The Two Friends and the Bear

Once upon a time, two friends were walking through a dense forest. Suddenly, a big bear appeared in their path. One of the friends quickly climbed up a tree to save himself. The other friend, who couldn’t climb, lay down on the ground and held his breath, pretending to be dead.

The bear came closer, sniffed the man lying on the ground, but eventually left him alone because bears don’t eat dead bodies. Once the bear had gone, the friend who had climbed the tree came down and asked, "What did the bear whisper in your ear?" The other friend replied, "The bear told me never to trust a friend who leaves you in times of danger."

Moral: A true friend stands by you in times of trouble.

The Crocodile and the Monkey

Once there was a clever monkey who lived on a tree near a river. The tree was full of delicious fruits, and the monkey often shared these fruits with a crocodile who lived in the river. They became good friends. One day, the crocodile’s wife said she wanted to eat the monkey’s heart, thinking it would make her stronger.

The crocodile didn’t want to harm his friend but agreed to his wife’s wish. He invited the monkey to his house and offered him a ride on his back across the river. As they were crossing, the crocodile told the monkey about his wife’s plan. The quick-thinking monkey said, "Oh, but I left my heart back in the tree! Let’s go get it." The crocodile turned back, and the monkey quickly climbed the tree, escaping the trap.

Moral: Quick thinking can save you from danger.

The Fox and the Grapes

One hot summer day, a fox was walking through a vineyard. He saw a bunch of ripe grapes hanging from a vine. The fox's mouth watered at the sight of the juicy grapes, and he jumped up to grab them. But the grapes were too high, and the fox couldn’t reach them no matter how hard he tried.

Tired and frustrated, the fox finally gave up and walked away, muttering, "Those grapes are probably sour anyway." And so the fox convinced himself that he didn’t want the grapes, just because he couldn’t reach them.

Moral: It’s easy to despise what you cannot have.

The Lion and the Rabbit

In a forest, a cruel lion ruled over all the animals. Tired of being hunted, the animals made a deal with the lion: each day, one animal would come to him voluntarily, and the lion wouldn’t hunt anyone else. The lion agreed.

One day, it was the rabbit’s turn to meet the lion. The clever rabbit arrived late, making the lion angry. The rabbit explained, "I met another lion on the way, and he claimed to be the king." Furious, the lion demanded to see this rival. The rabbit led him to a well and said, "He is inside!" The lion looked into the well and saw his own reflection. Thinking it was another lion, the lion jumped in and drowned.

Moral: Intelligence can defeat brute strength.

The Wolf and the Crane

One day, a greedy wolf was eating a big meal. He was eating so quickly that a bone got stuck in his throat. The wolf was in pain and couldn’t get the bone out, so he asked a nearby crane to help him. The wolf promised to reward the crane if it could remove the bone.

The crane, using its long beak, carefully pulled the bone out of the wolf’s throat. After the bone was removed, the wolf felt better but didn’t give the crane any reward. Instead, the wolf said, "You should be thankful that I didn’t eat you while your head was in my mouth!"

Moral: Don’t expect a reward for helping the wicked.

The Mice and the Elephant

In a forest, there was a village of mice who lived happily under the trees. One day, a herd of elephants passed through the village on their way to a nearby lake. The elephants unknowingly trampled many of the mice under their large feet. The leader of the mice, worried about his people, went to talk to the king of the elephants.

The little mouse said to the elephant, "O mighty king, your herd has harmed many of my friends. We are small, but we can be helpful to you one day. Please, take a different path when you go to the lake." The elephant king, impressed by the mouse's bravery, agreed to help.

Later, the elephants got trapped in a hunter’s net. The mice quickly came to their rescue and chewed through the ropes, setting the elephants free. The elephants were grateful and realized how even the smallest friends can be of great help.

Moral: Even the smallest creatures can help in times of need.