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The following is a short story from a children's version of the Panchatantra written by Shivkumar and published by Children's Book Trust, New Delhi (1999). Some children's books are great for learning Hindi as a second language. Occasionally books such as the one this story was taken from are also published in English. The English version is below. Students who have been studying Hindi for a year or so should not find this text difficult. It is rich with examples of the grammar usage taught in classes, the vocabulary is straightforward, everyday colloquial language. With the absence of the two pictures in the book which help in grasping the gist of the tale, I shall just introduce the two main characters;
xÄk, 'donkey', and xhnM+, 'jackal', and the title is 'the singing donkey'.

,d Ĩch ds ikl ,d cw<+k&lk efj;y xÄk Fkk A xÄs d¨ j¨t+ losjs eSys diM+¨a dh xBjh ysdj ?kkV tkuk iM+rk v©j ’kke d¨ Äqys diM+¨a d¨ ykn dj ?kj ykuk iM+rk Fkk A ysfdu jkr g¨us ij mls ?kweus dh NqÍh fey tkrh Fkh A ,d ckj jkr d¨ ?kwers&fQjrs mldh ÒsaV ,d xhnM+ ls gqà A n¨u¨a vdsys Fks blfy, rqjUr n¨Lr cu x;s A vc n¨u¨a n¨Lr Ò¨tu dh ryk’k esa lkFk&lkFk ?kweus yxs A blh rjg ?kwers&fQjrs os ,d [khjs ds [ksr ds ikl tk ig¡qps A [ksr esa ids rkt+s [khj¨a dh Òjekj Fkh A n¨u¨a pqids ls [ksr esa ?kqls v©j isV Òj [khjs [kk;s A nwljh jkr os fQj mlh [khjs ds [ksr esa x;s v©j th Òj dj [khjs [kk;s A nwlj¨a dh nkor mM+us yxh A [khjs [kk&[kk dj efj;y xÄk [kwc e¨Vk&rktk g¨ x;k A ,d jkr ÒjisV [khjs [kkus ds ckn xÄk eLr g¨ x;k v©j e©t esa vkdj xhnM+ ls c¨yk] ßÒrhts ns[k¨] vkleku dh rjQ+ ns[k¨ A pkan dSlk ped jgk gS] BaMh gok py jgh gS A vgk ! dSlh lqgkouh jkr gS A esjk eu r¨ xkus d¨ dj jgk gS AÞ xhnM+ c¨yk] ßvjs pkpk] dgha lpeqp gh xkus u yxuk A dgha [ksr ds j[koky¨a us lqu fy;k r¨ cSBs fcrk;s vkQr xys iM+ tk;sxh A ge ;gk¡ p¨jh dj jgs gSa v©j p¨j ds fy, pqi gh jguk Òyk g¨rk gS AÞ xÄs us dgk] ßD;k ckr djrs g¨ th \ bruk I;kjk e©le gS v©j eSa cgqr [kq’k gw¡ A eq> ls vc jgk ugha tkrk A eSa r¨ ,d cf<+;k xkuk xkÅ¡xk AÞ xhnM+ us le>k;k] ßuk pkpk uk A eq¡g cUn gh j[k¨ r¨ vPNk gS A blds vykok rqEgkjh vkokt+ Òh r¨ lqjhyh ugha gS AÞ ßrqe eq>ls tyrs g¨]Þ xÄk c¨yk] ßrqed¨ u lqj dk irk gS u rky dk A laxhr dk vkuUn rqe D;k tku¨ AÞ xhnM+ us dgk] ß;g r¨ [kSj Bhd gS A ysfdu bl laxhr dk vkuUn dsoy rqed¨ gh vk;sxk A [ksr okys r¨ rqEgkjk xkuk lqudj Q©ju ;gk¡ vk Äedsaxs v©j rqEgsa ,slk buke nsaxs fd cjl¨a ;kn j[k¨xs A blh fy, dgrk gw¡ esjk ckr eku y¨ v©j xkus dk bjknk N¨M+ n¨ AÞ xÄs us tokc fn;k] ßrqe ew[kZ g¨ A egkew[kZ g¨ A rqe le>rs g¨ fd eSa vPNk xkuk ugha xk ldrk A y¨ lqu¨] esjk xyk ehBk gS ;k ugha \Þ ,slk dg dj xÄs us jsadus ds fy, eq¡g Åij mBk;k A xhnM+ us mls j¨drs gq, dgk] ßBgj¨ pkpk Bgj¨ A igys eSa ckgj pyk tkÅ¡ fQj rqe Òh th Òj xk ysuk A eSa ckgj gh rqEgkjk bUrt+kj d:¡xk AÞ xhnM+ ds tkrs gh xÄs us Åaps Loj esa viuk jkx vykiuk ’kq: dj fn;k A mlds jsadus dh vkokt+ nwj&nwj rd QSy xà A [ksr ds j[kusoky¨a us tSls gh xÄs dk jsaduk lquk oSls gh vius&vius MaMs ysdj [ksr dh v¨j n©M+s A xÄk vÒh Òh cs[kcj jsadrk gh tk jgk Fkk fd ml ij MaMs cjlus yxs A j[koky¨a us xÄs d¨ bruk ekjk fd og t+ehu ij yq<+d x;k A blds ckn mUg¨aus xÄs dk bUrt+kj dj jgk Fkk A tc xÄs d¨ g¨’k vk;k r¨ vius xys ls caÄs Òkjh iRFkj ds lkFk fdlh rjg f?klVrk gqvk og ckgj vk;k A mls ns[krs gh xhnM+ c¨yk] ßokg pkpk] j[koky¨a us rqEgkjs xkus ij bruk lqUnj buke fn;k gS A cÄkà g¨ cÄkà AÞ xÄs us dgk] ßvc v©j ’kÆeUnk u dj¨ A eq>s rqEgkjh lykg u ekuus dk cgqr vQ+l¨l gS AÞ

