1. Bayazid’s Love for His Mother

Bayazid was very obedient to his mother. One night, his mother became thirsty and asked him for a glass of water. Bayazid at once went to bring water. But when he returned, he found his mother asleep. He did not want to wake her up. So, he stood beside her bed the whole night holding the glass of water in his hand. In the morning, his mother woke up and saw her son standing there. She became very emotional and asked why he had not gone to sleep. Bayazid replied that he did not want to disturb her sleep. His mother was highly pleased with his love, respect, and patience. She prayed to Allah for her son’s success and happiness. Bayazid later became a famous saint because of his honesty, kindness, and devotion to his mother.

Moral: Duty to mother is a sacred duty.

2. A Fox without a Tail

Once a fox fell into a trap and somehow escaped, but he lost his tail. He became very ashamed because all the other foxes laughed at him. He thought of a clever plan to hide his disgrace. One day, he called a meeting of all the foxes and said that tails were useless and ugly. He added that tails were heavy burdens and made running difficult. So, he advised everyone to cut off their tails. The other foxes listened carefully. But an old and wise fox understood the trick. He stood up and said that if the tailless fox still had his own tail, he would never advise others to cut theirs off. Hearing this, all the foxes realized the truth and laughed at the cunning fox. The fox felt very embarrassed and went away silently.

Moral: Do not trust selfish advice.

3. Bread Divided by a Cunning Monkey

Two cats once found a piece of bread. They could not decide how to divide it equally. So, they went to a monkey for help. The monkey agreed to judge fairly. He broke the bread into two parts, but one piece was slightly bigger than the other. To make them equal, he bit a little from the bigger piece. Then the other piece became larger. So, he again took a bite from it. In this way, the monkey continued eating from both pieces again and again. At last, only tiny pieces of bread remained. The cats asked for the remaining bread, but the monkey said that it was his reward for judging. Then he ate the rest too. The foolish cats understood their mistake but it was too late.

Moral: When two persons quarrel, a third person gains advantage.

4. The Magnanimity / Ready Wit / Greatness of a Man

Once a poor boy was selling newspapers in a train. He wanted to buy a loaf of bread but had little money. A gentleman noticed him and kindly bought him some food. The boy thanked him warmly. After many years, the gentleman became seriously ill and was admitted to a hospital. A famous doctor treated him with great care and finally cured him. When the gentleman wanted to pay the huge bill, he was surprised to see that it had already been paid. A note was attached: “Paid long ago with a loaf of bread.” The doctor was that poor newspaper boy. The gentleman became emotional and realized that kindness never goes in vain.

Moral: A good deed never goes unrewarded.

5. A King’s Mistake

Once there was a powerful king who was very proud of his wisdom. One day, he announced that no old people would be allowed in his kingdom because he thought they were useless. So, many old people were driven away. A young man, however, hid his old father in his house because he loved him very much. After some days, a neighboring king sent a difficult challenge. He asked the king to pass a thread through a curved shell. Nobody in the court could solve the problem. The young man secretly asked his old father for advice. The old man suggested tying the thread to an ant and putting honey on the other side of the shell. The ant passed through carrying the thread. The king was amazed and learned that old people are wise and valuable. He withdrew his order and honored the elderly people.

Moral: Old people are wise and experienced.

6. A Liar Shepherd

Once a shepherd boy used to graze his sheep near a village. He was very naughty and liked fun. One day, he shouted, “Wolf! Wolf! Help me!” The villagers rushed to help him with sticks, but they found no wolf there. The boy laughed loudly at them. After a few days, he played the same trick again. The villagers became angry but forgave him. One day, a real wolf came and attacked the sheep. The boy cried loudly for help, but this time nobody believed him. The villagers thought that he was joking again. As a result, the wolf killed many sheep. The shepherd boy became very sad and realized his fault. He promised never to tell lies again.

Moral: Nobody believes a liar even when he speaks the truth.

7. The Hare and the Tortoise

There lived a hare and a tortoise in the same jungle. The hare was very proud of his speed. He always laughed at the tortoise for his slow movement. One day, the tortoise became annoyed and challenged the hare to a race. The hare accepted it happily. The fox was chosen as the judge. The race started. The hare ran very fast and soon went far ahead. Seeing the tortoise far behind, he thought there was plenty of time and decided to take a nap under a tree. Meanwhile, the tortoise continued moving slowly but steadily without stopping. After some time, the hare woke up and saw that the tortoise was near the finishing point. He ran as fast as he could, but it was too late. The tortoise won the race.

Moral: Slow and steady wins the race.

8. A Thirsty Crow

It was a hot summer day. A crow became very thirsty and started searching for water everywhere. After a long search, he found a pitcher near a house. He became very happy and tried to drink water from it. But the water was at the bottom of the pitcher, and his beak could not reach it. The crow tried again and again but failed. Then he thought of a clever idea. He saw some small stones nearby. He picked up the stones one by one and dropped them into the pitcher. Gradually, the water level rose up. At last, the water came near the top. The crow drank the water and quenched his thirst. Then he flew away happily.

Moral: Where there is a will, there is a way.

9. Honesty of a Rickshaw Puller

One day, a businessman was going home by a rickshaw after withdrawing a large amount of money from a bank. After reaching home, he hurriedly got down and forgot his bag on the rickshaw. The bag contained a lot of money and important papers. The honest rickshaw puller noticed the bag after some time. He could easily take the money, but he did not do so. Instead, he searched for the owner sincerely. At last, he found the businessman’s house and returned the bag. The businessman became very happy and surprised at the honesty of the poor man. He offered him a reward, but the rickshaw puller accepted only a little amount. Everybody praised his honesty and good character.

Moral: Honesty is the best policy.

10. King Midas: The Golden Touch

King Midas was a very greedy king. He loved gold more than anything else in the world. One day, a fairy became pleased with him and granted him a wish. Midas wished that everything he touched would turn into gold. The fairy warned him, but he did not listen. Soon, whatever he touched became gold. He was extremely happy at first. But after some time, he became miserable. When he touched food and water, they also turned into gold, so he could not eat or drink. Worst of all, when his beloved daughter came to him, she turned into a golden statue after he touched her. Midas realized his terrible mistake and began to cry bitterly. He prayed to the fairy to take back the magical power. The fairy forgave him and removed the curse. Midas learned that greed brings sorrow.

Moral: Greed brings misery.