Timeless stories from around the world in basic, fun and rhyme versions to read or listen to. Provided for free, with no advertising.
A thirsty crow cleverly drops pebbles into a pitcher, raising the water level to drink and quench its thirst.
A happy frog in a small well meets a sea turtle and learns about the vast, wonderful world beyond his home.
A lion spared a mouse's life, later, the mouse rescued the lion from a trap.
A wolf considers a dog's proposition of a comfortable life with humans but chooses freedom over bondage.
A shepherd boy repeatedly cries wolf to trick villagers, but when a real wolf comes, no one believes him.
A clever monkey outsmarts a crocodile, who tries to betray their friendship to please his wife, and they part ways.
The Town Mouse visits the Country Mouse, who then visits the city but fears the danger and prefers his peaceful life.
Mice ask elephants to avoid trampling their homes, and later rescue them from the hunters' trap.
A milkmaid dreams of future wealth, but spills her pail of milk and loses her imagined fortune.
A Dog planned to build a house for winter, but changed his mind when summer arrived, leaving him regretful and unprotected when winter returned.
The North Wind and the Sun compete to remove a traveler's cloak, but the Sun wins with warmth.
A proud man's boastful claims about his strong Ox backfire, but after showing kindness and humility, the Ox proves its strength.
Four scholars, lacking practical wisdom, bring a lion back to life but are killed by it, except the cautious fourth scholar.
The cunning fox uses flattering words to trick a proud crow into dropping its cheese, which the fox then steals.
Clever fox tricks stork with flat stone dish, but stork gets revenge by serving food in jar, leaving fox hungry.
Geese help tortoise move to new lake, but he dies after opening his mouth trying to respond to children's insults.
Two fish ignore frog's warning of danger from fishermen and get caught, while the frog moves to a safer place.
A poor farmer discovers a goose that lays golden eggs, but greed leads him to kill it, losing his fortune.
A man and his boy tried to please everyone's opinions on how to transport their donkey but ended up losing their donkey.
A pair of crows outsmart a serpent threatening their nest by tricking the King's guards into killing it.
In a debate on strength, a man confidently shows a statue of a man overpowering a lion, but the lion questions the perspective of the story.
An ant works hard and saves food for the winter while the grasshopper plays and starves.
The slow and steady tortoise wins a race against the boastful and overconfident hare.
A farmer teaches his quarreling sons the strength of unity using a bundle of sticks.
A holy man transforms a mouse into a girl, raises her, but she chooses to marry a mouse and becomes one again.
A bull accidentally steps on a mouse's tail, prompting the mouse to seek revenge, but it fails, realizing arguing is pointless.
A dog in the manger growls at the ox despite having no interest in the hay, until its owner scolds it for its selfishness.
Donkey lightens salt sacks by falling into the river, tricking the trader, but learns honesty when given heavier cotton sacks instead.
A wise owl warned birds about seeds that could grow into hawk trees, but they ignored her, leading to their own downfall.
A woodcutter saved a fox, but revealed its hiding spot; ungrateful fox ran off, feeling tricked.
Three little pigs build houses of straw, sticks, and bricks, but only the strongest brick house withstands the wolf's huffs and puffs.
A king's elephant and a dog form a friendship, are suddenly separated, but they are reunited by the king and live happily.
A Brahmin frees a trapped tiger who breaks its promise but outsmarts it with the help of a clever jackal.
A mighty lion in a jungle tries to catch a clever jackal in a cave but fails due to the jackal's trickery.
A milkmaid dreams of future wealth, but spills her pail of milk and loses her imagined fortune.
A man and his boy tried to please everyone's opinions on how to transport their donkey but ended up losing their donkey.
A proud man's boastful claims about his strong Ox backfire, but after showing kindness and humility, the Ox proves its strength.
A wise owl warned birds about seeds that could grow into hawk trees, but they ignored her, leading to their own downfall.
Geese help tortoise move to new lake, but he dies after opening his mouth trying to respond to children's insults.
A mighty lion in a jungle tries to catch a clever jackal in a cave but fails due to the jackal's trickery.
Two fish ignore frog's warning of danger from fishermen and get caught, while the frog moves to a safer place.
Donkey lightens salt sacks by falling into the river, tricking the trader, but learns honesty when given heavier cotton sacks instead.
The Town Mouse visits the Country Mouse, who then visits the city but fears the danger and prefers his peaceful life.
Three little pigs build houses of straw, sticks, and bricks, but only the strongest brick house withstands the wolf's huffs and puffs.
