Story Prism

Today's story, 'Tenali, The Detective' is a story where Tenali acts like a detective. A detective needs to be observant and solve problems. Let’s listen to the story to find out how Raman acts like a detective and if he succeeds or not!

Free activity sheet available at www.rituvaish.com/tenali-the-detective-archive

Send your artwork to [email protected].

Transcript

Tenali Raman was once walking along a forest path when he was stopped by a merchant. “I’m looking for my camel which has strayed away. Did you see it passing by?” asked the sad and worried merchant.

Children, how do you feel when you lose something? I feel the same, and so we must take care of things.

So, a merchant had lost his camel and was asked Tenali is he had seen it.

“Had the camel hurt its leg?” asked Raman.

“Oh yes! That means you have seen my camel!” said the merchant. 

“Only its footprints. See, you can see footprints of an animal with three legs,” said Raman, pointing out the footprints on the ground. “It was dragging the other leg because it was hurt in that leg.”

“Was it blind in one eye?” Raman asked the merchant.

“Yes, yes,” said the merchant eagerly.

“Was it loaded it with wheat on one side and sugar on the other side?” asked Raman.

“Yes, you are right,” said the merchant. 

“So you have seen my camel!” exclaimed the merchant. 

Raman looked upset. “Did I say I saw your camel? Of course not!” 

“Then how did you give the exact description of my camel,” said the merchant. 

“I saw no camel,” said Raman. 

Children, how do you think Raman knew the exact description of the camel?

Let’s listen ahead.

“Do you see those plants lined up on both sides of this path? You can clearly see, some animal has eaten leaves of plants on the left, but the plants on the other side remain untouched. So , I figured out that the animal could see with only one eye.”

“Look down. You can see ants lined up on this side which means, the animal was loaded with sugar bag on this side. The bag had a hole, which allowed the sugar to fall off. That’s how I know that the camel was carrying bags of sugar.”

Tenali smiled and further added, “You can see grains of wheat fallen on the other side. The bag on this side also must have holes in it.”

“I can see everything you showed me,” protested the merchant, ”but I still don’t see my camel.” 

Children, any idea how Tenali would help the merchant find the camel?

Let’s see!

“You follow this trail and soon you will catch up with your animal. After all it is hurt in one leg and you seem to be hale and hearty,” said Raman.

The merchant took his advice and followed the trail left by the camel.

Soon he caught up with the poor animal, limping along. 

“Rani!” the merchant shouted in happiness, as he ran to his camel.

The Grandfather Stone is a legend from Native Americans who originally lived in what’s now known as New York state. It’s a story about how people started the art of storytelling.

Free activity sheet available at www.rituvaish.com/the-grandfather-stone-archive.

Send your artwork to [email protected].

Transcript

Once upon a time, there was no “once upon a time.” That was because the people had no stories to tell. They didn’t even know what a “story” was! And that made the winters long and boring for people who were cooped up inside with little to do.

Children, imagine you are stuck inside homes, how would you keep yourself entertained?

In one village, a boy lived with his grandmother. As the spring arrived, , he took his spear to catch fish in the river. By the time the sunset each evening, the boy’s basket was always overflowing with plump, glistening bass and trout!

One year, on the first day of spring, when the blankets of snow melted away and colourful flowers sprang from the earth, the boy ran to the river. He waded into the water, his spear poised above his shoulder.

The little boy called out to the fish in the river, “I see you, little fish. Right there, little fish!”

But every time he plunged his spear into the crystal-clear river, the slippery fish would zig-zag away and disappear downstream.

The boy was disappointed.

By the time the sun went down, the boy’s basket had only two fish in it.

Sadly he thought to himself, “ Oh, no! I’ve never caught so few fish before! Grandmother depends on me for dinner. This is going to be one meagre meal.”

Not wanting to face his grandmother, the boy decided to meander home a different way. He entered the dark forest and took a left turn where he usually took a right.

Children, what do you think will happen now?

Listen ahead.

Soon, he approached a shadowy clearing. As he stepped inside, he heard a deep, rumbling voice call out, “ Young man, would you like to hear a story?”

The boy was aghast, “Who’s there? Who said that? And what is a story?

He heard the deep voice again, “A “story” tells about the things that happened before this time. It tells how things came to be, and why things came to be. So, I ask you again: would you like to hear a story?”

Children, if the voice asked you, “Which story would you like to listen to? “ What would you say?

Now, you remember the boy was in no hurry to go back home. Besides, he was also curious.

He requested in a deep voice, “Yes, please! I would love to hear a “story”! But first, who are you? And where are you? I don’t see anyone here!”

Just then, a gleaming, white ray of the moon passed through the trees and lit up the stone in the middle of the clearing. Suddenly, the boy realized where the voice was coming from the stone!

The stone introduced himself, “ I am Grandfather Stone. I have been here since time began, so I have many stories to tell. But first, storytellers should always receive something for their stories, a gift, in exchange for their gift. Have you something to give me?”

