CONTENTS:

1. Right Place for the Wicked
2. Tit for Tat
3. All the Gold
4. A Lion Needs a Rat
5. Handsome is that Handsome Does
6. Hidden Treasure
7. ‘Wolf, Wolf’
8. To Please Others
9. The Sun and the Wind
10. The Harvesting Season
11. Suicide
12. Freedom and Self-respect
13. Kindness Towards the Wicked
14. Courage
15. Doubt and Division
16. Boasting
17. Hasty Decision
18. Self-exaltation
19. Peace or Anxiety
20. The Source of Wisdom
21. The Promise by the Wicked
22. Revenge
23. Disguise
24. Destructive Greed
25. Theft and Watchman
26. Sweetness and Sting
27. The Winner
28. The Clever Crow
29. An Operation of the Eyes
30. The Outcome of Cunningness
31. The Ego of Mercury
32. A Treaty between Emperors
33. An Election Meeting
34. Adjust with Time
35. A Strange Case
36. Value of Donation
37. Who will Bell the Cat?
38. Sour Grapes
39. Day-dreaming
40. Natural and Artificial

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AN EXCERPT FROM THE BOOK IS AS FOLLOWS:

Right Place for the Wicked
Once, a lion got trapped in a big and strong cage. He was angry. He tried to break the rods of the cage and free himself but they were too strong for him. He lost all hopes of freedom.

A simple and innocent man came that way. He was surprised to see the lion in the cage. The lion said in a humble tone, “O great man, you know all and you can do everything. You can easily free me from this cage which was placed here by some cruel hunters. When I’m free I will reward you to show my appreciation.”The man said, “I like your attitude but to talk to a lion in a cage is one thing, and to be face to face with a free lion is a different matter altogether. The moment you are free, you’ll pounce on me and kill me for your food!”

“I’m the king of the forest. I’m not an ungrateful creature. How can I attack my saviour? If you free me I shall always remain grateful to you. You will surely be rewarded. If you do not free me, then either I will die or may be serve in a circus as a slave. I request you. Please, please free me,” the lion implored.
He was a kind-hearted, simple man. He felt pity for the lion. He opened the latch of the cage and freed the lion.

The moment the lion came out of the cage he stretched his body and roared, “You foolish man, say your last prayers and be ready to die!”

There was an obvious change in the tone of the lion. The man wept and protested, “You promised not to eat your saviour. You can’t kill me.” Just then a fox passed by. The man said to the fox, “O fox dear! Please save me from this ungrateful lion. I freed him from the cage but he is ready to kill me.”

“You are a liar,” the fox said to the man. “You are throwing mud on the king of the forest. How can a lion be in the cage?”

The man said, “I am telling you the truth. The lion was in the cage.”

The fox said again, “No, you are telling a lie. The lion can’t be in the cage.”
The lion came between them and said, “The man is telling the truth. I was in the cage.”

“I don’t believe, how can you be in the cage? Just show me.” There was apparent disbelief in the eyes of the fox.

In a rage, the lion entered the cage, “See. I was here in the cage like this,” he said.

The fox asked the man to quickly put the latch. The man locked the cage before the lion realised the cleverness of the fox. Then the fox said to the simple man, “Now, you are safe, you can go home and live a happy life.”

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