40 Short Bedtime Panchatantra Stories You MUST Read to Your 3-10 Year Olds

9. The Mice that Ate Iron

A merchant leaves an iron chest in the care of his friend, while he travels to a neighboring village. On returning, the friend (who is very greedy) tells the merchant that the mice ate up his iron chest. How does the merchant get his revenge? Read this story to know.

While the story is a bit serious for toddlers, it’s ideal for kids aged 6-9.

Moral of the story: What goes round, comes round. A lie never goes undetected.

10. The Tortoise and the Geese 

Three friends – two geese and a tortoise, decide to migrate to a new place in search of food and fresh water. The geese can fly, but the tortoise can’t. So the three devise a way of carrying the tortoise between the geese as they fly. What happens as they fly? Does the tortoise reach safely? Read this story to know.

Moral of the story: Think before you act.

11. The Outsmarted Brahmin (The Brahmin And The Crooks)

A Brahmin was on his way carrying a sacrificial goat on his shoulders. Unknown to him three crooks hatched a plan to outwit him and get the goat. Little did the Brahmin know what he was carrying on his shoulders! Did the crooks manage to get the better of him?

Moral of the story: A mind that cannot judge on its own believes a lie to be the truth.

12. The Wasted Knowledge (The Lion That Sprang To Life) – The Four Friends and The Lion

Four Brahmins came across a dead lion’s bones in the forest. Three of them were learned, but lacked common sense. In spite of repeated advice from their fourth friend who was smart, they use their knowledge to bring the lion back to life. What happened next?

Moral of the story: It is better to use common sense over knowledge at times.

[adinserter block=”4″]

13. The Blue Jackal King (The Story of The Blue Jackal)

A hungry jackal wandering in a village was chased away by a pack of dogs. In a sudden turn of events, the jackal turned ‘blue’. Realising his new-found identity was the reason of fear amongst animals, he decided to rule them. But, his cover did not last long. What became of his fate at the end?

Moral of the story: No matter how you seem on the outside, the inner self is the only truth.

14. Three Fishes In A Pond (The Tale of Three Fishes)

In a large school of fishes, there lived three fishes who were best friends. One day two of the fishes decided to leave the pond after overhearing the fishermen planning to catch them the next morning. But, the third fish was adamant of staying back in the pond. What happened the next morning?

Moral: Take immediate steps when you sense an imminent danger.

15. A Monkey’s Revenge (The Unforgiving Monkey)

A family of monkeys were the pets of a king’s son. One day, the old monkey chief predicted an imminent danger to his family. In spite of his warnings, they stay back and a series of events lead to their death. The grieving monkey vows revenge against the king. Will he be successful?

Moral of the story: Walk the path of greed and you will end up meeting disaster.

 16. Two Snakes And The Princess (The Tale of Two Snakes)

Fate unites a vanquished princess and a weakened prince. The smart princess finds out the real cause of her husband’s ailment and the reason behind it to be two snakes. The snakes quarrel with each other one day and unbeknownst to them, she discovers their secret. How did she cure her husband’s ailment and get rid of the snakes?

Moral of the story: When the quarrel is among friends, it is the enemy who benefits.

Press NEXT to read more.