All that the boy had with him were the two fish he’d caught that day. He reached into his basket, pulled out the larger fish, and placed it on top of the stone and asked, “Will this do?”

Grandfather stone said, “ It will do. Thank you. Now, come sit. And I will tell you a story.”

The boy settled down on the ground and leaned back against the cool, smooth stone. He closed his eyes as the stone began the story.

The Grandfather Stone told a story about how long ago, when animals could talk, the proudest and most boastful creature was the bear. The burly beast was always bragging about his most prized possession: a long, glossy, furry tail.

One winter, a clever fox decided he’d teach the cocky bear a lesson. Fox told Bear that if he stuck his tail through the ice on the river, the next day he would catch a bounty of fish!

FISH! Hearing the word fish, the bear’s mouth started watering. He decided to stick his tail in the ice!

Children, can you guess what will happen next?

Well, come morning, guess whose tail was frozen beneath the ice?! Bear tried to yank it out, but it stayed behind in the ice, and ever since then, bears have had short tails.

By the time the story ended, the boy was grinning from ear to ear.

“Wow! This was the most extraordinary thing I have ever heard, thank you I wish you could tell me one more story, but I only have one fish left. And that’s dinner for grandmother and me. It’s also getting late and I have to run back home! “

“No problem, you can come back tomorrow,” said the grandfather stone.

The little boy rushed back home. When he reached home the Grandmother looked at the little boy and then the basket and said sadly,

“I have been worried sick,

For you didn’t see the time tick.

What! One fish?”

“Umm, grandmother…,” stammered the boy, when grandmother interrupted,

“Shh.. it’s my wish

For you to get more fish

Tomorrow.”

“Surely, surely,” and he went to bed imagining the story that the Grandfather stone told.

The next day it was the same. The little boy took his spear, tried and tried, but he managed to get only two fish yet again!

He went straight to the clearing and placing a fish requested for another story from the Grandfather Stone.

Again, the boy relaxed on the ground, his eyes closed, his head resting against the stone’s cool, smooth surface. Grandfather stone gladly told him yet another story.

After the story ended, the little boy expressed, “ Oh, Grandfather Stone! These stories are the best! I wish you could tell me more, but I only have one fish left.”

The grandfather stone comforted, “Not to worry, young man. Come back tomorrow, and I will tell you another story.

That brought a smile on the little boy’s face and happily, he went back home.

 When he reached home the Grandmother looked at the little boy and then the basket and with a tear rolling down her cheek she said,

“I have been worried sick

For you didn’t see the time tick.

What ! One fish?”

“Umm, grandmother…mother,” stammered the boy, well,

I got two fish but one I exchanged for a gift!”

Grandmother’s eye brightened, “ Gift ?” Looking into the basket she said, “ Where is it?

“Well! It’s a gift that you hear, “ the little boy said wiping the tear off grandmother’s wrinkly face and explained everything.

 “I want to meet your grandfather stone too and listen to what you call stories.”

Children, do you think the little boy would take the grandmother?

Let’s find out.

The boy asked Grandmother to take a basket, and fill it with slices of fresh cornbread.

With the basket of cornbread slung over one arm, the boy led Grandmother to the clearing in the forest. In the middle, stood Grandfather Stone, his smooth, cool surface dappled by moonlight through the trees.

They both heard the deep voice, “ Young man. You’re back already! And you’ve brought a companion! Welcome!

Grandmother was so astonished that, uh, um, that was all that she could say.

Grandmother watched as the boy emptied the basket of cornbread onto the stone.

With sparkling, curious eyes the boy said, “We would like to hear many stories.”

The grandfather stone said, “Thank you! Now, I will tell you some stories.”

The boy helped Grandmother onto the ground. He wrapped his arm around her shoulder and gave a loving squeeze as Grandfather Stone began.

The stone told stories about foolish people and clever animals, stories about clever people and foolish animals, stories about how chipmunks got their stripes, how porcupines got their quilts and how we got the four seasons.

Hours went by. Morning came and the moon gave way to the rays of the sun, and the boy and Grandmother were wide awake, wrapped up in Grandfather Stone’s stories

At last, the stone paused.

The grandfather said, “From here on out, stories won’t be kept inside smooth, cold stones like me. They’ll be carried by warm-blooded people like you! Pass these stories on to your children... and your grandchildren, then have them pass these stories on to their children and grandchildren. Keep these stories going for as long as the world keeps going. Now, my friend, it’s your turn.”

Then the stone fell silent and never spoke again.

The boy and his grandmother listened to the stone’s final words. They returned to the village, and recounted the stories as they had heard… sharing them with everyone, young and old... again and again and again.

To show their thanks, the villagers offered gifts of food and clothing. But the way the boy and Grandmother saw it, being able to pass Grandfather Stone’s magnificent, splendid stories on to others was gift enough.

And when spring turned to summer, summer turned to fall, and fall turned to winter, and the temperatures and the snow began to drop, no one worried about suffering through a long, drawn-out season. They had their stories to entertain them and keep them warm.

And today… the whole world does, too.

Welcome to the Turtle Tales series.

