Five Fingered Family

     There once was a family, the Anguli's, who's house burned down. They didn't have any more work to do! The father said, "I know of another town, maybe we can find work there." So they set out to the next town. On the way they had to pass through a dark forest. Papa Anguli said, "OK we can rest here under this Pipal tree. We will sleep here. Son go to the river and bring back some water to boil for soup. Daughter, collect sticks to start a fire with. My dear wife, you can chop the vegetables while I start the fire."

     Every one worked together and did their tasks.Very soon they had a soup brewing. The smell of the soup drifted in to the tree where a troll lived. "Hmmm, smells good," he said, "These humans think they are going to enjoy a meal,  I'll cook them and eat them for my dinner." The troll jumped down from the tree in front of the father, "Cooking food are you?! What are you going to eat?" He said with a sly voice. Papa Anguli looked at him very calmly and confidently said, "Don't you know?? We are going to eat you." The whole Ungali family looked at him fearlessly. The Troll had seen how this family worked together so well. He noticed when they were doing their tasks how they were completely united together. He got scared and thought to himself, "They are like a hand with five fingers. I can't defeat all of them at the same time."

     So he told the family, "Please don't eat me! I'll give you my treasure. Dig right here and you will find a great treasure, take what you want, just leave me alone!" So the Anguli family worked together again and dug. They were amazed, "Wow, we have never seen so much rubies, gems and gold." They went back to their village and started another business and lived in prosperity and happiness. The Anguli's neighbors the Lobha's knew that they had found some special wealth. Mr. Lobha asked Papa Anguli, "Where did you get all this gold?" So Papa Anguli told him the whole story.

     Mr. Lobha immediately went home and told his wife, "We have to go to the forest and tell a troll we are going to eat him, he will give us all kinds of money!!" So the Lobha family went to the same forest and camped under the same Pipal tree. The father told his kids, "Now go to the river and bring back some water to boil. Also go and find some sticks to make a fire. Wife! You chop while I start the fire." But the kids complained, "The river is too far away and the water buckets will be heavy, I don't want to." Another child said, "The branches will be too hard to carry, I don't want to do that either!" Now the parents started yelling at them, "You'd better do what I say or else!" Then the kids started fighting with each other and the parents blamed each other for the kids behavior. The troll was watching all this and jumped down, "I'm going to eat you for my dinner!" Mr. Lobha said, "No! We are going to eat you."

     The troll wasn't convinced, "You are trying to be like that other family. But you are not together like they were. You don't stand a chance against me. I will eat you." And the troll leaped at them. Mr. Lobha immediately said, "Everybody, hold my hands, we have to run!" This time they all worked together. They held hands and ran away together and the troll didn't catch them. They got home and told the Anguli's the whole story. Everyone learned a great lesson: those who are divided we will fall, those who are united will succeed.

A hard copy of this story can be purchased online for your family to enjoy together!