First published in 2023 by Hachette India

(Registered name: Hachette Book Publishing India Pvt. Ltd)

An Hachette UK company

www.hachetteindia.com

Text Copyright © 2023 Sreelata Menon

Illustrations Copyright © 2023 Sharanya Kunnath

Sreelata Menon asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work.

All rights reserved. No part of the publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system (including but not limited to computers, disks, external drives, electronic or digital devices, e-readers, websites), or transmitted in any form or by any means (including but not limited to cyclostyling, photocopying, docutech or other reprographic reproductions, mechanical, recording, electronic, digital versions) without the prior written permission of the publisher, nor be otherwise circulated in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser.

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This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents (other than those obviously genuine) are fictitious and any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, or actual events or locales is purely coincidental.

All efforts have been made to verify the copyright ownership of the photographs as well as the correctness of the information included in this edition. Any omissions are unintentional and regretted, and, following written communication, will be rectified in the next edition.

The views and opinions expressed in this book are the author’s own and the facts are as reported by her and have been verified to the extent possible. The publishers are not in any way liable for the same.

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Print edition ISBN 978-93-5731-277-6

Ebook edition ISBN 978-93-5731-278-3

Hachette Book Publishing India Pvt. Ltd

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Friends! Friends! Friends!

Whatever would we do without Friends?

So, come meet some friends from our ancient past;

Enjoy their tales of friendship, and relive their glorious past.

Krishna and Sudama, and Karna and Duryodhana,

Draupadi and Krishna, and Sita and Trijata,

And many more friends from India who stood by each other, come what may.

Meet some from Rome, meet some from Greece,

And then if you haven’t had enough and want some more,

Dip into the world of Panchatantra, if you please.

SO, LET’S BE FRIENDS

Down in the forest, deep, deep, down in the forest, the king of the jungle was taking a nap.

As the shadows lengthened and the sun began to disappear behind the night sky, the little, furry creatures that lived in the tiny crevices among the nooks and crannies of the Earth, began to surface.

Scurrying busily, they darted hither and thither, scrounging for food and god knows what.

One little, whiskered creature popped up from underneath a rock to land right on top of the sleeping lion.

‘Oh, my goodness!’ exclaimed the little fellow, ‘where have I landed? If I move, he could wake up and that would be the end of me. Should he move, his enormous body is bound to crush me and, again, it would be all over for me. So, what do I do?’

He sat still for a while, pondering.

He had never seen a lion at such close quarters before. He had only heard his roar from far away and had trembled at its thunderous reach.

‘Being a courageous fellow,’ he said to himself, ‘maybe now’s my chance to see what this huge beast looks like’, and without a second thought, scampered up the lion’s mane, on to his head and down his forehead to arrive between his eyes.

Just in time, it would seem, to awaken the lion from his slumber.

The enormous beast opened one eye first and then the other.

You see, he had felt the sharp pricks of the mouse’s tiny claws on his snout.

Startled to see the creature on his nose, he lifted his huge paw to swat him.

‘Please, sir,’ squeaked the mouse, his heart in his mouth, ‘don’t do that. I am sorry to have woken you up. I am just a tiny mouse and you are the king of the forest. Please don’t kill me. Please let me go.’

The lion who had raised his paw, hesitated.

And then, for no reason at all, he gently shook his massive head as if to shake the mouse free.

Taking advantage of the pause and the head shake, the mouse slithered down the royal snout with alacrity and scurried away to safety.

‘Thank you, your highness,’ he said, ‘for being so gracious and kind.’

The lion let out a mighty roar and turned away as the mouse, taking no more chances, hurried home to the safety of his little cubbyhole.

Many moons passed. The lion and the mouse busily went about with their own lives.

However, if they happened to run into each other, it did appear like they shared a special bond.

They became friends.

As the years went by, the lion grew withered and old and one fine day, fell into a poacher’s trap.

There he lay, entangled in a net and unable to free himself. He struggled and he struggled to get out. Then he roared and he roared in panic.

The little mouse, whom he had let off so many moons ago, heard the roar. He quickly darted over to where the mighty king of the jungle lay helpless. ‘Oh dear, oh dear,’ he sighed when he saw the poor, magnificent beast all trussed up in the poacher’s net.

‘Don’t despair, your highness,’ said the little mouse. ‘I will be back in a jiffy and have you out before the poachers come to get you.’

Soon, back with an army of other mice who, with their sharp little teeth, promptly set to work on the net, he set the lion free in minutes.

‘Thank you,’ said the grateful lion to the mouse.

‘Don’t thank me, your highness. You became my friend when you, so long ago, kindly spared my life. I am only returning the favour. That’s what loyal friends are for. It’s an honour to help you. Don’t you know, a friend in need is a friend indeed?’

Indeed.

It gladdens one’s heart, doesn’t it, to see such acts of friendship… especially among creatures in the animal kingdom?

So, dear young reader, wouldn’t you like to have a friend like that?

Or do you already have one? A friend who would come to your rescue if you needed help?

Someone who would lay his life on the line for you?

Or just someone with whom you could have fun and simply be with?

There are many such stories, of human bonding as well, handed down to us through the centuries, telling us of the different kinds of friendship that existed between true friends.

Friends who looked out for each other as Krishna did for Sudama in Indian mythology or like Damon and Pythias from Greece who trusted each other implicitly.

These and many others from our rich ancient past have set the benchmark for loyalty, love and devotion between friends.

So, come delve into an array of fabulous friendship stories from various interesting mythologies of the world.

Stories that will take you on a merry spin through a world where loyalty is a badge of honour, kindness, a virtue, and friendship, a source of pride.

Just like the story of this lion and the mouse from the Panchatantra.