Every year on the 20th of March we celebrate world storytelling day.

So, I request our listeners to share their favourite stories amongst all the episodes on our podcast. You may share it on: https://www.facebook.com/ritusnest/

Today's story,The Banana Split is a story from Panama, the central American country that bridges North and South America.

Children, what is the quickest thing you can think of? the Lion, the cheetah, the train…

Yes, all those are all quick things, to be sure. But none of them is as quick as your mind!

Today’s story is about someone saving the situation by using the fastest thing….that is MIND!

Free activity sheets and other downloadable resources are available at www.rituvaish.com/the-banana-spilt

Send your artwork to [email protected].

Transcript

In a tropical forest full of towering trees, dangling vines, and twisting rivers, there lived a Monkey.

Monkey had his home at the top of the only banana plant in the forest. At the very top of the thick green stem, yellow clusters of sweet, delicious bananas dangled high above the ground.

And all the animals in the forest longed to eat them! 

Like the Cuckoo said, “ I really want to eat a banana as a snack right now.”

The porcupine who was standing under the banana tree looked up and pleaded, “ Me too, cuckoo, my tummy is rumbling for a banana, actually a few bananas.”

The toucan staring at the bunch of bananas screeched, “ I wish the monkey would share some with us.”

From one of the branches jumped the monkey and swinging while eating a banana teased, “ No way! This is my tree and I won’t share even a single banana with anyone of you.”

But the animals really wanted to eat the bananas so they made a bargain and offered something in return. 

Children, can you guess what would each offer in exchange for a banana?

Think about what each of them is famous for.

Very Good.

Let’s listen ahead.

The cuckoo offered, “ I will sing you the most melodious song that would help you to sleep like a baby.”

The porcupine plucked one of his quills and said, “ here, this quill will make a perfect backscratcher.”

Toucan interrupted, “ I’ll share my most vibrant feathers and they’ll look amazing with your brown and white fur.”

But all in vain for the monkey,’ I will not fall for all these bargains. I am telling you that I won’t share any bananas with you.”

The cuckoo knew that there was a wise Turtle who could probably help them and they all decided to go to him. 

The Turtle lived deep in the heart of the forest, so it was evening by the time the Cuckoo, Toucan, and Porcupine reached her nest. The clever creature was sound asleep, with her head, legs, and tail tucked deep within her brown and yellow shell.

The cuckoo said, “ Pssst! Turtle! Wake up, wake up, we need your help.”

The Turtle poked out her head and opened one eye and looked at the cuckoo and gave a sleepy smile, “ Always there to help my dear friends.”\

Then, looking at the porcupine and the toucan, he said, “ please tell me how can I be of help.”

They explained the situation and how the monkey wasn’t sharing bananas with anyone.

Turtle closed her eyes. At first, the other animals thought she had fallen back asleep. But then she blinked her eyes open and broke into a grin. “ I know just how to make that monkey set straight.”

She reassured the friends that they needn’t worry anymore and that she has a perfect plan to teach a lesson to the monkey.

The next day, the Turtle walked towards the river and as expected found the monkey gulping water after eating his breakfast of bananas.

The Turtle said, “ hello monkey! “

“Turtle! You scared the living daylights out of me! What are you doing sneaking up on a guy while he’s washing down his breakfast? And what a breakfast it was! I must have eaten six bunches of bananas, at least! Each one is riper and sweeter than the last! Oh, you should have tasted them! Not that you ever will, of course. Since they’re mine, all mine!” said the monkey.

Turtle waited for the monkey to complete and said, “ Gosh! Those bananas. I’ll make you a bet, Monkey. I’ll bet you half of all the bananas on the plant that if you and I race to the top of it… I'll beat you!”

The monkey laughed out loud, “ You…?!? Beat me?!? To the top of the banana plant?!? But you’re a slow-crawling Turtle! And I’m a speedy, nimble monkey! You wouldn’t stand a chance racing against me!”

“We’ll see,” smiled the Turtle.

“I accept the bet,” said the monkey.

Cuckoo, Porcupine, and Toucan volunteered to be the race’s referees. Standing at the mossy, grassy base of the banana plant, they helped kick off the race.

Cuckoo said, “ On your marks.”

The porcupine added, “ get set.”

And the toucan yelled., “ Go!”

Children, whom do you think will win?

Yes! The monkey for he is so much faster than the Turtle.

Finally, when the Turtle reached the top, he politely offered his congratulations.

The other animals watching were disappointed and waved goodbye to all the bananas.

Then they all looked up in surprise when they heard the Turtle, “You are indeed fast! I wonder if I could interest you in another bet? This time, I’ll bet you half the bananas on the banana plant that I can reach the ground faster than you can!”

Monkey called down, “Cuckoo? Porcupine? Toucan? We’re having another race! This time, to the bottom! That silly Turtle still thinks she can beat me! Can you get us started?”

The animals knew that their friend Turtle would lose, but all the same went ahead.

Cuckoo said, “ On your marks.”

The porcupine added, “ get set.”