Once a washerman had a donkey. The donkey was old and lean. During the day the donkey had to carry heavy loads of clothes, but at night he was free to go about.   The donkey happened to meet a jackal. They became friends and wandered together in search of food.   One night the found a garden full of ripe cucumber. They went in and ate as much as they could and came away. The next night they went there again and ate as much cucumber as they wanted. Thus night after night they visited the garden and always had a heavy dinner of ripe cucumber. Soon the donkey became fat..  A few days later the donkey felt so happy after eating the cucumber that he said to the jackal, "Look, dear Nephew, thee moon is shining in the sky, the night is pleasant, and I feel like singing."  "Don't, Uncle, please don't," said the jackal. "It will only bring trouble for us. The farmers will hear you and they will come after us. We are thieves here. It is better for thieves to keep quiet.".  "Dear, Nephew," said the donkey,  "everything here is lovely and I feel so happy that I must sing a nice song."  "No, Uncle," said the jackal, "better not. Besides, your voice is not very pleasant."  "You are jealous," said the donkey. "You have no taste for music."   "Very true, Uncle," said the jackal. "But your music is sweet only to you. If you sing, the farmers will hear you. Believe me, they will surely come here to reward you. Their reward you may not like. So you had better not sing."  "You are a fool, a big fool. Do you think I cannot sing sweet songs ? Now listen to me . . ." So saying, the donkey lifted his head to bray. "Very well, Uncle," said the jackal. "You can sing as much as you like but I shall go and wait for you outside the garden." The donkey began to 'sing'. The farmers heard his loud braying. They knew that a donkey was in the garden and they all rushed there with heavy weapons. The donkey was still braying when they started beating him. They beat him so hard that the donkey fell down. The farmers tied a heavy rock round his neck before they left. The jackal was waiting outside the garden when the donkey dragged himself out, along with the heavy rock.  "Dear Uncle," said the jackal, "so the farmers gave you a big reward for your singing. Congratulations.""I am sorry, Nephew," said the donkey, "that I did not listen to you."

Hindi adaptation and English translation of the Panchtantra story by ShivKumar, published in Stories from Panchatantra by Children's Book Trust, New Delhi, 1999.