Tradition and story time — not medical advice
Bedtime stories from public-domain Indian sources
Warm retellings of classic Jataka tales and Indian folk tales, faithful to a named public-domain edition, for reading aloud to children ages 2 to 6. Every retelling is original prose grounded in the source's own plot and ending -- no invented morals, no tale rewritten to hide a scary ending it actually has. See also Classical Stories for Kids (ten Hitopadeśa fables, kept as its own page).
Browse by age · Browse by theme · Lullabies and children's verse
Cleverness & Wit
- How the Turtle Saved His Own Life (Jataka Tales, 1912)
- The Rabbit Who Thought the Sky Was Falling (Jataka Tales, 1912)
- The Two Merchants Who Crossed the Desert (Jataka Tales, 1912)
- The Monkey and the Crocodile (Jataka Tales, 1912)
- Lambikin (Indian Fairy Tales, 1892)
- The Tiger, the Brahman, and the Jackal (Indian Fairy Tales, 1892)
- The Valiant Chattee-Maker (Old Deccan Days, 1868)
- The Grain of Corn (Tales of the Punjab: Folklore of India, 1894)
- The Sparrow and the Crow (Tales of the Punjab: Folklore of India, 1894)
Friendship & Kindness
- The Golden Deer Who Took Another's Place (Jataka Tales, 1912)
- The Ox and the Kind Word (Jataka Tales, 1912)
- The Three Princes and the Water-Sprite (Jataka Tales, 1912)
- The Elephant Who Remembered Kindness (Jataka Tales, 1912)
- The Lion and the Crane (Indian Fairy Tales, 1892)
- Sir Buzz (Tales of the Punjab: Folklore of India, 1894)
Honesty & Trust
- The Travelers Who Didn't Give Up (Jataka Tales, 1912)
- The Bowl That Was Really Gold (Jataka Tales, 1912)
- Sun, Moon, and Wind Go to Dinner (Indian Fairy Tales, 1892)