And the toucan yelled., “ Go!”

In a blink of an eye, the monkey began scrambling and swinging down the banana tree.

Well, the Turtle took a deep breath.

Children, what do you think the Turtle would do?

Let’s listen ahead.

The Turtle, however… did not move.

 Instead, she closed her eyes… then tucked her head, feet, and tail safely inside her thick, hard, brown and yellow shell.

And then… she dropped like a rock!

“Here we gooooooooo!!!!!’ she called out.

Down, down, down she fell. Until she landed… safe and sound on the grassy, mossy ground below.

She exclaimed. “ Made it!”

Monkey, meanwhile, was completely unaware of Turtle’s rapid descent. He’d been He was shocked when he reached the base of the banana plant and saw his opponent standing there, with a triumphant smile on her wrinkly face!

One very confused monkey asked, “But wait! How did you get down here before I did?”

To which the Turtle proudly said, “There’s more than one way to be quick! You have your fast feet… I have my quick mind. And now I have half the bananas in this banana plant, too!”

What else could Monkey do but split the bananas with Turtle, for he had lost the bet?

And that night, Turtle, Cuckoo, Porcupine, and Toucan enjoyed a sweet, succulent banana feast.

As for Monkey, he never again hogged all the bananas to himself. Instead, he shared them. Because he knew that despite his swift, nimble hands, feet and tail, when it came to true quickness, Turtle was truly the winner.

Description: Today’s story, Tree of Blossoms, is a folktale from Japan. It’s a story about how being kind is rewarding and being unkind eventually leads to your downfall.

Free activity sheet available at https://www.rituvaish.com/the-tree-of-blossoms-archive

Send your artwork to [email protected].

Transcript

Long, long ago there lived an old man and his wife who cultivated a small plot of land. They were satisfied, but unfortunately, they did not have a child.

They had a pet dog called ‘Shiro’. ‘Shiro’ means white, and he was so-called because of his colour.

They showered all their affection on their dog to the extent that if they had something nice to eat, they always gave it to Shiro, denying themselves of it.

Children, do you have any pets? If so, what have you named them, and why?

The happiest time for the couple was when they returned from the fields and had their frugal dinner of rice and some vegetable and then went to the veranda and sure enough, Shiro was waiting for his master. The old man would say, “Chin, chin!” and the dog sat up and asked for food, his master gave it to him. After that, they played with Shiro.

Children, what games do you think the old couple played with Shiro?

Their next-door neighbor was very wicked and cruel, who hated good neighbors and the dog Shiro with all their might. Whenever Shiro happened to look into their kitchen, he was rudely kicked out.

One day, Shiro was heard barking for a long time in the field at the back of his master’s house. The old man ran to check what was wrong. Then Shiro dragged him seizing the end of his kimono to a large Cherry Blossom tree. There he started digging with his paws, jumping with joy. The old man understood that the dog was telling him about something that was buried under the tree. So, the old man dug and was pleasantly surprised to find a heap of coins, gold coins!

The old man ran to call his wife, and together they carried home the treasure. In one day the poor couple became rich. His gratitude to the faithful dog knew no bounds, and he loved and petted him even more than ever.

Now, the neighbor found out about how the old couple became so rich and he became more envious after seeing the treasure. So, a few days later the neighbor called the old man’s home and asked to borrow the dog saying they wanted to show that they no longer hated the dog. Shiro’s master was too kindhearted to refuse their request and lent the dog on the condition that they should take good care of him.

Children, why does the wicked neighbor want the dog?

Let’s find out.

The wicked man returned home with an evil smile on his face. He took the spade and dragged Shiro by his collar to the Cherry Blossom tree and yelled at him,” Find the treasure! Find the treasure!” Scared, Shiro began to dig the earth under the tree. Then excitedly the neighbor started digging, only to find a heap of trash. The angry neighbor took his spade and killed Shiro. He buried Shiro there in the same hole where he found the trash. In his anger, he even cut the tree and got the tree trunk back home.

After waiting for several days, the old man went to the neighbor and asked him to return his dog. The neighbor told him that because of the dog’s bad behavior he had killed him and buried him under the Cherry Blossom tree. He said he cut the tree and got the trunk home to sell the log. Saddened, and with tears rolling, he pleaded for the tree trunk as a remembrance of his dog. Luckily, the neighbor agreed.

The old man carried the trunk of the tree and at home made a big mortar. In this, his wife put some rice and pounded it. A strange thing happened! The wife put rice into the mortar and no sooner had she begun to pound the rice to make cakes, it began to increase in quantity till it was about five times the original amount. It was indeed the reward from Shiro for their faithful love to him. From then onwards they were never troubled for food.

Again, the greedy neighbor, hearing about their new good luck was filled with envy. Soon they called in to borrow the mortar. Shiro’s master was too kind-hearted to refuse their request and lent the mortar on the condition that they should take good care of it.

When the neighbor pounded rice, only horrid-smelling stuff came out.

Children, why do you think the mortar gave rice to the good old couple and some bad stuff to the mean neighbour?

