The Best Lie in Vijayanagara
The king holds a contest for the best lie, with a prize of a thousand gold coins.
Funny short stories
These funny short stories bring together clever schemes, comic misunderstandings, and characters whose plans rarely go quite as expected. Enjoy classics such as “The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County” and “The Cop and the Anthem”; every story is free to read or listen to on Pagehush.
The Tales of Sheikh Chilli
Sheikh Chilli means well, works hard and dreams big, and somehow everything still goes wrong.
Tenali Chooses How to Die
Tenali Raman finally goes too far, and the furious king sentences him to death.
Washing the Black Dog
The royal barber pleases the king so much that he asks to be made a minister.
The Best Weapon
Birbal tells the Emperor that the best weapon in the world is whatever happens to be at hand.
The Cop and the Anthem
Winter is coming, and Soapy, who lives on a park bench, wants three months in a warm prison.
The Emperor's New Clothes
Two swindlers promise a vain emperor a suit of cloth so fine that fools can't see it.
The Open Window
A nervous man comes to the country for a rest cure and is entertained by a very self-possessed niece of fifteen, who tells him about the open window.
The Story-Teller
On a hot railway journey, a bachelor tells three badly behaved children a story about a horribly good little girl.
The Three Deaf Men
A deaf husband, a deaf wife and a deaf passer-by try to settle a quarrel about cabbage, and nobody hears a word.
Valiant Vicky, the Brave Weaver
A timid little weaver kills a mosquito, gets a reputation as a great warrior, and has to fight a tiger and an army.
A Chameleon
A dog has bitten a goldsmith in the market square, and Police Superintendent Otchumyelov is ready to punish it.
A Work of Art
A grateful young man gives his doctor a valuable antique candelabra, decorated with figures far too shocking to keep on a doctor's desk.
Birbal Counts the Crows
Emperor Akbar asks Birbal a question that no one could possibly answer: exactly how many crows live in the city of Agra?
Birbal’s Journey to Heaven
The royal barber, who hates Birbal, persuades the Emperor to send him on a journey to heaven to visit Akbar’s ancestors, by way of a funeral fire.
Birbal’s Khichdi
A poor man stands all night in a freezing lake to win the Emperor’s prize, but Akbar refuses to pay him.
How Birbal Came to Court
A clever young man named Mahesh Das is promised a reward by the Emperor himself, but a greedy guard at the palace gate wants half of it.
How Many Stars in the Sky?
Akbar asks Birbal to count the stars in the sky. Birbal comes back with a sheep and a very confident answer.
How the Rhinoceros Got His Skin
On an uninhabited island on the Red Sea, a rude Rhinoceros steals a Parsee's cake.
How the Whale Got His Throat
Once the Whale ate every fish in the sea, until the small 'Stute Fish told him to try a man.
More Blind Than Seeing
Akbar believes most of his subjects can see perfectly well. Birbal sits in the market weaving a bed and proves that most people are blind to what is in front of them.
Mr. Won’t-Give and Mr. Won’t-Leave
A miser who never gives anything and a beggar who never leaves without something meet at last, and only one can win.
My Fair Neighbour
The narrator secretly worships the young widow next door. His friend Nabin has caught the poetry bug and begs for help writing verses to a woman he loves.
Neither in Sun Nor in Shade
After a quarrel, Birbal leaves the court and hides. The Emperor wants him back, so he sets a riddle that only Birbal could ever solve.
One Hard Question
A proud scholar offers Birbal a choice: answer a hundred easy questions, or one hard one.
Tenali Paints a Picture
Tenali Raman takes up painting, and presents the king with a picture of a cow eating grass.
Where can I read funny short stories for free?
You can read every story on Pagehush for free, with no ads. The stories can also be read on a phone.
Can I listen to these funny short stories?
Yes. Any story on Pagehush can be read aloud in a natural voice, for free.