Kalila and Dimna

A traveller finds a whole pot of gold buried under some old ruins - and leaves it with his friend the goldsmith for safekeeping. But when he returns, the goldsmith has a wonderful story: the mice ate the gold! Every coin! Luckily, the traveller has a wise friend, and a dinner invitation, and a wonderful story of his own - about a hawk that carried off a little boy... 🐭🦅

A funny tale about crooked stories, clever mirrors, and saying sorry.

Sounds: "Birdsong morning 01" by Matutinho (CC BY-SA) · "forest03" by Dobroide (CC BY 3.0) · "Night crickets, Föhrenwald Mödling" by DrTrumpet (CC BY-SA 4.0) - via Wikimedia Commons.

The King has dreamed eight dreams in one night - a river running uphill, two red fish standing like courtiers, the moon rising crowned with fire! The proud Brahmans read the dreams as curses and demand everything he loves: his elephant, his horse... even Queen Iladh and the little Prince. But old Beladh the wise counsellor reads the same dreams as blessings - and helps the Queen hide everyone away for one very surprising morning at court. 🐘🌙

A tale about frightening stories, greedy hearts, and hearing the truth from someone who loves you.

Sounds: "Birdsong morning 01" by Matutinho (CC BY-SA) · "forest03" by Dobroide (CC BY 3.0) · "Night crickets, Föhrenwald Mödling" by DrTrumpet (CC BY-SA 4.0) - via Wikimedia Commons.

A traveller lost in the dark knocks at a little hermit's door with one burning wish: to learn the language of the animals in a single night! The old ascetic smiles, and tells him of a farmer who was granted exactly that gift one magical morning... and overheard two little doves whispering about a jar of gold buried under his own fig tree, guarded by a sleeping snake. 🕊️✨

A gentle tale about the two secrets of listening: patience, and kindness.

Sounds: "Birdsong morning 01" by Matutinho (CC BY-SA) · "forest03" by Dobroide (CC BY 3.0) · "Night crickets, Föhrenwald Mödling" by DrTrumpet (CC BY-SA 4.0) · "Rain on leaves" by Gravity Sound (CC BY 4.0) - via Wikimedia Commons.

A lioness adores her two little cubs more than the whole sky. But one day a hunter finds her cave while she is away... and her world breaks. As she grieves, a wise jackal gently shows her a mirror: the mothers of the valley once wept just like this for the little ones SHE had taken. What the lioness does with that hard lesson will warm your heart. 🦁💛

A tender tale about feelings how the sorrow in our own heart teaches us to be gentle with every other heart.

Sounds: "Birdsong morning 01" by Matutinho (CC BY-SA) · "forest03" by Dobroide (CC BY 3.0) · "Night crickets, Föhrenwald Mödling" by DrTrumpet (CC BY-SA 4.0) — via Wikimedia Commons.

must find dinner for both of them. The jackal's silver tongue talks a tired old donkey into visiting a "magic meadow"... not once, but TWICE even after the donkey has already escaped the lion once! And when the lion asks where the donkey's heart and ears have gone, the jackal's answer will make you laugh and think. 🦁🐴

A funny tale about listening, learning, and never falling for the same trick twice.

Morning birdsong recording: "Birdsong morning 01" by Matutinho (Martin Thurnherr), Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA.

The king's dearest friend is a tiny talking bird named Finza the only one in the palace who always tells him the truth. When Finza's fluffy chick is hurt in an accident with the little prince, grief makes the bird say harsh, unfair things... and threaten to fly away forever. Can a small boy's sorry and his gentle hands mend a wing, and a friendship? 🐦👑

A tender tale about truth-telling friends, saying sorry, and letting forgiveness do the rest.

Morning birdsong recording: "Birdsong morning 01" by Matutinho (Martin Thurnherr), Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA.

A cat and a rat live in the same great tree and they are NOT friends. But one night the cat is caught in a hunter's net, and the rat finds himself cornered by a weasel and an owl, with only one safe place to hide: right beside his enemy. What follows is the strangest bargain in the forest and a very long night of very slow gnawing... 🐈🐀

A funny, clever tale about presence of mind, keeping your word, and finding help in the very last place you'd look.

Morning birdsong recording: "Birdsong morning 01" by Matutinho (Martin Thurnherr), Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA.

An old hermit and his wife finally have the baby they wished for and their little house has one more baby too: a tiny mongoose the hermit rescued, who guards the cradle like a small striped soldier. But one afternoon, a black snake slips into the house, and the hermit comes home to a sight he reads all wrong... 🦦🐍

A gentle tale about loyalty, haste, and learning to look before you judge. Never act in anger, little listeners first, find out what really happened.

Morning birdsong recording: "Birdsong morning 01" by Matutinho (Martin Thurnherr), Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA.

Every morning, a monkey in a tall fig tree drops sweet figs to his friend the tortoise in the river below. But when the tortoise starts coming home later and later, his wife grows worried and a neighbour whispers a dangerous idea.

Soon the tortoise is carrying his friend across the deep river with a terrible secret in his heart. Can the monkey think his way home before it is too late? A complete chapter of the Persian classic Kalila and Dimna, told in one episode with full cast voices and real forest sounds.

Morning birdsong recording: "Birdsong morning 01" by Matutinho (Martin Thurnherr), Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA.

The crows are about to crown the Owl as their king — until one old, wise crow flaps in at the very last moment with a warning and a story. But the Owl hears every word, and owls have long memories.

When the owls attack in the night, the crows need more than wings to save themselves. They need the cleverest plan in the forest, and one very brave old crow to carry it out. A complete chapter of the Persian classic Kalila and Dimna, told in one episode with full cast voices and real forest sounds.

Morning birdsong recording: "Birdsong morning 01" by Matutinho (Martin Thurnherr), Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA.