Short Story of the Lac Palace in English for Kids

Indian mythology epitomises all things magical and wonderful. Both children and adults can learn a lot from the short stories contained within Indian epics, such as the Mahabharata and the Ramayana. Brimming with critical moral values and philosophies pertaining to life, ways of life, and death, Indian epics are a mine of knowledge. The short stories from mythological texts help us to be kinder, braver, and better human beings.

In addition, knowledge about Indian myths also sharpens our general knowledge skills, which comes in handy during quizzes and competitive examinations. In this article, we will go through the story of Lac Palace from Mahabharata in a comprehensible and crisp manner for a better understanding of kids.

Origin of the Lac Palace Story

The story of Lac Palace is a part of Mahabharat, which is the world’s longest epic poem. Mahabharata was written anywhere between the 3rd Century BCE and the 3rd CE. However, the actual events written in the texts are believed to have occurred anywhere between the 9th and 8th centuries BCE. It is essential to mention that the traditional authorship of Mahabharata is attributed to Ved Vyas. Still, the epic is dynamic in nature and has multiple contributors transcending timeframes and geographies. The epic of Mahabharata reached its final form during the Gupta Empire’s reign in the 4th Century CE.

The Mahabharata narrates the struggle between two groups of cousins – the Pandavas and the Kauravas, and the battle that ensued at Kurukshetra during the reign of Hastinapur. In addition, the epic constitutes philosophical and devotional material, such as the four goals of life. Apart from the short story of Lac Palace, some of Mahabharata’s other prominent tales include the story of Shakuntala, the tale of Savitri and Satyavan, Abhimanyu’s story, Bheem, and Bakasura, etc.

The Summary of the Lac Palace Short Story 

The story of the Lac Palace revolves around the Pandavas and the Kauravas and the latter’s conniving tricks to get rid of the Pandava princes by hook or crook. Yudhisthira, the eldest Pandava prince, became the crown prince of Hastinapur, as Yudhisthira was the eldest among all his brothers. His jealous cousin, Duryodhana from the Kauravan clan, devised a strategy, with the help of his uncle Shakuni, to get rid of the Pandavas.

First, the Kaurava princes persuaded the Pandavas to attend the grand town fair in Varnavat. Then, Duryodhana had a lac palace constructed in Varanavata for the Pandava princes. As lac burns easily, Shakuni and Duryodhana strategise that when the Pandavas would be sleeping inside the lac palace, one of Duryodhan’s right-hand men would set the palace on fire.

However, Vidura, the prime minister, came to know of Duryodhana’s and Shakuni's evil plan and warned the Pandavas to escape. The Pandavas who were inside the palace realised that yes, indeed, I was composed of lac. Thus, Bheem, with his mighty strength, dug an escape route on time, and the Pandava princes, along with Kunti, were able to escape the Lac palace safely. However, Duryodhana thought that they had died in the fire.

The Pandavas and their mother Kunti escaping the lac palace

Moral of the Lac Palace Story 

The moral of the story is that timely action can help us tackle and overcome life’s hurdles. In the Lac Palace story, it was Prime Minister Vidura’s quick thinking coupled with the immediate actions of the Pandava princes which helped them narrowly escape their death. Thus, we should always be alert and mindful of our surroundings and be ready to think through things calmly during the direst of circumstances.

Note to Parents 

Short stories are an excellent way for children to develop their moral compass and become better human beings. In addition, they also help young minds improve their reading skills, vocabulary, and pronunciation. Thus, parents and teachers must encourage their children to read and foster regular reading habits. Moreover, short stories from epics such as the Mahabharata and the Ramayana, such as the Lac Palace story, enable kids to learn about the cultural diversity of India. Moreover, young minds also get a glimpse of the rich literary tradition of India.