Hindu Fables (Tolstoy)
Short summary
This collection contained thirty-two moral tales adapted from Hindu tradition. In one story, a snake's tail quarreled with its head about who should lead; when they separated, the tail fell into a hole and perished. A monkey tried to imitate a woodcutter sawing a tree but got her tail caught when she removed the wedge incorrectly. A heron deceived fish by offering to carry them to safety from a drying pond, but ate them instead until a clever crab discovered her treachery and killed her.
In the most philosophical fable, a hermit lived peacefully with forest animals. When a raven, dove, stag, and snake debated the source of evil, each blamed a different cause: hunger, love, rage, or terror. The hermit concluded:
Not from hunger, not from love, not from rage, not from terror are all our sufferings, but from our bodies comes all the evil in the world.
Other tales warned against greed, pride, and shortsightedness. A wolf died trying to eat bow sinews instead of readily available meat. A king killed his faithful falcon in anger, only to learn it had saved him from poisoned water. Through these simple stories, Tolstoy conveyed timeless lessons about human nature, wisdom, and the consequences of our choices.
Detailed summary
Division into thematic chapters is editorial.
Tales of folly and poor judgment
Several fables illustrated the consequences of foolish decisions and lack of wisdom. A snake's head and tail quarreled over leadership, with the tail declaring it had strength to move the body.
You cannot walk in front, because you have no eyes and no ears... Yes, but I have strength, I move you; if I want to, I can wind myself around a tree.
When they separated, the tail fell into a hole and perished. A spinner deceived a fool by claiming to sell invisible thread so fine it couldn't be seen, and he gladly paid for nothing.
Stories of greed and excess
A man with a productive cow decided not to milk her for ten days, expecting ten times the milk on the tenth day, but the cow's milk dried up instead. A monkey carrying peas dropped one and lost twenty trying to retrieve it, then in rage swept away all the rest. A mouse living comfortably under a granary grew greedy and enlarged the hole to invite others, but the peasant noticed and sealed it completely.
Fables of cunning and deception
An old jackal devised an elaborate scheme when his pack ran out of carrion. He approached an elephant, claiming his people wanted a new king after rejecting their previous ruler for impossible demands.
The jackal led the elephant into a swamp where he became trapped. When the elephant commanded rescue, the jackal mockingly offered his tail as assistance, then waited for the elephant to die before feasting. Similarly, an aged heron tricked fish by claiming their pond would be drained, offering to carry them to safety but eating each one instead.
Lessons about cooperation and discord
Two brothers inherited their father's estate with instructions to divide everything equally, but they quarreled over the division. A neighbor suggested they literally split every item in half - clothes, dishes, and cattle - resulting in the loss of everything. Birds caught in a net escaped when they flew together, but when evening came and each pulled in different directions, they all fell to the ground where the hunter captured them. Two peasants with sleighs blocked each other's path, each demanding the other move first.
If you are in a hurry, back up!
A wise third peasant resolved their dispute with this simple advice.
Stories of perception and understanding
A blind man asked about the color of milk, and despite numerous comparisons to white paper, flour, hare, and snow, he could not grasp the concept of whiteness.
And no matter how many examples the Seeing Man gave, the Blind Man was unable to understand what the white colour of milk was like.
A king ordered blind people to examine elephants, and each described the animal based on the single part they touched - legs like posts, tail like a broom, trunk like rope, ears like mortars - leading to fierce arguments among them. A duck mistook the moon's reflection for a fish and became so embarrassed when other ducks laughed that she later starved rather than hunt real fish.
Tales of loyalty and natural wisdom
A falcon proudly explained to a cock why wild birds remained loyal to their masters, claiming superior breeding and gratitude. The cock replied with sharp wisdom about their different fates.
You do not run away from people because you have never seen a roast Falcon, but we, you know, see roast Cocks.
A king hunting with his falcon grew thirsty and found water dripping slowly from rocks. Three times the falcon knocked the cup from his hands as he tried to drink.
Enraged, the king killed his faithful bird, only to discover a poisonous snake had contaminated the water source. The king realized his grave error.
How badly I have repaid the Falcon! He has saved my life, and I killed him.
A man who lost a pearl in the sea began drawing water with a pail, determined to empty the entire ocean. A water-sprite emerged and returned the pearl, impressed by such unwavering determination.
A fox explained to a man that their tail movements while being chased weren't deception but natural design for quick turns, created by God for survival.
We do not do so in order to cheat the dogs, but in order to turn around... That is not our invention; God himself invented it when He created us.
Fables of justice and consequences
A wolf who devoured a sheep tried to excuse his crime by claiming God made him gray, but hunters clarified they punished him for his actions, not his appearance. Two horses pulled carts, but when the lazy horse's load was transferred to the hardworking one, the lazy horse mocked his companion's efforts. At journey's end, the master decided to feed only the useful horse and kill the other for its hide. A goat observed an old woman rewarding her cow with bread for standing still during milking.
When the goat stood perfectly still expecting the same reward, he was beaten instead. Feeling betrayed by human dishonesty, he deliberately spilled the milk and injured the woman.
There is no honesty in men... I stood still better than the Cow, and was beaten for it.
A greedy wolf found a hunter's bow among the bodies of a goat, boar, and man, deciding to eat the tough bowstring first and save the tender meat for later, but the released bow killed him instantly.
The great philosophical dialogue
In the forest, a hermit lived peacefully among animals who gathered one night to discuss the source of evil in the world.
A raven blamed hunger, explaining how starvation drove him to desperate acts regardless of danger. A dove argued that love caused suffering, as concern for mates led to reckless behavior and tragic searches. The snake identified rage as the root of evil, describing how anger consumed reason and led to violence against even family members. A stag claimed terror was the source, explaining how fear caused panic and fatal mistakes. The hermit concluded that all these sufferings ultimately stemmed from having physical bodies, which created the needs and vulnerabilities that generated hunger, love, rage, and terror.