Monday, 21 November 2011
Poor Or Rich
One day a father and his
rich family took his son to
a trip to the country with
the firm purpose to show
him how poor people can
be. They spent a day and
a night in the farm of a
very poor family. When
they got back from their
trip the father asked his
son, "How was the trip?"
"Very good Dad!" replied
his son.
"Did you see how poor
people can be?" the father
asked.
"Yeah!"
"And what did you learn?"
The son answered, "I saw
that we have a dog at
home, and they have
four. We have a pool that
reaches to the middle of
the garden; they have a
creek that has no end. We
have imported lamps in
the garden; they have the
stars. Our patio reaches to
the front yard, they have
a whole horizon."
When the little boy was
finishing, his father was
speechless.
His son added, "Thanks
Dad for showing me how
poor we are!"
rich family took his son to
a trip to the country with
the firm purpose to show
him how poor people can
be. They spent a day and
a night in the farm of a
very poor family. When
they got back from their
trip the father asked his
son, "How was the trip?"
"Very good Dad!" replied
his son.
"Did you see how poor
people can be?" the father
asked.
"Yeah!"
"And what did you learn?"
The son answered, "I saw
that we have a dog at
home, and they have
four. We have a pool that
reaches to the middle of
the garden; they have a
creek that has no end. We
have imported lamps in
the garden; they have the
stars. Our patio reaches to
the front yard, they have
a whole horizon."
When the little boy was
finishing, his father was
speechless.
His son added, "Thanks
Dad for showing me how
poor we are!"
Helpless Love
Once upon a time all
feelings and emotions
went to a coastal island
for a vacation.
According to their
nature, each was
having a good time.
Suddenly, a warning of
an impending storm
was announced and
everyone was advised
to evacuate the island.
The announcement
caused sudden panic. All
rushed to their boats.
Even damaged boats
were quickly repaired
and commissioned for
duty.
Yet, Love did not wish
to flee quickly. There
was so much to do. But
as the clouds darkened,
Love realised it was
time to leave. Alas,
there were no boats to
spare. Love looked
around with hope.
Just then Prosperity
passed by in a luxurious
boat. Love shouted,
“Prosperity, could you
please take me in your
boat?”
“No,” replied Prosperity,
“my boat is full of
precious possessions,
gold and silver. There is
no place for you.”
A little later Vanity
came by in a beautiful
boat. Again Love
shouted, “Could you
help me, Vanity? I am
stranded and need a lift.
Please take me with
you.”
Vanity responded
haughtily, “No, I cannot
take you with me. My
boat will get soiled with
your muddy feet.”
Sorrow passed by after
some time. Again, Love
asked for help. But it
was to no avail. “No, I
cannot take you with
me. I am so sad. I want
to be by myself.”
When Happiness passed
by a few minutes later,
Love again called for
help. But Happiness was
so happy that it did not
look around, hardly
concerned about
anyone.
Love was growing
restless and dejected.
Just then somebody
called out, “Come Love,
I will take you with
me.” Love did not know
who was being so
magnanimous, but
jumped on to the boat,
greatly relieved that
she would reach a safe
place.
On getting off the boat,
Love met Knowledge.
Puzzled, Love inquired,
“Knowledge, do you
know who so
generously gave me a
lift just when no one
else wished to help?”
Knowledge smiled, “Oh,
that was Time.”
“And why would Time
stop to pick me and
take me to safety?”
Love wondered.
Knowledge smiled with
deep wisdom and
replied, “Because only
Time knows your true
greatness and what
you are capable of. Only
Love can bring peace
and great happiness in
this world.”
“The important
message is that when
we are prosperous, we
overlook love. When we
feel important, we
forget love. Even in
happiness and sorrow
we forget love. Only
with time do we realize
the importance of love.
Why wait that long?
Why not make love a
part of your life today?”
feelings and emotions
went to a coastal island
for a vacation.
According to their
nature, each was
having a good time.
Suddenly, a warning of
an impending storm
was announced and
everyone was advised
to evacuate the island.
The announcement
caused sudden panic. All
rushed to their boats.
Even damaged boats
were quickly repaired
and commissioned for
duty.
Yet, Love did not wish
to flee quickly. There
was so much to do. But
as the clouds darkened,
Love realised it was
time to leave. Alas,
there were no boats to
spare. Love looked
around with hope.
Just then Prosperity
passed by in a luxurious
boat. Love shouted,
“Prosperity, could you
please take me in your
boat?”
“No,” replied Prosperity,
“my boat is full of
precious possessions,
gold and silver. There is
no place for you.”
A little later Vanity
came by in a beautiful
boat. Again Love
shouted, “Could you
help me, Vanity? I am
stranded and need a lift.
Please take me with
you.”
Vanity responded
haughtily, “No, I cannot
take you with me. My
boat will get soiled with
your muddy feet.”
Sorrow passed by after
some time. Again, Love
asked for help. But it
was to no avail. “No, I
cannot take you with
me. I am so sad. I want
to be by myself.”
When Happiness passed
by a few minutes later,
Love again called for
help. But Happiness was
so happy that it did not
look around, hardly
concerned about
anyone.
Love was growing
restless and dejected.
Just then somebody
called out, “Come Love,
I will take you with
me.” Love did not know
who was being so
magnanimous, but
jumped on to the boat,
greatly relieved that
she would reach a safe
place.
On getting off the boat,
Love met Knowledge.
Puzzled, Love inquired,
“Knowledge, do you
know who so
generously gave me a
lift just when no one
else wished to help?”
Knowledge smiled, “Oh,
that was Time.”
“And why would Time
stop to pick me and
take me to safety?”
Love wondered.
Knowledge smiled with
deep wisdom and
replied, “Because only
Time knows your true
greatness and what
you are capable of. Only
Love can bring peace
and great happiness in
this world.”
“The important
message is that when
we are prosperous, we
overlook love. When we
feel important, we
forget love. Even in
happiness and sorrow
we forget love. Only
with time do we realize
the importance of love.
Why wait that long?
Why not make love a
part of your life today?”
Sunday, 20 November 2011
Dreams
The first day of school
our professor
introduced himself and
challenged us to get to
know someone we
didn't already know. I
stood up to look around
when a gentle hand
touched my shoulder.
I turned around to find
a wrinkled, little old lady
beaming up at me with
a smile that that lit up
her entire being.
She said, "Hi, handsome.
My name is Rose. I'm
eighty-seven years old.
Can I give you a hug?" I
laughed and
enthusiastically
responded, "Of course
you may!" and she gave
me a giant squeeze.
"Why are you in college
at such a young,
innocent age?" I asked.
She jokingly replied, "I'm
here to meet a rich
husband, get married,
have a couple of
children, and then retire
and travel."
