Taatayya Kathalu in English

              There was a flock of deer grazing the rich grass in a forest meadow. In the flock was a naughty deer. He was so naughty that his mother took him to a wise deer who was considered a teacher.              The wise deer started to teach the deer various techniques of self-defence. However, the naughty deer was not at all attentive. Just like small kids, the deer started to miss classes. In spite of the efforts taken by the wise deer and his mother, the naughty deer was incorrigible. One day, the deer was tottering in the forest and got caught in the trap set by some poacher. He shouted for help. The mother came running there and saw the pathetic state of her boy. She ran to the wise deer for help. The wise deer came there and said, "Look at the effect of your naughty acts. At least from now pay attention to your lessons." He managed to free the naughty deer. The naughty deer had learnt his lesson. Moral: BE...

                There was a lush meadow in a dense forest. A brook ran across the meadow. A crow lived on a nearby tree top. She was always dissatisfied. Although she had plenty to eat, she kept on complaining. Even if she had big fish to eat she was not content. She always wanted more.                     She looked around and lamented, "All other animals and birds are happy and joyful. They all lead successful living. I alone am unfortunate. I don't get everything I want. The forest is lush, the leaves are green and beautiful, and the brook is full of fish, but, I don't get enough." At that moment her eyes fell on two golden geese loitering here and there. She went to the geese and started, "Oh beautiful geese, how beautiful you are! Look at your colourful feathers.            They are glowing in the sunlight. But look at me. I am so ugly. You should be lucky to get ...

          It is known that villages are mostly near forests. There was one such village. A farmer reared some cows. He had to let them graze in the forest meadows.                      There was always the danger of these cows being hunted by wild animals of the forest, especially the lions and tigers. The farmer would make his cows graze in a group. He would not let them scatter around. But, the cows were greedy. They wanted all the grass for themselves that they always fought among and chased away one another. A lion was following these cows. He very well observed the disparity among them and thought, "I have nice food in front of me. If I attack them, I can kill one cow at a time and eat to my stomach full." He started to execute his plan. Within days, the lion attacked a few lone cows and killed them. The cows got worried and afraid to go to the forest for grazing. They all gathered to discuss the threat...

      In a borough under a banyan tree lived a colony of rats. They were living happily there. They got plenty of food around them. The banyan tree was so big and strong that the rats we nicely sheltered.                Once, a cunning wolf happened to come that way. He saw the fleshy rats running here and there across the banyan tree. He thought to himself, "I would love to eat these rats. They are such easy prey." The wolf started limping as if his leg was hurt. Unknowing of the wolf's trick, the leader rat came to the rescue of the wolf. He asked the wolf, "Hello friend, what is your problem? Why are you limping?" The wolf replied in a weak voice, "I have hurt my leg so bad. I cannot hunt for food. If you can help me till I cure, I shall be very thankful to you." "Stay close, I shall send food for you every day through my friends," consoled the leader rat.             From then onwards, the leader ra...

          Titbha birds are very beautiful sea-loving. They love seafood. Usually, they live in small mounds of sand that are close to the seashore. Once, a pair of Titibha birds was in search of a safe place to dig their nest.                The female bird was ready to lay eggs. "Dear husband, I am to lay eggs soon. We have to find a safe place for the eggs to hatch," she said. The male bird replied, "What about this place? The sand here is soft and wet. The climate is good. Our babies will find it fun to live here." The female bird looked around and said, "Everything is fine dear, but, the sea is too close. If a huge wave comes, this place will be washed off." The male Titibha said to his wife, "Look at my power dear." Saying this, he trotted toward the sea.                As the sea was receding after a wave, it went away from the Titibha bird. The foolish bird mistook that to be ...

          A monkey lived in a mountain cave. He was kind-hearted and loved to help other animals. He used to share his food, fruits and vegetables with those who didn't have any to eat.             Once, he found a wounded monkey in the foothills. "Oh dear friend, are you wounded seriously? Tell me how you got hurt," asked the kind-hearted monkey. "I can't move my limbs. I think I have some broken ribs. I was playing on a treetop, swinging from one branch to another. I slipped and fell down," replied the wounded monkey. So, the kind-hearted monkey helped the wounded monkey to his cave. He treated the monkey for his wounds. After some days the wounded monkey healed and turned healthy. "Friend, you have healed. You are now ready to join your family," said the kind-hearted monkey. "I am still a bit weak," replied the other monkey. "OK then, I shall bring you some food to eat," said the kind-hearted monkey and left the cave.  ...

           Across a dense forest there lived two otters. These otters had the habit of quarrelling among themselves on their catches. Once, the otters had a big quarrel with a big fish they happened to eye at the same time. The first otter said, "I had seen the fish first. So, it is mine." The second otter retaliated, "I had my paws on it first. It is mine." The first one replied, "Don't make a fool of me.                 It is I who killed it so, it is mine." "I brought the fish to the shore. It is mine," shouted the second otter. Thus, the argument continued. A jackal was watching the show from a distance and decided to bring it to an end. He came to the otters and offered, "Tell me your problem friends. I shall try to solve it." The first otter said, "Look dear jackal, it is I who saw the fish first. This fellow wants it for himself." The second otter complained, "I only brought the fish ashore.    ...

