
audiobook
by W. H. D. (William Henry Denham) Rouse
Warning
The Giant Crab
The Hypocritical Cat
The Crocodile and the Monkey
The Axe, the Drum, the Bowl, and the Diamond
The Wise Parrot and the Foolish Parrot
The Dishonest Friend
The Mouse and the Farmer
The Talkative Tortoise
The Monkeys and the Gardener
A lively anthology of ancient Indian fables, this volume reshapes classic Buddhist stories into bright, kid‑friendly adventures. The narrator’s wink‑through‑the‑pages lets young listeners hear wondrous creatures, clever tricks, and gentle lessons without getting bogged down in scholarly detail. Each tale is short enough for an eager ear yet rich enough to spark curiosity about a culture far away and long ago.
One standout story follows a monstrous crab that makes a mountain lake its terror‑filled pantry, snatching any animal that comes to drink. When the thirsty wildlife grows desperate, a brave elephant and his clever wife devise a daring ruse to outwit the beast. Their plan unfolds with humor and tension, showing how wit can triumph over sheer size. The episode offers a fun mix of danger, camaraderie, and the satisfying feel of a clever solution, setting the stage for the delightful morals that linger long after the narration ends.
Language
en
Duration
~2 hours (131K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Credits
Produced by Jeroen Hellingman and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive/American Libraries and Google Print.)
Release date
2011-05-05
Rights
Public domain in the USA.
1863–1950
A pioneering classics teacher, translator, and school reformer, this British scholar pushed for Latin and Greek to be taught as living languages rather than as dry exercises. He is still widely remembered for clear, readable translations of Homer and Plato and for helping shape the early Loeb Classical Library.
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