Indian Folk Tales |
India is the seventh-largest country by area and the second most populated after China, and there is great ethnic and religious
diversity.
However, the major religion is Hinduism, and our stories reflect this.
Our collection of tales has been taken from a variety of different sources.
An old Brahman travelling to the tower of Kutb Minar meets a tiger and removes a splinter from its paw. On his return journey he meets the tiger again.
Haridatta is a Brahman and a poor farmer who one day he sees a snake on his land. Wishing to worship the serpent he leaves milk and is rewarded by gold.
Sun, Moon and Wind dine with their uncle and aunt Thunder and Lightning, but only the moon thinks to bring home food for their mother, a far distant star.
Singh Rajah was a mighty lion feared by all his subjects, but eventually he had eaten them all save from Rajah and Ranee Jackal, who were next on the menu.
A sparrow and a couple of crows are neighbors. A storm leaves the crows homeless and they ask the sparrow to share hers. The selfish sparrow makes excuses.
There was once a king who was so talkative no one else could speak a word. The future Buddha advised him and explained why the tortoise fell from the sky.
A tiger is caught in a trap, a passing Brahman reluctantly sets him free. The tiger does not repay his kindness and he is only saved by a jackal's trick.
A camel and a jackal both cross a river to eat. The jackal travelling on the camel's back, but he then alerts the villagers and the camel seeks revenge.
Sources And Further Reading |
Sacred Texts Old Deccan Days by Mary Frere[1868]