Short Stories: Diligence

Once a fox was very hungry and roaming around in search of food. Luckily, it saw a crow on a tree with a morsel in its beak. The fox wanted that bit of food very badly. So, it flattered the crow about its beauty and its lovely voice. The foolish crow believed what the fox said and started singing. The bit of food that it held in its beak fell to the ground and the fox ate it up. The fox laughed and said, "I may have praised your voice, but I said nothing about your brain." ~ "A FOX AND A CROW" -Diligence

Once a lion said to all the animals in the forest that if one of them will come to him as his meal for the day, he would not kill anyone else among them. All the animals agreed to this. One day, it was a rabbit's turn and it took quite long reaching the lion. The lion asked it the reason for being late. It acted wisely and said, "Sir! I was stopped by another lion, who was claiming to be the king of the jungle and he wants to meet you." "So do I", said the furious lion. The rabbit took the lion to a well and showed him his reflection in the water of the well. The lion jumped into the well to catch his opponent and drowned. How intelligently, the rabbit got rid of the wild beast. ~ "A LION AND A RABBIT" -Diligence

Ronnie, a small boy was very fond of drawing but his father didn't allow him to do so. One day he was sitting on a windowsill when he saw a red car parked outside his house. He made a sketch of it. Next day, the police came to his house to enquire about a red car that belonged to a gangster. Ronnie showed them his sketch from which the police got the information about the model of the car and its number too. After few days, the police came and said that because of Ronnie's sketch, the gangster was caught. Ronnie's father praised him and then never stopped him from drawing. ~ "THE ART OF DRAWING" -Diligence

In a village, there was a clever cock that used to wake up the villagers by his crowing. Once a jackal went to him and said, "I have heard that you have a lovely voice." The cock felt pleased on hearing his praise. He at once started crowing 'Cock-a-doodle-doo." The jackal got an opportunity. He at once caught hold of the cock by his teeth and fled towards the jungle. Seeing this, the villagers ran after the jackal. The cock thought of a plan and said to jackal, "Look, the villagers are after you. Tell them that I am yours and not theirs." As soon as the jackal opened his mouth, the cock ran away to the villagers. ~ "THE CLEVER COCK" -Diligence

Tony was a handsome and clever cowboy. One day, he went to a neighbouring city. He was feeling hungry but had no money. Still, he went inside a hotel. Having had his fill, he shouted, "I challenge everybody present here that none of you has ever seen a horse with it's tail where it's head should be." Everyone thought that he was fibbing. One man said, "It's impossible. If you show us, then I will pay your bill." Tony took them to a stable where he had tied his horse by it's tail to the feeding trough. People understood that Tony was clever. The man paid his bill. ~ "THE CLEVER COWBOY" -Diligence

Once there was a big haystack near a village and several small animals had made their homes in it. Among them were a snake, a tortoise and a jackal. One day, all the three creatures were gossiping, when suddenly they heard some people shouting ‘Fire! Fire!’ the snake said that he knew hundred ways to deal with the fire and the tortoise said that he knew thousand ways. When it was the Jackal's turn, he said, "I know only one way to deal with the fire and that is to run away." Saying this, the Jackal ran away and other fire specialists got burnt in the fire. ~ "THE FIRE SPECIALISTS" -Diligence

Tom was very brave and intelligent. One day, while playing, he went far into the forest. Just then a jackal saw him. He decided to eat the boy and came in his way. When Tom saw that he had no way to save himself, he said to the jackal, "Brother, I am not afraid of death but I want to die peacefully. So, I want to play my flute and dance to its tune. Then you can eat me." The jackal permitted him. As soon as, Tom started playing his flute, his dog came running. The dog saw the jackal and leapt on it. The jackal ran for his life. Tom returned home with his dog. ~ "THE FLUTE PLAYER" -Diligence

John and James were neighbours and envy of each other. One day, John while taking a walk on his terrace saw smoke all around him. He looked down and saw that James was burning some leaves. He asked him not to do so. At this, James replied, "What can I do in this? Smoke always goes up." Then John brought a bucket full of water and poured it over the burning leaves. When James shouted at him, he said, "What can I do in this? Water always flows down." James had no answer to this. ~ "THE LAW OF MOTION" -Diligence

John and James were neighbours and envy of each other. One day, John while taking a walk on his terrace saw smoke all around him. He looked down and saw that James was burning some leaves. He asked him not to do so. At this, James replied, "What can I do in this? Smoke always goes up." Then John brought a bucket full of water and poured it over the burning leaves. When James shouted at him, he said, "What can I do in this? Water always flows down." James had no answer to this. ~ "THE LAW OF MOTION" -Diligence

John had a desire to have a bicycle of his own but his father was not rich enough to afford the same. One day, when John was on his way to school, he saw a big boy on a cycle. As the boy was turning around a corner, the cycle skidded on a puddle of water and the boy fell down. John went to him and helped him to get up. The boy was badly injured. John first took him to a doctor and then helped him to reach his house. The boy belonged to a rich family and gladly presented the cycle to John. ~ "THE VALUABLE GIFT" -Diligence

One day a camel, a goat and an ass were walking down the road when they saw a bundle of hay lying road-side. But it was not sufficient for all three of them. The ass said, "This hay is not enough for all three of us. Let the oldest among us eat it." The goat and the camel agreed. But they started arguing about who was older among them. Suddenly, the camel started eating the hay. The goat shouted, "What are you doing?" At this the camel replied, "You just said that the oldest may eat it. Look at my knobby joints and wrinkled skin. So, I am the oldest." Saying this, the camel went ahead and ate the hay. ~ "WHO WILL EAT THE HAY ?" -Diligence