Browse tellings

Once upon a time there was a King who had seven sons, all of whom were married but the youngest. One day the Queen-mother spoke to her youngest son, and said: "Why are you not married? Do not the maidens of my Court ple…

There is at a place in India called Agar, a tank or pond known as the "Bunjara Tullao," yet no Bunjara will ever drink water there. Many years ago no pond existed in that spot, and in all the country round a water famin…

In a city called Sardana there once lived a man whose name was Simru. This man had great riches and lands, and also owned a place of worship. He married a lady of Sardana, who was called "Begum." After a few years of m…

There is in India a small state called Raghoghur, the Rajahs of which are said to possess the power of curing snake-bite, even though it be from the most deadly cobra or karait. This power has been handed down for centur…

At a place called Drug, near Raipur in the Central Provinces of India, there once lived an old woman who had a very beautiful daughter. The old woman was most unwilling that her daughter should go out into the streets,…

About eleven miles from Raipur, near the village of Jagasar, is a temple built to the memory of a faithful dog of the Bunjara species, and this is the story of how it came to be built. Many years ago a Bunjara Naik, or…

There was once a Prince who used to amuse himself by dressing as a poor man, and going about amongst his subjects without their finding out who he was. In this way he found out all that they did, and how they lived. On…

A jackal had the habit of visiting the kitchens of several people at night and eating whatever it could find. One day, in visiting the house of a dyer, it put its head into a deep vessel containing blue dye, and, findin…

In the country called Tabaristan there lived a rich Rajah, who gave a feast and invited a number of guests. Amongst the guests came a stranger who partook of the good things distributed. The Rajah, on seeing him, enquir…

There was once a shoemaker who had a vegetable garden in which grew a bed of brinjals (or egg plant). Unknown to him, a fairy used sometimes to come and walk there; and one day, while passing the brinjal bushes, a thorn…

A thief entered the house of a barber, and, carefully making bundles of all he could lay hands upon, was about to take them away when the barber spied him; and, quickly getting out of bed, sat down at the door, thus cutt…

A Rajah had two sons. The eldest ascended the throne after his father's death, but fearing lest his brother might interfere with him, he ordered him to be killed. The poor boy, hearing of this order, quietly left the ho…

One day a merchant, going for a stroll, came across a date tree; reaching up his hand, he plucked a date and threw the stone away. Now, near the spot where it fell there lived a wicked magician, who suddenly appeared be…

There was a man called Abul Hussain who was once very rich, but had been so foolish in entertaining all his friends that he lost all his money, and became very poor. He and his old mother lived together, and sometimes,…

A certain Brahmin's wife had no affection for her seven stepdaughters, and persuaded their father to get rid of them. So he invited the girls to come with him on a visit to their grandmother, but on the way he slipped aw…

There was a certain Rajah whose name was Bickermanji. He was very inquisitive, and always wished to know everything that was going on in his kingdom, and what his subjects were doing. At night he disguised himself in co…

Far away in a valley in the Himalayan mountains lies a little village, where once lived a good man who had his home beside a field in which grew a beautiful mulberry tree--so big and so beautiful that it was the wonder o…

A poor workman and his wife were once almost starving. Every day the man gathered sticks and sold them, while the woman remained at home. "Wife," said the man one day, "come, we will both go and gather wood for sale to-…

There once lived in a certain village a poor man who went out daily to beg, carrying in his hand a small vessel made from a gourd, such as the Jogis, or holy Fakirs, in India use. In it he carried home his scanty meal o…

There stands on the old Agra Bombay Road, between Goona in Central India and Jhansi, a small village beside a stream, and this used to be a bathing stage for travellers in the old days, before railways were known in Indi…

Very, very far away in the north of India is a big river, and many years ago there lived, not very far from its banks, an old woman who had an only daughter--a beautiful girl, who, when she grew up, was given in marriage…

There was a Bunniah who had an only son, who had married four wives; of these, three were fools, and only one was wise. For some reason the Rajah of that country got angry with the Bunniah, and said that he and all his…

A daughter was once born to a Brahmin and his wife, and from the day of its birth a dog came daily and laid down in the house. This made the mother say, in jest, when the child would not cease crying: "Stop, or I shall…

There was a weaver who was unmarried, and all that he could earn in a day, in exchange for the cloth he wove, only amounted to two pounds of either rice or other grain. One day he cooked some kitcherie, and, placing it…

A king once asked his daughters to tell him the reason why they were so comfortable and always clothed in fine raiment, with jewels to wear, and a Palace to live in. They all said: "It is because we are your daughters,…

A dying King called his three sons to him and gave each of them a ruby. "Keep this," said he, "in remembrance of your father." The three rubies were put into a box and locked up. Some time afterwards, on opening the box…

A Bunniah, or merchant, lying awake one night, saw a thief enter the room. So he whispered to his wife: "Wife, wife, a thief is in the room; what are we to do?" Now his wife was a very clever woman, and she replied: "Wh…

At a little distance beyond Mushobra in the Simla district, stands an old, old temple of the Mongolian type, around which hangs a quaint wooden fringe, which causes a strange rattling sound on a windy day. No priest liv…

A small bird was once half buried in a puddle and could not escape, so it called to a passing stranger for help. "Take me out, O stranger, and as a reward, you may eat me when my feathers are dried." So the man assiste…

An old tiger became ill in the jungles, and, being unable to use his teeth, was much troubled by rats, who used to come and eat his food before he had time to touch it. Nearly starved to death, he appealed to the fox, w…

A Rajah's son once went to worship at a sacred stone; when there, he beheld a lovely young girl, so, falling on his face before the stone, he said: "If you will but give me this girl as my bride, I will give you my head…

A King had a very beautiful daughter, and was anxious that she should marry some one who had made himself famous in some particular way. Three men in the city came forward and begged the King for her hand in marriage.…

There was once a Zemindar or Jhut who was very poor, and he had a brother who was very rich, but the rich brother never helped him at all and often reproached him for his poverty. One day the poor Zemindar determined to…

There was once a King, who was sitting with his wife before the fire when they heard a partridge call. The King said: "That sound comes from the left," and his wife said it came from the right, so they had a bet about it…

There was once a Brahmin who had a large family, and was very poor. Every day he went out into the Bazaar to beg, but whether he begged for only an hour, or for the whole day, he seldom succeeded in getting a seer of att…

There was a certain Brahmin whose wife died leaving him one little son. For some time the two lived happily together, but at last the Brahmin married for a second time, and the woman, who had a daughter of her own, was v…

A jackal once made itself a throne of bones near the river-side, and levied toll on all the animals that came there to drink water, making each say in turn these words: "Golden is your throne, Silver is its plaster, In…

Once upon a time there was a King who had seven sons, and he made up his mind that he would not let them marry unless they married seven sisters, so he sent his Brahmin to seek a Rajah who had seven daughters, and to bri…

Sheik Chilli was going to be married, so his mother said: "My son, whatever your wife gives you to eat be content with your nemak panee (literally salt and water, but a native always speaks of his food as his "nemak pane…

There was once a woman who had no little children of her own; every day she used to watch the sparrows building their nests, and bringing up their young, and it so happened that one day a mother bird died, leaving severa…