An ostrich, possessing characteristics of both birds and beasts, seamlessly moved between them, surprising and eventually gaining acceptance from both sides.
A slave named Androcles helps a lion in the forest, and later, the lion saves him from execution in the arena.
In a small town, there lived four scholars. They were good friends and were very knowledgeable. They had spent many years studying various subjects and had mastered many arts and sciences. However, they lacked practical wisdom.
One day, the scholars decided to demonstrate their knowledge to the world. They planned a journey to the royal court of a famous king, where they hoped to impress everyone with their learning.
As they were traveling through a dense forest, they came across the bones of a dead lion. Seeing this as a perfect opportunity to showcase their knowledge, they decided to bring the lion back to life.
The first scholar said, "I know how to assemble the skeleton." Using his knowledge, he put together all the bones, creating the perfect skeleton of a lion.
The second scholar said, "I can create muscles, skin, and fur." Using his knowledge, he covered the skeleton with muscles, skin, and fur, and soon, it looked like a real lion.
The third scholar said, "I can give life to this lion." But before he could do so, the fourth scholar, who was a bit wiser, interrupted. He said, "This doesn't seem wise. If the lion comes back to life, it will kill us."
The other three laughed at him and called him a coward. Ignoring his warning, the third scholar used his knowledge and brought the lion back to life. As soon as the lion came to life, it pounced on the scholars and killed them all.
The fourth scholar, who had climbed a tree for safety, was the only one to survive. He sadly reflected on the incident, understanding that knowledge without wisdom can lead to disastrous consequences.
There are four friends in a small town. They know a lot. They read many books. But they do not know about real life.
One day, they want to show they are smart. They decide to go to a king's palace. They want to show their talents to many people.
They walk through a big forest. They find the bones of a dead lion. They think, "Let's make this lion alive again. We will show our talents."
The first friend says, "I can put the bones together." He puts the bones together. Now it looks like a lion, but it is not alive.
The second friend says, "I can make it look real." He adds skin and hair. Now it looks like a sleeping lion.
The third friend says, "I can make it alive." But the fourth friend says, "Wait! This is not a good idea. It will hurt us."
The other friends do not listen. They laugh at him. The third friend makes the lion alive. The lion gets up and hurts them.
The fourth friend climbs up a tree. He is safe. He is the only one who thinks about what can go wrong.
In a little town, there were four friends who were very smart. They had learned a lot about many different things because they loved studying. They knew a lot about books and ideas, but they didn't know much about how to use their knowledge in real life.
One day, these friends decided they wanted to show the world how smart they were. They planned to go to a king's palace, a place where many people could see their talents.
On their way, walking through a big, thick forest, they found the bones of a lion that had died. They thought this was a great chance to show what they could do. They decided to make the lion alive again.
The first friend said, "I can put the bones back together." And he did, making the lion's skeleton look just like it did when the lion was alive.
The second friend said, "I can make it look real with muscles and skin." He worked his magic, and soon, the lion looked like it could jump up and run away.
The third friend was ready to make the lion breathe again. But the fourth friend, who thought about things a little differently, said, "Wait! This might not be a good idea. If the lion comes to life, it might hurt us."
The others didn't listen and called him scared. They laughed and went ahead with their plan. The third friend made the lion come to life. But as soon as the lion woke up, it attacked and hurt all the friends who had made it alive.
The fourth friend, who had wisely climbed a tree, was the only one who stayed safe. He was the only one who thought about the possible danger.
In a small town, there were four scholars who were exceptionally intelligent. They had gained extensive knowledge about various subjects due to their love for studying. Although they were well-versed in books and theories, they lacked practical wisdom on how to apply their knowledge in real-life situations.
One day, these scholars decided to demonstrate their intelligence to the world. They planned to visit a king's palace, a place where many people could witness their extraordinary talents.
On their journey, as they walked through a vast, dense forest, they stumbled upon the skeletal remains of a lion. They saw this as a perfect opportunity to showcase their abilities. They decided to bring the lion back to life.
The first scholar said, "I can reassemble the bones." He meticulously arranged the lion's skeleton to resemble its original form.
The second scholar said, "I can cover it with muscles and skin." With his expertise, he transformed the skeleton into a lifelike lion, appearing as though it could spring to life at any moment.
The third scholar was prepared to restore the lion's breath. However, the fourth scholar, who approached situations with caution, advised, "Wait! This might not be a wise decision. If the lion is revived, it could be dangerous for us."
The others dismissed his concerns, accusing him of being fearful. They laughed at his caution and proceeded with their plan. The third scholar successfully brought the lion back to life. But as soon as the lion awakened, it attacked and harmed the scholars who had revived it.
