Birth of Srikrishna

In the country named India, in the modern day state of Uttar Pradesh stands a little town near the river Yamuna. it is known as - Mathura, a holy city. it is the birthplace of Lord Krishna. http://www.kidsgen.com/fables_and_fa...s/krishna1.gifNearly 5,000 years ago, Mathura was under the rule of a tyrannical king named Kamsa. Kamsa was so greedy and cunning that he not even spared his father Ugrasena; having imprisoned him kamsa declared himself to be the King of Mathura. Ugrasena was a nice ruler, and Kamsa was just the opposite. It was a trying time for the commoners of Mathura to put up with Kamsa's extravagance and unfair rule. above all this, Kamsa locked his horns time and again with the rulers of the Yadu dynasty which led to frequent wars and troubled the peace-loving citizens of Mathura.

But soon a happy news came. Crown princess Devaki was getting married to King Vasudev of the Yadus. The Mathura citizens welcomed the wedding, for it surely meant that Kamsa’s frequent wars with the Yadu dynasty would come to an end.

Soon the much-awaited day arrived. Mathura wore a festive look. Everyone was in festive spirits. Even the usually desolate citizens of Mathura were looking happy. and that was a great thing to see, since the people of Mathura did not smile often. How cold they, with such an awful king like Kamsa to guide them.

Soon, Devaki was married to King Vasudev. Kamsa, cunning as he was, thought, “Now, Vasudev’s kingdom is as good as mine”.

After the wedding, he decided to drive the royal couple home himself to shower on them a kingly courtesy as was prevalent in those days. But it so happened that as soon as Kamsa took the reins of the wedding chariot, a divine voice thundered from the sky,” Evil Kamsa, you don’t know it. But know now that by giving Devaki’s hand to Vasudev, you have signed your own death warrant. The eighth son born to Vasudev and Devaki will kill you!”

Hearing this, Kamsa froze with fear. But then he became angry. He immediately thought of killing Devaki for he thought, “How can a child be born when the mother is dead?” So he drew out his sword and raised it to kill Devaki.

King Vasudev was horrified at this cruelty and fell on his knees. “O Kamsa..” he begged, “…please don’t kill your sister. I shall personally surrender to you all the children she gives birth to, so that the voice of the Oracle doesn’t come true.”

The evil king vacillated. “Then you will live in my palace as prisoners,” he declared and Vasudev had no choice than accepting his verdict. Kamsa smiled happily. The one person he loved in the whole wide world was his sister and he decided to spare her life. He was content at the thought that the situation was under his control. After all, he was not going to let her children live, was he?

Kamsa confined Devaki and her husband King Vasudev in the palace dungeons and kept them under constant watch. Every time Devaki gave birth to a child in the dungeons, Kamsa destroyed the child. In this manner, he killed seven children born to Devaki. He turned a deaf ear to all the heart- rending cries of his sister.

Nine years passed before Devaki got pregnant for the eighth time. Kamsa, troubled by the fear of his possible death, lost his appetite and slept poorly at night. But he waited for the birth of his nemesis with murderous thoughts.

In the palace dungeons, Vasudev was trying his best to console his wife, but Devaki was terrified.” My eighth child will be born in a day,” she wailed. “And my cruel brother will kill this one too. Oh mighty Gods, please save my child!”

http://www.kidsgen.com/fables_and_fa...s/krishna2.gifThe night soon ended and the next day arrived. Devaki spent most of the day in tears. Dusk gave way to a terrible night as had not been seen earlier in Mathura. It seemed that the whole world understood Devaki’s mind and joined her in mourning for the unborn child. The winds howled angrily and skies seemed to have split apart to pour wrathful rains.

Suddenly there was pin drop silence. And then it was broken by the sound of the cry of a divine child. It was of the eighth child, a son, born to Queen Devaki at midnight in the prison.

As soon the child was born, the prison was filled with a dazzling, blinding light. Devaki fainted at the sight and Vasudev was mesmerized. The light converged into a sphere and the same voice of the Oracle that scared Kamsa, now spoke to Vasudev:

“ Take this child across the River Yamuna to the Gokul kingdom, ruled by your friend King Nanda. His wife Queen Yashoda has just given birth to a daughter. Exchange your son for this girl child and return to the prison immediately, before anyone comes to know about the birth of this child.”

Without a word, he new father picked up his son to follow the Oracle’s advice. He felt grieved to separate the newborn child from his mother but he knew that there was no other way he could save his son.

Vasudev also felt very doubtful. There were a hundred soldiers waiting outside. And it was a dark, fearsome night. How could he go out, unnoticed and unscathed?

But what he saw astonished him greatly. All his questions were answered one by one. As he approached the gate with the child in his arms, the prison doors opened automatically. He came out slowly to find to his utter surprise that all the guards were in a state of hypnotic sleep.

Vasudev left Mathura and soon approached the banks of the Yamuna river. The river seemed to be boiling white and seething with anger, due to fierce winds and rain. It looked alive and ready to devour the first person to set foot in it!

The Father looked at his the face of his infant child and hesitated in doubt. As if the river sensed his fear, the boiling subsided. But he had to proceed nonetheless. Then a miracle happened. As soon as the feet of Lord immersed in the river, the flow became normal and Yamuna made way for the Lord. To his amazement, Vasudev saw a huge black snake raising its head from the water behind him. He was scared out of his wits at first, but soon realized that it meant no harm when he saw the serpent positioning its hood like an umbrella to save the new born baby from rain. This snake was none other than Sheshnag, the Snake-God, who is known to be the roofing canopy of Lord Vishnu. It is mentioned in the texts that Krishna was the eighth incarnation of Lord Vishnu.

Vasudev did not delay any further and proceeded in waist-deep water with much difficulty. But in the end, not entirely believing his eyes, Vasudev was able to cross the opposite bank of the river safely and entered the village of Gokul.

http://www.kidsgen.com/fables_and_fa...s/krishna3.gifIt was past midnight and the people of Gokul were fast asleep. Thus, Vasudev had no trouble in entering the palace of king Nanda, for the palace doors were, as always, wide open. Nanda, unlike Kamsa, was a fair king and the people under his reign didn't fear for intruders or thieves in the night.

Vasudev, by this time, had some idea that his child is really someone special, it was a divine child. All his fears vanished for he understood that when he has come this far, he will surely be able to complete the rest of his journey. And that was what happened.

In no time, Vasudev reached his friend’s palace. Treading softly, Vasudev entered queen Yashoda's quarters. She was sleeping peacefully in her bed and her baby girl beside her was awake, staring at the door. It was almost as if she was expecting him to come!

Vasudev scooped Yashoda's baby girl in his other arm and placed his son in the empty space next to Yashoda. With tears in his eyes, Vasudev kissed his son’s forehead. "Goodbye, my son," he whispered. Then, without looking back, he left Gokul with Nanda's daughter in his arms.

With Sheshnag assisting him like before, Vasudev returned to the prison with the girl-child. He entered his dark cell and laid the baby by Devaki's side. As soon as the child felt the hard floor on her back, she opened her mouth and cried lustily.

Claannnk!!! The prison doors closed. The guards suddenly awoke from their sleep and became aware that a baby was born. They rushed to Kamsa to deliver him the news. The eighth child, slayer of Kamsa, was born!

The evil King was both pleased and afraid to hear of the birth of his nephew. He was pleased that he could finally kill the eighth child of his sister and he was also afraid that he might not be able to do so.

But putting away all his fears, he rushed to the palace dungeons to execute the child who was said to be his slayer. He reached the dungeons in great anger. The palace guards trembled at his enraged face. Kamsa entered the cell where his sister and her husband lived for the past nine years.

"Where is he?" he roared at the now-awake Devaki. "Where's my slayer?"

Devaki had regained her consciousness only after Vasudev switched the babies and so, she thought that her eighth child was a daughter. She appealed to her brother, "O Kamsa, my brother- my eighth child is a girl, and not the son that the Oracle warned you about. How can she harm you? There is no way she can. Please let your only niece live!"

Kamsa, as always, ignored her cries. He loved his life more than anything else in the world. Love for his life had clouded his common sense and he forgot the Oracle's warning about his slayer being a boy. In blind rage, Kamsa snatched the baby girl from Devaki's lap, and hurled the child against the prison wall.

But this time the baby did not die; instead, she flew up and for a second remained suspended in the air to the utter amazement of everyone present there. Then the prison was filled once again with a blinding light. Kamsa covered his face from the intensity of the light. As the light subsided, they realised that the child had changed into a ferocious Goddess!

She rose above Kamsa's head as the eight-armed form of Goddess Durga. Dressed in shining garments and dazzling jewels, she looked terrible and divine at the same time.

The Goddess looked in contempt and pity at the bewildered Kamsa. She said, "Foolish Kamsa, there is no force on Heaven and earth that can kill me. So how can you, wretched creature? You even if you could, you would have gained nothing by killing me. For your slayer is already born! He is now well and alive in a safe place. And one day, he will come in search of you and kill you! You can’t resist him, no matter how hard you try!"

Saying so, she disappeared, leaving behind a terror-stricken Kamsa. Kamsa felt humiliated by the turn of events. In his confusion, he freed Vasudev and Devaki from prison.