Yes, that’s because the old couple was kind whereas the neighbour was mean and unkind.

After a few days the old man went to the neighbour’s house to get his mortar back, but to his disappointment saw it being burnt. Very disappointed, the old man said sadly, “May I take back the ashes as a remembrance of Shiro?” “Yes, sure,” the neighbor agreed.

It was late autumn and all the trees had shed their leaves. The old man decided to scatter some ash on them. Lo and behold, the cherry trees, the plum trees, and all the blossoming shrubs burst into a bloom. The old couple was delighted and saved the rest of the ash.

The story of the old couple’s garden spread far and wide, and people from far and near came to see the wonderful sight.

One day, the old man heard a knock at his door. He opened it and to his surprise, saw a knight standing there. The knight said, “I am a messenger of the king. Unfortunately, the king’s favourite cherry tree has withered, and no one is able to revive it. The King heard about you who could make the withered tree to blossom, and so he wants you to help him revive his favourite tree.”

“Yes, certainly! I’ll try to see what I can do,” said the old man humbly.

The old man respectfully followed the knight with the ashes of the mortar tucked in his kimono. Once he reached the garden, he scattered some ash on the tree and indeed the tree burst into full bloom.

The king rewarded him with silver and gold and many other precious things. The King further gave him the name-The Old Man who makes the trees to blossom.’

Hearing about the story of the old couple being invited and then being rewarded by the king, the wicked neighbor was more jealous than ever now. So he set to work and gathered the ashes which remained in the fireplace after burning the mortar. He then went towards the palace yelling, “Here comes the wonderful man who makes the withered cherry trees blossom!”

The King asked him if he was the same person whom he had named ‘The Old man who makes the trees to blossom?”

The evil neighbor lied and said, “Yes indeed!”

Children, is telling a lie a good thing?

No, let’s see what happens to the mean and now also a liar neighbour?

He followed the King to the garden and scattered some ash on one of the cherry trees, but with no effect. The King understood that the man was a fraud. He was caught and put behind bars. Thus, he met with punishment at last for all his evil doings.

The good old man became rich and prosperous and lived happily ever after with his wife

Welcome to The Ant Tales series. The Ant and the Dove is a story from Panchatantra.

Children, it’s a story about doing good to others. Here a dove does something for the ant, but does the ant reciprocate? Listen to the story to find out.

Free activity sheets and other downloadable resources available at www.rituvaish.com/the-ant-and-the-dove

Transcript

On a hot day in summer, an ant was searching for some water. She crawled around for a long time, but in vain. She couldn’t find water.

Children, please give ideas to the ant as to where she can find water

Great! Let’s listen ahead.

By now her throat was parched. Luckily she heard the gurgling of water and rushed in that direction. Yes indeed, she reached a river. To drink the water, she climbed up on a small rock and drank to her heart's content. She took a sigh of relief and wanted to drink some more. This time, unfortunately, she slipped and fell into the river.

She shouted, “ Help! Help! I am drowning!”

There was a dove sitting on a branch of a tree on the bank of the river.  who saw an ant falling into the river. The dove was kind-hearted and always extended a helping hand to anyone in need. He quickly plucked a leaf and dropped it into the river near the struggling ant. The ant moved towards the leaf and climbed up onto it. Soon, the leaf drifted to dry ground, and the ant jumped out. She looked up at the tree and thanked the dove.

After a few days, the dove was sitting on a tree. The ant was playing under the same tree. The ant saw a hunter aiming his arrow at the dove and guessed what he was about to do. She knew that his friend, the dove was in danger.

Children, what do you think the ant would do now?

Yes! She quickly rushed towards the hunter and bit him on his leg. The hunter cried in pain and his arrow missed the dove. Alarmed by the scream, the dove understood what had happened and flew away. The ant saved the dove. The dove thanked the aunt for saving her life and became friends forever.

Description: In today's story-The Kettle Who Gave Birth, Nasiruddin tricks his neighbour. Listen to the story to find out if he succeeds.

Free activity sheet available at https://www.rituvaish.com/the-kettle-who-gave-birth-archive

Send your artwork to [email protected].

Transcript

Nasiruddin admired his neighbour Ali’s kettle very much.

Children, can you imagine what it looked like?

Indeed, it was big and beautiful, painted and glazed in many vibrant colours with exquisite designs.

Every time he went over to the neighbour, he was offered tea and he couldn’t stop admiring the kettle so much so that he wanted the kettle for himself.

Being a witty and an intelligent man, Nasiruddin decided to play a trick, by which he could get the kettle.

Children, do you play any tricks with your friends? These should only be friendly and not harm anyone.

One day Nasiruddin went to Ali and said, “My dear neighbour, I need to borrow your kettle as mine has developed a leak, and I have some relatives visiting me shortly.”

Ali willingly gave the kettle without suspecting anything.

Many days passed and when Nasiruddin didn’t return. So, Ali went to Nasiruddin's house and said politely, “I have been waiting for so many days. Why did you not bring my kettle back?”