"No seriously," I asked. I
was curious what may
have motivated her to
be taking on this
challenge at her age.
"I always dreamed of
having a college
education and now I'm
getting one!" she told
me.
After class we walked
to the student union
building and share a
chocolate milkshake. We
became instant friends.
Every day for the next
three months we would
leave class together
and talk nonstop. I was
always mesmerized
listening to this "time
machine" as she shared
her wisdom and
experience with me.
Over the course of the
year, Rose became a
campus icon and she
easily made friends
wherever she went.
She loved to dress up
and she reveled in the
attention bestowed
upon her from the other
students. She was living
it up.
At the end of the
semester we invited
Rose to speak at our
football banquet. I'll
never forget what she
taught us. She was
introduced and stepped
up to the podium. As
she began to deliver her
prepared speech, she
dropped her three by
five cards on the floor.
Frustrated and a little
embarrassed she
leaned into the
microphone and simply
said, "I'm sorry I'm so
jittery. I gave up beer
for Lent and this
whiskey is killing me! I'll
never get my speech
back in order so let me
just tell you what I
know."
As we laughed she
cleared her throat and
began: "We do not stop
playing because we are
old; we grow old
because we stop
playing. There are only
four secrets to staying
young, being happy, and
achieving success. "You
have to laugh and find
humor every day. You've
got to have a dream.
When you lose your
dreams, you die. We
have so many people
walking around who are
dead and don't even
know it!"
"There is a huge
difference between
growing older and
growing up. If you are
nineteen years old and
lie in bed for one full
year and don't do one
productive thing, you
will turn twenty years
old. If I am eighty-
seven years old and
stay in bed for a year
and never do anything I
will turn eighty-eight.
Anybody can grow
older. That doesn't take
any talent or ability. The
idea is to grow up by
always finding the
opportunity in change."
"Have no regrets. The
elderly usually don't
have regrets for what
we did, but rather for
things we did not do.
The only people who
fear death are those
with regrets."
She concluded her
speech by courageously
singing The Rose. She
challenged each of us to
study the lyrics and live
them out in our daily
lives. At the years end
Rose finished the
college degree she had
begun all those years
ago.
One week after
graduation Rose died
peacefully in her sleep.
Over two thousand
college students
attended her funeral in
tribute to the
wonderful woman who
taught by example that
it's never too late to be
all you can possibly be.
our professor
introduced himself and
challenged us to get to
know someone we
didn't already know. I
stood up to look around
when a gentle hand
touched my shoulder.
I turned around to find
a wrinkled, little old lady
beaming up at me with
a smile that that lit up
her entire being.
She said, "Hi, handsome.
My name is Rose. I'm
eighty-seven years old.
Can I give you a hug?" I
laughed and
enthusiastically
responded, "Of course
you may!" and she gave
me a giant squeeze.
"Why are you in college
at such a young,
innocent age?" I asked.
She jokingly replied, "I'm
here to meet a rich
husband, get married,
have a couple of
children, and then retire
and travel."
"No seriously," I asked. I
was curious what may
have motivated her to
be taking on this
challenge at her age.
"I always dreamed of
having a college
education and now I'm
getting one!" she told
me.
After class we walked
to the student union
building and share a
chocolate milkshake. We
became instant friends.
Every day for the next
three months we would
leave class together
and talk nonstop. I was
always mesmerized
listening to this "time
machine" as she shared
her wisdom and
experience with me.
Over the course of the
year, Rose became a
campus icon and she
easily made friends
wherever she went.
She loved to dress up
and she reveled in the
attention bestowed
upon her from the other
students. She was living
it up.
At the end of the
semester we invited
Rose to speak at our
football banquet. I'll
never forget what she
taught us. She was
introduced and stepped
up to the podium. As
she began to deliver her
prepared speech, she
dropped her three by
five cards on the floor.
Frustrated and a little
embarrassed she
leaned into the
microphone and simply
said, "I'm sorry I'm so
jittery. I gave up beer
for Lent and this
whiskey is killing me! I'll
never get my speech
back in order so let me
just tell you what I
know."
As we laughed she
cleared her throat and
began: "We do not stop
playing because we are
old; we grow old
because we stop
playing. There are only
four secrets to staying
young, being happy, and
achieving success. "You
have to laugh and find
humor every day. You've
got to have a dream.
When you lose your
dreams, you die. We
have so many people
walking around who are
dead and don't even
know it!"
"There is a huge
difference between
growing older and
growing up. If you are
nineteen years old and
lie in bed for one full
year and don't do one
productive thing, you
will turn twenty years
old. If I am eighty-
seven years old and
stay in bed for a year
and never do anything I
will turn eighty-eight.
Anybody can grow
older. That doesn't take
any talent or ability. The
idea is to grow up by
always finding the
opportunity in change."
"Have no regrets. The
elderly usually don't
have regrets for what
we did, but rather for
things we did not do.
The only people who
fear death are those
with regrets."
She concluded her
speech by courageously
singing The Rose. She
challenged each of us to
study the lyrics and live
them out in our daily
lives. At the years end
Rose finished the
college degree she had
begun all those years
ago.
One week after
graduation Rose died
peacefully in her sleep.
Over two thousand
college students
attended her funeral in
tribute to the
wonderful woman who
taught by example that
it's never too late to be
all you can possibly be.
If Tomorrow Never Comes
If I knew it would
be the last time
that I'd see you
fall asleep, I would
tuck you in more
tightly and pray
the Lord, your soul
to keep.
If I knew it would
be the last time
that I see you
walk out the door,
I would give you a
hug and kiss and
call you back for
one more.
If I knew it would
be the last time I'd
hear your voice
lifted up in praise, I
would video tape
each action and
word, so I could
play them back
day after day.
If I knew it would
be the last time, I
could spare an
extra minute or
two to stop and
say "I love you,"
instead of
assuming, you
would know I do.
If I knew it would
be the last time I
would be there to
share your day,
well I'm sure you'll
have so many
more, so I can let
just this one slip
away.
For surely there's
always tomorrow
to make up for an
oversight, and we
always get a
second chance to
make everything
right.
There will always
be another day to
say our "I love
you's", And
certainly there's
another chance to
say our "Anything I
can do's?"
But just in case I
might be wrong,
and today is all I
get, I'd like to say
how much I love
you and I hope we
never forget,
Tomorrow is not
promised to
anyone, young or
old alike, And
today may be the
last chance you
get to hold your
loved one tight.
So if you're waiting
for tomorrow, why
not do it today?
For if tomorrow
never comes, you'll
surely regret the
day, That you
didn't take that
extra time for a
smile, a hug, or a
kiss and you were
too busy to
grant someone,
what turned out to
be their one last
wish.
