THE BLIND MAN AND THE SNAKE

ONCE upon a time, a Blind Man and a Man who could see were traveling together. When it came night, they rode into a meadow, dismounted, and lay down to sleep until morning. Before it was quite dawn, as they were about to start on their way again, the Blind Man sought for his whip. By chance a Snake was lying near by, frozen stiff with the cold. The Blind Man's hand fell upon it, and thinking to himself, "This is much softer than my old whip," he picked it up and mounted his horse.

As it grew light, the Man who could see glanced over at his companion and saw that he held a Snake in his hand. In great alarm he cried out,—

"Oh, comrade, what you imagine to be a whip is in reality a Snake. Be quick and throw it away before it bite you."

But the Blind Man only laughed. What, are you envious of my good luck?" he replied. "I lost my whip, but some good fortune has placed this softer and better one in my hand. Pray do not think because I am blind that I am also a fool. I am not such a simpleton that I do not know the difference between a whip and a Snake."

"My good friend," answered the other Man, for your own welfare, I beg of you to believe me and throw away this Snake." But the Blind Man only clung the more tightly to the Snake, which, awakened by the warmth of the man's hand, coiled itself about his wrist and bit him so that he died.

The Hungry Mouse

A mouse was having a very bad time. She could find no food at all. She looked here and there, but there was no food, and she grew very thin.

At last the mouse found a basket, full of corn. There was a small hole in the basket, and she crept in. She could just get through the hole.

Then she began to eat the corn. Being very hungry, she ate a great deal, and went on eating and eating. She had grown very fat before she felt that she had had enough.

When the mouse tried to climb out of the basket, she could not. She was too fat to pass through the hole.

" How shall I climb out?" said the mouse. "oh, how shall I climb out?"

Just then a rat came along, and he heard the mouse.

"Mouse," said the rat, "if you want to climb out of the basket, you must wait till you have grown as thin as you were when you went in."

BITSY'S PROMISE

It was a bright, sunny morning in Magical Wood and Bitsy Bunny was fast asleep. Her mama was in the kitchen baking carrot cookies and the wonderful smell of the warm cookies woke Bitsy. She sat up, rubbed her eyes and wiggled her nose. Something smelled good! She wiggled her nose again. Something smelled very good! She jumped out of bed and ran to the kitchen.

"Mama, Mama," said Bitsy, "those cookies smell so good that they woke me up! May I have some? Please?"

"I'm baking these cookies for Granny Bunny," Mama replied. "She's not feeling well and I think some homemade cookies might help her feel better."

"May I take the cookies to Granny?" asked little Bitsy.

Mama thought for a moment. Magical Wood could be a dangerous place for a little bunny all by herself. There was still so much for Bitsy to learn about the Wood. But, Granny did not live far, and Mama and Bitsy had gone to Granny's house together lots of times.

"Bitsy, you have never visited Granny by yourself before. There are all kinds of dangers, so many things can happen. You must promise me that you will not stop along the way, you will not go near the clearing to pick flowers, you will not go to the creek to watch the fish and you will stay on the trail all the way to Granny's. Do you promise?"

"Oh, yes Mama, I promise! I will not stop along the way, I will not go to the clearing to pick wildflowers, I will not watch the fish swimming in the creek and I will stay on the trail all the way to Granny's. And I will call you as soon as I get to Granny's, so you won't worry!"

"Okay, then you may go to Granny's and bring her the cookies," said Mama.

"Yipee!!" shouted Bitsy as she ran down the hall to get dressed.

After breakfast, Mama gave Bitsy a pretty yellow basket filled with the warm carrot cookies. Bitsy gave Mama a big hug and started off to Granny's house.

"Now remember, Bitsy, go straight to Granny's house," Mama called to Bitsy.

Little Bitsy was so excited! Mama had never let her walk by herself to Granny's before.

"Mama doesn't think I'm a baby anymore," thought Bitsy as she walked along the path to Granny's house. Bitsy was so happy that she began to skip along the path.

Well, Bitsy hadn't skipped very far when she saw the most beautiful wildflowers in an open field.

"Oh, those flowers would make Granny feel better," Bitsy said to herself.

"I shall bring Granny a beautiful bouquet." Then, as Bitsy started toward the field, she stopped and remembered what Mama had said: Don't pick flowers in the clearing and stay on the trail! Well, thought Bitsy, I don't want to break my promise to Mama. She trusts me and even though I don't understand why she won't let me pick flowers by myself, I must remember my promise, I just must!

Just then, as she was standing on the path and looking at the flowers, a huge hawk swooped down into the very flowers Bitsy had wanted to pick and flew away with a mouse!!

