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

25. The Elephant And The Sparrows

A sparrow couple lived happily atop a tall and strong tree along with many other birds. They were expecting their eggs to hatch soon. Little did they know that a haughty elephant also live in the area. One day he attempts to bring the tree down as he could not stand anyone taller or stronger than himself. While the tree remained unmoved, the sparrows lost their nest and eggsdue to the vigorous shaking of the tree by the elephant. The sparrows decide to take revenge. Find out how the sparrows, despite being smaller in size than the elephant, are able to kill the egoistic beast.

Moral of the story: Our strength is defined by how mentally strong we are.

26. The Shrewd Jackal (The Cave That Talked)

Upon returning to his cave in the evening, a jackal realized that he had an unsolicited visitor. It was none other than a mighty lion waiting for his meal. The shrewd jackal devised a plan to outwit the lion and save himself. What did he do?

Moral of the story: Even during the hardest times, the one who is smart survives against all odds. 

 27.  The Ride On A Snake (Frogs That Rode A Snake)

An old weak snake arrived to a pond filled with frogs. He offered to serve them in every way possible and thus gained the confidence of the unsuspecting frogs, including their king. Little did they know the real intention of the snake. What happened to their fate?

Moral of the story: Always keep an eye open to deception that may come in any form.

28. The Warrior Potter (The Story of the potter)

An injured potter left his home and moved to a different place to escape famine. The king of the new land mistook him for a warrior due to his large scar and employed him as a soldier. There was soon a war and the entire army was assembled. Did the king then discover the true identity of the potter?

Moral of the story: It is better to remain true to self than put up a pretence.

29. Knowledge Of  The Fools (The Four Learned Fools)

After years of earning knowledge in a hermitage, four naïve Brahmins decided to earn money with their learning. They came across a series of events that left them with bitter results. Did their knowledge prove useless?

Moral of the story: Knowledge imparted without commonsense is no good at all

30. The Exchange of Sesame Seeds (Shandili And The Sesame Seeds)

A poor Brahmin’s wife was asked to feed a Brahmin by her husband. She had nothing but a handful of sesame seeds to cook. When a stray dog dirtied the seeds kept for drying, she hatched a plan to exchange them with her neighbour. But, her intentions were soon discovered. Did the Brahmin’s wife succeed in covering up her lie?

Moral of the story: Some things are too good to be believed true.

31. The Camel With A Bell (The Price Of Indiscretion)

A haughty young camel was the favourite of a cart-maker who earned his living by selling camel milk. His fortunes grew and so did the number of camels with him. One fateful day, the young camel strayed away in spite of good advices from the fellow camels. He had to pay a huge price. What was the result of his arrogance?

Moral of the story: The wise always listen to good advice and act upon them.

32. The Wise Minister’s Advice (The War of Crows And Owls)

A group of crows and owls were always at loggerheads with each other. The owls would attack the crows at night, injuring and killing many. When the distraught king of crows consulted his ministers for help, the oldest among them came out with a master-plan. Who did victory favour?

Moral of the story: Keep your enemies at bay and never let them know your strengths.

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