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, 01675893953 Stories for SSC Examination 1

1. An honest wood cutter
Title: The woodman and the river-god. A woodman lived close by a river. There
was a forest on the riverside. The woodman used to cut wood in the forest. He would sell the wood in the market. In
this way he earned a bare livelihood. The woodman had to work hard. He earned his bread by the sweat of his brow.
But he was happy. One day be was felling a tree. All at once the axe slipped out of his hands and fell into the river.
The woodman lived by the axe. The loss of the axe meant starvation for him. He had no other axe. He could not earn
his bread without an axe- He saw the vision of his wife and children dying for want of bread. He broke down with grief
and lamented his loss. The god of the river heard his piteous lamentations. He took pity on the poor man. He came
out of the water and stood before the woodman with a golden axe in his hand. Come, my man, cry no more. Here is
your axe. Take it and go home. The woodman was poor but honest. He did not covet gold. He did rejoice at the sight
of the axe. In his grief he cried out, Oh, lord! Do not mock ray misery! The god asked, What! Is not this your axe?
The man replied, Oh, lord! How should a poor man have a gold axe? The god said, Well I make a free gift of the
gold axe to you. It is more valuable than an iron axe. Take it and be happy. The woodman answered, I am a poor
man. What should I do with the gold axe? A gold axe is no good. It will not cut wood. The river-god was pleased with
his honesty. He now brought his iron axe out of the river. He offered it to the poor woodcutter. The woodman was
overjoyed. He took the axe and thanked the god. The god blessed the man and gave him the gold axe also. A
neighbour of the woodman heard the story of his good fortune. He felt envious. He went to the forest and began to
cut wood. He threw the axe into the river and began to cry. The river-god came up with a gold axe. The man reached
out for it. He claimed it to be his own axe. The god was angry. He reproached the man for his greediness and
vanished. The man came back home disappointed. Moral: Honesty is the best policy.
2.Slow and steady wins the race (hare and tortoise). Outline: A hare mocks a tortoise for his slowness. The
tortoise challenges him to a race. The hare sleeps on the wayside. The tortoise goes on steadily and is the first to
reach the goal. Expand the above outline into a story-The Hare and the Tortoise: A hare and a tortoise were great
friends. But the former very often mocked his slow-moving friend. He would tease the tortoise and frisk about. The
tortoise bore his friends mockery with patience and good humor. But one day it was too much even for him. He said
to his friend angrily, Well, my friend, your vanity is unbearable. You have yet to learn that there are creatures swifter
than yourself. I challenge you to a contest of speed. The hare laughed and laughed until he was out of breath. He
then said to his friend, gurgling with mockery and contempt, You had rather challenge the snail.Then you could hope
to win the race. The tortoise retorted, Laugh not, my friend, lest the laughter should be turned on you. If you dare,
accept my challenge and win the race. Laugh then, and laughter will become you. Till then forbear your laughter. The
hare regarded the whole things as a huge joke. But he had to accept the challenge. So one morning they got ready
for a race. A tree, two miles away, was fixed as their target. The hare shot ahead. He sped like an arrow. The tortoise
moved on slowly. After some time the hare looked back. He could see the tortoise far behind him. He laughed to
himself and rolled upon the ground. The pleasant sunshine of the winter morning made him feel sleepy. He thought
that he could safely snatch a good sleep before the tortoise came up. When the hare awoke the sun was about to
set. The hare could not catch sight of his friend. He then ran. He ran the swiftest race of his life. When he reached the
tree, he found his friend receiving him with a smile. The tortoise said to his friend, He smiles best who smiles last.
Moral: Slow and steady wins the race.
3. The old farmer & his quarrelling sons/Hidden treasure-Outline: An old man had three sons who always
quarreled among themselves. He asked them to break a bundle of sticks-They tried and failed. He asked them to
break the sticks one by one. They could do that easily. Then the father advised his sons. The old Man and His
Sons. Once upon a time there was an old man who had three sons-They were strong and stout. They should have
been the hope and joy of their old father. But they filled his heart with sorrow. He had no peace of mind. The three
brothers constantly quarrelled among themselves. From words they often came to blows. Their fathers counsels and
entreaties went in vain. They could never be friendly to one another. Their father felt that after his death his sons
would ruin themselves and become beggars. The old man lost peace of mind. He could not sleep. He fell ill. He felt
that his end was near. He wanted to make a last attempt to induce good sense into his sons. So he called his sons to
his bedside. He asked one his sons to break up a bundle of slender sticks. He tried but with all his strength he failed.
The other two young men also tried in their turn to break it. They also failed. Then the old man untied the bundle. He
gave a few sticks to each of his sons. He asked them to break them one by one. They did so with the greatest ease.
Their father then asked them why they could break the sticks singly but failed to break up the bundle of the same
sticks. They smiled at the foolish question. It was obvious that the bundle was much stiffer than the single sticks. The
old man smiled and said, Why, my sons, you are so wise and yet so foolish. The sons now realized the wisdom of
their father. They gave up quarrelling among themselves. Moral: Union is strength.