Vasudev then narrated what happened on that night to his wife. Devaki, though sad at her separation from her son, was happy for the baby. Both of them prayed to God that her son should not fall into the clutches of his evil uncle Kamsa.

Meanwhile, there was great rejoicing in Gokul. The cowherd tribes of Gokul were smiling from ear to ear. A new baby boy was born to their loved King Nanda ! The streets were swept clean and the houses were decorated with colors, streamers and fragrant flowers. The whole place wore a festive look.

Everyone in the household of King Nanda was in a joyous mood. Nanda named the child Krishna. Everybody in Gokul danced with joy and flocked to Nanda's house to see the baby boy and to offer gifts.

But it did not escape anyone's notice that the child was like no ordinary child. His skin had a dark - blue color as is seen in a cloud filled with water during the monsoon season. His eyes twinkled merrily. He never cried and always had a smile for everyone.

Yashoda felt very proud. "Ah my son!" she crooned lovingly at Little Krishna . “my cute little son! You are surely going to be pampered and spoiled by us!”.

In this way was born Lord Krishna, the supreme God who is the creator of everyone. He was born to save everyone from the terrible tyrants like Kamsa. In his boyhood, he became the cynosure of all eyes- he won the hearts of all men and women, wherever he went. And with his brother Balaram, he later went back to Mathura and killed Kamsa. But that, as people say… is another story.

It was a peaceful day in the woods. Now and then, a gentle wind blew through the fresh, green leaves of the majestic trees as if, playing merrily with them. Cuckoo birds chirped cheerfully on the branches of the huge peepal trees. Butterflies chased each other merrily and little crickets were jumping here and there. Mother Nature seemed to be laughing and enjoying the frolics of her children.

http://www.kidsgen.com/fables_and_fa...ages/kalia.jpg "Sssssss...." here we come!!!" suddenly hissed an evil voice, destroying the mirth and merriment all around.

Many-hooded Kalia and his brood slowly emerged from their hiding place. They were venomous beings who poisoned the very ground they slithered on. As they moved now, the grass under them turned black and the trees they passed lost their colour.
Kalia surveyed the landscape before him. "What better place to stay with my family?" he thought and grinned.

"Halt!" he ordered his family. "This is our new home!"

"No!" cried the wind, "Don't do this". "I can't breathe!" lamented a shocked peepal tree. Even the cuckoo birds on the tree branches just reeled over and died, as the air around the area turned toxic.

And so the eastern part of the Yamuna River, next to the village of Brindavan, began to slowly die.

The morning sun shone over Brindavan. It was like any other day. Everyone went about their usual business. The village primarily consisted of the cow-herd tribes. They were going out to graze their cows in the nearby fields and vales. Suddenly somebody screamed in village chief Nanda's home. Everyone present nearby rushed to the place. But no one could enter inside. There were anxious whispering among the crowd that gathered outside Nanda's home. Who was it?

It was Yashoda, Nanda's wife. She sat on the bed, her body shaking in fear.

"What happened, Yashoda?" Nanda asked in worry.

"Oh dear, I had an awful dream, “shuddered Yashoda at the thought of it. "A giant snake had coiled his enormous body around our little Krishna....and...oh my God!"

"It's just a dream, Yashoda". Nanda tried to calm his wife. But Yashoda was not pacified. "I need to see if my son is all right... Krishna! My son... where are you?" she called out.

Soon, she heard the pitter-patter of a child's footsteps outside her room. Little Krishna peeked inside.

"What is it, mother?" he asked.

"Krishna, you should not go out anywhere today, do you understand?" Yashoda said gently, without wishing to alarm her son.

Krishna lingered there for sometime. Then he smiled mysteriously. It seemed to Yashoda as if he had some designs in his mind that is beyond any mortal understanding. Then, ignoring his mother's words, he ran out of his home.

"Krishna! Kishan... my son! Come back...please."

Krishna ran fast in the streets of Brindavan and arrived at the lakeside hideout where his friends welcomed him. Then they started playing with a ball.

After some time, they became tired and climbed on a tree to rest. There was a tree house on the top of it. Krishna and his friends had specially made it for their adventures. But the tiny tree was not strong enough to support so many children and it groaned under their weight. Krishna felt bad. "I wish we had a bigger tree to build a tree house. We seem to be crushing this one!"

" I know where the biggest tree in Brindavan is," said Kusela, one of his closest friends. " I would have built a tree-house on top of it. But my father said we should never go there."
"We must!" said Krishna merrily and ran towards the eastern direction. "I want to build a better treetop hideout. And I need your help. Will you please come with me?"

Krishna was loved by all his friends, so what choice did they have than to follow him?

Soon Krishna and his friends arrived at the eastern part of the Brindavan forests. But they were shocked at what they saw there. The place looked... ghostly!

On the exterior, the place looked bright enough. The lake had plenty of water and there was even a waterfall nearby. But only when the children went near they saw the changes.

The water had a bluish colour. But the grass around the lake was not green anymore. It had turned black. There was a huge tree overlooking the lake, but it was on the verge of dying. It had no leaves and its branches were all blackened. It seemed as if the whole place was damned; cursed by some monstrous evil.There was an eerie silence all about the place.

"I do not like this place," whined one of his friends." I do not like the place" he repeated, "we should not be here at all! My father will be angry if he comes to know about it."

Krishna looked thoughtfully at the lake for some moments. Then he turned to his friends. "Well then, now that we're here, let's at least play ball!" he said and grabbed the ball. He threw it at Kusela, who was unable to catch it properly and let it slip into the lake. The ball disappeared into the waters with a soft plop.

"Let me get it," said Krishna and before his friends could stop him he jumped inside the strange waters!

Krishna went under the bluish waters of Yamuna. On the shore, his friends yelled in
terror but the boy raised his head and shouted back:

"Don't worry, I'll soon be back with the ball!"

The water felt too cold and Krishna's skin tingled uncomfortably. But he ignored the feeling.

Krishna swam lower and found the plants all burnt and bent as if they were drenched in acid. It saddened him to see the underwater plants dead and black. He looked around to find out the one responsible for it.

As his feet touched the bottom, he could see skeletons of small sea animals and fishes lying on the riverbed. An uncanny silence reigned over the whole place. It seemed to be the kingdom of Death.

Suddenly a strange sound caught Krishna's ears.It seemed like a hissing sound.

"Whoever did this is still here," thought Krishna.

As if agreeing with him, a huge snake sliding out of his sea hole. It was Kalia. It was truly terrible to see his large body slithering in the water. Baring his many hoods, he hissed again and faced the little boy.

The snake-King was surprised but also pleased to see Krishna. "Hmmm, what do we have here?" he asked mockingly.

"Food!" shouted his family in chorus, who were standing behind him.

"Yessssss..." Kalia hissed in wicked tones. "We do not get to taste humans often! And you look like a pretty morsel..."

Without finishing his words, Kalia lunged at Krishna. The boy, who had been expecting such a move, deftly jumped back and hid behind a rock. But Kalia moved at a lightning speed and caught him. He coiled round Krishna and started to crush his body. Krishna, who was rather enjoying the fight, twisted his body and slipped out.

Kalia was stunned. It was impossible. How could this mere boy slip out of his grasp so easily?. Nobody, no matter how big or small, had ever escaped from his deadly hold. For the first time in his life did Kalia ever experience such a phenomenon.

Krishna, meanwhile, jumped over the rock and crouched low. He was in a playful mood and he decided to tease the evil snake.

Had he known who his opponent is, Kalia would never have dared to try to devour Krishna. Krishna was, in reality, a divine child. He was an incarnation of the Absolute, the almighty God. He had come to the earth to reward the good and punish the wicked.

But Kalia did not know this and he was hell- bent on having Krishna as his lunch.

As the snake came around the rock to catch him, Krishna ran over to the other side. The next few minutes were spent in hide and seek until, tired, Kalia lost his patience.

"You boy! Why don't you face me like a man instead of dancing like a girl?" he snarled at Krishna.

"Oh, I haven't even started dancing yet!" laughed Krishna. "But since you are asking, let me show you how I really dance..."

Saying so, Krishna quickly climbed over the rock and jumped on the snake's enormous hood. He firmly placed his foot on the snake's sensitive head and started to dance.

And what a dance it was!

The whole lake started to tremble as Krishna danced. The lake anemones and the burnt sea plants started to shake. It seemed as if they nodded their. heads together in ecstasy over Kalia's plight. Even the fishes left alive stood still and watched him dancing over Kalia's head.

"Hey you! Stop dancing on my head, will you?" Kalia screamed out in pain.

Krishna stopped dancing and slid lower near Kalia's face. He rained blows on his head and climbed on his head to dance again.

Kalia grew truly afraid. Now he felt surely that the little boy was no ordinary child. The thud of Krishna's feet felt like the bong! Bong! Of a great hammer on his head. As Krishna danced with more and more vigour, the snake felt his life slowly being pushed out of his body.

Kalia's wives were quick to predict Kalia's fate. "Oh, divine child, please don't kill our husband!" they begged him.

"I will let him live if all of you promise to leave this place forever," answered Krishna.

"But we are so safe in here!" wailed Kalia. "If we go out now, Garuda the giant eagle would surely have us as his breakfast!"

"Go to Ramnaka, the snake-kingdom," promised Krishna. "You and your family will not be attacked by any bird or beast till you reach there. That's my promise to you.. Now off you go!!"