          There was a very powerful king named Midas. He was greedier than he was powerful. He plundered all countries around his kingdom.              Once, while he was worshipping, a deity appeared and said, "Hey king, I am pleased with your prayers. Ask for any wish and I shall grant that." The greedy king humbly replied, "Thank you Deity. Grant me a boon that whatever I touch shall turn into gold." With a smile, the deity said, "So shall it be. From now on whatever you touch shall turn into gold". Midas returned to his palace filled with joy. He wanted to test his new power. He touched a pillar. The entire palace turned into gold. From then on, whatever he touched turned into gold. Although Midas was happy at first, his happiness did not last long.           In hunger, if touched his food, that too turned into gold. Water turned into gold in his touch. Fruits turned into gold. He could not touch an...

            It was the rainy season. The forest was thriving with lush green leaves and fresh flowers. All birds and animals were busy collecting food during breaks in the showering rain.           A pigeon was making some repair work in her nest. She was busy collecting available dry sticks. She was flying here and there. Suddenly, she saw a honey bee being drifted in the river below. The honey bee was trying hard to keep its wings dry. The pigeon was very much sorry for the bee. In an effort to save the honey bee, the pigeon plucked a dry leaf and threw it at the bee.         The honey bee was strong enough to lift itself and lay on the dry leaf for some time. Once she was totally dry, the honey bee flew happily saying, "Dear friend, I shall not forget this timely help." Days passed. Autumn came. Hunters poached the forest in search of animals to hunt. They killed any animal they set eyes on.     ...

              Once there lived a thief named Cheeku. However, he was very clever and intelligent. One day, three rich merchants came to the town. He went to the merchants and greeted them respectfully and offered to become their servant.                   Therefore, the merchants agreed to engage him as their servant and cook. After some months the three merchants decided to return to their city. They cut open their thighs with a sharp knife and concealed the jewels inside. Cheeku saw it all. He said, Dear Masters! Take me with you to serve you. They took pity on him and agreed to take him with them. They reached a tribal village in the forest. In the village lived a savage and cruel tribe who lived by hunting and robbing people. The chief of the hunter had a magic parrot.                       As soon as the merchants arrived in the village, the pa...

       Ram was a poor farmer. He had nothing but a small piece of land. He grew whatever he could in that land. Ram was also very kind. He used to go to a nearby temple and give offerings to the deity.        Once, he took two bananas to the temple. When he was about to enter into the temple, a sanyasi stopped him and said, "I am so hungry. Can you give me something to eat?" Ram gave the two bananas to the sanyasi without hesitation. The sanyasi asked, "What will you offer to the deity now?" Ram answered, "If these bananas can quench your hunger, that too is a service to God." The sanyasi was very pleased with the honesty and kindness of Ram that he bestowed many boons upon him and made him a very rich man. Even then, Ram continued his charity. Moral: HONESTY PAYS GOODNESS. *** ***  *** 

      Once there was a milkman in a village. He used to sell milk to far places by carrying along can on his head. He called at each house and sold the milk.           It was a very tiresome business. Profit was not very high, but Ramu was able to lead a decent life with his family. But as he walked, he used to get lost in his thoughts and started daydreaming. One day, Ramu got extra money from the extra milk that he sold. From that money, he wants to buy some pets from the market. There he decided to buy a chick. He brought the chick home and was very happy to rear it.              The next day, as Ramu carried the load of milk, he thought to himself, "I have a chick now. Soon it will grow big and lay many eggs. These eggs will hatch into chicks. Those chicks will grow and they would also lay many eggs. Those many eggs would hatch and lay still many eggs. I will have still many chicks hatching and soon I shall b...

         Long Long ago, there lived three fishes in a pond. They were all friendly and lived happily in the pond. Each fish was different from the other's character.         The first was named Goldie, the second was named Whitie, and the third was named Brownie. Goldie was very intelligent and shrewd. Whitie was strong-minded and had a belief in destiny. Brownie was slow and lethargic. Once, Goldie heard two fishermen talking among themselves. The first one said, "This pond is full of fish. We have to come tomorrow and have a good catch." The second one replied, "Yes, my friend. Today, we have had enough fish. Definitely, we shall come tomorrow." Goldie swam fast to her friends and started in an anxious voice, "Dear friends, I heard two fishermen talking among themselves to catch fish in this side of the pond tomorrow. We have to leave this place and swim elsewhere to save our lives."            Whitie aske...

