Inspiration & Credit: https://childhood-stories.com  Tamil stories
CS01-TheGoldenSwan
A golden swan once lived in a lake near a village and was believed to be the reincarnation of a farmer from that same village. One day, the farmer's wife came to the lake to fetch some water.
Upon seeing his former wife drawing water from the lake, the golden swan spoke to her, saying, "I am your deceased husband, reborn as a golden swan in this life. I wish to assist you and our children."
The wife inquired, "How can you help us?" The golden swan replied, "You can pluck one of my golden feathers every day, sell it, and use the proceeds to meet all our needs and necessities."
The woman agreed, saying, "Your advice sounds wise. From now on, we shall face no hardships." Each day, she secretly visited the lake, collected a golden feather, and returned home.
With the earnings from the golden feathers, she constructed a magnificent and opulent house, and she hired help to handle the daily chores. However, one day, she began to ponder what might happen if the golden swan were to disappear. The following day, she told the golden swan, "Come with me and live in our house. We will take excellent care of you."
The swan accepted the proposal, following the woman back to the house, eager to see the children. The woman arranged a place for the swan to reside in the backyard.
Over time, the swan grew old, and the woman found it increasingly difficult to pluck a feather each day. She decided to pull out all the feathers at once and said to the swan, "It's becoming too challenging to pluck just one feather daily. I think I will take as many as I can in a single day."
The golden swan warned, "I can only give you one golden feather per day." Ignoring the warning, the woman forcibly plucked all the golden feathers. To her shock, the once-golden feathers transformed into ordinary swan feathers.
The plucked bird said to her, "I could only provide one golden feather each day. You disregarded my advice."
In a fit of anger, the woman picked up the plucked swan and cast it out of her house. Saddened by the woman's mistreatment, the bird waddled back to the lake. The woman squandered all her wealth and fell back into poverty.
Without the swan's assistance, she was left destitute. The story serves as a reminder that when fortune is kind and generous, it should not be squandered.

CS02-TheAnt&TheGrasshopper     Inspiration & Credit: https://childhood-stories.com  Tamil stories

A recluse held classes for his disciples in his monastery, where he shared inspirational stories and imparted valuable lessons. One such story emphasized the importance of maintaining self-confidence and mental fortitude when faced with adversity. The ascetic recounted the tale of an ant to his eager students.

In the story, an industrious ant carried a grain of rice in its tiny mouth. Along its journey, it encountered a fissure in the ground, rendering it unable to proceed. Perplexed by the obstacle, the ant paused, unsure of how to proceed. After a brief pause, the ant ingeniously placed the rice grain across the fissure, using it as a makeshift bridge to cross over. Once safely across, it retrieved the precious grain and continued on its way. The ascetic encouraged his pupils to emulate the ant's resilience, using challenges as bridges to progress in life. By adopting the ant's unwavering self-confidence, they could overcome any impediments they encountered. Having conveyed this valuable lesson, the ascetic concluded the day's teaching.

The following morning, the ascetic delved further into the ant's story. The self-assured ant, still carrying its rice grain, was heading towards its nest. As noon approached, a carefree grasshopper hopped about, singing joyful songs, obstructing the ant's path. Seeing the ant, the grasshopper urged it to pause and join in the merriment.

The ant, however, replied with wisdom, acknowledging that summer would soon give way to the rainy season. During the rainy season, venturing outside would be impossible, making it essential to gather enough food in advance. The grasshopper dismissed the ant's concerns, laughing off the idea that the rainy season was imminent and continued playing.

Time passed, and as predicted, the summer ended, and the rainy season arrived with great intensity. The ant remained sheltered, feasting on its stored provisions, while the grasshopper found itself drenched in the downpour, desperately searching for food. In its hour of desperation, the grasshopper remembered the ant and sought refuge in its home, pleading for sustenance.

The ant, displaying kindness, offered a morsel of its carefully hoarded food. With a lesson learned, the ant remarked, "You laughed at me on sunny days, and now you seek food from me during the rainy season. Our stored food has come to our rescue. Henceforth, you should also save food in the summer months to prepare for the rainy season."

