ISBN: 9788184820300    Publisher: Amar Chitra Katha Pvt. Ltd. Year of publishing: 1978     Format:  Paperback No of Pages: 32        Language: English

Panchatantra (Five Chapters) in Sanskrit is perhaps the oldest collection of stories in the world and has been translated into more than 50 languages. Each of its 'Chapters' contains a string of stories one emerging from the other, with each designed to lead to a precept for proper practical conduct for a thinking person in the real world. The characters are taken from the whole gamut of living beings including humans and animals in the wild. In a way the unity of life is stressed by assigning the sentiments, emotions and thoughts of human beings to animals as well. In this collection, a jackal spotting a dead elephant, works towards eating him, through humility, cunning, fright and fight suited to the natures of different animals. A frog meaning harm to relatives invites a snake to live in their well and in the end, has to move out to save himself. A washerman's donkey covered with tiger's skin gets betrayed by his braying. Though brought up with lion's cubs, the jackal cub gets frightened at the sight of an elephant. This Panchatantra collection is a treasure house of a variety of such stories.
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