4. A FOX THAT LOST HIS TAIL/A fox without a tail: Once upon a time, there lived a very clever fox who lived in a
jungle. It was known very famous for his wisdom. So the wise fox became their leader and was parsing the days with
happiness. Every day he used to go out for food and returned with satisfaction. But there was a beauty near the
jungle with full of crops. And the villagers were very much trouble by the fox for their damaging different crops. The
villagers also made a plan making a trap in the way to forest. One day the fox could not imagine the trap and lost his
tail in the trap. When he got out of the trap, he left his tail behind which he had lost in the struggle. Without his tail the
fox looked very strange. He felt sad and ashamed too. He knew that every fox would laugh at him. He was so sad
that he thought of killing himself. But then he said to himself, It is cowardice to kill one self. I should do something
else. So he thought out a cunning plan. He planned to persuade all the foxes to part with their tails. He was sure to
divert their attention from his tailless appearance. He thought that if he could make them understand that there was
no need of tails they might have also cut their own tails. So, he called all the foxes in a meeting. When all the foxes
came, he told them they did not need any tail. According to him the tail was not only useless but also ugly. So he
asked all the foxes to cut their tail. Then an old clever fox realized his trick. He stood up and said, Good, sir! You
wouldnt be so keen to give us that advice, if you were not tail less, isnt it? He revealed his trick to other foxes. Then
the tailless fox ran away.

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5. Result of telling lie/A liar cowboy/Shepherd: There was a cowboy in a village. He used to tend cows in a
nearby field beside the forest. The cowboy was a great liar. He enjoyed himself making fun with people. He often

cried out, Wolf, wolf. The farmers who used to work in nearby field thought that really a wolf was appeared. So, they
all rushed to the spot to kill the wolf and save the boy. But when they reached the spot they found there was no wolf
but the boy. When the farmers could find no wolf, the boy laughed and made fun with them. This happened for more
than three times. At last the farmers lost their faith upon the boy. They got angry and decided not to come anymore to
help the boy. One day a wolf really came. But now when he saw the wolf he was horrified. In fact he felt himself
unable to move. He could not think of anything to do. He now shouted aloud to his capacity. But this time there was
no response. The farmers were working in a nearby field. They heard the sound. But they thought that the boy was
again making fun as usual with them. This time the wolf found the cowboy alone and tore him to pieces. The liar
cowboy was thus punished for his lie. It was his fault of telling lies that made such a tragic catastrophe. Moral:
None believes a liar.
6. Two friends and a bear: There lived tow friends in a certain village. They were very fond of traveling. They liked
to enjoy the beauty of nature, to see green trees, blue seas and to hear the sweet songs of birds. One day they went
to a forest for traveling. They were walking along with the path of forest. They were talking about friendship. One time
they entered the deep forest and lost their way. At that time, a terrible incident happened. They saw a bear coming
towards them. Both of them got frightened. They began to think what to do to save themselves from the bear.
Suddenly one of them remembered that a bear can not climb a tree. At once he decided to climb up the nearby tree.
He told that to the other friend. But alas! The other friend did not know how to climb a tree. He requested the first
friend to take him with him. But the first friend saw that the bear was coming near. So, leaving the friend in danger, he
climbed up the tree. The second friend was in danger. He started to think what he could do to save himself from the
bear. Suddenly he remembered that he had read somewhere that a bear never touches a dead body. He then hit
upon a plan. So, to protect himself, he lay down on the grass and acted as he was dead. The bear came near the
lying friend. It smelt his nose and ears and thought it to be a dead body. As the bear does not eat a dead body, he
went way. The other friend watched everything from the tree. When it went away, the another friend got down from
the tree and asked his friend, What did the bear say to you? in reply he said, A friend who leaves his friend at the
time of danger, is not a real friend. At this he was ashamed and went away. Moral: A friend in need is a friend
indeed.
7. The crow and the jar/A thirsty crow: It was a sultry day in summer. The day was very hot. There was scorching
sun around. There was no water anywhere. The heat was very intense. On such a day, a crow grew thirsty. It flew
here and there in search of water, but in vain. All the way it was looking for water. All the watery places that came into
its sight were dry due to the extreme heat of summer sun. It went to a lake that was near its nest. To its utter dismay it
found that the lake had also been dried up. It found no other way to satisfy its thirst. Losing heart when it returned to
its nest, it saw a pitcher in a certain forest. Its heart leaped up in joy. It thought that it could again make its thirsty
throat wet with the drops of water. At once the crow landed there. But fortune was playing tricks with it. It found that
there was a little water inside the pitcher. The water was at the bottom. It was out of its reach. It tried again and again
to turn the pitcher. But all his attempts were ended in smoke. It could not turn the pitcher so couldnt drink water also.