The fourth scholar, who had wisely climbed a tree, was the only one who remained unharmed. He had considered the potential danger and acted wisely.
Once upon a time, in a quirky little town, four really, really smart friends lived. They were like the brainiacs of Brainytown—super-smart, like could-solve-a-rubik's-cube-while-sleeping smart. But, you know what? They weren't so hot on the 'common sense' front. Not a lot of street smarts in that quartet, if you catch my drift.
So one fine morning, they woke up and thought, "Hey, let's go show off how brainy we are! To the KING! Wahoo!" High-fives all around, and off they went.
They were having a blast, singing songs that only super-smart people understand, like the periodic table to the tune of "Old MacDonald Had a Farm". Suddenly, they stumbled upon a bunch of bones in the forest. Not just any bones—a LION's bones!
The first friend clapped his hands and said, "Oh, snap! Guys, this is our chance to show the world how awesome we are. I'll assemble this bony puzzle right here!" And BOOM! Those bones clicked together like LEGO pieces, and there stood a lion—but, you know, the bare-bones edition.
The second friend wiggled his eyebrows and announced, "Watch this, ya'll. Time for some make-up and wardrobe!" With a flick and a swish, muscles appeared, then skin, and finally fur. Ta-da! The lion looked like it could be on the cover of "National Geographic!"
The third friend was bouncing up and down, barely able to contain his excitement. "Ooh, ooh, I can totally bring it to life. This is going to be epic!"
But then the fourth friend, who was sorta the 'mom' of the group, stepped in. "Uh, mates, just a teensy-weensy thought: what if our new DIY project gets a bit, erm, 'bitey' and decides to have us for lunch?"
They all started laughing and said, "Oh, come on! You're just being a scaredy-cat!"
The third friend, ignoring Mr. Sensible, did his thing and WHAM! The lion roared to life. And guess what? Yep, it wasn't a vegetarian. One, two, three, GULP! The scholars were, let's say, 'lion lunch.'
As for the fourth friend? Well, he was up a tree, literally! And as he sat there, hanging onto a branch, he thought, "Hmm, maybe next time, we should try reviving a bunny or something." And so, the lone survivor sat on his tree branch, realizing that being a know-it-all is good, but being a think-it-through is even better.
Four smarty friends with books galore,
Knew facts and tales, oh such a store!
They thought, "Let's show the king our skill,
He'll be so wowed, he'll get a thrill!"
They walked through woods with heads held high,
But what’s this here? Oh my, oh my!
Bones of a lion on the ground,
A chance to show what they had found.
Friend One said, "See these bones all sprawled?
I'll make a frame, we won't be stalled!"
And so he did, a skeleton neat,
A lion shape, from head to feet.
Friend Two exclaimed, "I've got the art,
Of skin and fur, let's make a start!"
Soon fur and skin around bones curled,
It looked just like a lion of the world.
Friend Three said, "Wait, I’ve got the knack,
To make this lion's heart tick-tack!"
But Friend Four stopped, "Let's think this through,
If lion wakes, what will it do?"
They giggled, laughed, "Oh, you're so meek,
Afraid of something we did tweak!"
Up went the spell, the lion roared,
It leapt and pounced, the friends it floored.
But Friend Four safe in a tall tree,
Thought, "Ah, this proves the point for me."
He knew right then, as he sat alone,
That wisdom's more than what is known.
People who like each other and spend time together.
Special skills that people have and can show.
To choose something after thinking about it.
A big and beautiful house where a king lives.
A big area with many trees and plants.
The hard parts inside a body.
Not in danger.
Living, not dead.
A thought or plan about something.
Causes pain or injury to someone.
A large, grand house for a king.
The bones inside a living thing's body.
Soft parts in our body that help us move.
Special power used to do amazing things.
Something that is living and can grow.
A situation that could cause harm or injury.
Special skills or abilities someone has.
Made a choice after thinking.
In another way, not the same.
Something that can happen or be done.
People who study and learn deeply about subjects.
Covering a large amount or range of information.
Having a lot of knowledge about a particular area.
To show or display something clearly and convincingly.
Related to the bones of a body.
In a way that shows great attention to detail.
Very similar to the real thing, seeming alive.
Special skill or knowledge in a particular area.
To bring back to life or consciousness.
Caused injury, damage, or trouble to someone or something.
How many friends are there in the story?
What do the friends find in the forest?
What does the first friend do with the bones?
Why does the fourth friend climb up a tree?
What happens to the friends when the lion comes alive?
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