The grasshopper realized the importance of diligence and hard work, regardless of the season. The ascetic concluded the story by emphasizing that diligent effort, though not immediately rewarding, would eventually yield benefits.

The moral of the story:

We learn from the ant's dedication to its work.We should cultivate the habit of saving for the future.Anticipatory action plays a crucial role in life.It is always commendable to help those in need.The consequences of laziness, as suffered by the grasshopper, serve as a valuable lesson.

CS03-TheBoyWhoCriedWolf           Inspiration & Credit: https://childhood-stories.com  Tamil stories

Once upon a time, in a quaint village, a young shepherd in his preteen years was tasked with tending to a flock of sheep. As the sheep peacefully grazed, the shepherd found himself sitting idly under a sturdy tree, battling boredom. To amuse himself, he decided to engage in a bit of playfulness and shouted, "A fox is coming! It will kill and eat the sheep!" Startled by this alarming cry, the children from the neighborhood, who were playing nearby, rushed towards the source of the commotion.

Upon reaching the shepherd, they discovered that he was sitting under the tree, seemingly unconcerned and laughing mischievously. Puzzled and a bit annoyed, the assembled boys cautioned him about the grave consequences of raising false alarms and then left the scene.

However, not long after, the shepherd repeated the same alarming cry, exclaiming once more, "A fox is coming! It will kill and eat the sheep!" The concerned youths hurried to the spot, only to find the shepherd once again ridiculing them and laughing. Their patience exhausted, they scolded him sternly, warning, "Never play such a deceitful trick again. When a real danger arises, no one will come to your aid."

Despite their warning, the shepherd, driven by his past antics, cried wolf once more. This time, the youths, believing it to be another prank, decided not to respond. Unfortunately, on this occasion, a fox did indeed arrive, causing the sheep to scatter in fear. The fox then left, and the sheep survived, but the flock was in disarray.

Filled with regret and sorrow, the shepherd made his way to a nearby hill and sat beneath a tree, crying inconsolably. Concerned for their missing child, his parents, accompanied by villagers, initiated a search and eventually found him on the hillside, weeping bitterly. Inquiring about his distress, the parents and villagers listened as he recounted, "A fox came, and scattered the sheep. I raised the alarm and called for help, but none of you came."

The village elder, with wisdom, remarked, "People do not place their trust in liars. Even when a liar speaks the truth, others find it difficult to believe. Let us return home now. Tomorrow, at dawn, we will organize a search party to locate the scattered sheep." With these words, the group headed back home.

The lessons learned from this story are as follows:

1.    Falsehood erodes trust and can lead to dire consequences.

2.    A reputation for dishonesty can undermine credibility, even when telling the truth.

CS04-TheCat&TheMan        Inspiration & Credit: https://childhood-stories.com  Tamil stories

One day, an individual was walking along the road and saw a cat entangled and struggling in a bush and appeared stressed. He proceeded to help the cat. As he tried to release her from the bush, the cat scratched the helping hands of the good Samaritan, causing a wound.

Another person saw the individual suffer yet another scratch from the frightened cat. The witness suggested to the helper not to help the cat, and not to sustain any more lacerations of the hand, and the cat would release itself by its own effort in due course of time.  

But the good Samaritan paid no heed to the witness and continued his efforts to release the cat from the bush. Eventually he released the cat from the bush.  Later the good Samaritan told the witness, ‘’The cat is an animal and exhibited its animal quality. I am a human and therefore exhibited my human quality.’’ 

Lessons:

Love other as you love yourself.

Your objective and views, you make clear for yourself and act accordingly.

Do not pay heed to other people’s officious offer of advice.

CS05-BadHabitsHardToUproot

Inspiration & Credit: https://childhood-stories.com  Tamil stories

A wealthy industrialist had a son. The wealth had accustomed the son to risky behavior and bad habits. The industrialist tried very hard to set him on the right path, but to no avail. He sought help from a wise elder to correct his son's behavior. The Elder met with the industrialist's son and took him for a walk.

Their stroll led them to the forest. The elder, pointing to a plant, asked the boy, "Can you uproot this plant?" The boy pulled the plant out very easily. The elder then showed the boy progressively larger plants and asked him to uproot them. He did so successfully. Then, the elder pointed to a thornbush and posed the same question. With some effort, the boy managed to pull out the thornbush.