It gave up its hope of drinking water. Being disappointed, the crow prepared to go away. Suddenly it noticed a heap of
pebbles near the pitcher. An idea came to its mind. It thought that if it could put the pebbles into the pitcher then the
water might rise high and it could drink the water. It began to take the pebbles into its beak and dropped them inside
the pitcher. As it put the pebbles, the water raised high and high. At length the water came to its reach. Then the crow
drank water to its satisfaction and quenched its thirst and flew away with a happy mind. Moral: Where there is a will,
there is a way
8. The Fox And The Grapes: Once a fox became very hungry. He was passing through a garden in search of
fruits. Soon he entered into a vineyard. He looked upward and found some ripe grapes hanging from vines. The
grapes were too high for him to reach. Yet the fox could not resist his temptation of eating the grapes. He felt greedy
seeing the grapes. He wanted to have some of them by any means. The vines in it were burdened with fine ripe
grapes, which were hanging in bunches from tall poles. The fox thought, I shall have a good dinner now. If I can
jump high enough, I shall have a good many of them. Thinking so, the fox began to jump but could not manage to
reach the grapes. He jumped over and over again, but the more he jumped the more tired he became. He began to
think what more to do. Then, he tried to climb the tree to reach to the grapes. But he could not succeed. He found no
other means. Each time he missed the juicy grapes. Being frustrated, he kept looking at the grapes with greedy eyes.
After some time he began to jump again but the grapes were out of his reach. When he saw that it was useless to try
any longer, he stopped making attempt. At last he became tired and disappointed. He thus consoled himself saying
that he did not really mean to have these grapes as these grapes are sour indeed. From this story we can learn the
lesson that one should not try to achieve the things that are out of his reach. This very trying will give us only
frustration and will leave use in a disappointed condition. Moral: Grapes are sour
9. An Intelligent Cowboy/The intelligence of a cow boy: Railway bridge given way under heavy ram a cowboy
tires a train approachingstands on the line in spite of whistles, waning his shirt. An Intelligent Cowboy
One day a cowboy was tending his cattle near a railway line. Suddenly he noticed that a small railway bridge had
given way under heavy rain. He also saw a passenger train approaching towards it in full speed. As he was intelligent
enough he realized the great danger that waited the train and the passengers. He at once ran to the spot and
standing on the line began to wave his shirt in order to draw the attention of the driver. The driver saw him in that
position and thinking it a mere prank of a village child, continued to advance whistling furiously just to remove him
from there. But the boy did not move from the place and went on waving his shirt. At last the driver stopped the train
near him and along with the guard got down from the train. The boy led them to the breach. They now-realized how
the boy had helped to escape the great danger.
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01675893953 Stories for SSC Examination 3

10. Robert Bruce and the spider/A spider inspires a king. Robert Bruce was the king of Scotland. He was a very
kind and just ruler. He always preferred his subjects interest to his own interest. He believed in equality and always
tried to be prudent while facing different types of situation. His subjects were happy under his rule. But the happy
days didnt last long. The greedy king of England tried to snatch his territory and raid the independence of his
dynasty. The English invaded Scotland and Robert Bruce withstood the enemy with all his power and forces. He tried
his best to sustain the emancipation of his country and to defend its liberty and splendor. But fortune didnt smile
upon him. After repeated defeats he had to retreat in despair and take shelter in a lonely cave. He had to live a very
despondent life in the isolated cave which made him more frustrated. As there was no other option, he passed some
days there and in utter despair was thinking of giving up the tussle. Just at that time he happened to see a spider
trying to reach the ceiling with the help of its silken thread to complete the cobweb. The spider tried again and again
to go up but dropped down every time. Six attempts made by the spider failed one after another. Still it did not give up
the struggle and went on trying. Bruce observed the spider with keen interest and saw that the seventh attempt of the
spider to reach the ceiling succeeded. The perseverance of the spider inspired Bruce. He saw a ray of hope and
thought if the spider did not accept the defeat why should he! Filled up with new hope and aspiration he brought
together his scattered forces and set up a new strategy and faced his enemies with renewed energy. This time he
prevailed over his enemies and succeeded in defeating them.
Moral: Failure is the pillar of success.
11. Bayazids devotion to mother/BAYAZID BOSTAMY-THE GREAT SAINT /A DUTIFUL SON: Hazrat Bayazid
Bustmi is a renowned Muslim saint. He was born in Bustam situated in Central Asia in a respectable Muslim family.
When he was young, his mother sent him abroad for religious studies. Once he came to see his mother. At that time
his mother was very ill. Bayazid became very sad and anxious about her health. He began to attend on his ill mother.
One night, his mothers sufferings became acute and she could not sleep well. Bayazid tried to give her every comfort
he could. He kept his head on her mothers head and didnt leave her alone even for a moment. Suddenly his mother
opened her eyes and asked Bayazid for a glass of water as she was feeling thirsty. After saying this she closed her
eyes again. Bayazid looked at the glass, but there was no water in it. Then he went to look at the pitcher and the
pitcher was also empty. Bayazid began to think about how he would manage water as early as possible. He went out
with the empty pitcher to collect water from the nearby stream. It was quite far away from their house. He filled the
pitcher and returned as fast as he could. He poured water into the glass and went beside her but found her in a deep
sleep. Bayazid did not wake her up because he thought he should not disturb her restful sleep. So, he stood still
without sleeping for a moment during the whole night. He did it so that he could extend the glass of water to his
mother the moment she woke up. The whole night passed and day was dawning. Bayazids mother opened her eyes
and saw her son with glass of water in his hand beside her bed. She became astonished and also felt pleased. She
said O my dear son, are you standing here all the while in the same way? Why didnt you leave the glass and go to
sleep? he brought the glass to her and said, Drink the water first, and she did it. Then he said, If I went to sleep,
you might not get water in time and you might feel bad. Seeing his obedience and deep love for her, she blessed her
heartily. Bayazids modest behaviour and his mothers blessings later on made him one of the greatest Muslin saints.
