Tag: forest

The Three Wishes – Audio Story

The Three Wishes

Once upon a time, there lived a poor woodcutter.

He lived in a small cottage with his wife.Every morning, he would go to the forest to cut firewood.

He would sell it in the town-market in the evening. With the money he got after selling it, he would buy

 food for himself and his wife. The woodcutter was content, but his wife wanted to lead a better life. So she often prayed to God.

One fine morning, the woodcutter reached the forest. However, he found it difficult to decide which tree to cut. Finally he selected a tall tree with a fat trunk.

 He was about to strike it with his axe when he heard a voice say, ” Do not cut the tree, Sire. Have pity on me.” He turned around but saw none.

Suddenly he realised that it was the tree that was speaking. The tree said, “If you spare me, I will grant you three wishes.”

The woodcutter was very excited. He rushed back home and told about his adventure in the woods to his wife. His wife was overjoyed and she served him hot porridge.

“Oh! Just porridge? I wish fresh hot bread were to fall through the chimney,” he said.

Lo and behold! Fresh hot bread began falling from the chimney.

“You have wasted one wish. I wish these hot breads were to hang down your nose,” said the woodcutter’s wife.

And indeed the next moment, the fresh hot loaves were hanging from her husband’s nose.

The woodcutter’s wife tried to calm him, ” Do not worry, dear husband. We still have one wish. We can wish for all the good things and then we can lead comfortable lives,” she said.

” But how can I be comfortable with these hot loaves hanging from my nose,”said the woodcutter. “I wish they go up the way they came.”

And the loaves indeed went up the chimney the moment he uttered those words. 

Listen to and read the story “The Three Wishes” and then answer the following questions:

  1. Where did the poor woodcutter live?
  2. Where did he go every morning?
  3. Where did he sell the firewood?
  4. What did he buy from the money he got after selling firewood?
  5. Was the woodcutter’s wife content with her life?
  6. Describe the woodcutter’s adventure in the forest?
  7. What did the tree grant the woodcutter and why?
  8. What did the woodcutter’s wife serve him when he gave her the good news?
  9. What was the woodcutter’s first wish?
  10. How did the woodcutter’s wife react when she saw fresh hot bread falling down the chimney?
  11. What was their third wish?
  12. Did the woodcutter and his wife use the three wishes wisely?
  13. What do you learn from this story?
  14. Find the meaning of the words underlined in the story? 

The Blue Jackal

Once upon a time,there lived a jackal in a forest by the name of Chandaraka. One day, Chandaraka, driven by hunger, went to a nearby village in search of food. He was extremely hungry. Unfortunately, he met a group of dogs and they started chasing him. The jackal got frightened and fled in panic. He entered a washer man’s house in a hurry. While trying to hide himself, the jackal slipped and fell into a tub full of blue color, which the washer man had kept ready to dye the clothes.

Soon the bark of the dogs ceased and the jackal came out of the tub. There was a big mirror fixed on the wall of the house. The jackal saw himself in the mirror and was surprised to see his blue colored body. He came out of the house and quickly ran back to the forest. When Chandraraka reached the forest, every animal failed to recognize this new creature. Infact they got frightened and ran in all directions.

Taking advantage of the situation, the jackal planned to keep the situation in his favor. He asked, “Why are you running like this? There is no need to panic. I am a unique creation of God. He told me that the animals in this jungle had no ruler and he had nominated me as your king. He had named me, Kakudruma and told me to rule this forest. Therefore, all of you can live safely under the cover of my protection.”

The innocent animals believed the shrewd jackal and accepted him as the king. The jackal appointed the lion as his minister, the tiger as his chamberlain and the wolf as the gatekeeper. After allotting positions to the animals, the new king Kakudruma banished all the jackals in the forest for the fear of being recognized. Now, the animals hunted for food and brought it to the self-proclaimed king. After taking his share, the king would distribute the remaining food equally among his subjects. So like this, he was leading a luxurious life.

One day when the blue jackal was holding his court, a herd of jackals were passing by howling to their glory. Suddenly the blue jackal forgot that he was a king and not an ordinary jackal anymore. Unable to control his natural instinct, Kakudruma howled at the top of his voice. Soon, the animals realized that they had been fooled by a jackal. In a fit of anger, all the animals, at once pounced on the blue jackal and killed him.

Moral: The one who abandons one’s own folk will perish.

Read the story of The blue Jackal and then attempt the following questions:

  1. What was the name of the jackal?
  2. Why did he go to the nearby village?
  3. Who frightened and chased the jackal?
  4. Whose house did the jackal enter?
  5. What did he fall into?
  6. Why had the washer man prepared the tub of blue color?
  7. Where did the jackal see his blue colored body?
  8. Did the animals of the forest recognize the jackal?
  9. How did the animals react?
  10. What did the jackal tell the animals?
  11. What positions did the jackal allot to the animals?
  12. How did the jackal lead this new life?
  13. What did the jackal forget one day and why?
  14. What was he unable to control?
  15. How did the animals recognize that he was an ordinary jackal?
  16. What did the animals then do?
  • Give the meaning of the following words: chase, panic, hide, cease, unique, nominate, protection, shrewd, luxurious, pounced