Panchtantra, is a collection of five volumes of stories written by a teacher to help instruct the different aspects of kinghood for princes. The collection of stories in Pancha Tantra are a real treat for parents to help them in guiding them towards values in human life. Every story in Pancha Tantra is accompanied by a moral.

The background story of Panchtantra is :

Long ago in the kingdom of Mahilaropya, there lived a king who was ruling very ideally. He had three sons, who were not intelligent. The king was worried about the heir to the throne, as he knew that his sons were incapable of governing. He was desperate to find a good and knowleagable teacher for his sons who would teach them the scriptures and make them knowledgeable in a short time. His minister then pointed towards a skilled pundit, Vishnu Sharman. Vishnu sharman was old and the king was worried as to how the teacher could accomplish the teaching to his sons as he told that even an intelligent man takes more than twelve years to grasp all the elements of scriptures. Then Vishnu Sharman convinced the king that he would teach the princes about kingly conduct through a series of stories, which would be more effective than the scriptures. Thus Vishnu Sharman compiled the collection in five volumes termed as Panchtantra meant to serve as the guide for the princes to learn about kingly behaviour. Since then, Panchtantra became popular all over the world as children's guide in solving problems of life.

Panchtantra is written in five volumes:

• The Loss of Friends
• The winning of friends
• Crows and Owls
• Loss of Gains
• considered action

Panchtantra, Part I

The Loss of Friends
These are stories that figure in a dialogue between two jackals named Karataka and Damanaka. Karataka ('Horribly Howling') and Damanaka ('Victor') are the Sanskrit names of two jackals in the first section of the Panchtantra. They are retainers to a lion king and their lively adventures as well as the stories they and other characters tell one another make up roughly 45% of the book's length.
Stories are :
• The monkey and the wedge
• The Jackal and the Drum
• The fall and rise of a merchant
• The Foolish Sage and the Jackal
• The crafty crane and the craftier crab
• The two crows and cobra
• The cunning hare and the witless lion
• The bug and the poor flea
• The Blue Jackal
• The Camel, the Jackal and the Crow
• The bird pair and the sea
• The turtle and two swans
• The three fish
• The elephant and the sparrow
• The lion and the Jackal
• Suchimukha and the monkey
• The wet monkey
• The story of father and his son
• The foolish crane and the mongoose
• The return of balance
• The king and the foolish monkey


Second Strategy: Gaining Friends
This is the second strategy of Panchtantra known as Gaining Friends. These are stories that figure in a dialogue between four friends named Laghupatanaka (the crow), Hiranyaka (the rat), Mandharaka(the turtle) and Chitranga(the deer). These are stories that they tell to one another on the value of friendship. The moral of these stories are that one should not try to cheat friends. He who is faithful to his friends shall never taste defeat.

Stories are :
• The hunter and the pigeons
• The hunter and the greedy jackal
• The Merchant's Son
• The Unlucky Weaver
• The Rescue of a Deer


Third Strategy: Of Crows and Owls
This is the story of how the crows burnt the home of a trusting pack of owls. The stories are series of conversations among ministers of crows and owls. Most of the stories are told by the wisest and senior most counsel, Sthirajeevi of the king of crows Meghavarna. The moral of these stories are that trust not even a close friend who earlier was your enemy.

Stories are :
• Elephants and Hares
• The Cunning Mediator
• The Brahmin and the crooks
• The Brahmin and the cobra
• The Cranes
• Hunter and the pair of doves
• The old man, his young wife and the thief
• The Brahmin, the thief and the monster
• The two snakes
• The Story of three brothers
• The story of wedding of mouse
• The Golden Droppings
• The speaking cave
• Frogs that rode a snake


Fourth Strategy: Loss of Gains
These are stories that figure in a dialogue between a crocodile named Karalamukha and a monkey Raktamukha.
Stories are :
• The monkey and crocodile
• The greedy cobra and the king of frogs
• The lion and the foolish donkey
• The story of the potter
• The wives
• The donkey
• The Guests
• The Carpenter's Wife
• The foolish woman
• The Price of Indiscretion
• The Jackal's Strategy
• The Dog


Fifth Strategy: Imprudence
These are stories that figure in a dialogue between two friends named Suvarnabuddhi and Chakradhara.

Stories are :
• The Barber
• The brahmani and the mongoose
• Four friends and the treasure
• The lion that sprang to life
• The Brahmin Boys
• The tale of two fish and a frog
• The Donkey
• The story of the weaver
• The miserly father
• The monkeys
• The bird with two heads
• The Brahmin Boy