Nasiruddin replied, “Oh my friend! I have great news for you.”

Children, can you guess the great news?

Listen ahead.

Nasiruddin added, “Your kettle gave birth to a little kettle. I was just waiting for the little kettle to gain strength before I brought the mother and the child to you.”

So saying, Nasiruddin returned the kettle with a smaller one.

Ali was amazed as well as overjoyed. He took his kettle and the other little one wondering at the miracle.

After a few days, Nasiruddin again went to Ali’s house and again asked if he could borrow the kettle. And Ali without hesitation gave the kettle.

Ali waited for a few days for Nasiruddin to return, but when the latter did not, Ali Went to Nasiruddin's house and asked for it.

Children, what excuse do you think Nasiruddin will give this time.

Let’s see.

“Oh, my friend! How I wish I had better news,” clasping his hands and in a sad tone Nasiruddin said, “That kettle was old and sick, and she died. I looked for you but couldn’t find you so buried her lest she would rot.”

Ali was furious and stormed out of Nasiruddin's house only to reach the court of justice and put the matter before the judge.

The judge called Nasiruddin and asked,” Why did you take this man’s kettle for your own?”

Nasiruddin said confidently, “The kettle was old and sick and she died. I looked for Ali, but couldn’t find him that day, so buried the old kettle.”

Children, think for a moment that you were the judge, what verdict you would give?

Let’s see what happens in the story next.\

“What is this? How can a kettle die? “retorted the judge.

“Oh yes! If a kettle can give birth to a baby kettle, it can also die. Whatever is born eventually dies.”

The judge was baffled and he asked for the complete story. Nasiruddin narrated all the incidents. The judge laughed and understood that Nasiruddin was very shrewd and decided that Nasiruddin be given the kettle.

Proudly Nasiruddin went back home becoming the legal owner of the kettle he so loved and desired.

A crow is a bird whom most people ignore and do not attach any special things like peacock feathers, Cuckoo's singing or sparrows nests.

Today’s story – ‘The Crow’s Discover’- is a story where a crow tries to learn something that would be special, but does he succeed?

Let’s listen to the story and find out.

Free activity sheet available at www.rituvaish.com/the-crows-discovery

Send your artwork to [email protected].

Transcript

The sun’s rays had started to paint the east horizon with hues of red and orange. In his nest, Kalu, the crow, woke up and looked around. He was bored. He cleared his throat and called a few times.” Ka, ka! It is so boring,” He thought to himself. Then suddenly, He heard beautiful music. A koel was singing his sweet song somewhere nearby.

Children, “koels and cuckoos are cousins belonging to the same family. Both birds lay eggs in the nests of host birds. koels are primarily found in the  Indian Subcontinent, China, and Southeast Asia.

Getting back to the story

For a while, Kalu enjoyed the song. Then he got mad. It wasn't fair. It just wasn't fair! It was he who had warmed the eggs that the koel had hatched from, and now that little bird was singing so much better than his! But he shouldn't be jealous, he told himself, the thing to do was to take singing lessons from the Koel.

Kalu went looking for the koel and found his at last. The koel looked at him a little suspiciously, but Kalu was very respectful.

“You have the sweetest voice in the world. Will you teach me to sing?” Kalu asked humbly.

“For sure, but you have to be here at dawn every morning,” said the koel. 

Kalu nodded.

“Great! So, let’s start tomorrow morning,” said the koel soaring high in the sky.

Kalu was very worried. He loved his sleep, and never woke up before sunrise. But he was very firm about his singing lessons and so he wound up his alarm clock and set it before he went to bed. When the alarm rang, Kalu jumped out of the bed, rubbed his eyes and spread his wings to yawn. Then, he flapped his wings as fast as he could and reached the koel.

The koel was waiting impatiently.

“Good morning koel!” greeted Kalu.

“Let’s get started.” Kuhoo, kuhoo. Now you copy me Kalu, “she sang and asked Kalu to try.

 Eagerly, Kalu tried, but all he could say was, “Ka-ka, Ka-ka.”

After a while, the koel had had enough, “I give up. You are just not able to learn. Please find another teacher. I have to rush to the place I recently found some grains piled up. let me go and enjoy that. Don’t tell anyone else, Kalu as then I’ll have to share which I don’t want to.” 

Kalu was very disappointed that He couldn’t learn to sing.

He had tears rolling down his cheeks and sadly He returned to his nest.

Another day Kalu saw a mouse gnawing at a sack. 

Kalu called out, “Hey mouse, please teach me to gnaw too!”

The mouse whispered, “Shhhh, be quiet, else all the mice will come and finish the grains in this sack. This is my find and I want to eat it every day. I don’t want to share with anyone. Moreover, you are a crow, you crows can never learn anything, except cawing. I can’t teach you.”

Children, what can you say about the character of the mouse? Is he helpful, mean, kind, or unkind?

Well, days passed and Kalu went about doing his regular chores. But he had a burning desire to be able to do something as special as singing like koel or gnawing like the mice.

