The original text is not extant, but the work has been widely revised and translated such that there exist "over 200 versions in more than 50 languages.
"[2] The actual content of these versions sometimes differs greatly.
The lists of stories in a few notable versions are compared below.
In addition to the stories listed below, many versions begin with a prelude in which a king bewails the stupidity of his sons, and the wise Vishnu Sharma[6] (the Panchatantra's reputed author) bets that he can teach them statecraft in a mere 6 months; the tales constitute his lesson.
(Of the versions tabulated below, only Somadeva's Kathasaritsagara lacks this "master frame" — an unsurprising omission, since the Panchatantra section is placed within the "master frame" of the Kathasaritsagara itself.)