Meanwhille, Krishna's friends ran back to Nanda's home and informed him about Krishna's underwater search for the ball.

"He has gone under water for nearly an hour..." cried Kusela, "... and hasn't returned since."

Yashoda broke into tears." I had told him..." cried he," I had warned him not to go anywhere... why didn't he listen? Oh my Krishna, my Kanhaiya... what will I do you?"

Nanda too was very much scared. He called aloud for the other Gopalas. All the village-folk rushed and followed their chief. Soon Nanda, Yasodha and everybody from the village found themselves on the blackened woods of Yamuna.

There was no sign of the little boy, anywhere. Only a deathly silence prevailed everywhere.

"Krishna... my son. Where are you?" cried Nanda, "come out! Please!"

Suddenly the waters of the lake bubbled and rose above the tallest tree in the woods. The Gopalas moved back and all of them looked in awe and fear as Krishna came out, dancing on top of a huge snake!

The snake bent his head in respect as Krishna landed on the shore. Yasodha and Nanda rushed to embrace him.

Content with Krishna's promise, Kalia gathered his brood and left Yamuna that very day. True to what Krishna said, neither birds nor beasts attacked the snake family on their way to Ramnaka. Their journey was safe and sound.

The river regained its old richness and Krishna built his tree house on the now-green tree overlooking the lake. His status was higher
than ever in the eyes of all his friends. All the boys understood that Krishna was no ordinary child. Tale of his antics spread far and wide.

But none of them seemed to have any effect on the little god, who seemed content at stealing butter from his mother's kitchen and enjoying it. His eyes twinkled mischievously and his thoughts dwelled on things beyond the realms of human understanding

KANSA

"Your eighth son is alive! His name is Krishna and he's in Brindavan!" said Kansa in great anger. His sister Devaki and her husband Vasudev trembled before his terrible face.

"You two have tricked me for long," continued Kansa. "But not any more. Now I will slay that kid and then, I will slay you two! I had freed you two. But now I will send you back to prison. You'll remain there until your death."

With this thundering declaration, he ordered his soldiers to arrest the couple and put them behind bars in the royal prison.

Nine years of their lives had been spent behind the bars. Now the discovery of the survival of their child again led them back to prison. The tearful couple
comforted each other and waited for that day when the tyrannical king would be slain by their son.

It was many years now since the Oracle had warned Kansa that his sister Devaki's eighth child would kill him. After destroying her seven sons, Kansa had released his sister and her husband Vasudev when the eighth child turned out to be a daughter.

But now, it was revealed that his nephew was alive and well in Brindavan; Kansa again imprisoned Devaki and her husband and returned to his private chambers.

"Kootaka!" growled Kansa in his thundering voice. "Where is Keshi? It has been two days since I send him to kill that kid. Where the hell is he?"

"Keshi... was killed by Krishna, My Lord," the first minister shuddered in fear even as he replied, for he knew well the wrath of the King.

"Whatttttttt!!!" roared Kansa. "My favourite servant Keshi? Dead? But how can that be? Is that boy so powerful?" he asked Kootaka in fear and fury.

"Yes my Lord, he is...he is... so! Indeed!" babbled the minister." He seems to be blessed with magical powers from birth, my Lord. We now know that it is impossible to kill Krishna by ordinary means. So we should resort to cunning and make him come to Mathura. "

A terrible fear had slowly creeped into Kansa's mind. He had always had the nagging fear that the words of the Oracle may, somehow, come true and that he may not be able to kill his nephew after all. But he was supposed to be the mighty ruler, master of all. How could he show his fear? Swallowing his fear, Kootaka continued," What is not achieved by swords can be accomplished by words. Call Akrura, your cousin, and order him to go to Brindavan and ask Krishna to come to Mathura. He is wise with words and will surely be able to please Krishna and make him come here without any doubt. The rest will be easy. Once the boy is here, we can kill him easily."

Kansa thought for a few minutes. "Yes, this might just work," he agreed and called for his cousin. He explained his plan to Akrura and sent him to Brindavan. But little did he know that Akrura was a great devotee of Krishna!

Akrura didn't waste a moment. With great anxiety, he set out for Brindavan. Once there, he immediately told Krishna of Kansa's evil intentions.

Krishna laughed. He said, "Seems like Kansa is very eager to die," he said, "He's inviting death to come to him, instead of waiting for it patiently. If that is what he wants, then let him have it. Let us all go to Mathura!"

Krishna took the blessings of his parents, who gave their consent after much hesitation. Though they knew that their sons were no ordinary mortal, the thought of any harm coming to their sons worried them greatly.

Krishna left Brindavan with Akrura and travelled to his uncles kingdom, along with Balaram, his brother. The news of Krishna's visit spread in Mathura. So everywhere there was curiosity, excitement and joy.

Meanwhile, Kansa was hatching a plan to do away with his nephew. Suddenly he had idea.

"Is the mad elephant Kuvalayapida awake?" he asked Kootaka.

"Yes, my lord." answered Kootaka. " He's safely chained but he's trying to break free."

"Then let him free in the streets!" hissed Kansa. "Let him kill the two young brothers!" he roared madly.

Kootaka, silently followed the king's order, and released the elephant in the streets, much against his wishes. For he too didn't want Krishna and Balaram to die. But the thought of the wrath of the king made him do otherwise.

As the mad Kuvalayapida was released, he started to destroy everything in his way. People screamed in fear and ran for their lives.

Suddenly, Kuvalayapida saw a blue-skinned youth standing in the middle of the main street. The youth was Krishna. The elephant rushed towards him. Just as he neared him, Krishna took his sword and cut off his trunk. The mad animal trumpeted in pain, fell down and died.

The people of Mathura were awestruck at Krishna's bravery. They yelled his name and shouted their praises aloud. The old women of the city blessed the two
brothers and the young maidens threw flowers at them.

"Jai Krishna! Jai Balaram!" cried the people, " Cheers for the two!"

"How they adore us!" exclaimed a smiling Balaram.

"Yes, but don't let it go to your head, brother. We are still surrounded by danger," cautioned Krishna.

And Krishna's prediction soon proved to be correct.

Back in the court, Kansa was full of anger. "Now the elephant is also dead. Tell me a way to kill my nephew! I will leave no stones unturned to see them dead. " he screamed at his minister.

"My Lord, you can trust Mushtika and Chanura to do the job. I think they will surely be able to kill Krishna," said Kootaka. "They are invincible warriors and they have never been beaten by any mortal till now."

"Yes!!!" agreed Kansa happily. "You're right! The demon brothers Mushtika and Chanura will surely kill my nephew!"

Kansa immediately sent word to them. They came out of their resting places and watched the two brothers walking near the arena.

""Ha ha! Are these kids going to fight us? Why, they look as puny as newborn kittens!" laughed Chanura. "Look at them! So small, so weak... we can crush them with our little finger!" cackled Mushtika.

But what happened then was what no one ever expected.

THUUNNNNNNK!!!

It was the hard blow that Mushtika felt on his head the very next moment. Balaram had attacked Mushtika, using his mighty mace. Mushtika fell down with an enormous roar of pain .He lay on the ground, writhing in agony.

"You hit my brother!!!" Chanura roared. "How dare you attack him? I will not spare you. I will kill you..." he yelled and lunged at Balaram. The next minute, he lay flat on the ground, groaning in pain. Krishna had clubbed him.

By this time, the arena was full of eager spectators who wished the two demon warriors dead.

"Oh no! They're mere boys! What can they do against these demon-like wrestlers!" a softhearted woman shook her head in despair over the impossibility of the
situation.

"Our Krishna and Balaram are divine beings, blessed by Lord Vishnu. They will surely kill them," assured another man.

Suddenly the woman shrieked, "Behind you, Krishna!"

Krishna looked behind just in time to see Chanura ready to strike him with an enormous axe. He moved fast and escaped from the axe. He bent, caught hold of Chanura's meaty legs and tugged hard. The demon lost his balance and fell down with a hard thud!

Meanwhile, back in the palace, Kansa was restless. He had waited for long and could no longer contain his impatience. "My demon warriors must have killed Krishna by now... I want to see the boy dead!" he thought greedily and rushed to the arena with a devilish grin.

But what he saw there shocked him out of its wits. What a terrible shock he got when he found his best warriors in the clutches of Krishna and Balaram!

For the first time in his life, Kansa saw Krishna and his heart almost stopped in fear and terror. His nightmares, somehow, seemed to have come true.

Krishna looked up and saw that Kansa had come to watch the fight, "Here, Uncle!" he yelled in glee. "Watch your demons die!"

Saying thus, Krishna crushed the life out of Chanura without much effort.

"And now, it is your turn to go to Hell, evil Kansa!" thundered Krishna.

Kansa felt his body freeze within his body. He felt a terrible fear at the sight of his smiling nephew advancing towards him. This was the scene that he had seen in his nightmares, night after night, for the past few years. Filled with a mortal fear for his life, Kansa tried to run
away.

The people of Mathura were delighted at their evil king's terror. "Punish Kansa! Kill the tyrant for his unfair rule! "Let him not escape!" they yelled in rejoice.