Soon it was the rainy season. Kalu used to watch the peacocks dancing. He loved to see their grace in every movement. He wanted to dance just like them.

So one day he went up to one of the peacocks and requested, “Would you be kind enough to teach me to dance?”

The peacock smiled and said, “Sure, I could most certainly do that. Just follow me.”

The peacock continued, “One-two move to the left, 3-4 move to the right.”

The crow focussed and tried. He couldn’t get it right on the first try. He tried again, and again, but all in vain.  

“Looks like I can never learn to sing like koel, gnaw like a mouse, or even dance like a peacock!” Sadly he walked back home.

“I am good at nothing,” He said sobbing.

As He passed a house, He saw wheat spread on a mat for drying.

He burst into a smile.

Children, why did the crow burst into a smile?

Let’s listen ahead.

Kalu flapped his wings as fast as he could, announcing about the wheat to all his friends and family.

They all gathered in the backyard and had a feast.

They all thanked Kalu for being generous.

It was then that a thought struck Kalu, “So what if I can sing, gnaw, or dance, but I am generous and invited my friends and family to share the wheat that I found. No other animal did that.”

He was proud of himself and grateful that He was a part of such a kind and sharing family.

Description: In today's story-The Stolen Smell, meet a baker who is so stingy that he wants to charge people just for smelling his baked goods!

Free activity sheet available at https://www.rituvaish.com/the-stolen-smell-archive

Send your artwork to [email protected].

Transcript

Long ago in the city of Peru, there lived a baker. He was so stingy that he won't even give a stale crumb to the birds. His neighbour, on the other hand, was a kind man who was always glad to share the little he had. He cared more about making friends than he did about making money.

Children, what is your favourite thing to buy at a bakery?

That’s nice.

The greedy baker was jealous of his cheerful neighbour. He grumbled, “How can he have so so little and yet be so happy?”

Every morning, the smell of cinnamon buns and sweet rolls drifted out of the bakery. The wind carried the wonderful aroma towards the neighbour’s house. As the poor neighbour sat on his porch eating stale bread, the sweet smell filled the air. He took a deep breath and sighed with happiness.

As the baker watched, he thought, “The smell from my baked goods makes his stale bread taste delicious. That's not fair. He should have to pay for such pleasure.”

Children, the smell comes free, right? What other things come free?

Yes! Air we breathe, the rain, the sunlight, etc.

After seeing this happen, again and again, the baker went to his neighbour’s house and handed him a bill.

“You want me to pay you? For what? I don't have enough money to buy anything in your store,” said the kind neighbour.

“That's right you paid nothing and yet every day you steal the smell of my baked goods,” yelled the baker.

“You mean you want me to pay 10 coins as a smelling fee?” Laughed the neighbour.

“Yes! From now on, I will not be cheated and if you don't pay, I will take you to the court,” replied the baker.

When the word of the baker's demand spread around the city, everyone laughed at the idea of a stolen smell.

At last, the baker was so angry that he took the case to a respected judge.

Children, what do you think a judge does?

Yes! A judge solves people’s fights. He listens to both sides and tells people how they should resolve their problems.

Everyone was sure that the judge would dismiss the case. After all, how could anyone steal a smell? But to their surprise, the judge said, “It's my duty to listen to what the baker has to say. I order both the baker and his neighbour to come to court tomorrow.”

The judge sent word to the neighbour that he should bring five gold coins with him. When the kind man heard this, he worried that he would have to hand over the little money he had to the greedy baker. The baker was delighted with the news. He grinned as he thought of his pocket full of his neighbours gold coin.

The next day, the baker and the neighbour arrived at the crowded court. Many townspeople were puzzled by the judge’s action and came to see what the judge would do. They couldn't believe that he might make the kind man pay for the smell.

When the judge walked in, the courtroom fell silent. First, he listened to the baker's complaint. Then he returned to the neighbour and asked, “Is it true that you have enjoyed the smell of this man's baked goods every day for many years?”

“Yes, your honor! I must confess that it's true,” admitted the neighbour.

The judge thought for a while. Finally, he declared, “A smell has been stolen. Since stealing is a crime, the neighbour must be punished!

The kind man protested, “But your honour…”

“Order in the court,” bellowed the judge. He then turned to the neighbour and demanded, “Take the five gold pieces from your pocket!” After the neighbour did so the judge ordered, “Now, drop the coins from one hand to the other!”

The neighbour passed the coins back and forth between his hands. The judge turned to the baker and asked, “Did you hear the jingle of the gold coins?”

“Yes, it is a wonderful sound. It is the payment I believe I deserve,” cried the baker. The baker began to move towards his neighbour to grab the money.

“Wait!” cried the judge. “You have already a fair payment. Your neighbour was guilty of stealing the smell of your baked goods. You have been paid by hearing the sound of his money. The case is dismissed,’ said the judge.