12. A Greedy Farmer/Wonderful goose/A greedy man's tale/A Greedy Farmer and his Magic/Swan:There lived
a greedy farmer in a village. He had a nice goose. The goose laid one golden egg every morning. the farmer soon
became very rich selling each egg in the market. But he was not satisfied with this. He felt that he could have all the
eggs in a day and could become richer overnight. He hit upon a plan. He thought he would kill the goose the next
morning and would out take out all the eggs at a time. He told his plan to his wife. His wife said, Dear, are you mad?
Dont do this. If you dont get any eggs after killing the goose then we will lose all what we are getting now. So have
patience and be satisfied with what you have. But the farmer couldnt check his temptation. That night he was
building castle in the air thinking what he would do with the money that he would get by selling the golden eggs after
killing the goose. He planned to buy a new house and some lands. He was thinking how luxuriously he would lead his
life. Next morning he got up very early. He took a sharp knife and went to kill the goose. The farmers wife forbade
him again and again. But the farmer didnt pay any heed. He took the knife and cut open the belly. But alas! He found
no egg at all in it. The goose died at once. The farmer became speechless for a few moments. He could not believe
his own eyes. Slowly he understood what he had done. He understood that with the goose he had also lost the
prospect of golden eggs. He could understand that he was ruined. He burst into sobbing. He wife tried to console him
saying, I told you not to be greedy. Now you can see for your greediness we have lost everything. Thats why people
say, Greed begets sin, sin begets death. Moral: Grasp all lose all.
13. A Foolish Crow and a Clever Fox: One day a crow stole a piece of meat from a butchers shop in the market.
She flew away with it and sat on the branch of a tree. A fox was passing under the tree. As soon as he saw the crow
with the meat in her beak, he felt greedy to have it. The fox was very clever. Viewpoint He hit upon a plan. At first he
made some attempts to have the meat. But all his attempts went in vain. Then he thought for sometime. A
treacherous smile blushed on his face. He found what he should do. He understood that he wouldnt get the meat as
long as the crow opened its mouth. So he decided to flatter the crow. He said to the crow, Good morning, Mrs. Crow.
I havent seen such a beautiful bird like you. The foolish crow moved a little. Then the clever fox again opened his
mouth to move the crows heart through flattery. He said, How wonderfully God has created you! How beautiful your
feathers are! But the crow didnt answer. Then the clever fox made his last attempts. Viewpoint He said, But alas!
You too have some lacking in you. Everybody says that your voice is very harsh. Your voice is not as beautiful as
you. Its really a matter of pity. The crow became very angry with the jackal. She didnt understand what the real
intention of the fox was. To prove that she had a soft and pleasing voice, she began to sing loudly. But alas! As she
opened her lips to sing, the piece of meat fell off. The shrewd fox was waiting for this. He at once took it. He said, I
know there is less creation in this world as fool as you. Now continue to sing and Im leaving. Saying this he ran
away. The crow could realize her foolishness. Viewpoint
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14. Sheikh Saadi and prestige of dress/DIGNITY OF DRESS: Sheikh Saadi was a great poet of Iran. He led a very
simple life. Once the king of the country invited Saadi to the court. Saadi started on foot. He walked the whole day
and at night took shelter in a rich mans house. Saadi had very plain dress. Considering him very ordinary traveler the
rich man and his servants did not entertain him well. Saadi left the rich mans house and reached the kings court the
following day. The king received the poet with great respect and gave him new clothes. On the way to return Saadi
stopped at night in the same rich mans house. Saadi did it intentionally. He knew that earlier only for his dress the
owner of the house didnt pay any attention to him. So this time when he was wearing a royal dress, he wanted to see
what the owner would do. When the rich man saw Saadi in his royal dress he came out with a broad smile on his
face. He welcomed Saadi. Different types of delicious foods were served. He invited Saadi to have the meal. But then
happened an interesting incident. When the servant brought the dishes before Saadi he started putting the food into
his pocket. The rich man became astonished at his strange behaviour. He said to Saadi, Whats wrong with you?
Why are you putting these items in your pockets? then Saadi smiled and gently said, Dear Sir, it is the dress that
deserves these delicious dishes. When I was in an ordinary dress, you did not give me good dishes and now, as I
have put on royal dress, you have served so delicious dishes. The man became very ashamed of his behaviour and
begged pardon. Saadi then introduced himself to the rich man and took leave from him.
15. A foolish dog/ A Clever Crow and a Foolish Dog: Once a dog stole a piece of meat from a butchers house.
Running away with the meat in his mouth he came to a garden. He then began to eat it sitting under a tree. Very soon
there appeared a crow on the tree. It felt tempted to have the meat. The crow was very cunning. It saw that it was
impossible for him to snatch the meat. So it hit upon a plan. It went out to look for its companion. When it saw its
companions it told him everything. Then they decided to play a trick on the dog. When they returned to the previous
spot, they saw that dog was still there. It also had the piece of meat as earlier. Both the crows now went to the dog.