Next, the elder led him to a small tree, which required great effort to topple to its side.

Finally, the elder pointed out a large, sturdy tree and asked the boy to uproot it. The boy stood there speechless and motionless, not knowing what to do. Then, the elder spoke to the boy, saying, "Habits are like this. You can uproot bad habits in their early stages. If they grow stronger, it becomes difficult to break free from them and adopt good habits."

Lessons: If bad habits become a way of life, it is difficult to recover from them. You should nip them in the bud and cast them away.

CS06-WetPants      Inspiration & Credit: https://childhood-stories.com  Tamil stories

In the school, a nine-year-old student was reading a book and suddenly felt his trousers were getting wet. Soon he discovered the cause of the wet trousers. His mind was agitated and he worried about what if he was discovered and what they would think about him. Fear gripped him.  

He saw his teacher, his female friend, Susi and others were coming inside. He saw his friend had a small fish in a container. He went towards her and asked her to smack against his body. As expected, the water in the fish container spilled on his trousers. 

His teacher observed very accurately what really happened and that he on purpose ran into Susi so the water would spill on him. The student shouted for everyone to know that Susi spilled the water on his trousers. Immediately, the teacher took him to the next room and helped him to clean up his trousers. Susi came in and whispered in his ear, ‘’Did you not do it on purpose? I have wetted my pants a few times like this.’’

When is enuresis a problem?  John Hopkins University.

Many children may have enuresis from time to time. It can take some children longer than others to learn to control their bladder. Girls often have bladder control before boys. Because of this, enuresis is diagnosed in girls earlier than in boys. Girls may be diagnosed as young as age 5. Boys are not diagnosed until at least age 6.

Types of enuresis

Doctors divide enuresis into 4 types. A child may have one or more of these types:

Diurnal (daytime) enuresis. This is wetting during the day.Nocturnal (nighttime) enuresis. This means wetting during the night. It’s often called bedwetting. It’s the most common type of enuresis.Primary enuresis. This occurs when a child has not fully mastered toilet training.Secondary enuresis. This is when a child has a period of dryness, but then returns to having periods of wetting.https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/urinary-incontinence/urinary-incontinence-in-children

CS07-ControllingAnger

The youngster was prone to anger, and his angry words and actions troubled both his parents and those close to him. In an effort to help him manage his anger, his father gave him a bag full of nails and instructed him to drive the nails into the wooden fence in the backyard every time he felt angry.

The boy followed his father's advice and quickly used up all the nails. At this point, his father provided him with another bag of nails. The boy continued to drive nails into the wooden fence, and over time, he noticed a decrease in his anger and an improvement in his ability to control his emotions. He shared his progress with his father, who then suggested that he remove the nails from the wooden fence.

The boy followed his father's guidance and found that he no longer experienced anger while removing the nails. Witnessing this positive change in his son's behavior, the father spoke to him, saying, "You have gained control over your anger. Did you also notice the damage you caused to the wooden fence when you drove the nails into it? Those holes marred the beauty of the wooden fence. In a similar way, the angry words, like the nails, inflict harm on others, even though you have learned to control your anger. The emotional distress caused by those angry words is akin to the damage from the holes left by the nails on the wooden fence, and these wounds can fester in others. You should never exhibit this behavior again in your life."

In summary:

1.    Anger is comparable to a knife.

2.    Just as a person carries scars from a knife wound for life, angry words can leave lasting scars in the mind.

3.    Similarly, the impact of angry words can be enduring.

CS08-TheKing&TheSpider

A king who was losing the war fled from the battlefield and hid to save his life. Because the king had a smaller force, he couldn't achieve victory in the war. The enemy king had a larger force and easily won the battle. The victorious king ordered his men to kill the defeated king.

The vanquished king fled to a forest and took refuge in a decrepit cave. He appeared extremely anxious and unhappy about losing the battle, losing his spirit and courage to the enemy. As he reclined in the cave, he noticed another inhabitant in the cave, a spider.

