Also available in: ગુજરાતી · हिन्दी
A fable from the Panchatantra, retold for children in our own words. The Panchatantra is an ancient Indian collection of animal stories traditionally attributed to the scholar Vishnu Sharma. This story comes from Book 1: The loss of friends.
One night a hungry jackal crept into a town looking for food. The town’s dogs chased him, barking, and in his hurry he fell head first into a big tub of blue dye.
When he climbed out he was bright blue from nose to tail. Back in the forest, the animals stared. They had never seen such a creature. Even the lion stepped back.
The jackal saw his chance. “Do not be afraid,” he said grandly. “I have been sent from the heavens to be your king.” The animals bowed low.
So the blue jackal ruled the forest. The lion and the tiger served him, and the best food was brought to him every day. He even sent the other jackals away, ashamed of where he came from.
Then one evening, far off, a pack of jackals began to howl at the moon. The blue king could not help himself. He lifted his head and howled along, “Aaa-oooo!”
Now everyone knew he was only a jackal in disguise. The animals chased him out of the forest, and he ran and ran, still blue, all the way home.
The moral of the story
Be yourself. Pretending to be someone else rarely lasts, and true friends like you as you are.
Talk about it
- Why did the jackal pretend to be a king?
- What gave him away in the end?
- What do you like about being you?
Tips for reading aloud
- Use a different voice for each animal.
- Pause before the turning point and ask, “What do you think happens next?”
- Open the picture book and press Read to me to hear it read aloud, with the pages turning by themselves.
More fables: the Panchatantra bookshelf.