Kansa ran around the arena, hoping to find a gap where he could escape. But the citizens of Mathura whom he had tormented all these years, were not in a forgiving
mood. They circled the arena, not allowing Kansa to escape from the ground. Much injustice had been borne in silence. Much tears had been shed. Much had the citizens of Mathura endured without raising a voice out of fear. At last they had the opportunity to strike back. And they relished every moment of it. The king was laughed and jeered at wherever he ran. He had no escape now.

Krishna pounced on Kansa, caught hold of his hair and pushed him to the ground. “You are no more a king. You were never fit to be a king !”he declared and
wrenched off Kansa’s crown.

But the king hardly minded. All he wanted was to be left alive. Kansa tried to get up to save himself. But Krishna's hold was like the grip of Death.

"Leave me Krishna," pleaded Kansa at last, "Forgive me...please!"

"It is too late now to beg for pardon. Your time is up, wicked tyrant." roared Balaram. "It is now your time to die. Think about your dark deeds in the darkness of Hell".

"Now I'm going to crush you tighter and tighter for every sin you committed," said Krishna in anger. "This is for imprisoning my parents and making them live in a
dungeon for nine years!" he said and tightened his hold. Kansa struggled to breathe.

"This is for killing my seven brothers and countless innocent children in Mathura when I was born!" said Krishna, and tightened his hold further. Kansa felt his lungs
exploding.

"And this is for imprisoning my grandfather and terrorising the people of Mathura for all these years!" Krishna declared and finally snapped his head. Kansa breathed
his last and fell to the ground, dead.

The skies opened and flowers were showered from the heavens. The words of the Oracle had finally come true. Kansa was killed by the eighth son of Devaki!

After a long long time could the people of Mathura could smile again. They heaved a collective sigh of joy and relief. At last, they free from the reign of the evil Kansa.

"Our task is not yet finished. We have one more duty, Balaram," reminded Krishna.

"You are right, brother." nodded Balaram in agreement.

The brothers hurried to the palace and entered the dungeons where Devaki and Vasudev were imprisoned. They opened the prison gates.

"Mother," called Krishna softly. Devaki and Vasudev could not believe their eyes. Here was their son standing before them. They were mad with joy to see their son. Devaki embraced Krishna and shed happy tears over him.

Krishna then rushed to the next cell, where he freed his grandfather Ugrasena. Ugrasena blessed him and said, "My grandson, you are now the king!"

"Yes Grandfather. But my destiny lies elsewhere,and there I must go first," replied Krishna as he prepared to leave for Brindavan.

Thus ended the tyranny of the evil Kansa. Punishment came to him late, but it was a punishment just and as terrible as his actions were.

HANUMAN

This is the story of Pawanputra Hanuman, the mighty monkey-god. Do you know how he was born? The story of his birth is as fascinating as his mighty deeds.

http://www.kidsgen.com/fables_and_fa...s/hanuman2.gifBut to know about Hanuman, we have to go back sometime before his birth. Let us go to the palace of Lord Brahma where it all started.

Do you know who Lord Brahma is? He is the Hindu god of creation. He is believed to live in a beautiful divine palace in his heavenly abode. Such was the beauty of the palace that it was a constant source of amazement for even the deities.

There were a number of attendants in the celestial palace-courts of Lord Brahma. Among them was a beautiful attendant named Anjana. Once, happy with her service, Lord Brahma decided to reward her. He called her and asked what she wanted.

Anjana hesitated at first. Then she replied "Lord, I wish you could remove a curse pronounced on me by a sage,"

"Tell me about it. Maybe I can help you" said Lord Brahma.

Hopeful that her curse may be removed, Anjana continued "When I was playing as a child on earth, once I saw a monkey meditating with its legs folded in a lotus pose, like a human sage. It was a funny sight; so I threw some fruits at it."

"But here I made a mistake. For it was no ordinary monkey. A powerful sage had taken the form of a monkey to do his tapasya (spiritual practice). My fruits disturbed his penance and he opened his eyes in great indignation."

"As soon as he saw me, he cursed me that I would become a monkey when I fall in love with anyone. I begged him to forgive me."

"The sage said that as he had already uttered it, he couldn't change the curse. But he assured me that the man I fall in love with will love me in spite of my monkey face."

"Lord Brahma, I was born and brought up here. How can I live with a monkey face among my beautiful sisters? If you kindly grant me a boon to become my usual self, I will be very much obliged," she said anxiously.

Brahma felt sorry for the unfortunate apsara. He thought for a moment. Then he lifted his eyes towards the anxious Anjana.

"I see a way for removing your curse, Anjana," he said kindly. "Go to earth and live there for a while. You will meet your husband on earth and your curse will be removed if you - give birth to an incarnation of Lord Shiva," said Lord Brahma.

Anjana accepted Brahma's advice. She was born in the earth shortly afterwards. She lived in a forest as a young huntress.

One day she saw a strong man fighting with a lion. "What a brave man!" she thought in wonder. "How I wish he will look at me!"

As Anjana looked at the warrior in admiration, the man turned and saw her. As soon as his eyes fell on her, she turned into a monkey!

With a pathetic cry, Anjana sank to the ground and covered her face with her hands. Seeing her fall to the ground, the man came running towards her.

"Who are you fair maiden? Why do you cry? Uncover your face. Let me see you," he asked her.

"I cannot, brave man," Anjana answered gloomily. "I am Anjana, an apsara cursed to become a monkey when I fall in love. I request you to please leave me alone in my sorrow," she wailed and peeked at the handsome man through her fingers.

To her great astonishment she found a big monkey-faced man standing before her! If she didn't see his face at first, it was because she couldn't and because till now she saw him from a distance.

The monkey-faced man understood her surprise. He spoke. "I am not human, though I can take the human form if I want. I am Kesari, the king of Monkeys, blessed by Lord Shiva with magical powers. If you become my wife, I will be honoured. Would you honour me by becoming my wife, dear Anjana?".

Anjana became very happy. She accepted his proposal.

"Then the sage's word was indeed true," thought Anjana, "Kesari didn't mind my appearance because he himself is a monkey!"

Anjana and Kesari were married in the forests. Being a pious devotee, Anjana performed intense tapasya, worshipping Lord Shiva.

Lord Shiva was pleased with her. He appeared before her and asked her what she wanted.

"Lord Shiva, I wish you to be born as my son, so that I can be freed from the sage's curse," requested Anjana.

"So be it!". Lord Shiva gave his consent and disappeared.

Soon after this, one day, as Anjana was worshipping Lord Shiva, in another part of the country, Dasaratha, the king of Ayodhya, was performing a yagna (religious rite) to have children. It was the Putrakama Yagna. As a result, Agni, the Fire-God gave him some sacred payasa (pudding) and asked him to share the payasa among his wives so that they may have divine children.

Here, Lord Shiva's boon to Anjana started to work. While Dasaratha gave payasa to his elder wife Kausalya, by divine ordinance a kite snatched a portion of that pudding.

Holding the pudding in its tails, the kite-bird flew away from Ayodhya towards the forests Anjana lived. It flew over the dense trees and dropped the payasa where Anjana was engaged in tapasya.

Vayu, the ever-present Wind-God, saw this event. "Go, Vayu!" he heard a silent command in his mind from Lord Shiva. Vayu immediately caught that portion of pudding and placed onto the outstretched hands of Anjana.

Anjana felt something drop in her hand. She opened her eyes and looked at the payasa in her hand. "Is this offering from Lord Shiva?" she wondered and swallowed it.

As the divine pudding went inside her throat, Anjana immediately felt the blessings of Lord Shiva. In due course, she gave birth to a little monkey-faced boy. Kesari was very happy to see his son. The child was called as Anjaneya or the son of Anjana.

Having given birth to Lord Shiva's incarnation, Anjana was released from the curse of the sage. She began to express her wish to return to Heaven.

When Anjaneya came to know about her mother's wish, he became sad. "Mother, without you what will be my future? How can I feed myself? How will I live?" he asked.

"Don't worry, Anjaneya," said Anjana. "Your father is the brave Kesari. Your guardian spirit is the life-giving Vayu. They'll always protect you. When you feel hungry, fruits as red and ripe as a rising sun would be your nourishment."

Saying so, Anjana kissed her son and left her alone. She went back to her heavenly abode.

"Fruits as red and ripe as the sun?" thought Anjaneya. "Is sun such a ripe fruit? Let's see!"

Thinking that the sun was actually some delicious fruit, the baby Anjaneya wanted to taste the sun. Now, Anjaneya was a divine child. His mother was an apsara and his father was a Monkey-King, so it was natural that little Anjaneya should inherit some magical powers. He was, after all, an incarnation of Lord Shiva. So reaching for the sun was not a tough task for him. He made a giant leap to catch the glowing ball on the sky.

Suryadeva, the Sun-God was glowing peacefully in the sky when he suddenly saw a monkey coming towards him. The monkey grew bigger and bigger as he neared the sun. But the terribly hot rays which made any mortal presence impossible near the sun, had no effect on the creature.

http://www.kidsgen.com/fables_and_fa...s/hanuman1.jpgSeeing that, Suryadeva got scared and started calling out for help. "Indra! Indra! Help me!" he shouted.

Indra, king of the gods in heaven, was resting nearby in his heavenly abode. He was surprised to hear the Sun-God pleading for his help.

