Hitopadesa

Hi there! Do you know what a fable is? It's a short story that usually has a moral lesson at the end. Hitopadesa is a bunch of fables that were written a long time ago in India.

Now, these fables are super special because they were written to teach young princes and princesses how to be smart and wise rulers one day. The stories are very interesting and fun to read, but they also have a hidden message that can help people be better citizens.

For example, one of the fables tells the story of a clever crow who tricks a thirsty snake into coming out of his hole, so he can drink water from a pot. But before the snake can drink, the crow snatches up the snake and carries him away to eat him. The moral of the story is that we should always be careful of who we trust because sometimes people can pretend to be our friends, but they have bad intentions.

So, that's basically what hitopadesa is all about: it's a collection of clever stories that teach us important lessons about life.