So hold your loved
ones close today,
whisper in their
ear, Tell them how
much you love
them and that
you'll always hold
them dear, Take
time to say "I'm
sorry," "please
forgive me,"
"thank you" or "it's
okay".
And if tomorrow
never comes, you'll
have no regrets
about today
be the last time
that I'd see you
fall asleep, I would
tuck you in more
tightly and pray
the Lord, your soul
to keep.
If I knew it would
be the last time
that I see you
walk out the door,
I would give you a
hug and kiss and
call you back for
one more.
If I knew it would
be the last time I'd
hear your voice
lifted up in praise, I
would video tape
each action and
word, so I could
play them back
day after day.
If I knew it would
be the last time, I
could spare an
extra minute or
two to stop and
say "I love you,"
instead of
assuming, you
would know I do.
If I knew it would
be the last time I
would be there to
share your day,
well I'm sure you'll
have so many
more, so I can let
just this one slip
away.
For surely there's
always tomorrow
to make up for an
oversight, and we
always get a
second chance to
make everything
right.
There will always
be another day to
say our "I love
you's", And
certainly there's
another chance to
say our "Anything I
can do's?"
But just in case I
might be wrong,
and today is all I
get, I'd like to say
how much I love
you and I hope we
never forget,
Tomorrow is not
promised to
anyone, young or
old alike, And
today may be the
last chance you
get to hold your
loved one tight.
So if you're waiting
for tomorrow, why
not do it today?
For if tomorrow
never comes, you'll
surely regret the
day, That you
didn't take that
extra time for a
smile, a hug, or a
kiss and you were
too busy to
grant someone,
what turned out to
be their one last
wish.
So hold your loved
ones close today,
whisper in their
ear, Tell them how
much you love
them and that
you'll always hold
them dear, Take
time to say "I'm
sorry," "please
forgive me,"
"thank you" or "it's
okay".
And if tomorrow
never comes, you'll
have no regrets
about today
A Mother's Love
A little boy came
up to his mother in
the kitchen one
evening while she
was fixing supper,
and handed her a
piece of paper that
he had been
writing on. After
his Mom dried her
hands on an apron,
she read it, and
this is what it said:
For cutting the
grass: $5.00
For cleaning up my
room this week:
$1.00
For going to the
store for you: $.50
Baby-sitting my
kid brother while
you went
shopping: $.25
Taking out the
garbage: $1.00
For getting a good
report card: $5.00
For cleaning up and
raking the yard:
$2.00
Total owed:
$14.75
Well, his mother
looked at him
standing there,
and the boy could
see the memories
flashing through
her mind. She
picked up the pen,
turned over the
paper he'd written
on, and this is
what she wrote:
For the nine
months I carried
you while you
were growing
inside me:
No Charge
For all the nights
that I've sat up
with you, doctored
and prayed for
you:
No Charge
For all the trying
times, and all the
tears that you've
caused through
the years:
No Charge
For all the nights
that were filled
with dread, and for
the worries I knew
were ahead:
No Charge
For the toys, food,
clothes, and even
wiping your nose:
No Charge
Son, when you add
it up, the cost of
my love is:
No Charge.
When the boy
finished reading
what his mother
had written, there
were big tears in
his eyes, and he
looked straight at
his mother and
said, "Mom, I sure
do love you." And
then he took the
pen and in great
big letters he
wrote: "PAID IN
FULL".
up to his mother in
the kitchen one
evening while she
was fixing supper,
and handed her a
piece of paper that
he had been
writing on. After
his Mom dried her
hands on an apron,
she read it, and
this is what it said:
For cutting the
grass: $5.00
For cleaning up my
room this week:
$1.00
For going to the
store for you: $.50
Baby-sitting my
kid brother while
you went
shopping: $.25
Taking out the
garbage: $1.00
For getting a good
report card: $5.00
For cleaning up and
raking the yard:
$2.00
Total owed:
$14.75
Well, his mother
looked at him
standing there,
and the boy could
see the memories
flashing through
her mind. She
picked up the pen,
turned over the
paper he'd written
on, and this is
what she wrote:
For the nine
months I carried
you while you
were growing
inside me:
No Charge
For all the nights
that I've sat up
with you, doctored
and prayed for
you:
No Charge
For all the trying
times, and all the
tears that you've
caused through
the years:
No Charge
For all the nights
that were filled
with dread, and for
the worries I knew
were ahead:
No Charge
For the toys, food,
clothes, and even
wiping your nose:
No Charge
Son, when you add
it up, the cost of
my love is:
No Charge.
When the boy
finished reading
what his mother
had written, there
were big tears in
his eyes, and he
looked straight at
his mother and
said, "Mom, I sure
do love you." And
then he took the
pen and in great
big letters he
wrote: "PAID IN
FULL".
A Old Man and His Dog
An old man and
his dog were
walking along a
country road,
enjoying the
scenery, when it
suddenly
occurred to the
man that he had
died. He
remembered
dying, and
realized, too,
that the dog had
been dead for
many years. He
wondered where
the road would
lead them, and
continued
onward.
After a while,
they came to a
high, white
stone wall along
one side of the
road. It looked
like fine marble.
At the top of a
long hill, it was
broken by a tall,
white arch that
gleamed in the
sunlight. When
he was standing
before it, he saw
a magnificent
gate in the arch
that looked like
mother of pearl,
and the street
that led to the
gate looked like
pure gold. He
was pleased
that he had
finally arrived at
heaven, and the
man and his dog
walked toward
the gate. As he
got closer, he
saw someone
sitting at a
beautifully
carved desk off
to one side.
When he was
close enough, he
called out,
"Excuse me, but
is this heaven?"
"Yes, it is, sir,"
the man
answered.
"Wow! Would
you happen to
have some
water?" the man
asked.
"Of course, sir.
Come right in,
and I'll have
some ice water
brought right
up." The
gatekeeper
gestured to his
rear, and the
huge gate began
to open.
"I assume my
friend can come
in..." the man
said, gesturing
toward his dog.
But the reply
was, "I'm sorry,
sir, but we don't
accept pets."
The man
thought about
it, then thanked
the gatekeeper,
turned back
toward the road,
and continued in
the direction he
had been going.
After another
long walk, he
reached the top
of another long
hill, and he came
to a dirt road
which led
through a farm
gate. There was
no fence, and it
looked as if the
gate had never
been closed, as
grass had grown
up around it. As
he approached
the gate, he saw
a man just
inside, sitting in
the shade of a
tree in a rickety
old chair,
reading a book.
"Excuse me!" he
called to the
reader. "Do you
have any
water?"
