Baalgatha: Bedtime Stories and Fables for Children

We bring to you a story from our archives, titled Two Goats Across a Bridge. Two goats decide to cross the bridge but no one wants to give way to the other and end up fighting on the bridge.

This is a story from the life of the Bodhisatta. Once a King decides to build a new palace, for which his workers decide to cut down a huge Sal tree. But a spirit resides in the tree, and it is worried that the younger trees that have grown around the big tree will also be destroyed int the process. He pleads with the King to spare the other trees. What does the King do? The moral of this story is...

Today we bring to you an episode from Chants of India by Sriram, one of the shows from the gaatha story family of podcasts.  Akshay Tritiya festival falls in the months of April and May, Sun and Moon are said to be at their planetary best, also known as Akha Teej. This day marks the Birth anniversaries of Lord Parshurama (6th incarnation of Lord Vishnu) and Goddess Annapurna. Ganesh and Ved Vyas s...

Today we bring to you a story from our archives: the first ever Baalgatha story that we had published three years ago! Chimpu and the Crocodile is a Panchatantra story of a monkey and the crocodile. The crocodile wants to catch Chimpu the monkey because his wife wants to eat his heart. But will he be successful? Or will Chimpu escape? Listen to this story to learn more. Moral of the story is : Bew...

Listen to this short story from the tales of Naseeruddin Hooja, which carries a powerful message. People will treat us differently depending on the types of clothes we wear. This story was narrated by Sheearli Biju for gaatha story. You can subscribe to this podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Castbox, Hubhopper, Radio Public, Storiyoh, Tunein, Stitcher, and many other f...

 In this short episode about Good Friday and Easter, we learn about the story of crucification of Jesus Christ. We also learn about his reappearance, known as resurrection. This story was narrated by Sheerali for Baalgatha Podcast.  How to Subscribe to Baalgatha Podcast? You can subscribe to this podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Castbox, Hubhopper, Radio Public, Stori...

Listen to the updated version of this story. This is a story from Northern India, narrated by Sheerali Biju for Baalgatha Podcast. Originally titled \"The Legend of Gwashbrari, The Glacier-Hearted Queen\", this story was published in the book Tales of Northern India, compiled by Flora Annie Steel.  How to Subscribe to Baalgatha Podcast? You can subscribe to this podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts,...

Listen to the story of a stone cutter, who wants to become the most powerful in the world. In the process, he is helped by a spirit of the mountain. The spirit helps the stone cutter become the most powerful person in the world, and he becomes a rich man,a Prince, the Sun, a cloud, and a mountain. But finally, what does he become?  You may find t his story very similar to the tale The Wedding of t...

Today we bring you to another story from Japan- the Mirror of Matsuyama. A young girl called Matsuyama lives with her father and mother in a remote village in Japan. One day, her father brings gifts for Matsuyama and her mother. The gifts include a mirror. What happens next? Listen to this story to learn more.  How to Subscribe to Baalgatha Podcast? You can subscribe to this podcast on Spotify, Ap...

Listen to this tale from Panchatantra. Once upon a time, there lived lion who was very cruel. One day, this cruel lion got trapped in a cage. Nobody came to his rescue. Finally, he convinced a man who was passing by, to open the cage and set him free. When the man did so, the ungrateful lion wanted to eat the man. That is, until they meet a monkey. What happens next? Listen to this story to learn...

The Jackal\'s Strategy is a delightful little tale from Panchatantra, about a Jackal who finds a dead elephant in the forest. The jackal is happy because it will not have to hunt for food for several days. However, it is unable to cut through the elephant\'s think skin. Soon, he encounters a lion, a leopard, and another jackal. What does he do then? Listen to this story to learn more. The moral of...

Listen to the story, also known as The Lazy Townspeople, about a town in which people are extremely lazy. They do not believe in keeping their town clean. But one day, the chief of the town decides to change their habit. What does he do? Does he succeed in his mission? Listen to this story to learn more. Visit gaathastory.com/podcasts to learn how you can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcast...