The spider's actions caught his attention. In one corner of the ancient cave, the spider diligently worked on weaving its web but encountered difficulty anchoring the thread to the wall, causing it to fall to the floor. The spider repeated the process of spinning the web, tearing the thread, falling to the floor, and climbing the wall to repair the damage many times. However, the spider never gave up and continued its efforts tirelessly. Eventually, the spider succeeded in spinning the web beautifully.

The king closely observed all that transpired with the small spider, even though it failed many times and never gave up until it succeeded. The king thought to himself, "I am the king. Why should I give up my efforts? I must try again." With that determination, he decided to confront the enemy king. He left the forest and met his loyal friends.

He gathered all the warriors in his country, built a larger army, battled the enemy king, and achieved victory over him. He reclaimed his country and regained his throne as king. He never forgot the lesson imparted by the small spider when he was lying in the cave.

One should develop self-confidence to transform defeat into victory. Every defeat tests our mettle and teaches us valuable lessons that can lead us to victory. With unwavering determination and the goal of winning, one can turn defeat into triumph.

CS09-ListenToEldersAdvice

The dog lived near a field with its litter. The mother dog played with the litter anywhere they wanted. The mother warned the young ones not to go near the well. One puppy was curious to find out what was at the well and craned its head and neck towards the well.

At that moment, the puppy's reflection appeared on the well water and mimicked all the movements the curious puppy made at the edge of the well. It assumed the puppy in the well was mocking it and, with the intention of fighting, the puppy jumped into the well. Only after it started swimming in the water did the puppy realize that what it saw in the well was its own reflection. Not knowing how to get out of the well, it began yelping for help.

Hearing the puppy's cries, the farmer went down into the well and rescued the puppy, which immediately realized that it had gotten into trouble because it hadn't listened to its mother's advice.

1.    Pay attention to the elders' advice.

2.    If you have any questions, ask for clarification.

3.    Never, ever reject their advice.

CS10-TheOtherSideofTheWall

A young girl tended to the garden her grandmother had worked tirelessly to establish. She came across a beautiful flower plant and its blossoms. Captivated by their beauty, she purchased the plant, planted it, and took great care of it, by giving it special attention.

Days turned into months, and months into years, yet the plant never produced a single blossom. Heartbroken, she decided to uproot it. That moment, the elderly woman next door called the young girl and said, "Your plant, and its flowers with such beauty, immersed my heart in an inundation of bliss at my advanced age."

The young girl realized that the plant had grown through a crack in the wall and blossomed on the other side, bringing happiness to the elderly woman, but it had not borne flowers on her side of the wall. Upon noticing the flowers on the other side, the young girl jumped for joy.  

1.    Don't dwell on any mental anguish, thinking that your efforts were in vain.

2.    Your hard work will eventually yield benefits.

CS11-TheWolf

One day, a wolf decided to target one of the sheep grazing in a nearby field. The owner of the sheep promptly confronted and chased the wolf away, ensuring the safety of his flock.

However, the same wolf returned, hungry for a sheep to prey upon. At that moment, the wolf's attention was diverted by the enticing aroma of food wafting from the sheep owner's house. The wolf was drawn to the house, and as it peered through the window, it was taken aback by the sight of a mouthwatering sheep meat dish being prepared. This sight led the wolf to contemplate the apparent hypocrisy of humans and their double standards: one set of rules for the wolf and another for themselves. They could kill sheep for food while simultaneously chasing away the wolf. Was the shepherd in the right?

The lesson to be learned here is that we often overlook our own faults while magnifying the faults of others. It is essential to abandon the habit of constantly finding fault in others and, instead, focus on keeping our own "house" clean, both in our actions and judgments.

CS12-TheFarmerAndTheWell

A farmer found himself unhappy because he lacked water to irrigate his fields. In search of a solution, he purchased a well from a shrewd farmer. However, the shrewd farmer imposed a restriction, forbidding the first farmer from drawing water from the well. This left the first farmer deeply frustrated, leading to an argument between them. The second farmer argued, "I sold you the well, not the water within it. Therefore, you have no entitlement to draw any water from the well."

Dissatisfied and seeking justice, the first farmer filed a case against the second farmer in Birbal's court, which operated under the rule of Akbar's kingdom. Birbal, renowned for his wisdom, listened to both sides of the argument and grasped the complexity of the case. The case proceeded under Birbal's jurisdiction.

