The Panchatantra (the five books) is a collection of ancient Indian folk tales, originally written in Sanskrit sometime around 200 B.C. by the Hindu scholar, Pandit Vishnu Sharma.  But the origins of some of these stories go back as far as 1500 to 500 B.C., during the time of the Rig-Veda and the Upanishads.  As time went on, people traveling through India took the stories around the world where they was translated into many languages.  The Panchatantra is said to be a part of the science known as “Nitishastra,” which translated from Sanskrit means “book of wise conduct in life.”  The stories are actually lessons that teach how to understand people, to to choose reliable friends, how to solve problems with tact and wisdom, and how to live in peace and harmony despite life’s challenges.