Folk Tales to Read, Question & Share
Explore 667+ folk tales, fables and legends from India and around the world, with source notes and discussion ideas. Some stories contain difficult themes: read the guidance and preview a tale before sharing it with children.
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Folk tales from every corner of the world, all in one place
Stories to Explore
Choose a story, read its source note, and explore the questions it raises
Panchatantra Stories
Ages 9-12
The Brahmani and the Mongoose
A mother leaves her baby in her husband’s care, and when her pet mongoose runs to her with a bloody mouth, she acts before she knows what really happened.
Panchatantra Stories
Ages 9-12
The Brahmin and the Cobra
A poor farmer leaves milk for the cobra in his field and finds a gold coin every morning, until his greedy son decides to take all the gold at once.
Panchatantra Stories
Ages 9-12
The Brahmin’s Dream
A miserly Brahmin lies under his pot of rice and dreams it into goats, cows, horses and gold, until one kick in his daydream brings it crashing down.
Panchatantra Stories
Ages 6-8
The Brahmin, the Thief and the Demon
A thief who wants a Brahmin's cattle and a demon who wants to eat the Brahmin creep into his house on the same night, and then they start to argue.
Panchatantra Stories
Ages 3-5
The Cave That Talked
A hungry lion hides in a jackal’s cave, but the clever jackal tricks the lion into roaring and runs away before he can be caught.
Panchatantra Stories
Ages 6-8
The Dog Who Went Abroad
During a famine a dog travels to a rich foreign city, eats well but is mauled by the local dogs every day, and decides home is better.
The Donkey in the Panther’s Skin
A washerman dresses his skinny donkey in a panther's skin so it can eat the neighbours' corn, and all goes well until the donkey opens its mouth.
Panchatantra Stories
Ages 9-12
The Four Learned Fools
Three learned friends rebuild a dead lion with their scholarship; the fourth, who has only common sense, climbs a tree and alone walks home alive.
The Bird with Two Heads
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Age groups are starting points. Preview the complete story and its reading guidance; some tales are intended for older readers.
Adult-led reading with space to explain unfamiliar words and events
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