"Why is Suryadeva yelling for my help?" Indra wondered. "Is he not powerful enough to burn everything that comes near him? Or is it something beyond his control? I have to see what's happening!"

Indradeva promptly climbed on Airavatha the white elephant, his mount, and left his abode to find the cause of Suryadeva's fear. Soon he found that a flying monster was trying to catch hold of the sun. "Little wonder then that Suryadeva was so scared!" thought Indra, who had never seen such a creature.

Nearing the sun, Indra was surprised to see that the monster was actually a giant monkey.

"Stop!" he ordered. "Who are you? Why are you trying to catch the sun?"

"I'm Anjaneya, son of Kesari and Anjana." replied the giant child. "My mother told me that fruits as ripe as the red sun will be my food so I'm going to catch the sun and eat it."

At first, Indra was amused by the child's innocence, so he advised him to return to earth. "This is not a fruit, Anjaneya, this is the sun- the source of all light and life." said he and commanded, "Return whence you came".

But naughty Anjaneya ignored his commands and continued on his journey to capture the sun.

Now Indra became angry at the child's impertinence. He warned him several times not to go near the sun, but Anjaneya did not listen to him.

Finally, the King of Devas became so enraged that he struck Anjaneya with his thunderbolt "vajra".

Kaaabuuuuuuum!!! The thunderbolt hit the child, wounding his chin and causing him to fall down to earth. The "vajra" hit Anjaneya's face. So his cheeks were swollen twice its size. As the boy fell, his body became smaller and smaller. Finally he became the child-sized monkey he really was and hit the ground.

Vayu, the Wind God, was roaming here and there when he heard a big "thud". Curious, he went towards the direction of the noise to investigate.

What he saw shocked Vayu. He couldn't believe his eyes. Anjaneya was lying unconscious on the ground. Who had dared to injure his god-son?

"Who has done this?" he roared but no one answered. Indra had already left for his abode and the sun was once again peacefully glowing in the sky.

The Wind God was terribly angry. "Why should I bother to do my duty when no one answers my question?" he thought.

With great affection, he lifted his godson in his hands and went to the Patalloka, the world below the grounds of the earth.

As Vayu left the earth, there was no air in the world. People, animals and trees struggled to breathe and started to die.

The Sun-God was shocked at the turn of the events and he ran to Brahma, telling Him about the calamity on earth.

Brahma became worried about the situation on Earth. He called Indra and accused him.

"Look what your silly anger has caused!" he thundered. "You have hurt a divine child and now the people on earth are suffering because of your mistake. This is all because of you!".

Indra hung his head in shame. "I am sorry for my actions" he murmured.

Brahma took him and the other gods to Patalloka and begged Vayu to return to earth.

"I beg pardon on behalf of all men, all creatures and divine beings. Please return to the earth, o gentle Vayu."

"I'll not come anywhere without my Anjaneya", Vayu said firmly. Then, using his powers, Brahma magically cured Anjaneya's wounds. He also gave him a boon saying, "No weapon will be ever able to have an effect on Anjaneya again."

http://www.kidsgen.com/fables_and_fa...s/hanuman3.gifTo please Vayu further, Indra said to the boy, "You will be a 'Chiranjeevi' (immortal). I had taken my aim in your hanu (cheek). So from now, you will be called as the valiant Hanuman!"

Thus Anjaneya came to be known as Hanuman and had many more adventures during his childhood. With the blessings of all the gods,Hanuman became a great warrior later and had helped Lord Rama in his quest to bring back the latter's wife, Sita. This incident is known to everyone and is recorded in the great epic called Ramyana.

KRISHNA AND INDRA

In the country of India, there is a little town called Brindavan. It is a famous and a very holy place for it is associated with the birth of Lord Krishna. The holy God was born there 5000 years ago. He was born on the earth as an ordinary human being, to punish the wicked and protect the good.

It was the rainy season. The sun was smiling weakly behind dark clouds. Brindavan, then a charming village, was transformed into a lush heaven with healthy, greener vegetation and plenty of rains for the people. Everyone in the village was happy.

Krishna woke up with a start. It was not yet morning, but the sounds coming from the streets were loud and noisy enough to wake one up. Curious, he got up and peeked outside his window.

A crowd had gathered before his house. Several men and women were sweeping the streets clean. The roads were being decorated with garlands and lamps.
Krishna was surprised at the sight, as he had seen since his birth that in the rainy season, the villagers slept till late in the morning.

"Is it a festival today? Or is anybody getting married?" he wondered. But he couldn't remember any such occasion.

He left his home to take a bath in the river. While coming back, he saw his father Nanda overseeing the men in the streets.

"Father, what is happening on the streets?" Krishna asked his father.

"The Gopalas are preparing to celebrate a festival to worship Lord Indra," said Nanda. "This year, there has been a rainfall more generous and everybody is happy with the fertile crops. Since Indra is the God of rains, we should thank Him for being so gracious in his blessings!"

"How do you say that Lord Indra is the one who's causing rains, Father?" Krishna frowned in disagreement.

Nanda looked at his son in alarm.

"Of course it's Indra who's causing the rains, son. He is surely the reason for our good fortune. He's the God of the Clouds and he rules them... so he is the one who has blessed us with good rain this year," he replied hesitantly to his son.

"No, father!" refused Krishna firmly, "you're all mistaken. Govardhan Mountain is our real friend. More than the clouds above, the mountain in our village has helped us."

"How can you say that?" asked Nanda, looking at his son in disbilief.

"The fertile mountain sends the signals in the air and creates clouds that drift over the Brindavan and give us rains." replied Krishna. "So whom should we praise and worship? Not Indra, but Govardhan!"

Nanda and the other Gopalas at work gasped in surprise. How could Krishna dismiss Lord Indra, God of the Clouds and direct them to worship a mere mountain instead! This was the first time that they heard about such a thing.

"Yes, father," continued the boy. "Who gives us medicine in the form of magical herbs and plants? Who sends us clean water and air from the top of its peak?
"And who gives us good grass for our cows, so that they give us milk that's sweeter than honey? It is Govardhan!"

The initial surprise and doubts of the Gopalas were beginning to disappear. They now began to see Krishna's point.

"So why should we not worship the mountain?" Krishna continued. "It is wiser to give thanks to something which is right before us, rather than some deva who lives comfortably in the heavens."

Hearing Krishna's words, the Gopalas were totally convinced. They all agreed to worship Govardhan that year, instead of Lord Indra. But Nanda was apprehensive, for he feared that this shifting of loyalty might incur the wrath of God upon them.

And his fear came true. Up in the skies, Lord Indra was listening to this conversation in anger and fury. "So that little cowherd boy has stopped the celebrations in my honour!" he thought in indignation.

Lord Indra's pride was insulted by the Gopalas' decision to worship Govardhan, instead of him. In his anger, he decided to punish the people of Brindavan.

"All these years I have heard their plea and helped them to prosper. And is this what I get in return? It's time they know who the real God is here! I'll send the most dangerous rains and thunderstorms to Brindavan," he thought cruelly. "They will destroy the whole village of Brindavan. Let them see who saves them then!"

What he thought he soon realised in action. Using his divine powers, Lord Indra created clouds that seemed to be darker than the midnight sky. They looked devilish and fearsome.

"Go and destroy Brindavan!" he ordered.

And they heeded their Master's command. Without any delay, they grouped together to form a menacing army of clouds and raced towards the village where Krishna and several innocent families lived.

"This will be enough for them" thought Indra and laughed aloud.

After a delicious lunch, the people of Brindavan were dozing in their homes. Suddenly they heard a terrible sound.

Crasssssssssshhhh!!!

Everybody was alarmed and came out of their homes. What they saw outside took their breath away.

It was noon in Brindavan, but nobody could say it was so. The whole village had become pitch dark. The sun was nowhere to be seen. Instead, black and terrible looking clouds had invaded the village. They enveloped the whole place in a thick mist, darkening the day, making it gloomy.

The clouds looked evil and menacing, but they stood suspended in air and didn't rain. It seemed as if the clouds were waiting for somebody, or rather, for some signal.

The people of Brindavan watched in fear and awe. They were spellbound. Nothing like this had ever happened in their lives!

Krishna heard the frightened voices of the villagers. He was curious and came out of his house. But as soon as he stepped out, there was a great roar and the black clouds poured rains over Nanda's house. It seemed as if this was what the monstrous clouds had been waiting for.

The demonic clouds seemed to have some fiendish scheme. From Nanda's house, they quickly spread themselves over the town. The dark sky seemed to open with a vengeance. Hard rain came down in torrents, flushing away the cattle and the frail huts. The mere thatched roofs were no match for the terrible downpour.

"Run!� screamed a man in terror and people started to run for their lives. They ran in all directions, to save their family and belongings. But even escape seemed difficult for the Brindavan people. The hard and blinding rain lashed over their faces, as if giving slaps for some unknown offence. Nowhere could they take any shelter for nothing seemed to be strong enough against this mighty cloudburst. The innocent and helpless people wailed in the face of such a calamity. They prayed for some divine help.

But the clouds were merciless. They now had the support of blinding lightning and ear-splitting thunder.

Every now and then, lightning struck a fertile tree and destroyed it. Thunder rumbled throughout the ordeal, shaking' people's nerves and panicking them. Nanda felt helpless on seeing his people panic.