"Yeah, sure,
there's a pump
over there," the
man said,
pointing to a
place that
couldn't be seen
from outside the
gate. "Come on
in and make
yourself at
home."
"How about my
friend here?"
the traveler
gestured to the
dog.
"He's welcome
too, and there's
a bowl by the
pump," he said.
They walked
through the
gate and, sure
enough, there
was an old-
fashioned hand
pump with a
dipper hanging
on it and a bowl
next to it on the
ground. The man
filled the bowl
for his dog, and
then took a long
drink himself.
When both were
satisfied, he and
the dog walked
back toward the
man, who was
sitting under the
tree waiting for
them, and
asked, "What do
you call this
place?" the
traveler asked.
"This is
heaven," was
the answer.
"Well, that's
confusing," the
traveler said. "It
certainly
doesn't look like
heaven, and
there's another
man down the
road who said
that place was
heaven."
"Oh, you mean
the place with
the gold street
and pearly
gates?
"Yes, it was
beautiful."
"Nope. That's
hell."
"Doesn't it
offend you for
them to use the
name of heaven
like that?"
"No. I can see
how you might
think so, but it
actually saves
us a lot of time.
They screen out
the people who
are willing to
leave their best
friends behind."
his dog were
walking along a
country road,
enjoying the
scenery, when it
suddenly
occurred to the
man that he had
died. He
remembered
dying, and
realized, too,
that the dog had
been dead for
many years. He
wondered where
the road would
lead them, and
continued
onward.
After a while,
they came to a
high, white
stone wall along
one side of the
road. It looked
like fine marble.
At the top of a
long hill, it was
broken by a tall,
white arch that
gleamed in the
sunlight. When
he was standing
before it, he saw
a magnificent
gate in the arch
that looked like
mother of pearl,
and the street
that led to the
gate looked like
pure gold. He
was pleased
that he had
finally arrived at
heaven, and the
man and his dog
walked toward
the gate. As he
got closer, he
saw someone
sitting at a
beautifully
carved desk off
to one side.
When he was
close enough, he
called out,
"Excuse me, but
is this heaven?"
"Yes, it is, sir,"
the man
answered.
"Wow! Would
you happen to
have some
water?" the man
asked.
"Of course, sir.
Come right in,
and I'll have
some ice water
brought right
up." The
gatekeeper
gestured to his
rear, and the
huge gate began
to open.
"I assume my
friend can come
in..." the man
said, gesturing
toward his dog.
But the reply
was, "I'm sorry,
sir, but we don't
accept pets."
The man
thought about
it, then thanked
the gatekeeper,
turned back
toward the road,
and continued in
the direction he
had been going.
After another
long walk, he
reached the top
of another long
hill, and he came
to a dirt road
which led
through a farm
gate. There was
no fence, and it
looked as if the
gate had never
been closed, as
grass had grown
up around it. As
he approached
the gate, he saw
a man just
inside, sitting in
the shade of a
tree in a rickety
old chair,
reading a book.
"Excuse me!" he
called to the
reader. "Do you
have any
water?"
"Yeah, sure,
there's a pump
over there," the
man said,
pointing to a
place that
couldn't be seen
from outside the
gate. "Come on
in and make
yourself at
home."
"How about my
friend here?"
the traveler
gestured to the
dog.
"He's welcome
too, and there's
a bowl by the
pump," he said.
They walked
through the
gate and, sure
enough, there
was an old-
fashioned hand
pump with a
dipper hanging
on it and a bowl
next to it on the
ground. The man
filled the bowl
for his dog, and
then took a long
drink himself.
When both were
satisfied, he and
the dog walked
back toward the
man, who was
sitting under the
tree waiting for
them, and
asked, "What do
you call this
place?" the
traveler asked.
"This is
heaven," was
the answer.
"Well, that's
confusing," the
traveler said. "It
certainly
doesn't look like
heaven, and
there's another
man down the
road who said
that place was
heaven."
"Oh, you mean
the place with
the gold street
and pearly
gates?
"Yes, it was
beautiful."
"Nope. That's
hell."
"Doesn't it
offend you for
them to use the
name of heaven
like that?"
"No. I can see
how you might
think so, but it
actually saves
us a lot of time.
They screen out
the people who
are willing to
leave their best
friends behind."
The Value Of A Smile
The value of a
smile is priceless,
yet it is the
cheapest, easiest,
most rewarding
and most sincere
gift to anyone
that crosses your
path. A smile
makes a person's
day, anybody's
day even a
stranger's day. A
smile is infectious.
Start infecting
people with your
smile today.
A smile is nature's
best antidote for
discouragement. It
brings rest to the
weary, sunshine to
those who are sad,
and hope to those
who are hopeless
and defeated.
A smile is so
valuable that it
can't be bought,
begged, borrowed,
or taken away
against your will.
You have to be
willing to give a
smile away before
it can do anyone
else any good.
So if someone is
too tired or
grumpy to flash
you a smile, let him
have one of yours
anyway. Nobody
needs a smile as
much as the
person who has
none to give.
smile is priceless,
yet it is the
cheapest, easiest,
most rewarding
and most sincere
gift to anyone
that crosses your
path. A smile
makes a person's
day, anybody's
day even a
stranger's day. A
smile is infectious.
Start infecting
people with your
smile today.
A smile is nature's
best antidote for
discouragement. It
brings rest to the
weary, sunshine to
those who are sad,
and hope to those
who are hopeless
and defeated.
A smile is so
valuable that it
can't be bought,
begged, borrowed,
or taken away
against your will.
You have to be
willing to give a
smile away before
it can do anyone
else any good.
So if someone is
too tired or
grumpy to flash
you a smile, let him
have one of yours
anyway. Nobody
needs a smile as
much as the
person who has
none to give.
A Gift Of Love
“Can I see my baby?”
the happy new mother
asked.
When the bundle was
nestled in her arms and
she moved the fold of
cloth to look upon his
tiny face, she gasped.
The doctor turned
quickly and looked out
the tall hospital
window. The baby had
been born without ears.
Time proved that the
baby’s hearing was
perfect. It was only his
appearance that was
marred. When he rushed
home from school one
day and flung himself
into his mother’s arms,
she sighed, knowing
that his life was to be a
succession of
heartbreaks. He blurted
out the tragedy. “A boy,
a big boy … called me a
freak.”
He grew up, handsome
for his misfortune. A
favorite with his fellow
students, he might
have been class
president, but for that.
He developed a gift, a
talent for literature and
music. “But you might
mingle with other young
people,” his mother
reproved him, but felt a
kindness in her heart.
The boy’s father had a
session with the family
physician. Could nothing
be done? “I believe I
could graft on a pair of
outer ears, if they could
be procured,” the doctor
decided.