           Acrow has laid many eggs in a nest on top of a tree. She was assured that her nest was safe from wild animals. But, her belief was in vain. A big cobra sensed the nest.              He slithered there and ate the eggs one by one. Every time the crow laid her eggs, the cobra did the same. The crow had to think of a way to get rid of the cobra. She was not strong enough to attack the cobra. She was worried about her eggs. She had to do something to safeguard her eggs at least in future. She sat with her pair and they both came up with a plan.          The next day, the crow flew to the palace. She picked the princess' necklace and with a big cawing sound fluttered away. The guards heard the crow's sound and saw her carry the necklace. They started to follow the crow wherever she flew. The crow flew to the termite hill in the forest and threw away the necklace into the mouth hole.  ...

        There lived a beetle in a heap of dung under a shady tree. He used to roll around the dung and ate some insects that get stuck in the dung. Once, an elephant happened to pass that way.          The elephant was hungry, So, he started to pluck out some branches from the tree. The beetle got annoyed and started to hum. The mighty elephant did not take heed of this tiny noise. But the smell of the old dung was so foul that the elephant could not bear any more. As the elephant was about to leave that place the beetle flew near and said, "Hey elephant! Aren't you afraid of my loud humming?           That is why you are leaving, aren't you? See, I've really frightened you ." Now, the elephant got really wild. He blew some air right at the beetle and the beetle flew far away out of the elephant's sight. The elephant went away as if nothing had happened. Moral: THINK BEFORE YOU ACT !!! *** *** *** 

             We all know that the deer is a charming animal. It has beautiful skin and strong horns. A deer's walk is a beautiful sight to see. This beauty attracts many poachers to deer hunting.                This is one such story. A hunter was tracking a deer for quite some days. He found that the deer came exactly to the same tree each day and ate fruits that were lying there beneath the tree. He was so attracted by the beauty of the deer that he wanted to catch the deer alive. He thought, "If I set a trap here, I can catch the deer." He started implementing his plan.             He set his trap and put abundant fruits to cover up. The deer came there exactly as calculated by the hunter. But, when it saw more fruits than usual lying beneath the tree, it got suspicious and started sniffing around. Now the deer could smell the hunter hiding behind the tree. So, instead o...

           Once, a woodcutter brought home a wounded little boar. The boar had fallen into a pit dug for catching wild elephants. The woodcutter medicated the boar and after a while, the boar had gone stronger and healthy. The woodcutter took the boar back into the forest and left him in the area from where he had taken it.                   The boar was soon hungry and had to hunt for his food. Suddenly, a wild tiger pounced on the boar in an attack. The boar somehow managed to kill the tiger. After that, the boar roamed into the forest and soon found his friends. He narrated the story to his friends. His friends told, "Is this the real story? A cunning fox had fooled us by telling us that he was the one who killed the tiger.         The wild boar got really angry. He went in search of the cunning fox and killed him fiercely. When the fox had tried to escape by climbing on a fig tree, th...

           Lucky and Curse were two friends. Whenever they went together, the villagers mocked them. "Hello, Lucky! Why are you roaming with Curse?  His name is so negative. So should be his character." Although Lucky did not mind this, Curse felt very bad. Once, when Lucky was out of the station, his house caught on fire.          The villagers were afraid to go near and quench the fire. It was Curse who bravely fought the fire and quenched it. On his return, Lucky heard the whole story. He took his friend Curse proudly and said to the villagers, "Look at who saved my house. It is Curse, my friend. What is in the name?  It is in the character that someone is good or evil. Don't ever evaluate a person by name. Moral: NAME DOES NOT REFLECT CHARACTER !!! *** *** ***

       Two parrots of the same breed went to two different persons. One was a sadhu and the other was a criminal. The sadhu used to pray everyday morning, "Ram, Ram. Save the world." The parrot, living with the sadhu, also learnt to repeat the prayer.         The criminal used to scold and utter bad words right from morning tonight. The parrot, living there, also learnt to use bad words. One day, the parrot that lived with the sadhu wanted to meet the other one. It flew all the way to the criminal's house. The moment it set foot there, it heard loud scolding and bad words exchanged harshly from the parrot there. It could not believe its ears.        So, it convinced the parrot to join with the sadhu and exchanged places. Now, the criminal started hearing the prayers, "Ram, Ram. Save the world." The parrot that had gone to the sadhu also started to hear the same prayer. In due course of time, the criminal turned good and his par...

             Once, an antelope got trapped in a hunter's net. He tried as hard as he could, He could not free himself.               He started to panic and cry. A woodpecker heard the cry. She wanted to help the antelope. She flew to a nearby pond and asked the animals there, "Please come with me to help an antelope that is trapped." Only a tortoise was helpful. The woodpecker asked the tortoise to gnaw at the noose of the trap and flew to the village in search of the hunter's home.            The hunter was fast asleep. In the meantime, the tortoise gnawed away the noose and freed the antelope. The woodpecker was happy that she could help a fellow-creature. Moral: SELFLESS HELP IS SERVICE TO GOD !!! *** *** ***