Panchtantra

it was summer vacation, and my niece and nephews were there at home. we have one public garden in our city spread in around 3 - 4 km. of area. where we have a planetarium, Museum, Zoo, Ice cream parlor and other which is totally entertaining and worth spending one whole day there when in the group. so, we all decided to go to that garden, in the morning at around 9:30 we all left home. by 10: 00 o'clock we were in the garden. 

we were roaming in the garden, watching greenery, beautiful flower plants nicely planted and maintained by the gardener. after that, we went to the Zoo area where there are lions and tigers in a huge cage made for them and a place for moving them. so, all that zoo section we enjoyed, and further ahead there was one big pond of water and there was one Crocodile made of clay and other material and colored it with green, so exactly looked like Crocodile. and next to that pond there was one tree made of Jamoon (Berry) and one Monkey, also made of clay and colored in an ash color. so, my nephew was amazed to see it. So, I told him and all children, " that do you all know there is a story behind it from Panchatantra, which we read when we were of your age ". so, they said," ok then please tell us that story. so, we sat there in green grass in the shadow and I told them the story, " it is like this, that a crocodile used to come every day to the corner of the river, where there was one tree of Jamoon and a monkey used to sit on that tree. he used to eat jamoon and throw the seeds which crocodile consumed one day so he thought it must be of a sweet fruit so he requested Monkey to give him those fruits. Monkey was kind and he gave him those Jamuns. now everyday crocodile used to come near that tree and the monkey used to give him Jamoons. the crocodile took those jamoons home for his wife and she too liked it. crocodile praised his friend Monkey so much for being so kind and for those sweet fruits he gave. now crocodile's wife felt jealous about the monkey. and she told the crocodile that if these fruits are so sweet then that Monkey's heart also must have been so sweet because he consumes these sweet fruits every day for many years. so, I want to eat his heart. they decided that the crocodile will invite the monkey home. The next day crocodile came and told the monkey that my wife is eager to meet you. can you come to my home? so monkey said, " but I can't swim in the water. crocodile asked him to sit on his back and while on way to home he told the monkey, " my dear friend actually my wife has invited you because she wants to eat your heart. " now Monkey was clever. He thought for a second and told crocodile, " but friend, why didn't you tell me this before, because I have kept my heart on that Jamoon tree, so to bring it we will have to go back there. a crocodile believed him and took him back to the tree. now after climbing on the tree Monkey started laughing and told crocodile, " you fool, how is it possible that my heart is here on the tree? now you go back home. I don't want to die. I will not come with you. "

so, the moral of the story is that " though Monkey could save his life because of his intelligence, one should make friends with due care. don't trust anybody so soon. make friends after knowing them very well. '

All children liked the story so much and thanked me for telling them this beautiful story. now after lots of fun and play and roaming, we came back home. again, in the night I told them about what " Panchatantra " means. " Panchatantra is written by Indian scholar and author Vishnu Sharma - between 1200 C E and 300 C E. Theses are the stories written under five volumes - Mitra labh, Mitra Bheda, Apariksitakarakam, Labdhapranasam, and Kakolukiyam. so, these stories are called " Panchatantra " Stories. 

King Amar shakti appointed scholar Vishnu Sharma to educate his 3 sons. conventional tools and techniques of teaching did not work on Princes. so, he decided to teach them in the form of stories. Panchatantra stories are originally written in Sanskrit. by using colorful drawings of animals and birds and stories with morals and teachings were written on them and made easier and enjoyable to understand better. the covers and drawings of these storybooks are so colorful and attractive that even toddlers like to read and watch stories performed on TV nowadays. and by knowing and seeing this we must feel proud that how clever were the older generations. Nowadays many difficult and boring things are taught with experiments and demonstration and so it is made easy to understand. 

so, in Panchatantra the moral stories and Life - lessons were told in a light-hearted manner. How genius the author was and the previous generations. Today also these stories are translated into many regional and foreign languages and watched and read and appreciated worldwide.