Then one of them pulled the dog by his tail. The dog was very disturbed. But it didnt leave the spot or put the meat
on the ground. Then, another crow bit the dog in his tail. This time the dog got furious. Being angry and annoyed, the
dog now dropped the piece of meat on the ground and looked back. The another crow tried to have the meat but
before he could have that the dog turned round. So he was failed. But he was not disheartened. He again discussed
with the another crow. They again started to play the same trick on the dog. But the foolish dog could not realize what
their plan was. So this time when they again started to disturb it dropped the piece of meat on the ground and looked
back. But the crows went a little far. Seeing this, the dog chased the crow leaving the meat on the ground. In a while,
another crow flew away with the meat. The dog ran after the crows but in vain. This is how the dog was befooled by
the crows. TITLE: LOSE TEMPER, LOSE ALL.
16. A Foolish King: A long time ago there was an island which was famous for its floral beauty. There were green
trees everywhere. The Island was ruled by a powerful and benevolent king. He was famous for his altruism. He
always worked for the betterment of his subjects. One day while attending a royal meeting, one of his officials
informed him that the population of his kingdom was increasing at an alarming rate. He became concerned thinking
that it would be difficult for him to accommodate such a huge amount of population in his small vicinity. He thought
about it overnight. At last he hit upon a plan. He decided to expand his realm by conquering another neighbouring
kingdom. The next day he sat for determining the strategy of the intrusion. Everyone attended the meeting insured
him that they had ample weapons and ammunition but they needed warships. So he ordered his men to cut down
trees at random. Many trees were cut down. The forests became treeless. Birds lost their abodes. People fell ill for
want of oxygen. As a result, they revolted against the king. They attacked the king and seized his palace for human
distress and sufferings. The king got upset of their behaviour. He came out of the palace to show his logic in favour of
cutting down trees. The king told his people requested the infuriated people to stop and listen to him. He showed his
logic in favour of cutting down trees. He told them that he had to wage a war against the neighbouring king and
conquer his kingdom for their benefit. To do so he needed some warships. So, he ordered his men to cut down trees.
Then a wise old man went to the king and asked him respectfully the necessity of extending the territory if there is
existence of human lives remained in his kingdom. Then the king realized his fault. He admitted that he had no
knowledge about the bad effect of cutting trees. He again ordered his men to plant more and more trees in the island
so that they could go back to the previous condition. That announcement made the people glad and they begged
pardon to the king for captivating him. The king showed his generosity by forgiving them. They returned to their
respective houses with relief and satisfaction.
17. FERDOUSI AND SULTAN MAHMUD: There lived a great poet called Ferdousi during the reign of Sultan
Mahmud. The sultan asked the poet to write an epic about him promising to pay a piece of gold for each verse. Thus
ferdousi started writing Shahanama in honour of Sultan Mahmud. When the epic was finished, it was found to
contain 60,000 verses. Ferdousi came to Mahmud. He said to the Sultan, I have executed my job. Now pay me the
promised money. The sultan laughed at him. He said to him, The job that you have done is not so hard that you will
deserve a piece of gold for each verse. You dont deserve it. I want to bring some changes in our treaty. Ferdousi got
surprised. He asked, What do you want to say? Havent you promised to pay me a piece of gold coin for each
verse? The Sultan replied, Yes I did. But now I have changed my mind. If you want you can take a piece of silver
coin for each verse. Ferdousi felt insulted at this. He said, Keep your money with you. I dont need your money. I
hate those men who cant keep their words and dont take anything from them. I came here not to beg your mercy but
to claim what I deserve. Any way, one day youll be repentant for what are you doing now. Saying this Ferdousi went
to his home without the money. From then the Sultan couldnt sleep well. The last words of Ferdousi didnt let him to
live in peace. Afterwards the Sultan realized his fault. He was repented. He sent 60,000 gold pieces, which he
originally promised, to Ferdousi with some of his messengers. The messengers went to the poets house. But alas! It
was too late. When they reached the poets house, they saw that the poets dead body was being carried out for
burial. History says that the last days of Ferdousi were passed in great hardship. Sometimes he had to starve. If the
Sultan kept his words, the history might be changed.
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18. The lion and the mouse/A Kind Lion and a Grateful Mouse: One day a lion was sleeping in a cave. A mouse
was playing nearby. By chance it ran over the lions body. The lion woke up and became very angry. The lion caught
hold of the mouse and said, Thou little pest, I will kill thee. How dare you tease me? He became so angry that he
wanted to kill the mouse. The mouse became very much frightened. But he did not lose heart. He said to the lion, O
king of the jungle, I am very tiny creature. If you kill a poor creature like me, it will do you no honour. Save my life for
this time. I made a big mistake, please forgive me this time. I may be of some help to you any time. Hearing this the
lion smiled. Out of pity the lion let the mouse go. Days, months and years passed by. One night the mouse heard the
roar of a lion. The mouse came out of its hole. He could recognize the roar. The mouse went to the place from where
the sound was coming. Having reached there he saw the lion trapped in a hunters net. The net was strong for the
lion to break. The mouse understood that the time had come to repay the lions mercy. The mouse gave his identity
and requested him not to make any sound. So it set about nibbling the cords of the net and set the lion free in no
time. The lion was freed before dawn. The lion expressed his gratitude to the mouse. The mouse said in reply, Even
the smallest creatures can be of great help to the giants. The lion said, Dear little friend, you have saved my life.
