Stories of Yesterday, Advises for Today (Series)
Reaping the benefts of the Old Iranian texts, and following the storywriting principles based on the achievements from the PIRLS International Exams to teach social skills, the series tries to instruct the children how to read correctly while enjoying the story and understanding its underlying layers.
The Sparrow and the Weird Seed
Adapted from Old Iranian Legends
Skill: Endeavor and Perseverance
A sparrow finds a seed about which he knows nothing. Speaking to the crow, he learns that it is a cottonseed and he must plant it. To do this, the sparrow meets Squirrel the Farmer. The squirrel helps him take all the steps necessary to convert the cotton into fabric. His other fiends i.e. the Rat the Spinner, the Dyeing Parrot, Auntie Spider, and Uncle Hedgehog help him as well.
Adapted from Old Iranian Legends
Skill: Endeavor and Perseverance
A sparrow finds a seed about which he knows nothing. Speaking to the crow, he learns that it is a cottonseed and he must plant it. To do this, the sparrow meets Squirrel the Farmer. The squirrel helps him take all the steps necessary to convert the cotton into fabric. His other fiends i.e. the Rat the Spinner, the Dyeing Parrot, Auntie Spider, and Uncle Hedgehog help him as well.
Māh Pishooni (Moon Foreheaded)
Adapted from Old Iranian Legends
Skill: Kindness
Parri lives with her father and stepmother. The stepmother always makes her do hard chores. One day, the wind drops her cotton into a well. This causes her to get familiar with a bizarre old woman living down the well. The girl helps the old woman and to make for this kindness, the old woman spins her cotton using magic. On the other hand, having not seen a girl that kind before, the old woman gives her the address of a spring and asks her to wash her face in it. The girl does as she is told and when going back home, she notices that her forehead has been marked with a beautiful moon. This arouses jealousy in the stepmother. She climbs down the well too. However, the old woman teaches her a good lesson for being so despicable.
Adapted from Old Iranian Legends
Skill: Kindness
Parri lives with her father and stepmother. The stepmother always makes her do hard chores. One day, the wind drops her cotton into a well. This causes her to get familiar with a bizarre old woman living down the well. The girl helps the old woman and to make for this kindness, the old woman spins her cotton using magic. On the other hand, having not seen a girl that kind before, the old woman gives her the address of a spring and asks her to wash her face in it. The girl does as she is told and when going back home, she notices that her forehead has been marked with a beautiful moon. This arouses jealousy in the stepmother. She climbs down the well too. However, the old woman teaches her a good lesson for being so despicable.
Silly Friend
Adapted from Rumi’s Masnavi
Skill: Making Friends
Resting under the shadow of a tree, a boy suddenly hears a strange sound. Very carefully, he peers through the bushes to notice that a big snake is attacking a little bear. The boy takes his slingshot and aims the snake with plum seeds. When the snake goes away, the boy and the little bear make friends. However, this friendship has its own problems.
Adapted from Rumi’s Masnavi
Skill: Making Friends
Resting under the shadow of a tree, a boy suddenly hears a strange sound. Very carefully, he peers through the bushes to notice that a big snake is attacking a little bear. The boy takes his slingshot and aims the snake with plum seeds. When the snake goes away, the boy and the little bear make friends. However, this friendship has its own problems.
The Seven-Colored Jackal
Adapted from Rumi’s Masnavi
Skill: Self-Acceptance
A hungry jackal, not satisfied with his ugly appearance, is looking for food in the woods and watching beautiful animals in regret. Then trying to hunt a chicken, he enters a dyeing workshop. He hits a cauldron of dye and his body is all dyed. Tired and thirsty, the jackal goes to a spring to wash himself. But when he sees his colorful appearance, he changes his mind. He decides to remain dyed and change his lifestyle. He wants to be a peacock from now on. This decision, however, puts him in trouble.
Adapted from Rumi’s Masnavi
Skill: Self-Acceptance
A hungry jackal, not satisfied with his ugly appearance, is looking for food in the woods and watching beautiful animals in regret. Then trying to hunt a chicken, he enters a dyeing workshop. He hits a cauldron of dye and his body is all dyed. Tired and thirsty, the jackal goes to a spring to wash himself. But when he sees his colorful appearance, he changes his mind. He decides to remain dyed and change his lifestyle. He wants to be a peacock from now on. This decision, however, puts him in trouble.
The Gardener Fox
Adapted from Old Iranian Legends
Skill: Crisis Management
To get the crow’s chickens, the hungry fox disguises himself as a gardener to cut the tree in which the crow has made her nest. Helped by the jackdaw, the crow makes a plan to save her chickens and finally she succeeds.