Laughter filled the courtroom as the people marveled at the judge’s cleverness. The baker hung his head. He even saw how foolish and greedy he had been. From then on the judge was known as the wisest of all, treating people fairly and honestly

Before I take you on a journey today, let me tell you something very exciting. You and I can now meet at clever.fm/storyprism and have fun discussing various aspects of the story. Here, you can answer a question from the story, ask me something about the story, or even share what you liked or didn’t like about it.

The link to the website is: https://clever.fm/storyprism

Today’s story-The Pied Piper is an adapted story from the famous story-Pied Piper of Hamelin  It teaches us to keep a promise once made.

Free activity sheet available at www.rituvaish.com/the-pied-piper-archive

Send your artwork to [email protected].

Transcript

Once upon a time there was a little town called Hamelin, located among the mountains and surrounded by beautiful fields.

Children, what is the name of the city you live in?

What is your favourite thing about this city?

Well, in the beautiful town, one day, a lot of rats arrived.  The rats ran around everywhere and troubled each and every citizen of the town. Finally, the terrified citizens went to plead with the mayor to free them from this problem.

Children, how do you think the rats terrified the citizens of Hamelin?

That’s right!  They ate all the food, troubled sleeping babies, and made a lot of noise. The people had grown tired of the rats but were unable to do anything. Even the cats were not able to kill the rats.

The Mayor was in his office trying to think of a plan, when a young man with a golden flute appeared, and offered to rid him and the town of rats in exchange for one million euros.  He was called the Pied Piper.

“If you solve this problem I will pay you.” said the Mayor.

“Certainly, and if I fail, I will not charge anything and you may even punish me if I am unable to get rid of the rats,” said the Pied Piper.

That night, a sound of a flute was heard throughout the streets of Hamelin. All the people peeped out of their homes.  And they couldn’t believe what they saw.

All the rats came out of every nook and corner of the homes and followed the Pied Piper as he marched down to the river and straight into the water. Behind him the swarm of rats followed him and every one of them was drowned and swept away by the current.

The citizens were delighted and cheered for the Pied Piper. Now, the town was free of the little devils and the people were relieved and thrilled.

After all the rats were dead, the Pied Piper returned and asked the Mayor for his money. The Mayor said, “ This was such an easy task. And I would give you only twenty Euros for such an easy job.”

Now that the rats were dead, the Mayor thought that there was nothing to worry about.

But the Pied Piper wanted to teach him a lesson. This time he played a different tune on his flute. Hearing his music, the children came out of their houses. They started following the piper, dancing and shouting. 

The elders watched in disbelief as the Pied Piper led the children far, far away. The Mayor understood his mistake and quickly sent his men to look for the Pied Piper and bring the children back. He further told the guards to carry the rest of the amount promised and give it to the pied piper who had rightly deserved it. The mayor had learned his lesson and he never broke his promise.

Welcome to The Ant Tales series. The Lost message is a folktale from Africa. The story is about different kinds of ants falling prey to other animals as they don’t live in harmony.

Free activity sheets and other downloadable resources available at www.rituvaish.com/the-lost-message

Send your artwork to [email protected].

Transcript

Since time immemorial, the ant has had many enemies and that was not just the birds. The Anteater fed and lived off them; the Centipede always tormented them.

Among the ants, there were a few who thought it would be wise to hold a council and arrive at an arrangement, whereby they could retreat to some place of safety when attacked by birds and animals.

The day of the council arrived, and all the ants gathered. There were many ideas and opinions about how to stay safe. – One was to make a small hole in the ground and make that their home. Another was to build a large and strong home, made of mud on the ground, just large enough for ants to enter. Yet another was to live in the trees, where the Anteater could never reach them, forgetting that there the ants would fall prey to birds; others who had wings just wanted to fly off when faced with trouble.

Children, Or Which option do you think the ants picked? And why do you think so?

They failed to arrive at a single decision since no one was ready to make adjustments.

Finally, when they could come to no mutual decision, each party resolved to work in its own way, and fortify their own dwellings.

Some of the groups together chose a king. Then they divided the labor and set about to work. All went as smoothly as it possibly could. Each had his appointed task and did his task well. But during all this hard work, none of the groups thought about what the final aim was and not one of them thought of protecting themselves against the different enemies.

Children, what do you think will happen next?

The Red-ants built their house out of mud on the ground and went to live in it. They thought they were safe. But the Anteater had no trouble leveling it to the ground in a minute, costing them many days of precious labor. The Rice-ants went to live under the ground, and they didn’t fare any better. Whenever they came out, the Anteater ate them up.

The Wagtail-ants fled to the trees. But the Centipede or the birds simply gobbled them up. The Gray-ants who planned to save themselves by flight were no match for the agile and quick Lizard or the Hunting-spider or the birds that pursued them in flight.

When the King of Insects found out that the ants had failed in their mission, he sent them the message of unity, that they all must work together”.

But do you know who his messenger was? It was the Beetle And believe it or not, he is yet to arrive at the ants. So, even today the ants do not have any harmony, for the king’s message didn’t reach them yet to reach them yet and hence fall prey to enemies.

So, children, we are only as strong as we are united, as weak as we are divided.

Hence, Teamwork is very important.