"Do you see, son? This is no ordinary rainstorm. This seems to me to be the punishment of our transgression. It is difficult to escape the wrath of Gods. That is why we worshipped Lord Indra all these years, Krishna," he said to his son gravely. "Because we decided to ignore Lord Indra this year, he's punishing us. Now, innocent people are suffering because of your idea... what to we do now?"

Krishna looked at the skies. "Ah, vain Indra!" he thought in fury. "I understand your plan. You want to teach us a lesson, don't you? But first, you need one! And soon I will crush your ego."

Thinking so, Krishna laid a reassuring arm on his father.

"First, we need to focus on making the people see reason, Father," he said and walked to the centre of the town. Using his most commanding voice, he called out:

"O people of Brindavan. Look at me. Do not run. Do not panic!"

The Gopalas looked at Krishna miserably. They had known the boy for long. They knew that he was not an ordinary mortal and possessed some mysterious powers.
But what can the boy possibly do in such a situation?

"This is all our fault!" somebody murmured. "We insulted Indra and now he's punishing us," continued another.

"Yes uncle Guran, what you say is right. This is indeed an evil plot of Lord Indra," replied Krishna, looking at the man. "But like before, Govardhan would help us once again. Come this way and I will show you how!" he declared and led them to the mountain.

Krishna looked up and smiled at the clouds. And in a blink of the eye, he lifted Govardhana Mountain, like an umbrella over the people.

People forgot to breathe. A small boy had lifted a mountain on his little finger!

Up above, Indra was bewildered. "How can a mere child lift a mountain?" he thought. He hadn't ever seen such a feat achieved by anybody, leave alone a child.

"You should have understood it by now. But you did not. Pride and arrogance has clouded your common sense, Indra!" sounded the voice of Brahma.

Lord Indra looked at the God of Creation in confusion.

"Don't you know that Krishna is a divine child?" continued Brahma. "Aren�t you aware that he�s an incarnation of Lord Vishnu? Shame on you!"

Indra was humbled and stopped the rains. As a sign of his apology, he ordered the clouds to shower rose petals from the skies. Then the applause began.

Every Gopala whooped in delight at their darling boy for his strength and wisdom. They now saw what a godly child lived amidst them. They composed songs in praise of the Lord, singing of this miraculous feat. Shouts of "Long Live brave Krishna!" seemed to echo everywhere.

And it continues even today.

GOPAL

This is the story of a boy named Shyam. His father had died when he was very young. He lived with his mother in a small hut near a small town.

And this is also the story of his brother- Gopal.

It was Shyam's first day at school. He woke up early, brushed his teeth and got ready. After a minute of prayer to Lord Krishna, he went to his mother to collect his lunch.

"Oh, Shyam, you're looking so nice my boy!" exclaimed his mother Jyothi. Indeed, the boy was looking fine in his bright school uniform. His mother had specially stitched for him.

"Mother, it is my first day at school. Will the other children like me?" asked Shyam hesitantly.

"Of course, they will, dear." answered Jyothi encouragingly. "Be a good boy and don't bother anybody. I've made fresh pooris (fried flour flat Breads) for your lunch. See you in the evening! God bless you!"

"Bye!" waved Shyam and walked towards his school.

Their house was located close to a forest. The new school was beyond the forests and it would take him an hour to get there. Shyam did not want to be late. So he walked faster.

The sweet melody of the birds filled the woods. Peace dwelled everywhere. Cool winds were blowing through the leaves of the trees that looked green and majestic in the skies. Shyam walked along a narrow, white road in the middle of the dense forests. He had no trouble with the bushes.

Soon the school building came to his view.

The students were assembled in the schoolyard, just getting ready for the morning's prayer. As Shyam entered the school compound, everybody looked at him. "Oh, look, it's Shyam! Widow Jyothi's son!" the children whispered to each other.

"Quiet! Quiet!" The headmaster hushed them. He called Shyam and introduced his classmates to him.

Shyam knew many of his classmates, as they all lived in the same village. But as he lived in a hut near the forests, he was not very close to the town children. Till now, he was only taught by his mother in the evenings. But now, he was going to study with children his own age. Shyam was happy to know that he was amidst them. Shyam's classmates had some inhibition in mingling with him at first. But they soon felt attracted by his friendly nature. And when Shyam shared his mother's delicious pooris with all his classmates, he soon became a good friend to them.

As the day progressed, Shyam made a good impression in the teacher's mind. As Jyothi had taught him well in basic maths and science, Shyam had no trouble in answering his questions. The teacher praised him for his sincerity and good manners.

Soon the day ended. His first day at school was over. Though the boy had some worries and felt a bit nervous in the morning, the close of the day found Shyam more confident and jubilant. He had created a good opinion about himself and had won friends at the very first day of his school life. Shyam waved goodbye to his friends and left the school. He entered the same forests he had crossed in the morning to come to school. He felt very happy that his first day at school was a success.

Darkness fell swiftly as he walked through the forests. The little boy became aware that it was eerily silent. Sunlight had stopped playing peek-a-boo with the trees. Instead, the pale light of the moon was falling hesitantly on the ground. The road looked twisted and lonely in the night. The birds had also stopped their chirping and the frogs had taken over the job. The forest did not seem peaceful or friendly any more. There was an uncanny silence everywhere.

Kwak! Kwank! Kwannkkk!

Suddenly, something hooted over his head. Shyam looked up
a tree and saw a great owl rolling its eyes at him. Frightened, Shyam tried to run fast. But he tripped over something. He fell down and turned his head in terror to see what it was! It was only a large root but Shyam's fear made it look like a huge snake to him. He screamed in terror and started to run madly. The frogs seemed to enjoy his plight and they started to scream loudly. Shyam closed his ears and ran all the way home.

"Mother! Mother!" he cried as he neared his hut. He ran into his house and closed the door, panting with fear.

"What happened, Shyam?" asked Jyothi. She became alarmed at the sight of Shyam's pale face.

“Mother, I won’t walk again through the forest, I won’t go to school tomorrow! There are a big snake and an owl that stares at me and the frogs shouting at me..," the scared child babbled in nameless fear.

Shyam's mother now understood that her little son had become frightened of the dark forests. She tried to pacify him but her boy remained adamant. Nothing could make him pass the forests again to go to school.

Jyothi was worried. When the town council built a new school for the village children, Jyothi was firm on sending Shyam. She had lost her husband and all her attention centered round his only child. She had great ambitions with her only son and wanted him to become a scholar. She stitched clothes and thus made a living for herself and her son. No matter how hard she had to work, she didn't mind working extra hard to provide for his education.

But now her efforts seemed to go waste. Shyam sounded too scared to go to school. Jyothi could not find any way to make Shyam see reason and besides, he was too small to see any.

Suddenly she got an idea. "Shyam, you should go to school tomorrow," she said to her son.

"But I can't walk alone in the forests, mother! I won't! I won't ," cried Shyam.

"Why would you walk alone, Shyam, when you have your brother Gopal to walk with you?" asked Jyothi brightly.

"My brother? But I don't have a brother!" replied Shyam in confusion.

"Yes, you do. His name is Gopal. He lives in the forests. Whenever you feel afraid just call his name" said Jyothi.

By thinking of his new "brother", she hoped her son would overcome his fear. Shyam never doubted his mother's words. He went to sleep happily. All his fears vanished as he dreamt about his new brother.

The next day Shyam went to his school with his old enthusiasm. And once again he found himself on the lonely road in the evening. As he walked on, Shyam grew afraid.

"Gopal, please come and walk with me!" he shouted into the darkness and waited for his brother.

Suddenly he heard a melodious tune. An older boy appeared before him, playing a flute.

Shyam looked at him in wonder. The newcomer was the most beautiful person he had ever seen in his life. His skin was dark as the sky and his eyes were kind and mischievous at the same time. A garland adorned his neck and he had a peacock feather on his crown.

"Hi Shyam," he addressed Shyam in a sweet voice. "I have come to take you home safely. Let's go!" Shyam was overjoyed. He caught hold of his brother Gopal's soft hand and walked with him till he could see his hut.

"Here's your home, Shyam," whispered Gopal and went back into the forests, Everyday, his brother Gopal walked with him till he came to the end of the forests.

One day, Shyam's schoolteacher invited his students for a feast at his home. The children started to buy gifts to give their teacher. On returning home, Shyam told his mother about the feast and asked her to give him a gift for his teacher.

Jyothi felt helpless. Without a husband, she struggled day and night to earn for their living. She considered herself fortunate in having Shyam with her, who was a loving son and helped her in all her chores. So when he asked for something, she was not able to refuse him.

As before, Jyothi used the same trick on Shyam. "Why don't you ask your brother, Shyam?"

He decided to take up her advice. That day, as he was walking in the forests with his brother, Shyam asked Gopal about a suitable gift for his teacher.

Brother Gopal thought for a moment.

"I have a bowl of curd with me, " he said. " You can give it to your teacher".

Shyam accepted his brother's offering and took it with him. On the day of the feast, he offered it to his teacher with love and affection.

The teacher knew Shyam was poor, so he tasted a big helping of curd to appreciate his gift.