"Oh my goodness! Oh my goodness!" Bitsy exclaimed, "That poor mouse!" Then, Bitsy realized something very important: if she had not kept her promise to Mama, the hawk might have grabbed her instead of the mouse! This made Bitsy feel scared, but she continued to Granny's house, staying on the path, just as she had promised.

After a little while, Bitsy was no longer scared and she was again skipping down the path with her basket of cookies. Soon, she was able to hear the bubbling and gurgling of the creek. And that made Bitsy suddenly feel very thirsty!

Soon, Bitsy was able to see the creek! As she was about to race off the path, she again remembered her promise to Mama. "Well, the creek is closer to the path than the field was, and there are certainly no hawks this deep in the Wood," thought Bitsy. She was watching a frog by the creek as she was trying to decide what to do.

"A promise is a very important thing," thought Bitsy. "Mama will be so proud of me for keeping my promises and staying on the trial. But, maybe I could just run over for a quick sip, say hello to the frog and run right back to the trail."

When Bitsy looked back at the frog, it was gone! In its place was a great big snake! "Oh, no!" said Bitsy. "I hope that little frog got away!" Then Bitsy thought of something else: if she had broken her promise and gone over to the frog, the snake might have grabbed her! Bitsy began to tremble! As she stared at the snake, it slowly crawled away into the dense forest.

Bitsy took a deep breath and continued to Granny's house.

Bitsy was quite close to Granny's now. She couldn't wait to tell Granny everything that had happened on this adventure over a big glass of milk and some of Mama's cookies.

As she was hopping along, Bitsy noticed something unusual. There, near the trail, in the middle of a pile of old brown vines and brambles, was a clump of bright green grass and flowers! Why would someone pick grass and wildflowers and then just dump them in the old brambles, Bitsy wondered. Maybe someone new is moving in and they're building a house!

"Hello! Hello!" Bitsy called to the pile of grass, but no one answered. "Maybe I should go find the door and knock." Bitsy started to leave the trail and head for the brambles, when she remembered a promise she made to Mama a long time ago: Never talk to strangers!

As Bitsy turned to hop back onto the trail, she tripped and a twig bounced up and landed by the clump of grass and flowers. SNAP!! It had been a trap! The top of the trap had been covered with the grass and when the twig landed on it, the trap closed tight! If Bitsy had been caught in the trap, would Mama have been able to find her? Bitsy's heart raced as she dashed the rest of the way to Granny's. She hopped up the steps and knocked very hard. Granny opened the door and Bitsy leaped into her arms!

"Bitsy! Your Mama told me you were coming! My, you're getting to be such a big bunny that now you can visit all by yourself!" Granny exclaimed.

Bitsy gave Granny a big kiss and the yellow basket filled with cookies.

"Granny, may I call Mama?" Bitsy asked. "I promised her I would call as soon as I got here so she wouldn't worry. I've kept all my other promises to Mama on my way here and I wouldn't want to break this one. I also want to ask Mama to come and have cookies with us so she and I can walk home together. Even though I'm big enough to come and visit by myself, I would rather have Mama with me."

Granny smiled. "You are a very smart bunny, Bitsy. Let's go call Mama right now."

A Dance in the Forest

In a very big forest there lived many animals and birds. One day the some of the birds were discussion about the way the animals live. The parrot said, “Look at me I do not eat any bird or animal I just like fruits and eat them all the time. I hate looking at these animals as they hunt other animals and eat them”. I feel that we the birds are the best in the forest as we do not eat other birds for our survival”.

Many birds agreed to this argument and narrated their own opinions:

The sparrow said: I eat the small insects that do harm to others that does not mean that I am like these animals who kill all other good animals.

The woodpecker said: See I protect trees by eating the white ants under their bark. If I do not do so many trees would have been eaten away by these white ants and other insects.

The weaver bird: You are aware that I am the best in the forest in making the nest. Show me any animal that can do like me. These animals are lazy and live like rocks in all seasons.

The humming bird said: I drink the nectar from the flowers and while doing so I do not harm the flowers. If help in pollination and make the forest look colourful with many flowers.

Thus many birds narrated their own stories and ways of living. Meanwhile they saw a herd of elephants passing under the trees. The parrot yelled at them: Hey big beasts do you know that birds are the best ones in the forest. You animals destroy forest, eat other animals and create bloodshed for your survival.

One of the elephants responded by saying : I do not know what you are talking but I can tell this to other animals as I am going to attend the meeting called by the Lion.

The Lion – the king of the forest – is sitting on a big rock surrounded by many animals. The meeting began with the topic “How shall we celebrate the onset of sprint”. Then the elephant intervened and said: we feel that we are the great in the forest. I heard a parrot saying that the birds are the best because they do not eat other birds for their own survival. Lets first solve this problem and by deciding who is the best in the forest, the birds are we the animals.