Adapted from Old Iranian Legends
Skill: Crisis Management
To get the crow’s chickens, the hungry fox disguises himself as a gardener to cut the tree in which the crow has made her nest. Helped by the jackdaw, the crow makes a plan to save her chickens and finally she succeeds.
A Two-Story Book
Adapted from Marzbān-Nāmeh
1. The donkey who was not deceived (Skill: Observation)
To escape from too much work in a barn, Gray the Donkey runs to the woods. A hungry jackal sees Gray and makes a plan to capture him. The jackal leads the donkey to a den where a hungry lion and a fox are waiting. As soon as Gray sees the lion’s wounded leg, an idea comes to his mind. Using the potion skills that he has learned from the village doctor, he makes a plan and manages to escape. 2. The Fox and the Cock (Skill: Being Open to Advice) The fox tells the little cock that, according to the command by the jungle king, every one must be friends and no more hunting. The little cock, who reads a lot and knows many stories of cunning foxes, does not believe him. To ensure, he tells the fox that a dog is approaching them. As soon as hearing this, the fox runs away. In reply to the cock’s surprise, he says that he is afraid that may be the dog has not heard about the king’s command, either.
Adapted from Marzbān-Nāmeh
1. The donkey who was not deceived (Skill: Observation)
To escape from too much work in a barn, Gray the Donkey runs to the woods. A hungry jackal sees Gray and makes a plan to capture him. The jackal leads the donkey to a den where a hungry lion and a fox are waiting. As soon as Gray sees the lion’s wounded leg, an idea comes to his mind. Using the potion skills that he has learned from the village doctor, he makes a plan and manages to escape. 2. The Fox and the Cock (Skill: Being Open to Advice) The fox tells the little cock that, according to the command by the jungle king, every one must be friends and no more hunting. The little cock, who reads a lot and knows many stories of cunning foxes, does not believe him. To ensure, he tells the fox that a dog is approaching them. As soon as hearing this, the fox runs away. In reply to the cock’s surprise, he says that he is afraid that may be the dog has not heard about the king’s command, either.
A Two-Story Book
Adapted from Rumi’s Masnavi
1. The Rabbit and the Lion (Skill: Motivation)
Lion, the King of Jungle decides that every day one animal must go to his den voluntarily so that he eats them. Every one in the jungle plans to escape, but a little bunny is thinking of a solution. With the help of the Gray Donkey, he makes a plan. Endangering his own life, the little bunny manages to lure the lion down a well. 2. The Magic Bird (Skill: Critical Thinking) A bird hunter arrives at the jungle and Kakoli informs all the birds to hide. To find his friend Parparak, Kakoli goes into the jungle but both are captured by the hunter’s net. When they are put in a cage, parparak thinks of different solutions and finally he manages to save himself and kakoli.
Adapted from Rumi’s Masnavi
1. The Rabbit and the Lion (Skill: Motivation)
Lion, the King of Jungle decides that every day one animal must go to his den voluntarily so that he eats them. Every one in the jungle plans to escape, but a little bunny is thinking of a solution. With the help of the Gray Donkey, he makes a plan. Endangering his own life, the little bunny manages to lure the lion down a well. 2. The Magic Bird (Skill: Critical Thinking) A bird hunter arrives at the jungle and Kakoli informs all the birds to hide. To find his friend Parparak, Kakoli goes into the jungle but both are captured by the hunter’s net. When they are put in a cage, parparak thinks of different solutions and finally he manages to save himself and kakoli.
A Two-Story Book
Adapted from Calila e Dimna
1. The Big Hunting (Skill: Teamwork)
Hungry and tired, the jackal and the fox are looking for a way to overcome hunger. Seeing a feather that drops on his nose, an idea comes to the jackal’s mind. They set a trap for the migrating geese. A flock of geese is trapped. But with help of the Boss Goose, a bunny and a squirrel, they manage to escape in teamwork. 2. The Jackdaw and the Snake (Skill: Problem Solving) To fight a mean snake that eats her eggs, the Jackdaw asks Goldfeather the Hen, to help her. Goldfeather who is worried about her own eggs as well, suggests to the Jackdaw to get the villagers to the snake hole. The Jackdaw steals a villager’s gold wristband and flies toward the snake hole. All the villagers run after her to get back the wristband and notice the snake. Seeing the crowd, the mean snake runs away.