Whereupon the search
began for a person who
would make such a
sacrifice for a young
man. Two years went
by. Then, “You are going
to the hospital, Son.
Mother and I have
someone who will
donate the ears you
need. But it’s a secret,”
said the father. The
operation was a brilliant
success, and a new
person emerged. His
talents blossomed into
genius, and school and
college became a series
of triumphs.
Later he married and
entered the diplomatic
service. “But I must
know!” He urged his
father, “Who gave so
much for me? I could
never do enough for
him.” “I do not believe
you could,” said the
father, “but the
agreement was that
you are not to know …
not yet.” The years
kept their profound
secret, but the day did
come … one of the
darkest days that a son
must endure. He stood
with his father over his
mother’s casket.
Slowly, tenderly, the
father stretched forth
a hand and raised the
thick, reddish-brown
hair to reveal that the
mother had no outer
ears. “Mother said she
was glad she never let
her hair be cut,” he
whispered gently, “and
nobody ever thought
Mother less beautiful,
did they?”
Real beauty lies not in
the physical
appearance, but in the
heart. Real treasure lies
not in what that can be
seen, but what that
cannot be seen. Real
love lies not in what is
done and known, but in
what that is done but
not known.
the happy new mother
asked.
When the bundle was
nestled in her arms and
she moved the fold of
cloth to look upon his
tiny face, she gasped.
The doctor turned
quickly and looked out
the tall hospital
window. The baby had
been born without ears.
Time proved that the
baby’s hearing was
perfect. It was only his
appearance that was
marred. When he rushed
home from school one
day and flung himself
into his mother’s arms,
she sighed, knowing
that his life was to be a
succession of
heartbreaks. He blurted
out the tragedy. “A boy,
a big boy … called me a
freak.”
He grew up, handsome
for his misfortune. A
favorite with his fellow
students, he might
have been class
president, but for that.
He developed a gift, a
talent for literature and
music. “But you might
mingle with other young
people,” his mother
reproved him, but felt a
kindness in her heart.
The boy’s father had a
session with the family
physician. Could nothing
be done? “I believe I
could graft on a pair of
outer ears, if they could
be procured,” the doctor
decided.
Whereupon the search
began for a person who
would make such a
sacrifice for a young
man. Two years went
by. Then, “You are going
to the hospital, Son.
Mother and I have
someone who will
donate the ears you
need. But it’s a secret,”
said the father. The
operation was a brilliant
success, and a new
person emerged. His
talents blossomed into
genius, and school and
college became a series
of triumphs.
Later he married and
entered the diplomatic
service. “But I must
know!” He urged his
father, “Who gave so
much for me? I could
never do enough for
him.” “I do not believe
you could,” said the
father, “but the
agreement was that
you are not to know …
not yet.” The years
kept their profound
secret, but the day did
come … one of the
darkest days that a son
must endure. He stood
with his father over his
mother’s casket.
Slowly, tenderly, the
father stretched forth
a hand and raised the
thick, reddish-brown
hair to reveal that the
mother had no outer
ears. “Mother said she
was glad she never let
her hair be cut,” he
whispered gently, “and
nobody ever thought
Mother less beautiful,
did they?”
Real beauty lies not in
the physical
appearance, but in the
heart. Real treasure lies
not in what that can be
seen, but what that
cannot be seen. Real
love lies not in what is
done and known, but in
what that is done but
not known.
Saturday, 19 November 2011
The Wooden Bowl
A frail old man
went to live with
his son, daughter-
in-law, and a four-
year old grandson.
The old man's
hands trembled,
his eyesight was
blurred, and his
step faltered. The
family ate
together nightly at
the dinner table.
But the elderly
grandfather's
shaky hands and
failing sight made
eating rather
difficult. Peas
rolled off his spoon
onto the floor.
When he grasped
the glass often
milk spilled on the
tablecloth. The son
and daughter-in-
law became
irritated with the
mess. "We must do
something about
grandfather," said
the son. I've had
enough of his
spilled milk, noisy
eating, and food
on the floor. So the
husband and wife
set a small table in
the corner. There,
grandfather ate
alone while the
rest of the family
enjoyed dinner at
the dinner table.
Since grandfather
had broken a dish
or two, his food
was served in a
wooden bowl.
Sometimes when
the family glanced
in grandfather's
direction, he had a
tear in his eye as
he ate alone. Still,
the only words the
couple had for him
were sharp
admonitions when
he dropped a fork
or spilled food. The
four-year-old
watched it all in
silence.
One evening
before supper, the
father noticed his
son playing with
wood scraps on
the floor. He asked
the child sweetly,
"What are you
making?" Just as
sweetly, the boy
responded, "Oh, I
am making a little
bowl for you and
mama to eat your
food from when I
grow up." The
four-year-old
smiled and went
back to work. The
words so struck
the parents that
they were
speechless. Then
tears started to
stream down their
cheeks. Though no
word was spoken,
both knew what
must be done.
That evening the
husband took
grandfather's
hand and gently
led him back to the
family table.
For the remainder
of his days he ate
every meal with
the family. And for
some reason,
neither husband
nor wife seemed
to care any longer
when a fork was
dropped, milk
spilled, or the
tablecloth soiled.
Children are
remarkably
perceptive. Their
eyes ever observe,
their ears ever
listen, and their
minds ever process
the messages
they absorb. If
they see us
patiently provide a
happy home
atmosphere for
family members,
they will imitate
that attitude for
the rest of their
lives. The wise
parent realizes
that every day
that building
blocks are being
laid for the child's
future.
Let us all be wise
builders and role
models. Take care
of yourself, ... and
those you love, ...
today, and
everyday!
went to live with
his son, daughter-
in-law, and a four-
year old grandson.
The old man's
hands trembled,
his eyesight was
blurred, and his
step faltered. The
family ate
together nightly at
the dinner table.
But the elderly
grandfather's
shaky hands and
failing sight made
eating rather
difficult. Peas
rolled off his spoon
onto the floor.
When he grasped
the glass often
milk spilled on the
tablecloth. The son
and daughter-in-
law became
irritated with the
mess. "We must do
something about
grandfather," said
the son. I've had
enough of his
spilled milk, noisy
eating, and food
on the floor. So the
husband and wife
set a small table in
the corner. There,
grandfather ate
alone while the
rest of the family
enjoyed dinner at
the dinner table.
Since grandfather
had broken a dish
or two, his food
was served in a
wooden bowl.
Sometimes when
the family glanced
in grandfather's
direction, he had a
tear in his eye as
he ate alone. Still,
the only words the
couple had for him
were sharp
admonitions when
he dropped a fork
or spilled food. The
four-year-old
watched it all in
silence.