GANESH

Do you know about Ganesh? Ganesh, also spelled as Ganesha, is one of the best-known and most worshipped deities in Hinduism.

http://www.kidsgen.com/fables_and_fa...es/ganesh1.gifGanesh is born of divine parents and is himself a divine being. According to the Hindu mythology, in the snow-capped mountains of Kailash, Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvathi, the divine couple, live with their two divine children, Ganesh and his brother Karthik, also known as Karthik.

This is the tale of those days when both Ganesh and Karthik were very young.

Ganesh being the elder son, was full of patience and wisdom. Karthik, on the other hand, was impish and playful. But both of them were intelligent and powerful.

The two brothers had much difference in their physique. While Ganesh had a massive body with a big belly and an elephant's head, young Karthik was a beautiful boy with strong limbs. They were kind to everybody and were loved by all.

Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvathi loved their two children and they in turn were devoted to their parents. The Devas (deities) were pleased with the lovely divine children and they worshipped them.

But one day, as the Devas talked about the qualities of the brothers, a doubt arose in the mind of one of them.
"Who is the wiser of the two brothers?" he asked the others "Ganesh or Karthik?"

Soon this doubt spread to all the Devas. All of them were talking and expressing their opinion about the matter. But no one could surely decide upon the matter. As they racked their brains to solve the issue, suddenly, a Deva got an idea.

“I know whom to ask!”, said he. As others looked at him curiously, he continued, "Lord Brahma. He is the Creator of the world. He should know the answer, so let's ask him! He can surely solve this doubt."
Without any more delay, the Devas rushed to Brahma and asked their Creator about their doubt. Brahma was surprised to see all the deities, together.

"Such a pleasant surprise! What brings you here?"

The Devas told Brahma about their doubt. "O lord Brahma, who is the wiser brother?", asked they, "Ganesh or Karthik?"

"Alas, I do not know!" replied Brahma. "I am the creator of mankind, not divine beings. Ganesh and Karthik were born to the celestial gods Shiva and Parvathi."

The Devas were disappointed. Even the Brahma did not know! Then they would not be able to have an answer, after all.

Looking at their glum faces, Lord Brahma decided to help them. "It is true that I do not know who is the wiser of the two young Gods", he thought. "But I can probably find it out with the help of my son Narada".

Narada, the son of Lord Brahma, was a mischievous sage who was famous for creating disputes. Wherever he went, he created trouble.

But if he got away with all his pranks and without getting cursed it was only because the trouble he caused usually ended on a happy note.

"Narada, help the Devas. Find the answer to their question," said Brahma after explaining the problem.
"Certainly, Father," replied Narada, and his eyes twinkled naughtily, smelling an opportunity to play a prank.

Using his magical powers Narada swiftly flew over the white mountains of Kailash and, in no time, arrived at the divine abode of Shiva and Parvathi. He was warmly welcomed by the heavenly couple.

http://www.kidsgen.com/fables_and_fa...ivparvathi.jpg"0 Shive, Saviour of the Universe!, O Devi Parvathi !" Narada praised the lord. "I thank you for your warm welcome. It is indeed a pleasant joy and an honour to see you both together as the Divine couple".

Everyone knew about Narada's mischievous nature. Shiva understood that Narada was up to some mischief. "Now tell us the truth. I can sense some mischief brewing in your mind. What is the prank you are planning to play on us?" he said jokingly.

Narada pretended to be hurt. "You greatly insult me, Lord Shiva! I have just come here to give you a gift," he said in a sorrowful voice.

"A gift for me? What is it Narada?", asked Lord Shiva. Narada, hearing the eagerness in Shiva's voice smiled to himself in amusement. He produced a golden mango and gave it to the Lord.

"A mango!" exclaimed Shiva. "Now don't say you travelled all the way here to give me this fruit."

"It is no ordinary fruit, my Lord," Narada replied. "The taste of this fruit is said to be sweeter than nectar. This is the divine fruit of knowledge that bestows eternal wisdom to those who eat it.

"Is it so?" asked Shiva, looking at the mango. He then asked his wife Parvathi to have a bite.

"No, stop!" cried Narada. "What are you doing?"

Lord Shiva looked at Narada curiously. "Why? Do you want me to eat it without letting Parvathi taste it? I am going to share it with her". Saying so, he turned to share the fruit with his wife, Goddess Parvathi.

Narada shook his head in disagreement. "That cannot be done, Lord Shiva. It is a magical fruit, blessed by the sages and Devas. It is not possible to cut the mango into pieces. It should be eaten by a single person as a whole fruit".

The divine couple looked at each other. They were confused. Then Lord Shiva shrugged. "If that is the case, let my better half have this fruit. Here Parvathi, you can have this whole mango," he said, offering the mango to his wife.

Parvathi was surprised. "Oh no, I don't want it! You are my husband. How can I eat it without you having a taste of it?" she refused.

Both Lord Shiva and Narada requested her to eat the fruit but Parvathi steadily declined. "Instead, let one of our children have the fruit," she suggested.

"But, how is that possible?" asked Narada slyly. "There is one fruit and two children. Who should be given the fruit - Ganesh or Karthik?"

While the elders were talking, Ganesh and Karthik appeared in Kailash. They saw that their parents and Sage Narada were having some serious talk on something. Then Karthik noticed something yellow and round in Narada's hand.

“What is Uncle Narada having in his hand ?” Karthik asked to Ganesh. Ganesh was equally curious.

“ This is a magical mango, Karthik, "Narada replied, as he heard Karthik's question. "I gave it to your Father but he wanted your Mother to eat it. But she won't have it. She wants to give it to one of you".

"A magical mango? I love mangoes!", shouted Karthik, "I want it! I want it!".

"No, no, it should come to me. I love mangoes too! I'm the eldest son and the right one to eat the fruit of knowledge," argued Ganesh. Soon the brothers started fighting.

The divine parents were perplexed. This is nothing but a mountain out of a molehill. Lord Shiva looked at Narada. "So this is why you came to Kailash! I knew it! I knew there was something in your mind. Well done Narada, you have finally played the trick. This is why you came here. But now that you have created trouble, please solve it. You decide to whom the mango should go to," he said firmly.

Narada was delighted that his plan was working so well. "Why don't we could have a competition to settle the matter?" he said with a twinkle in his eye.

"The children agreed to Narada’s suggestion. Lord Shiva thought over the matter.

"All right, then." said he, "We'll have a contest. Whoever of you goes around the world three times and returns first will get the fruit ," he said to his children.

Hearing this, Karthik immediately mounted his vehicle, the peacock. His brother Ganesh was slow and fat. Karthik laughed to himself in glee. He was very certain that he would win.

Ganesh too, understood that his vehicle, the mouse, could not compete with the peacock's speed. So he thought for a moment. Suddenly, he got an idea. Ganesh smiled to himself.

Karthik flew around the world stopping at all temples and sacred spots on the way and offering his prayers. To his astonishment, he found Ganesh at every major stop. Karthik was puzzled. How did Ganesh manage to be so fast?

The reason was the razor-sharp intelligence and the great wisdom of Ganesh. Back in Kailash, Ganesh remembered that his parents Shiva and Parvathi represented the entire universe. Without delay, the young elephant-headed god walked around his parents with great devotion, folding his hands.

"Why are you circling us Ganesh?" asked Lord Shiva.

http://www.kidsgen.com/fables_and_fa...es/ganesh2.jpg"I'm your son and to me, you two make up my whole world. Why should I go further to win the contest?" replied Ganesh.

Shiva was pleased with his elder son's smart answer and gave the magical fruit to him.

When Karthik returned after his voyage, he understood what had happened and accepted the superiority of his clever brother Ganesh. The Devas found the answer to their doubt. They praised and blessed Ganesh.

Narada chuckled to himself. His father had praised him too. So did the Devas.

Eklavya

This is the story of a long-gone era. In the country of India, nearly five thousand years back, lived a boy named Eklavya, the son of a tribal chief in the forests of the kingdom- Hastinapura. Eklavya was a brave, handsome boy. He was loved by all. But he was not happy.

His father saw that something troubled Eklavya. More than once he found his son lost deep in thought when other boys enjoyed the pleasures of hunting and playing. One day the father asked his son, “Why are you so unhappy, Eklavya? Why don’t you join your friends? Why are you not interested in hunting?”.

“Father, I want to be an archer” replied Eklavya, “I want to become a disciple of the great Dronacharya, the great tutor of Archery in Hastinapura. His Gurukul is a magical place where ordinary boys are turned into mighty warriors.”

Eklavya saw his father was silent. He continued, “ Father, I know that we belong to the hunting tribe, but I want to be a warrior, father, not a mere hunter. So please allow me to leave home and become the disciple of Dronacharya.”

Eklavya's father was troubled, for he knew that his son’s ambition was not an easy one. But the chief was a loving father and he did not want to refuse his only son’s wish. So the kind man gave his blessings and sent his son on his way to Drona’s Gurukul.

Eklavya set on his way. Soon he reached the part of the forest where Drona taught the princes of Hastinapur.

In those days, there was no such system as a school, college, university or hostel. The only place where one could get some education was a “ Gurukul”. A Gurukul (Guru refers to "teacher" or "master"; Kul refers to his domain, from the Sanskrit word kula, meaning extended family.) is a type of ancient Hindu school in India that is residential in nature with the shishyas or students and the guru or teacher living in proximity, many a time within the same house. The Gurukul is the place where the students resided together as equals, irrespective of their social standing. The students learned from the guru and also helped the guru in his day-to-day life, including the carrying out of mundane chores such as washing clothes, cooking, etc. The education imparted thus, was a wholesome one.