Even a little mouse can do a great good to a mighty lion.
19. A lion and a lamb/A wolf found a lamb: Once a lion became very thirsty and went to a stream to quench its
thrust. There a lamb was already drinking water downstream. The lamb was a fleshy young one. The lion thought it
would be a good dinner for him. He was greatly pleased to see it. So he began to pick a quarrel with the lamb. He hit
upon a plan to deceive the lamb and shouted. You rogue! How dare you make water muddy for me? The lamb
began to tremble in fear. Excuse me, Sir, said the lamb. How do I make water dirty whereas you are drinking
upstream? You are drinking upstream and I am drinking downstream. The lion had nothing to reply. He again
shouted, Oh, I could remember. You called me bad names here last year. How can it be, sir, said the lamb. I was
not even born then. But the Lion paid no heed to his reply. He growled angrily. It must be your father. It is the same
whether it is you or your father. I must take my revenge. Saying this, the wolf jumped upon the poor lamb. He tore
him into pieces and ate them up. Moral: Might is right.
20. An astrologer and a king/The Clever Astrologer: Once upon a time there was a king who possessed a rather
eccentric hobby. He was very fond of knowing his future from his astrologers. So whenever he heard about a
astrologer he was keen to make a test of his fortune. Once he heard that a famous astrologer from another region
stopped at his capital on his way to Banaras. The king became delighted to hear that and wanted to know something
exciting about his fate from the alien soothsayer. The king called on him to his palace and asked him to predict his
fortune. The astrologer read his palm and said something that shattered his mental condition. At this the king got
furious and, in a despotic judgment, he condemned him to death saying that man like him should not live to spoil the
peace of the world. The guards of the king were about to take the astrologer away for the execution but all on a
sudden the king ordered them to stop. He then asked the foreteller how long he would live. The astrologer had a
good presence of mind. He pondered for a while for some way of escape, as he was sure the king would prove him a
liar putting him to death then and there, if he would live no longer than that day. With ready wit he politely uttered with
an air of confidence that the stars declared that he would die only a week before the benevolent king. Then with a
smile in his face he bade the king good-bye and also assured him that he would wait for the king there where he was
going to be sent by the Majesty. At this the king turned pale as dead and ordered to drive the wretched astrologer
away and not to let him come again in his kingdom. Thus the prudent astrologer saved his life by using his quick
intelligence.
21. The wisdom of King Solomon: King Solomon was renowned as a powerful king all over the world. Everyone
became charmed at his ready wit and excellent wisdom. He was the king of the lows and famous for his wealth,
magnificence and wisdom. Grandeur of his court spread all over the world. The queen of Sheba heard that the King
could answer any difficult question instantly. She hit upon a plan to test the king and made two similar garlands- one
was made of real flowers and another was artificial. She called on King Solomon and asked, "Oh the wise king! I
have taken these two garlands for you. Both are similar to look at but only one is real. Can you choose the real one?"
The garlands were on the table which was near the window. The king looked at them at a glance and opened the
window at once. There were some bees in his garden beside the window. He found a few of the bees enter the room
through the window and sit on once of the garlands of the queen of Sheba. He instantly could understand which one
the real garland was. He, then, easily chose the real garland and left the artificial one. "Long live our wise king"! cried
out the Queen. "You are really the wisest king of the world." she added.
22. The golden touch/ King Midas and his Golden Touch: Once there was a king named Midas. The king was
very greedy. He had no want of anything. But he wanted more and more. One night Midas prayed, O God, give me
as much gold as you can. I like to be the owner of all the gold of the world. At that time he heard a strange voice.
The voice said, King Midas, you have wanted gold. Your prayer is granted. Whatever you touch from tomorrow will
be turned into gold. The king was eagerly waiting for Tomorrow. He was without sleep for the whole night. At last
the night passed on. Next morning the King went to the dining table to take his breakfast. When he touched the plate
of bread and butter, it at once turned into gold. The king became very glad. Then he touched the glass of water to
drink; but it also turned into gold. Though he was hungry, he could neither eat nor drink. Being disappointed, he sat
on his bed. The bed at once turned into hard gold. The king could not sit on the bed. The king said to himself, Whats
this? I cannot understand anything. Will all things be turned into gold? What shall I do with it? Thinking so, the king
began to cry loudly. His daughter heard his crying. She came to the king hurriedly. When she touched her father she
also turned into gold statue. This time the king was struck with horror instead of wonder. Instantly he put her down,
but with no result. Then he touched her again so that she might regain her previous condition. It was the matter of
great sorrow that the girl continued to be gold. Midas could not control his tears fall. He cried out in agony that he was
terribly sorry for his wish he had made. At once the wise god took away the golden touch and the girl became human
again. From this incident, the king learnt that there are more precious things than gold.
