared again and asked him to wash his hands in a river. When he did so, his
power disappeared. His daughter came back to life. Midas became a wise and good king
and never loved gold blindly again.

Moral: Greed brings sorrow.

2. A Cobbler and His Rich Neighbour

Once there lived a poor cobbler in a small village. He lived in a simple hut and earned his
living by repairing shoes. Though he was poor, he was very honest, cheerful and contented.
After finishing his work every day, he used to sing happily.

Next to his house lived a rich man. He had plenty of money, a big house and many servants.
But he was always worried about his wealth. He could not sleep at night and became
disturbed by the cobbler’s happy songs.

One day, the rich man thought that the cobbler was happy because he had no money. So he
gave the cobbler a bag full of gold coins. At first, the cobbler was very happy. But soon he
became anxious. He feared that the money might be stolen.

He stopped singing and could not sleep at night. Finally, he understood that money had
taken away his peace of mind. He returned the bag of gold to the rich man and began his
simple life again. Soon he became cheerful and happy as before.

Moral: Contentment is real happiness.

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3. An Ant and a Dove

One hot summer day, an ant felt very thirsty. It went to a nearby river to drink water. While
drinking, it slipped and fell into the river. The current was strong and the ant was about to
drown.

A dove sitting on a tree nearby saw the ant in danger. Feeling pity, the dove plucked a leaf
and dropped it into the river. The ant climbed onto the leaf and floated safely to the bank.
The ant thanked the dove for saving its life.

A few days later, the ant saw a hunter aiming his arrow at the dove. The dove was unaware
of the danger. The ant quickly bit the hunter’s foot. The hunter cried out in pain and his aim
failed. The dove flew away safely.

Thus, the ant repaid the kindness of the dove.

Moral: One good turn deserves another.

4. An Honest Woodcutter and a Fairy

Once there lived an honest woodcutter near a forest. He was very poor and earned his living
by cutting wood. One day, while cutting wood beside a river, his axe slipped from his hand
and fell into the deep water.

The woodcutter became very sad because he had no money to buy a new axe. Suddenly, a
fairy appeared before him. She asked him the reason for his sorrow. The woodcutter told her
everything honestly.

The fairy dived into the river and brought up a golden axe. The woodcutter said that it was
not his. Then she brought a silver axe, but again he refused. At last, she brought his old iron
axe. The woodcutter gladly accepted it.

The fairy was pleased with his honesty and rewarded him with the golden and silver axes as
well.

Moral: Honesty is the best policy.

5. A Grocer and a Fruit Seller

Once there lived a dishonest grocer in a town. He used false weights while selling goods to
earn more profit. A fruit seller used to buy groceries from him regularly.

One day, the grocer accused the fruit seller of cheating him. The matter was taken to a
judge. The judge asked the grocer to show the weight he used. After examination, it was
found that the weight was false.

The judge declared that the grocer himself was dishonest. He punished the grocer and
warned him not to cheat again. The fruit seller was proved innocent.

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Moral: As you sow, so shall you reap.

6. A Hare and a Tortoise

Once there lived a hare and a tortoise in a forest. The hare was very proud of his speed and
always made fun of the slow-moving tortoise. One day, the tortoise challenged the hare to a
race. The hare laughed but accepted the challenge.

The race started. The hare ran very fast and soon left the tortoise far behind. Thinking that
the tortoise could never catch up, the hare lay down under a tree and fell asleep.

Meanwhile, the tortoise went on slowly but steadily without stopping. After a long time, the
tortoise reached the finishing point and won the race. When the hare woke up, it was too
late.

The hare realized his mistake and felt ashamed.

Moral: Slow and steady wins the race.