Tag Archives: Old Classic folktales for Students

Clever Swan: Story of a far-sighted swan – Once upon a time there was a huge banyan tree in a forest. It was very old and its strong branches had spread for wide an all sides. A flight of swans had made their nests among the branches of this tree. They had been living safely in these nests for a …

Donkey And The Emperor: One day, Emperor Akbar and Birbal went together for a walk. At the sunset Birbal sat down on the river-bank and performed ‘sandhya’ — the Hindu ritual. The Emperor was very much impressed. He said to Birbal, “Birbal, tell me how to perform ‘sandhya’. I like it very much and I too like to do it.” …

In was rainy season. Yamuna river was running in spate and overflowing. The gushing water was making a loud noise. The Emperor’s palace was situated on the river bank. He was fast asleep. It was a peaceful night and so, the frightening sound of the roaring river could be heard very clearly. Wail Of The River: Rib Tickling Take of …

One day, the Emperor expressed his desire to see an angel and an ugly witch. He expressed his wish to Birbal. The next day, Birbal came to the court along with his wife and a prostitute. Then presenting his wife he said to the Emperor, “Maharaj, this is an angel. I get endless satisfaction and happiness from her.” The Emperor …

One day, Emperor Akbar said to Birbal, “Birbal! Bring me two such animals – one of which has a sense of gratitude and the other who forgets all this and takes to treachery.” After thinking deeply over the matter, Birbal brought a dog and his own son-in-law to the court. He presented them before the Emperor, and said, “Maharaj, I …

Dark Below The Lamp: Once, the Emperor and Birbal were sitting in the palace balcony and watching the sunrise. The sunrays falling on the sparkling waters of the Yamuna river gave it a golden sheen. The Emperor used to watch this natural beauty everyday. Suddenly, their attention was diverted due to a loud noise. They noticed some thieves running after …

Once an unknown fakir (saint) came wandering to the Emperor’s palace and sat on the parapet. He was praying and singing. Hours passed, but he showed no signs of leaving the place. The servants asked him to leave the palace but he did not listen to them. Since he was a fakir, it was not possible to apply force to …

One day Daulat, a slave, who worked at Emperor Akbar’s court, made some mistake and incurred his wrath. Emperor Akbar asked him to leave the court. He went to Birbal’s house. Birbal listened to him and suggested, “Once again, you go to the court and ask the Emperor, “Daulat has come, should he stay or leave”? The Emperor was surprised …

The wisdom of Birbal was unparalleled during the reign of Emperor Akbar. But Akbar’s brother-in-law was extremely jealous of him. He asked the Emperor to dispense with Birbal’s services and appoint him in his place. He gave ample assurance that he would prove to be more efficient and capable than Birbal. Before Akbar could take a decision on this matter, …

A daughter is better than a son: Thakur Ari Singh was lying on deathbed. Relatives and friends surrounded him. He had only one daughter, named Lhalarde, who was standing motionless near her father. The atmosphere was tense. There was no hope of survival for Ari Singh. As is customary, the last wish of a dying man is found out and …