All the animals got irritated at the statement of the parrot shared by the elephant. The wolf said: Lets call the birds here and we all can kill them and eat them at once then there is no problem. Haa Haaa joined the other animals.

Cool down: said the Lion. If the birds feel that they are the best in the forest, we shall allow them to prove. They said that they do not eat other birds but it is false. They do eat other birds for their survival. You are aware that the eagles are always on the look out for chicks of hens and peahens. They eat mercilessly all the chicks. Birds are fools and incapable creatures. I pity them. Lets play with them for some time and prove our might. Dear fox, call all the birds at once here.

The fox approached the mangrove and yelled at the birds. You seem to be having a feeling that you are the best in the forest. Lets us prove who is best in the forest. All of you can come to our meeting place near the lake and prove yourselves.

Hearing this the birds felt challenged. All of them flew towards the meeting place.
In the meeting place the most heated arguments took place.

Seeing the heat generated, the Lion said. Meeting is adjourned to tomorrow in the morning and asked all the animals and birds to disburse.

In the evening the grand old man who often visits forest and help animals and birds by treating them came to the meeting place and asked some of the birds still sitting there: I heard a commotion in the afternoon what happened to you all. I heard the loud sounds of animals and birds too. Do you have any problem and can I be of any help to you?

The birds said: we had problem to solve between the birds and the animals. We shall prove who is best in the forest. We argue we are the best but they argue as cruelly as they can for their superiority. It is good that you have come. Why don’t you come for the meeting tomorrow and help us.

The grand old man said Ok, I shall come tomorrow.

The next day morning all the birds and the animals gathered at the meeting place. The grand old man took some time to arrive. His arrival was welcomed by the Lion who was once save by the grand old man. Dear grand old man I am glad that you are here, hear all our arguments and tell us who is the best in the forest.

Both the sides amply briefed the grand old man. The birds and the animals became silent and await the judgment of the grand old man.

The grand old man said: The argument of the birds that they do not eat other birds is both wrong and write. So in the arguments the birds and the animals both win and lose. That makes the problem nil. The birds and animals got confused at this. Seeing their faces particularly of the Lion’s the grand old man clarified it further:

Though the hens and pen hens come under the family of birds they live mostly on the ground and they do not fly for their survival they run for their survival so actually come under the family of animals. The chicks of the birds also do not fly they just run on the ground so they are also animals. Since Eagles eat these chicks it amounts to eating other birds for their survival like the animals do. Which means birds eat and do not eat other birds for their survival.

Most important thing is this: If the animals like Lion, tiger, cheetah, fox and wolf do not eat other animals like sheep, goat, etc the population of these grass eating animals increase making the forest dry and difficult for all to survive. Similarly the birds help in pollination and cross-pollination, propagation of trees and help add beauty to the forest. The forest becomes dull without any one of you. So neither the birds nor the animals are best in the forest, the forest itself is the best because it gives us food, shelter and protection from the human beings.

Hearing this the Lion said: what a brilliant man are you my dear grand old man. I agree with you that it is the forest that is the best. The birds do chirped the same opinion.

Then the squirrel said: this is the best time to celebrate the onset of spring. Lets dance….

All the animals danced and make merry….

Hard Decision

There was a Siberian husky, her name was Siberia. She had two friends. One was a Chihuahua, her name was Chichi. Her other friend was a Golden Retriever, her name was Goldie. She had fun with her friend

One day Siberia and Goldie were going for a walk Chichi came by. She saw them walking together Chichi doesn’t like that. Chichi pushed Goldie in the bush. Siberia barked, “stop.” Goldie liked Chichi as a friend, but Chichi doesn’t. Goldie was injured in the bush.

Siberia asked, “Why did you push Goldie.”

Chichi said, “I don’t like Goldie she is mean to me so I don’t want you to hang out with her.”

Siberia said, “She is very kind to me.”

“Fine,” said Chichi and ran off.

Goldie said, “You shouldn’t hang out with her.” “You have to pick her or me.”

“Now,” replied Siberia.

“No,” said Goldie.

They ran off to the arcade. Siberia wasn’t having much fun she was having a hard decision. Goldie was mad at Chichi for trying to take her friend. Siberia thought if she got them to be friends she wouldn’t have to choose. She had a plan. Siberia would invite them over to her house but they wouldn’t know that the other person is coming.

The next day Siberia invited them over. One came in the back door and the other in the front. Siberia sat them down. Chichi said, “What is Goldie doing here.”

“I invited you both over” said Siberia. They keep on fighting and fighting.

2 hours later

Siberia was surprised that they got along with each other. So they went on lots of trips together and never fought again. They were friends forever.