This is a story from India compiled by Flora Annie Steel. A Jackal sees a plum tree on the far side of a stream. The tree is ripe with fruits, but the jackal is unable to reach it. The Jackal then decides to take advantage of a gullible crocodile, in order to eat the fruits. What happens next? Listen to this story to learn more. Visit gaathastory.com/podcasts to learn how you can subscribe to this...

Listen to the story from Japan about an old couple who find a baby boy inside a peach! As the boy grows up, he wants to travel to an island of Ogres. The island is far, far away from home, and he intends to conquer the Ogres and bring home their treasures. The old woman prepares some dumplings for the boy\'s journey. On the way he, meets a monkey, a peasant, and a dog, who each demand a dumpling f...

Listen to the story of the Rabbits who are frustrated and disappointed upon being attacked by dogs, humans, birds of prey and just about every other animal. One day, they decide to end their lives by jumping into a pond. There, they encounter a group of frogs. What happens next? Listen to this story to learn more. The moral of this story is that no matter how bad your situation might be, your situ...

Have you ever wondered why a crab has no head? Well, here\'s a tale from Africa which may offer an explanation. Listen to this delightful little tale from the time when no animal had a head- in fact, they had to borrow a head from the King\'s office and return it once their work was done. Then one day, the King agreed that all animals and birds should get a permanent head. The crab, who was the Ki...

Listen to this story from the Jataka tales. A monster was attracted by the teachings of the Bodhisatta. The monster however continued his way of killing and eating unsuspecting persons. The monster one day saw a beautiful princess and fell in love with her and married her. What happened next? Listen to this story to learn more.  This story is also known as The Rakshas and the Magician, which will...

We bring to you a story from Japan, which is the tale about an old man and his pet sparrow. The old man\'s cruel wife lets the sparrow loose, and the old man travels far and beyond in search of his sparrow. Will the man find his pet sparrow? Listen to learn more: you may find some similarities with the story Peasie and Beansie, which was published earlier on Myths, Legends and Fairytales of India...

This delightful story from Jataka Tales collection is a story of how the friendship between a King\'s favourite elephant and a stray dog is affected by the greed of one man. But will a wise minister\'s advice to the King be able to reunite the separated friends? Listen to this tale to learn more. Visit gaathastory.com/elephant-dog to learn more about this story and to learn how you can subscribe t...

This is a story from the Jataka tales that teaches us that greed is bad. The story is as follows: A swan that has golden feathers wants to help a poor family by giving one of its golden feathers every day. The head of the family, an old woman, sells the feather and gets money to keep them in comfort. Over time, the woman gets greedy and tells  her daughters that the swan cannot be trusted - it cou...

This is a story from Jataka Tales about two merchants, and is known as The Merchant of Seri  or The Story of Two Merchants. The story goes as follows: once upon a time, there were two merchants in a village. One of them was kind hearted and honest, while the other was short tempered and greedy. One day, both traveled to a nearby town to sell their wares. They separately met an old woman and her gr...

This is a story from the Jataka Tales collection, and teaches us that greed is not a good. Once, a King, who was used to conquering new territories, went on an expedition. When his entourage rested in a forest, the horses were fed with peas. A monkey, who was following the King\'s entourage, climbed down and stole some peas. What happens next? Listen to this story to learn more. You can listen and...

Today we bring to you the story of Rhodopsis: this is the Egyptian version of Cinderella. This is considered to be one of the oldest versions of the Cinderella story. It was first recorded by the Roman historian Strabo in the first century BC. You can listen and subscribe to Baalgatha Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Castbox, and Google Podcasts. Visit gaathastory.com/podcasts to learn more. Fo...

Today we bring to you a short story- the tale of Nala and Damayanti. Nala, was the king of Nishadh Kingdom in Eastern India. He was the son of Veerasen. Nala was known for his skill with horses and culinary expertise. He married princess Damayanti, of Vidarbha Kingdom. He was also a great cook, and wrote the first ever book on cookery, Pakadarpanam (पकदर्पणम). This story was first mentioned in the...

This is a story from Hitopadesh tales which teaches us that greed is bad. A hunter who has killed a deer gets greedy and tries to kill a boar out of greed. In the process, the hunter is killed by the dying boar. A hungry jackal is tempted by the sight of three dead creatures, and is delighted to see so much food to eat. But will his greed get the better of him? Listen to this story to learn more....