Kenning Stories

Long ago on the banks of the Ganga there was a hermitage. Several holy men lived there. These men led simple lives. They ate only fruits and roots. They spent their time singing holy songs, praying, fasting and studying holy texts. The head of the hermitage was a sage called Yajna-Valkya. One day, the sage was bathing in the holy river. A small mouse fell from the beak of  a hawk into the hands of the sage. The sage placed the little mouse on a banyan leaf. Using hid power of magic, he changed the mouse into a little girl. He took her home and said to his wife, "We do not have children. Let us bring up this girl as our daughter." They looked after the girl well. Years passed. The girl grew into a beautiful young woman. One day the sage wife said, "It is time to get our daughter married." The sage agreed. "I will find the best husband for her," he said. The sage thought for a while and called the sun. He said to sun, "Please mar...

Once a female fox lived in a forest. She knew many animals and spent a lot of time with them. The fox was happy that she had so many friends. She felt proud that she was popular and liked by so many different animals. One day the fox went out of her home to meet a friend. Suddenly she heard the sound of hounds baying at a distance. She was frightened. She knew that the hounds would chase her and kill her if she did not escape at once. But she couldn't run faster than the hounds. The hounds were already quite close. The fox quickly thought of a plan. She ran to the house of horse close by and said to him, "O horse, please save me. You are a god friend of mine. Some hounds are chasing me. Take me on your back and gallop as fast as you can." To her great surprise the horse replied,"I am sorry, but I can n't  help . I have to do some important work for my  master." He will be vary angry if I am late." Saying so, the horse trotted away. ...