One evening
before supper, the
father noticed his
son playing with
wood scraps on
the floor. He asked
the child sweetly,
"What are you
making?" Just as
sweetly, the boy
responded, "Oh, I
am making a little
bowl for you and
mama to eat your
food from when I
grow up." The
four-year-old
smiled and went
back to work. The
words so struck
the parents that
they were
speechless. Then
tears started to
stream down their
cheeks. Though no
word was spoken,
both knew what
must be done.
That evening the
husband took
grandfather's
hand and gently
led him back to the
family table.
For the remainder
of his days he ate
every meal with
the family. And for
some reason,
neither husband
nor wife seemed
to care any longer
when a fork was
dropped, milk
spilled, or the
tablecloth soiled.
Children are
remarkably
perceptive. Their
eyes ever observe,
their ears ever
listen, and their
minds ever process
the messages
they absorb. If
they see us
patiently provide a
happy home
atmosphere for
family members,
they will imitate
that attitude for
the rest of their
lives. The wise
parent realizes
that every day
that building
blocks are being
laid for the child's
future.
Let us all be wise
builders and role
models. Take care
of yourself, ... and
those you love, ...
today, and
everyday!
Two Frogs
A group of frogs were
traveling through the
woods, and two of
them
fell into a deep pit.
When the other frogs
saw how deep the pit
was, they told the two
frogs that they were
as good as dead. The
two frogs ignored the
comments and tried to
jump up out of the pit
with all their might. The
other frogs kept telling
them to stop,
that they were as good
as dead. Finally, one of
the frogs took
heed to what the other
frogs were saying and
gave up. He fell down
and died.
The other frog
continued to jump as
hard as he could. Once
again,
the crowd of frogs
yelled at him to stop
the pain and just die. He
jumped even harder and
finally made it out.
When he got out, the
other frogs said, "Did
you not hear us?" The
frog explained to
them that he was deaf.
He thought they were
encouraging him the
entire time.
This story teaches two
lessons:
1. There is power of life
and death in the tongue.
An encouraging
word to someone who
is down can lift them up
and help them make it
through the day.
2. A destructive word
to someone who is
down can be what it
takes
to kill them.
Be careful of what you
say. Speak life to those
who cross your
path. The power of
words... it is sometimes
hard to understand
that an encouraging
word can go such a long
way. Anyone can speak
words that tend to rob
another of the spirit to
continue in
difficult times. Special is
the individual who will
take the time
to encourage another.
traveling through the
woods, and two of
them
fell into a deep pit.
When the other frogs
saw how deep the pit
was, they told the two
frogs that they were
as good as dead. The
two frogs ignored the
comments and tried to
jump up out of the pit
with all their might. The
other frogs kept telling
them to stop,
that they were as good
as dead. Finally, one of
the frogs took
heed to what the other
frogs were saying and
gave up. He fell down
and died.
The other frog
continued to jump as
hard as he could. Once
again,
the crowd of frogs
yelled at him to stop
the pain and just die. He
jumped even harder and
finally made it out.
When he got out, the
other frogs said, "Did
you not hear us?" The
frog explained to
them that he was deaf.
He thought they were
encouraging him the
entire time.
This story teaches two
lessons:
1. There is power of life
and death in the tongue.
An encouraging
word to someone who
is down can lift them up
and help them make it
through the day.
2. A destructive word
to someone who is
down can be what it
takes
to kill them.
Be careful of what you
say. Speak life to those
who cross your
path. The power of
words... it is sometimes
hard to understand
that an encouraging
word can go such a long
way. Anyone can speak
words that tend to rob
another of the spirit to
continue in
difficult times. Special is
the individual who will
take the time
to encourage another.
The Happy Prince
High above the city, on
a tall column, stood the
statue of the Happy
Prince. He was gilded all
over with thin leaves of
fine gold, for eyes he
had two bright
sapphires, and a large
red ruby glowed on his
sword-hilt.
He was very much
admired indeed.'He is as
beautiful as a
weathercock,' remarked
one of the Town
Councillors who wished
to gain a reputation for
having artistic taste;
'only not quite so
useful,' he added,
fearing lest people
should think him
unpractical, which he
really was not.
'Why can't you be like
the Happy Prince?'
asked a sensible
mother of her little boy
who was crying for the
moon. 'The Happy Prince
never dreams of crying
for anything.'
'I am glad there is
some one in the world
who is quite happy',
muttered a
disappointed man as he
gazed at the wonderful
statue.
'He looks just like an
angel,' said the Charity
Children as they came
out of the cathedral in
their bright scarlet
cloaks, and their clean
white pinafores.
'How do you know?'
said the Mathematical
Master, 'you have never
seen one.'
'Ah! but we have, in
our dreams,' answered
the children; and the
Mathematical Master
frowned and looked
very severe, for he did
not approve of children
dreaming.
One night there flew
over the city a little
Swallow. His friends had
gone away to Egypt six
weeks before, but he
had stayed behind, for
he was in love with the
most beautiful Reed. He
had met her early in the
spring as he was flying
down the river after a
big yellow moth, and
had been so attracted
by her slender waist
that he had stopped to
talk to her.
'Shall I love you said
the Swallow', who liked
to come to the point at
once, and the Reed
made him a low bow. So
he flew round and round
her, touching the water
with his wings, and
making silver ripples.
This was his courtship,
and it lasted all through
the summer.
< 2 >
'It is a ridiculous
attachment,' twittered
the other Swallows,
'she has no money, and
far too many relations;'
and indeed the river
was quite full of Reeds.
Then, when the
autumn came, they all
flew away.
After they had gone
he felt lonely, and began
to tire of his lady-love.
'She has no
conversation,' he said,
'and I am afraid that
she is a coquette, for
she is always flirting
with the wind.' And
certainly, whenever the
wind blew, the Reed
made the most graceful
curtsies. I admit that
she is domestic,' he
continued, 'but I love
travelling, and my wife,
consequently, should
love travelling also.'
'Will you come away
with me?' he said finally
to her; but the Reed
shook her head, she
was so attached to her
home.
'You have been
trifling with me,' he
cried, 'I am off to the
Pyramids. Good-bye!'
and he flew away.
All day long he flew,
and at night-time he
arrived at the city.
'Where shall I put up?'
he said 'I hope the town
has made preparations.'
Then he saw the
statue on the tall
column. 'I will put up
there,' he cried; 'it is a
fine position with plenty
of fresh air.' So he
alighted just between
the feet of the Happy
Prince.