6. , -., 01675893953 Stories for SSC Examination

23. The town of Hamelin/ Promise is to be kept.: A long time ago there was a town of Hamelin in Germany. The
town fell into a great problem. A lot of rats gathered in the town from the nearby forest. The rats were so big and
fierce that they fled away the dogs, killed the cats and bit the babies. The townees corns were grasped up as soon
as they were collected. All day long they ran about shrieking and squeaking. People came to the Mayor of the town to
tell him to do something against the rats. The Mayor called the councilors in a conference. They couldnt find any way
out. In the mean time a pied piper came and knocked at the door. Who? asked someone from inside the hall room.
People call me piper, replied the man, If you give me one thousand guilders, Ill rid you of rats. All right, agreed
the Mayor. The piper played a nice tune on his pipe. All the rats came tumbling from all homes of the town toward the
tune. The piper went to the river playing the tune. The rats also followed him. When he got down into the river, all the
rats drowned into the water. He returned to the Mayor. Now give me my fees, said the piper. What? said the
Mayor. So much money for such a little job! You can be paid only one hundred guilder. He then grew angry and
played another tune on his pipe. This time all the children of the town came out and followed him. He with the
children disappeared behind the hills and never came back. The piper took his revenge.
24. The monkey and two rats/The cats and the Monkey/ DIVIDINGTHE BREAD/ Two Rats and a Loaf of Bread
Once two rats and a monkey were living in a jungle. They were good friends. Once two rats found a loaf of bread.
They could not agree within themselves to divide the bread. Because each of them wanted the larger share of it.
They quarrelled for sometimes on this. Lets go to Mr. Monkey, said one rat. The monkey was so wise as to settle
the dispute. So, the other monkey agreed to the proposal. Accordingly they went to and said everything to the
monkey. So they went to the monkey to divide the bread piece properly. Seeing the bread the monkey felt tempted.
Well, he said. Thats not an easy task. This will cost you a lot. He was thinking how to get the whole piece of the
cake without giving any share to the rats. Finally he hit upon a plan. The cunning monkey started to divide the bread.
Then he cut a small part of a piece and ate that instantly which is larger than the other. Again, the dishes of the scale
were unequal and the monkey ate another small part of the larger portion. Stop! Stop! shouted the rats. You are
grasping all our bread. Didnt you ask me to divide it into two equal parts? said the monkey. Im doing my best but
its not so easy. Mr. Monkey started again and was repeating the experiment. He continued this. As a result the piece
became small gradually. The rats understood the monkeys crafty trick and ordered the monkey to stop that. The
monkey stopped his deception. At this point there was only a small piece left. The two rats wanted that piece of cake
to have. But the monkey said as he had worked hard to divide the cake, he deserved the rest of the part as his
charge. Saying this he put the rest of the cake into his mouth. The rats lost their cake as a result of their quarrel
within themselves. Moral: To solve ones problem oneself is better.
25. Honesty of Rina/Life of a housemaid:A poor girl, named Rina worked in a rich mans house. The house master
was kind to her but the mistress was very cruel. She used to scold her now and then. One day while serving tea, Rina
broke a cup of tea. At this the mistress of the house got furious. She started beating the poor girl. The girl was crying
loudly. A friend of the mistress was waiting in the living room. The girls cry got to her notice. She came on the spot
and became surprised with the manner her friend was treating the girl. She told her friend, the mistress of the house
that such kind of treatment was quite inhuman and punishable offence. She also told that a girl of that age should be
in school. But fortune has forced her to work for living. So, she must be treated with due consideration. At that time,
the house master entered the room. He also supported his wifes friend. He, seeing the situation, became shocked.
Finally, the mistress of the house could get the point. She repented and promised never to be cruel to the girl. She
also decided to send the girl to a nearby school for the under privileged children. At this the girl was very happy. An
extra-terrestrial impression of happiness came over her face.
