The Hare in the Moon

Told in English, Telugu.

Long, long ago, in a green forest beside a wide river, there lived a little hare. He had soft white fur, two long ears, and a very kind heart.

The little hare had three good friends. There was a clever monkey, a quick jackal, and a playful otter who loved to swim. Every evening, the four friends sat together under a big banyan tree. And the little hare would always say, "Let us be kind. Let us share what we have."

One evening, the hare looked up at the sky. The moon was almost round and bright. "Tomorrow is a special day," he said. "It is a day for giving. If someone hungry comes to us, let us each give him food."

"Yes, yes!" said his friends. "We will give!"

The next morning, the otter went to the river and found some fish. The jackal found a little pot of curd. The monkey climbed a tree and picked sweet, yellow mangoes.

But the little hare sat quietly in the grass. "I only eat grass," he thought. "Nobody can eat grass. What can I give? What can I give?"

He thought and thought. Then he said softly, "I have nothing else. If someone hungry comes, I will give him myself."

Now, high up in the sky lived Indra, the king of the gods. He heard the little hare's words. "Can such a small hare have such a big heart?" he wondered. "Let me go and see."

So Indra put on a disguise. He became a tired old man with a walking stick and came slowly into the forest.

First he met the otter. "I am so hungry," said the old man. The otter smiled and gave him fish.

Then he met the jackal. The jackal gave him the pot of curd.

Then he met the monkey. The monkey gave him sweet mangoes.

Last of all, he came to the little hare. "Little one, I am hungry too," he said.

The little hare said, "Grandfather, I have no fish, no curd, and no fruit. But I can give you myself. Please light a small fire."

So the old man made a fire. The little hare shook his fur gently, one, two, three times, so that no tiny ant or bug hiding in it would be hurt. Then, with a brave little hop, he jumped right into the fire.

But guess what? It was a magic fire! It did not burn at all. It felt cool, like morning dew on the grass. Not one whisker of the little hare was hurt.

The old man began to glow and shine, brighter and brighter, until there stood Indra, the king of the gods.

"Little hare," said Indra kindly, "I came to see how good your heart is. You had nothing, yet you gave everything. A gift from a kind heart is the biggest gift of all."

Can you say it with me? A gift from a kind heart is the biggest gift of all.

"The whole world should remember you," said Indra. So he reached up to the sky, all the way to the moon, and drew a picture of the little hare right there on its shining face.

Then the little hare hopped home to his friends, safe and happy, and told them everything. That night they all looked up together, and there it was, the hare in the moon.

Tonight, when you see Chandamama, look very carefully. Can you see the little hare? He is still up there, reminding us all to be kind and to share.

Good night, little one.