'I have a golden
bedroom,' he said softly
to himself as he looked
round, and he prepared
to go to sleep; but just
as he was putting his
head under his wing, a
large drop of water fell
on him.'What a curious
thing!' he cried, 'there is
not a single cloud in the
sky, the stars are quite
clear and bright, and yet
it is raining. The climate
in the north of Europe is
really dreadful. The
Reed used to like the
rain, but that was
merely her selfishness.'
Then another drop
fell.
'What is the use of a
statue if it cannot keep
the rain off?' he said; 'I
must look for a good
chimney-pot,' and he
determined to fly away.
< 3 >
But before he had
opened his wings, a
third drop fell, and he
looked up, and saw -
Ah! what did he see?
The eyes of the
Happy Prince were filled
with tears, and tears
were running down his
golden cheeks. His face
was so beautiful in the
moonlight that the little
Swallow was filled with
pity.
'Who are you?' he
said.
'I am the Happy
Prince.'
'Why are you
weeping then?' asked
the Swallow; 'you have
quite drenched me.'
'When I was alive
and had a human heart,'
answered the statue, 'I
did not know what
tears were, for I lived in
the Palace of Sans-Souci
where sorrow is not
allowed to enter. In the
daytime I played with
my companions in the
garden, and in the
evening I led the dance
in the Great Hall. Round
the garden ran a very
lofty wall, but I never
cared to ask what lay
beyond it, everything
about me was so
beautiful. My courtiers
called me the Happy
Prince, and happy indeed
I was, if pleasure be
happiness. So I lived,
and so I died. And now
that I am dead they
have set me up here so
high that I can see all
the ugliness and all the
misery of my city, and
though my heart is
made of lead yet I
cannot choose but
weep.'
'What, is he not solid
gold?' said the Swallow
to himself. He was too
polite to make any
personal remarks out
loud.
'Far away,' continued
the statue in a low
musical voice,'far away
in a little street there is
a poor house. One of
the windows is open,
and through it I can see
a woman seated at a
table. Her face is thin
and worn, and she has
coarse, red hands, all
pricked by the needle,
for she is a
seamstress. She is
embroidering passion-
fowers on a satin gown
for the loveliest of the
Queen's maids-of-
honour to wear at the
next Court-ball. In a bed
in the corner of the
room her little boy is
lying ill. He has a fever,
and is asking for
oranges. His mother has
nothing to give him but
river water, so he is
crying. Swallow,
Swallow, little Swallow,
will you not bring her
the ruby out of my
sword-hilt? My feet are
fastened to this
pedestal and I cannot
move.'
< 4 >
'I am waited for in
Egypt,' said the
Swallow. 'My friends are
flying up and down the
Nile, and talking to the
large lotus flowers.
Soon they will go to
sleep in the tomb of the
great King. The King is
there himself in his
painted coffin. He is
wrapped in yellow linen,
and embalmed with
spices. Round his neck is
a chain of pale green
jade, and his hands are
like withered leaves.'
'Swallow, Swallow,
little Swallow,' said the
Prince,'will you not stay
with me for one night,
and be my messenger?
The boy is so thirsty,
and the mother so sad.
'I don't think I like
boys,' answered the
Swallow. 'Last summer,
when I was staying on
the river, there were
two rude boys, the
miller's sons, who were
always throwing
stones at me. They
never hit me, of course;
we swallows fly far too
well for that, and
besides, I come of a
family famous for its
agility; but still, it was a
mark of disrespect.'
But the Happy Prince
looked so sad that the
little Swallow was
sorry. 'It is very cold
here,' he said 'but I will
stay with you for one
night, and be your
messenger.'
'Thank you, little
Swallow,' said the
Prince.
So the Swallow
picked out the great
ruby from the Prince's
sword, and flew away
with it in his beak over
the roofs of the town.
He passed by the
cathedral tower, where
the white marble angels
were sculptured. He
passed by the palace
and heard the sound of
dancing. A beautiful girl
came out on the
balcony with her lover.
'How wonderful the
stars are,' he said to
her,'and how wonderful
is the power of love!' 'I
hope my dress will be
ready in time for the
State-ball,' she
answered; 'I have
ordered passion-
flowers to be
embroidered on it; but
the seamstresses are
so lazy.'
He passed over the
river, and saw the
lanterns hanging to the
masts of the ships. He
passed over the Ghetto,
and saw the old Jews
bargaining with each
other, and weighing out
money in copper scales.
At last he came to the
poor house and looked
in. The boy was tossing
feverishly on his bed,
and the mother had
fallen asleep, she was
so tired. In he hopped,
and laid the great ruby
on the table beside the
woman's thimble. Then
he flew gently round
the bed, fanning the
boy's forehead with his
wings. 'How cool I feel,'
said the boy, 'I must be
getting better;' and he
sank into a delicious
slumber.
< 5 >
Then the Swallow
flew back to the Happy
Prince, and told him
what he had done. 'It is
curious,' he remarked,
'but I feel quite warm
now, although it is so
cold.'
'That is because you
have done a good
action,' said the Prince.
And the little Swallow
began to think, and
then he fell asleep.
Thinking always made
him sleepy.
When day broke he
flew down to the river
and had a bath.
'What a remarkable
phenomenon,' said the
Professor of
Omithology as he was
passing over the bridge.
'A swallow in winter!'
And he wrote a long
letter about it to the
local newspaper. Every
one quoted it, it was
full of so many words
that they could not
understand.
'To-night I go to
Egypt,' said the
Swallow, and he was in
high spirits at the
prospect. He visited all
the public monuments,
and sat a long time on
top of the church
steeple. Wherever he
went the Sparrows
chirruped, and said to
each other, 'What a
distinguished stranger!'
so he enjoyed himself
very much.
When the moon rose
he flew back to the
Happy Prince. 'Have you
any commissions for
Egypt?' he cried; 'I am
just starting.'
'Swallow, Swallow,
little Swallow,' said the
Prince, 'will you not stay
with me one night
longer?'
'I am waited for in
Egypt,' answered the
Swallow. To-morrow
my friends will fly up to
the Second Cataract.
The river-horse couches
there among the
bulrushes, and on a
great granite throne
sits the God Memnon.
All night long he
watches the stars, and
when the morning star
shines he utters one cry
of joy, and then he is
silent. At noon the
yellow lions come down
to the water's edge to
drink. They have eyes
like green beryls, and
their roar is louder than
the roar of the
cataract.'
'Swallow, Swallow,
little Swallow,' said the
Prince,'far away across
the city I see a young
man in a garret. He is
leaning over a desk
covered with papers,
and in a tumbler by his
side there is a bunch of
withered violets. His
hair is brown and crisp,
and his lips are red as a
pomegranate, and he
has large and dreamy
eyes. He is trying to
finish a play for the
Director of the Theatre,
but he is too cold to
write any more. There
is no fire in the grate,
and hunger has made
him faint.'
