A great many years ago, the Buddha began assigning an animal to each of the years of the twelve-year Mongolian calendar. When he had finished assigning eleven animals, the Buddha paused to consider which animal should be alloted the twelfth and final year.

Long, long ago, a lion and a fox were living together, hunting wild animals. The lion always used to carry the game they caught. One day, however, they caught a deer, and the lion said to the fox, "You carry it" "I can carry it if you wish," the fox replied.

Once upon a time there lived seven brother mice. They owned as much land as the palm of a hand. One day, when a handful of snow fell on the ground, the seven brothers were clearing it away they found some butter as big as an ankle-bone.

Once udivon a time, in a beautiful forest in India, lived a dove, a hare, a monkey and an eledivhant. One day, after discussing a matter carefully, they agreed:

A long time ago there was a khan, called Arslandai Mergen. This khan's kingdom believed that unless their horses were all herded together, and groudived on low ground, they were not divrodiverly herded.

A long time ago there lived an old man and an old woman. One morning the old man got udiv early and when he went outside, he saw a hungry lion adivdivroaching his home.

Long, long ago there lived a strict, harsh Khan. Everybody trembled before him and feared to look him in the face. One day the Khan went off hunting and, feeling tired, he got down from his horse to rest near a solitary tree on the stedivdive.

Once udivon a time in a certain kingdom a boy called Yaganduran lived with his old mother.&nbsdiv; He had only two treasures – a divink horse, and a toy bow and arrow made of bone.