Having said this much, let us now return to Eklavya. When the boy reached Dronacharya’s Gurukul, he saw that it consisted of a group of huts, surrounded by trees and an archery yard. The disciples were practicing to shoot arrows with their bows and arrows in the yard. It was an engaging sight. But Eklavya’s eyes searched Drona. Where was he? Will he be able to see the man? Without Drona, all his purpose of coming here would be meaningless. But all his worries soon subsided. He didn’t have to wait for long. There was the man standing near a tree busy instructing a boy, who was none else than the third Pandava prince Arjuna, as Eklavya came to know later. Though Eklavya had never seen Drona before, he put his guess at work. He went near Drona and bowed.

The sage was surprised to see a strange boy addressing him. “Who are you?” he asked.

"Dronacharya, I am Eklavya, son of the Tribal Chief in the western part of the forests of Hastinapura." Eklavya replied. "Please accept me as your disciple and teach me the wonderful art of Archery."

Drona sighed. "Eklavya..." said he,"... if you are a tribal hunter, you must be a Shudra, the lowest social community according to the Vedic Caste System. I am a Brahmin, the highest caste in the kingdom. I cannot teach a Shudra boy."

"And he's also a Royal teacher," interrupted Prince Arjuna. "Our Guru has been appointed by the King to train us, the princes and the highborn. How dare you come inside the Gurukul and seek him? Leave! NOW!" he spat out, looking enraged that Eklavya had disturbed his practice.

Eklavya was stunned at Arjuna's behaviour. He himself was the son of the chief of his clan, but he never insulted anyone below him in such a way. He looked at Drona for some kind of support, but the sage remained silent. The message was loud and clear. Dronacharya also wanted him to leave. He refused to teach him.

The innocent tribal boy was deeply hurt by Drona's refusal to teach him. "It's not fair!" he thought miserably. "God has given knowledge to all, but man alone differentiates his kind."

He left the place with a broken heart and a bitter taste in his mouth. But it could not shatter his ambition to learn Archery. He was still as determined to learn Archery.

"I may be a Shudra but does it make any difference?" thought he. " I am as strong and zealous as Drona's princes and disciples. If I practice the art everyday, I can surely become an archer."

Eklavya reached his own forests and took some mud from a nearby river. He made a statue of Dronacharya and selected a secluded clearing in the forests to place it. Eklavya did this because he faithfully believed that if he practiced before his Guru, he would become an able archer. Thus, though his Guru shunned him, he still held him in high esteem and thought of him as his Guru.

Day after day, he took his bow and arrow, worshipped the statue of Drona and started practice. In time faith, courage and perseverance transformed Eklavya the mere tribal hunter into Eklavya the extraordinary archer. Eklavya became an archer of exceptional prowess, superior even to Drona's best pupil, Arjuna.

One day while Eklavya is practicing, he hears a dog barking. At first the boy ignored the dog, but continuous disturbance in his practice angered him. He stopped his practice and went towards the place where the dog was barking. Before the dog could shut up or get out of the way, Eklavya fired seven arrows in rapid succession to fill the dog's mouth without injuring it. As a result it roamed the forests with its mouth opened.

But Eklavya was not alone in his practice. He was unaware of the fact that just some distance away, the Pandava princes were also present in that area of the forest. As fate would have it, that day, they had come with their teacher, Drona, who was instructing them about some finer points of archery by making them learn in the real-life condition of the open jungle.

As they were busy practicing, they suddenly chanced upon the "stuffed" dog, and wonder who could have pulled off such a feat of archery. Drona was amazed too." Such an excellent aim can only come from a mighty archer." he exclaimed. He told the Pandavas that if somebody was such a good archer then he surely needed to be met. The practice was stopped and together they began searching the forest for the one behind such amazing feat. They found a dark-skinned man dressed all in black, his body besmeared with filth and his hair in matted locks. It was Eklavya. Dronacharya went up to him.

"Your aim is truly remarkable!" Drona praised Eklavya, and asked "From whom did you learn Archery?"

Eklavya was thrilled to hear Drona's praises. How surprised he will be if he told Drona that he, in fact was his Guru!

"From you my Master. You are my Guru," Eklavya replied humbly.

"Your Guru? How can I be your Guru? I have never seen you before!" Drona exclaimed in surprise. But all of a sudden he remembered something. He remembered about an eager boy who had visited his Gurukul several months ago. " Now I remember," said he. "Are you not the same hunter boy whom I refused admission in my Gurukul some months back?"

"Yes, Dronacharya", replied the boy. "After I left your Gurukul, I came home and made a statue like you and worshipped it every day. I practiced before your image. You refused to teach me, but your statue did not. Thanks to it, I have become a good archer."

Hearing this, Arjuna became angry. "But you promised me that you'd make me the best archer in the world!" he accused Drona. "Now how can that be? Now a common hunter has become better than me!"

The other princes remembered their master frequently praising Arjuna that he had immense talent and will be the greatest archer in the kingdom. They waited with bated breath. What will their teacher do now?

Unable to answer Arjuna's question, Drona remained silent. The sage too was upset that his promise to Prince Arjuna was not going to be fulfilled. He was also angry with Eklavya for disobeying him. So the sage planned to punish Eklavya.

"Where is your guru dakhsina? You have to give me a gift for your training," the sage demanded. He had finally found a way to make Eklavya suffer for his disobedience.

Eklavya was overjoyed. A guru dakshina was the voluntary fee or gift offered by a disciple to his guru at the end of his training. The guru-shishya parampara, i.e. the teacher-student tradition, was a hallowed tradition in Hinduism. At the end of a shishya's study, the guru asks for a "guru dakshina," since a guru does not take fees. A guru dakshina is the final offering from a student to the guru before leaving the ashram. The teacher may ask for something or nothing at all.

"Dronacharya, I'll be the happiest person on earth to serve you. Ask me anything and I will offer it to you as my guru dhakshina "he said.

"I might ask something you don't like to give me. What if you refuse the dhakshina I want?" Drona asked cunningly.

Eklavya was shocked. It was considered a grave insult and a great sin if a guru's dakshina was refused. "No! How can I, teacher? I am not that ungrateful. I'll never refuse anything you ask, Dronacharya," promised the unsuspecting boy.

Drona did not wait anymore. "Eklavya, I seek to have your right-hand thumb as my guru dhakshina" he declared.

Silence befell on everyone. Everyone was shocked, even Arjuna. He looked at his teacher in horror and disbelief. How could their teacher make such a cruel demand? That too, from a mere boy?

For a moment Eklavya stood silent. Without his thumb he could never shoot arrows again. But the teacher must be satisfied. "Ok Gurudev, as you wish." said he. Then, without the slightest hesitation, Eklavya drew out his knife and cut his thumb!

The princes gasped at Eklavya's act of bravery. But the tribal boy betrayed no signs of pain, and held out his severed thumb to Dronacharya.

"Here is my guru dakshina, Drona", Ekalavya said. "I am happy that you have made me your disciple, even if I'm a mere Shudra hunter."

The sage was humbled. He blessed the young archer for his courage. "Eklavya, even with out your thumb, you'll be known as a great archer. I bless you that you will be remembered forever for your loyalty to your guru," Drona declared and left the forests. He was moved and grieved at his own action. But he was content that his promise to Arjuna was not broken. The Gods blessed Eklavya from above.

But despite his handicap, Eklavya continued to practice archery. How could he do so? When one is dedicated, one can make even mountains bow. With practice, Eklavya could shoot arrows with his index and middle finger and he became a greater archer than he was ever before. His renown spread far and wide. When Drona came to know this, he blessed the boy silently and begged for divine forgiveness.

And true to Drona's blessing, Eklavya is still praised as the most loyal and brave student in the epic of Mahabharatha.

A Brave Boy

Betal told Vikram, "You are a brave warrior, but let me tell you the story of a brave boy." Once there lived a king called Jairajan. One day he discovered that his relatives were planning to steal his throne and kill him. To avoid bloodshed, Jairajan gave up his crown and went to live in a far-off village . Here he married a girl and started living happily.

One day, while returning home he saw a pile of human bones lying http://www.kidsgen.com/fables_and_fa..._brave_boy.jpgon the path. Shocked, he hurried back home and told his wife about the incident. She told him that the wicked king of the kingdom was sacrificing young boys to the eagle, Garuda. Jairajan found out that the next time, a boy named Shankar was going to be fed to the eagle. He met Shankar's parents and offered to sacrifice his life instead, though Shankar protested.

On the day of the sacrifice, Garuda whisked Jairajan away. Shankar risked his life and ran to save Jairajan, but he was killed. When the news reached Jairajan's wife she begged Garuda to return her husband. Seeing her devotion, Garuda gave back Jairajan's life. Jairajan now prayed to Garuda to revive all the other corpses. The eagle fulfilled his wish.

Now Betal put forward the question, "Whose sacrifice was greater, Shankar's or Jairajan's?" Vikram promptly replied, "Shankar. Though he was a mere boy he volunteered to sacrifice his own life." Since Vikram had opened his mouth again, Betal flew away.