After a thorough evaluation, Birbal ruled in favor of the shrewd farmer. However, Birbal introduced a condition, stating, "The well was indeed sold, but the water within it was not. Therefore, the seller must draw all the water from the well today. Failure to do so will result in the water belonging to the first farmer." Birbal delivered his judgment.

Upon hearing this condition, the shrewd farmer realized his mistake and sought forgiveness from the other farmer.

The moral of the story is that cheating is an undesirable habit that does not yield long-term benefits. If you deceive someone, you will inevitably experience negative consequences in due time.

CS13-TheCamel&ItsCalf

A conversation took place between a camel and its calf. The curious calf inquired, "Why do we have humps?" To this, the mother camel replied, "The hump is filled with fat, which serves as a source of energy when there is no immediate food available in the desert. The larger the hump, the healthier a camel becomes."

The calf, driven by curiosity, posed another question, "Why are our feet curved?" The mother explained, "Our feet consist of two parts joined together at the bottom by a web. This design helps us walk easily on the sandy desert terrain."

Not satisfied, the inquisitive calf continued, "Why do our ears look like they do?" The mother replied, "Our ears and ear canals have hairs that prevent sand from entering them. Moreover, our ears can move independently in different directions towards the source of sound."

The calf, displaying its precocious nature, asked yet another question, "We currently live in a sanctuary. What use are these attributes here?" In response to this question, the mother camel fell silent.

The moral of the story is that your special attributes are most valuable when you are in the right environment where they can be put to good use.

CS14-TheManWhoBoasts

A conceited tourist, upon completing his journeys, boasted about his daring adventures and the fascinating places he had visited. During a show and tell session, he arrogantly described how he had leaped across a bridge from one end to the other.

A zealous young person, tired of listening to the man's exaggerated tales, challenged him to demonstrate the ease and agility he claimed to have while jumping over a bridge, as evidenced in the photos he had chosen. Upon hearing this challenge, the proud traveler found himself frozen in fear, drenched in perspiration.

The moral of the story is to avoid boasting about accomplishing the impossible or exaggerating one's abilities. It's better to let one's actions speak for themselves.

CS15-FourBullsAndATiger

Four bulls lived as thick friends. They grew together, grazed together, and shared the same shed. While grazing, they stayed together and so no lion or tiger could approach them.  

Because of some dispute, the bulls separated. Taking advantage of this, a stealthy tiger killed and ate the bulls one by one. 

Unity is strength and generates immense benefits.

CS16-TheBirdAndTheTortoise

The tortoise, resting at the bottom of the tree, engaged in a conversation with the bird in the nest. The tortoise began by making disparaging remarks, saying, "Your nest is an ugly thingamajig built with broken and knobbed twigs. Look at the shell of my house—sturdy, beautiful in shape, pattern, color, and strength."

In response, the bird retorted, "Though my house appears humble, broken, clumsy, and rickety in appearance, I built it from naturally occurring twigs and moss. I like it very much."

The tortoise continued to gloat about the greatness of its shell, asserting, "There's no comparison between your nest and my shell." However, the bird countered, saying, "My nest is better than your shell. My entire family lives in the nest, but not so in your case. Only you can live in your shell."

The bird concluded with a wise perspective, stating, "It is better to live with your family in a humble hut than to live in a palatial house all alone."

CS17-The FarmerAndTheGoldenEgg

In a village, a farmer resided with his family. He owned a remarkable duck that laid one golden egg every day. The farmer, in turn, sold the egg to procure the necessary items to sustain his family. One day, a thought flashed across his mind: "If I collect all the eggs in one day, I can accumulate a significant amount of money." Excited by this idea, he shared it with his wife.

Without giving it a second thought, his wife readily agreed. The farmer and his wife proceeded to cut open the duck in their quest for the eggs. However, their search yielded no eggs; instead, it resulted in a pool of blood as the duck lay lifeless. The wedded pair found themselves disappointed, having not only lost the duck but also the daily sustenance it provided.

The moral of the story is clear: "Think sagaciously and then act."