A Winter Night in the Forest

It was a winter night and the cool breeze is making animals seek some shelter and a cover on their bodies. The sparrows entered their nests, the rabbits went into their burrows, the parrots went into the holes on the tree trunks, the squirrels hide into the shoots of the coconut tree. Thus all those birds and animals settled down to face the chill night. Dr.Dove was watching all these animals in the bright moon light from its whole on the nearby rocky hill.

By mid night the chillness increased and a couple of crows had fallen seriously ill for the exposure to the severe cold.

As the Sun rises all the animals and birds started coming out and assembled at the bottom of the rocky hill.

What a cold it was last night. The winter has just begun now. By January it would be very cold. If the cold winds blow like this we will certainly reduce in number – said a crane that lives on the nearby thorn bushes.

I could hear the sound of my teeth as I shivered in the night – said a dog.

Though we are big we too feel the cold said an elephant.

Though I am in my Den I too felt it.

Here comes an idea – said Dr. .Dove by landing on a big stone.

We all know that the Lion lives in a big den in this hill. I have seen another small den that can comfortable accommodate our Lion. It is just on the other side of this Hill. I feel that the Lion can leave this big den and occupy the small one so that those animals that have no home can take shelter in the big den. Thus they can protect themselves from exposing to the severe cold.

As soon as Dr. Dove completed telling this, the lion roared and rejected the idea. I need this big den let animals seek shelter in the small den that you had located.

Looking at the elephants Dr .Dove said – Dear Lion this is only for the winter months and rainy days the rest of the time you can use this big den. The elephants trumpeted in support of this statement and urged the lion to agree.

Seeing the unity and the support Dr. Dove got from the herd of Elephants the Lion said : OK I agree.

The animals disbursed in search of food.

It was night again. All those animals that have no home gathered in the big den and felt good to be there. As the night advances the cold winds blew more frequently and making the animals shiver even in the Den. Some how they spent the night and gathered again at the bottom of the hill to share their experiences.

Since the den is not so deep it can protect us partially from the severe cold. We have to live with it – opined the deer.

Having listened to this discussion, Dr. Dove said: I have another idea to help you keep warm. You all can collect the twigs and our elephant friends can bring dried logs in the forest to the den. As mid night one of you can make these twigs and dried logs into a small heap and set fire. Then the den gets the warmth from this fire.

Great idea jumped a monkey.

That night the animals make their own hearth and felt the warmth and slept comfortably.

The animals make it a practice.

The Little Bird Who was Afraid to Fly

Once upon a time there was a little bird named Birdie and she was afraid to fly. She would hide all day and all night in the bushes, mostly because there were these big bully crows that would land on the ground in front of Birdie they would scare her and tease her by squawking “you can’t flyyyy your afraid to flyyyy” and the little bird would be soooo scared she would hide in the dark underbrush of these bushes.

One wonderful sunny day a very funny little squirrel named Quirk scurried by and saw the little bird and he asked her “what’s your name and why are you hiding in these bushes”. The little bird replied “My name is Birdie and I am hiding because I’m afraid to fly and those big bully crows tease me” so the squirrel said “would you like to go sit in the tree” the little bird said “yes very much!” so the squirrel sat down and said “hop on my back and I will take you up the tree.”

So he did, and everyday since then the squirrel would come by the bushes and the little bird would hop on his back and he would take her up the tree and Birdie would sit on the branch all day long. Quirk would spend the day scurrying and playing around the branches and up and down all the trees in the forest. Birdie would just watch wishing she could play too. Then when it began to get dark the squirrel would bring the little bird back down the tree and would leave her in the dark shelter of the bushes so she could go to bed.

On this particular day the little bird said “Quirk would you stay here on this branch with me so we can laugh and play and be friends forever.” The squirrel happily said “yes, I would like that!” so that is exactly what they did they laughed and played, they had been having so much fun. Then the crows noticed the little bird was in the tree and they swooped down and started teasing the little bird squawking, “you can’t flyyyy your afraid to flyyyy you can’t flyyyyy”.

Well the little bird was so upset that she started flapping her wings and frantically saying “I can too fly, I’m not afraid to fly, I can fly if I wanted to fly, I can Fly If I want too!!!” Quirk couldn’t believe his eyes he was stunned looking at the little bird he exclaimed “Birdie you’re flying, you’re flying!”…the little bird had flapped her wings so hard that she had begun to fly “I’m flying?” she said “I am flying!” she was so happy she flew looped deedoos then up and down and in and out of all the branches. Then she saw it, the tallest tree in all the forest and she flapped her wings as hard as she could and flew all the way to the tippy top of that tallest tree and she sat there so proud and so brave. Birdie wasn’t afraid of flying anymore and she was never bothered by those big bully crows ever again.

Everyday the squirrel would scurry up the tallest tree in all the forest to meet the little bird and they would laugh and play throughout the whole forest, in and out of all the branches, and up and down all the trees having so much fun, Quirk and Birdie remained best friends forever.