26. Who is to Bell the cat: Once upon a time there was a barn, which was full of mice. The mice were so big and
fierce that they ran about shrieking and squeaking all the time. They ate up the corns of the granaries. The owner of
the barn became frustrated about the loss of cereals. He was trying to find a way to get rid of this problem. At last he
brought a cat to kill the mice. The cat was very up and doing. He started killing the mice. As a result the mice could
not come out of their holes. They had to pass their time in starvation. One day all the mice sat together in an
emergency conference in order to find a way out. Different mouse gave different suggestions, but none was found
acceptable. At last a young mouse stood up and said, if you kindly permit me, I can submit a proposal. All the mice
looked eagerly at it and asked to make his proposal. Then the young mice said if we tie a bell around the cats neck
well be in a position to understand when the cat is coming to the barn and then well hasten into our holes. Before its
arrival, well be able to eat as much of the cereals we need. All the mice acclaimed the proposal and started dancing
after finding an effective plan. They highly admired the young mouses prudence. But an old mouse didnt like that
idea. The other mice were surprised to hear that asked the reason for refusing the plan. It stood up and said, Ive no
doubt in my mind that the proposal is quite good but who will bell the cat? hearing this all the mice began to look at
one another and felt disappointed. Finding no solution, the mice eventually migrated to another barn. Moral: Easier
said than done
Or--There lived many mice in a house. A cat also lived there. The mice were very afraid of the cat. They could not
move about freely. At last, they hit upon a plan to get rid of the cat. They held a meeting. It was resolved that a bell
should be tied round the neck of the cat. Then they would hear him. They would no more be killed by him. When the
cat will move, we will have time and be able to know that it is coming. Then we can escape. All of the mice clapped at
the wise mouses words and everyone liked the idea and congratulated him on his original idea. Each one put
forward a suggestion, but none of the idea was practical. However, the mouse said, Comrades, it is no doubt a fine
idea. But now, we must decide who is to bell the cat? There was no sound except a faint murmur. No mouse had the
courage to come forward to put the idea. But now, we must decide who is to bell the cat? There was no sound except
a faint murmur. No Mouse had the courage to come forward to put the idea into action and the conference ended into
nothing. All mice left the meeting one by one. So, the plan failed and the entire mouse left the place.
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01675893953 Stories for SSC Examination 7

27. A Greedy Dog: Once upon a time there was a farmer in a village who had a dog. The farmer lived in abject
poverty. In spite of having great affection for his pet dog, he was quite unable to give it enough food. One day the dog
became very hungry but its master was in no position to satisfy its appetite, as he didnt have any food whatsoever. It
looked for (wandered in quest of) food here and there but its efforts ended in smoke. At last it found a butchers shop,
which was full of meats. Seeing the pieces of meats, the dog couldnt resist its temptation. He was overwhelmed with
joy expecting the inviting feast with the pieces of meat. When the butcher of the shop was busy with the customer,
the dog took a piece of meat and ran away quickly. It was delighted after stealing the piece of meat successfully and
decided to take it home to eat. On its way home, there was a canal. There was a wooden bridge over the canal.
While crossing the bridge it looked down and saw its own shadow. It thought another dog was passing with a piece of
meat. This aroused its greed. It said, You scoundrel, you cant have that piece when I am here. I must have that
piece too. The greedy dog started barking at its own shadow. As the gluttonous dog opened its mouth to bark, its
own piece of meat dropped into the water. It lost its own piece of meat. The dog realized that it had lost its opportunity
to satisfy its hunger because of its own covetousness. Then it returned along with its disappointment and hunger.
Moral: Too much cunning overreaches itself.
28. Taking bath in the river/ My memorable day: September 27, 2004 was a memorable day in my life. I will never
forget the day as it will remain ever fresh in my mind so long as I live. Like other days, I went to the river at about
9.00arn for taking my bath. I saw two small boys aged between 7 and 8 bathing in knee-deep water. There was no
elder man with them Suddenly, T found that one of the two boys was missing. I was afraid that the boy might be
drowned thinking he did not know how to swim. Immediately I shouted for help and started search in the water to
rescue the boy. Nearby people also rushed to the spot and made their best efforts. But all efforts went in vein. After
sometime the dead body of the boy was found floating on the water. His mother got fainted soon after she got the
news of her sons death.
29. A cobbler and a banker/ A cobbler and a rich man: Once upon a time there was a poor cobbler in the city of
Bagdad. He was very poor. He worked hard to earn his daily bread. But he was happy and contented. He worked
from morning till night and he sang as he worked. The cobbler had a neighbour who was a wealthy banker. The man
was very unhappy. All his wealth could not make him happy. He heard the cobbler sing every day and he grew
curious. He went to the poor mans house one day. The cobbler received him with due respect. He wanted to know
the reason of his visit. The rich man asked him how much he earned in a month. The cobbler answered that he never
kept any account. The banker again asked him how much he had saved. The cobbler laughed and said that he never
took any thought of the morrow. It was enough for him that his days hard work brought him his days food. He wanted
nothing more. The rich man told him that he might fall ill. Then he would have nothing to eat. He would starve. He
should lay by something for the rainy day. He gave the man a hundred gold mohurs. He advised the latter to keep
them safe. They would help him in his hour of need. Then the rich man went away. The cobbler dug a hole and hid
the money under earth- But he was always afraid that the money would be stolen. He was troubled even in his mind
while he worked. He was troubled even in his sleep. He lost peace of mind. He was always unhappy. He could no
longer sing. At last the man could no longer bear the unhappiness. He went to the rich man and returned the treasure
to him. The banker was astonished. He wanted to know the meaning of the cobblers strange conduct. The poor man
said that the money had robbed him of peace of mind and filled his days with unhappiness. It had made his life
miserable. He went back home and was happy again. Moral: Contentment is a more precious possession than
wealth./Moral: Happiness lies in contentment.
30. A poor girl and the house mistress
31. An honest farmer and a purse
32. An honest Rickshaw puller
33. A farmer and some mice
34. A rich merchant and his faithful dog
35. Mr Ahmed has just completed
36. The Grocer and the fruit seller
37.