Adapted from Calila e Dimna
1. The Big Hunting (Skill: Teamwork)
Hungry and tired, the jackal and the fox are looking for a way to overcome hunger. Seeing a feather that drops on his nose, an idea comes to the jackal’s mind. They set a trap for the migrating geese. A flock of geese is trapped. But with help of the Boss Goose, a bunny and a squirrel, they manage to escape in teamwork. 2. The Jackdaw and the Snake (Skill: Problem Solving) To fight a mean snake that eats her eggs, the Jackdaw asks Goldfeather the Hen, to help her. Goldfeather who is worried about her own eggs as well, suggests to the Jackdaw to get the villagers to the snake hole. The Jackdaw steals a villager’s gold wristband and flies toward the snake hole. All the villagers run after her to get back the wristband and notice the snake. Seeing the crowd, the mean snake runs away.
A Two-Story Book
Adapted from Jami’s Baharestan
1. The Vineyard Story (Skill: Precaution)
The hungry jackal and the fox are looking for a route to lead them into a vineyard without alarming the watchdog. Finally, the fox finds a hole in the wall of the vineyard. Ignorant of the fox’s advice, the greedy jackal eats too many grapes. His stomach swells so that he cannot pass the hole. The watchdog can catch the jackal. Regretful of what he has done, the jackal waits for an opportunity to escape. 2. The Mouse and the Grocer (Skill: Appreciation) The grocer old woman caters to a little mouse as if it is her own child. The mouse is living in a hole through a wall in the old woman’s house. One day, a big rat visits him and claims that he wants to take him to the Palace of Mice, where all manners of food and entertainments are available. The little mouse is deceived. Then a gang of arrant rats enters the old woman’s house. The little mouse feels quite regretful about his mistake and the woman knows that.
Adapted from Jami’s Baharestan
1. The Vineyard Story (Skill: Precaution)
The hungry jackal and the fox are looking for a route to lead them into a vineyard without alarming the watchdog. Finally, the fox finds a hole in the wall of the vineyard. Ignorant of the fox’s advice, the greedy jackal eats too many grapes. His stomach swells so that he cannot pass the hole. The watchdog can catch the jackal. Regretful of what he has done, the jackal waits for an opportunity to escape. 2. The Mouse and the Grocer (Skill: Appreciation) The grocer old woman caters to a little mouse as if it is her own child. The mouse is living in a hole through a wall in the old woman’s house. One day, a big rat visits him and claims that he wants to take him to the Palace of Mice, where all manners of food and entertainments are available. The little mouse is deceived. Then a gang of arrant rats enters the old woman’s house. The little mouse feels quite regretful about his mistake and the woman knows that.
A Two-Story Book
Adapted from Qabus-Nama
1. The Oak’s Secret (Skill: Trustworthiness)
The Gray Squirrel claims to have entrusted his nuts to the Brown Squirrel but the latter denies. The Little Bunny suggests to the Gray Squirrel to find someone who possibly witnessed the story. The Gray Squirrel remembers that his only witness was the Oak. The three go to visit the Oak to tell them who is right. In the end, the Crow comes out of a hole in the tree to confess that the Brown Squirrel has deceived him to speak in place of the tree and testify in his favor. 2. The Lion who did not like to be the King (Skill: Overcoming Fear) When the Great Lion, the kind and brave king of the jungle dies, the Lion Mom asks her son to take his father’s place. But the young lion is frightened of accepting the responsibility. At the same time, the Mountain Lion who was cross with the Great Lion comes to the jungle to take his place. When he challenges the young lion, he is frightened first. Then, noticing the weakness and fear in the Mountain Lion, he overcomes his own fear and defeats him in a fight.
Adapted from Qabus-Nama
1. The Oak’s Secret (Skill: Trustworthiness)
The Gray Squirrel claims to have entrusted his nuts to the Brown Squirrel but the latter denies. The Little Bunny suggests to the Gray Squirrel to find someone who possibly witnessed the story. The Gray Squirrel remembers that his only witness was the Oak. The three go to visit the Oak to tell them who is right. In the end, the Crow comes out of a hole in the tree to confess that the Brown Squirrel has deceived him to speak in place of the tree and testify in his favor. 2. The Lion who did not like to be the King (Skill: Overcoming Fear) When the Great Lion, the kind and brave king of the jungle dies, the Lion Mom asks her son to take his father’s place. But the young lion is frightened of accepting the responsibility. At the same time, the Mountain Lion who was cross with the Great Lion comes to the jungle to take his place. When he challenges the young lion, he is frightened first. Then, noticing the weakness and fear in the Mountain Lion, he overcomes his own fear and defeats him in a fight.