< 6 >
'I will wait with you
one night longer,' said
the Swallow, who really
had a good heart. 'Shall I
take him another ruby?'
'Alas! I have no ruby
now,' said the Prince;
'my eyes are all that I
have left. They are
made of rare sapphires,
which were brought out
of India a thousand
years ago. Pluck out one
of them and take it to
him. He will sell it to the
jeweller, and buy food
and firewood, and finish
his play.'
'Dear Prince,' said the
Swallow,'I cannot do
that;' and he began to
weep.
'Swallow, Swallow,
little Swallow,' said the
Prince, 'do as I
command you.'
So the Swallow
plucked out the Prince's
eye, and flew away to
the student's garret. It
was easy enough to
get in, as there was a
hole in the roof.
Through this he darted,
and came into the room.
The young man had his
head buried in his hands,
so he did not hear the
flutter of the bird's
wings, and when he
looked up he found the
beautiful sapphire lying
on the withered violets.
'I am beginning to be
appreciated,' he cried;
'this is from some great
admirer. Now I can
finish my play,' and he
looked quite happy.
The next day the
Swallow flew down to
the harbour. He sat on
the mast of a large
vessel and watched the
sailors hauling big
chests out of the hold
with ropes. 'Heave a-
hoy!' they shouted as
each chest came up. 'I
am going to Egypt!' cried
the Swallow, but
nobody minded, and
when the moon rose he
flew back to the Happy
Prince.
'I am come to bid
you good-bye,' he cried.
'Swallow, Swallow,
little Swallow,' said the
Prince,'will you not stay
with me one night
longer?'
'It is winter,'
answered the Swallow,
and the chill snow will
soon be here. In Egypt
the sun is warm on the
green palm-trees, and
the crocodiles lie in the
mud and look lazily
about them. My
companions are building
a nest in the Temple of
Baalbec, and the pink
and white doves are
watching them, and
cooing to each other.
Dear Prince, I must
leave you, but I will
never forget you, and
next spring I will bring
you back two beautiful
jewels in place of those
you have given away.
The ruby shall be redder
than a red rose, and the
sapphire shall be as blue
as the great sea.
< 7 >
'In the square
below,' said the Happy
Prince, 'there stands a
little match-girl. She has
let her matches fall in
the gutter, and they are
all spoiled. Her father
will beat her if she does
not bring home some
money, and she is
crying. She has no shoes
or stockings, and her
little head is bare. Pluck
out my other eye, and
give it to her, and her
father will not beat her.
'I will stay with you
one night longer,' said
the Swallow,'but I
cannot pluck out your
eye. You would be quite
blind then.'
'Swallow, Swallow,
little Swallow,' said the
Prince, 'do as I
command you.'
So he plucked out
the Prince's other eye,
and darted down with
it. He swooped past the
match-girl, and slipped
the jewel into the palm
of her hand. 'What a
lovely bit of glass,' cried
the little girl; and she
ran home, laughing.
Then the Swallow
came back to the Prince.
'You are blind now,' he
said, 'so I will stay with
you always.'
'No, little Swallow,'
said the poor Prince,
'you must go away to
Egypt.'
'I will stay with you
always,' said the
Swallow, and he slept
at the Prince's feet.
All the next day he
sat on the Prince's
shoulder, and told him
stories of what he had
seen in strange lands.
He told him of the red
ibises, who stand in
long rows on the banks
of the Nile, and catch
gold fish in their beaks;
of the Sphinx, who is as
old as the world itself,
and lives in the desert,
and knows everything;
of the merchants, who
walk slowly by the side
of their camels, and
carry amber beads in
their hands; of the King
of the Mountains of the
Moon, who is as black
as ebony, and worships
a large crystal; of the
great green snake that
sleeps in a palm-tree,
and has twenty priests
to feed it with honey-
cakes; and of the
pygmies who sail over a
big lake on large flat
leaves, and are always
at war with the
butterflies.
< 8 >
'Dear little Swallow,'
said the Prince, 'you tell
me of marvellous
things, but more
marvellous than
anything is the
suffering of men and of
women. There is no
Mystery so great as
Misery. Fly over my city,
little Swallow, and tell
me what you see
there.'
So the Swallow flew
over the great city, and
saw the rich making
merry in their beautiful
houses, while the
beggars were sitting at
the gates. He flew into
dark lanes, and saw the
white faces of starving
children looking out
listlessly at the black
streets. Under the
archway of a bridge
two little boys were
lying in one another's
arms to try and keep
themselves warm.
'How hungry we are'
they said. 'You must not
lie here,' shouted the
Watchman, and they
wandered out into the
rain.
Then he flew back
and told the Prince
what he had seen.
'I am covered with
fine gold,' said the
Prince, 'you must take it
off, leaf by leaf, and
give it to my poor; the
living always think that
gold can make them
happy.'
Leaf after leaf of
the fine gold the
Swallow picked off, till
the Happy Prince looked
quite dull and grey. Leaf
after leaf of the fine
gold he brought to the
poor, and the children's
faces grew rosier, and
they laughed and played
games in the street.
'We have bread nod'
they cried.
Then the snow
came, and after the
snow came the frost.
The streets looked as if
they were made of
silver, they were so
bright and glistening;
long icicles like crystal
daggers hung down
from the eaves of the
houses, everybody
went about in furs, and
the little boys wore
scarlet caps and skated
on the ice.
The poor little
Swallow grew colder
and colder, but he would
not leave the Prince, he
loved him too well. He
picked up crumbs
outside the baker's door
when the baker was
not looking, and tried to
keep himself warm by
flapping his wings.
But at last he knew
that he was going to
die. He had just
strength to fly up to
the Prince's shoulder
once more.'Good-bye,
dear Prince!' he
murmured, 'will you let
me kiss your hand?'
< 9 >
'I am glad that you
are going to Egypt at
last, little Swallow,' said
the Prince, 'you have
stayed too long here;
but you must kiss me
on the lips, for I love
you.'
'It is not to Egypt
that I am going,' said
the Swallow. I am going
to the House of Death.
Death is the brother of
Sleep, is he not?'
And he kissed the
Happy Prince on the lips,
and fell down dead at
his feet.
At that moment a
curious crack sounded
inside the statue, as if
something had broken.
The fact is that the
leaden heart had
snapped right in two. It
certainly was a
dreadfully hard frost.
Early the next
morning the Mayor was
walking in the square
below in company with
the Town Councillors.
As they passed the
column he looked up at
the statue: 'Dear me!
how shabby the Happy
Prince looks!' he said.
'How shabby indeed!'
cried the Town
Councillors, who always
agreed with the Mayor,
and they went up to
look at it.
'The ruby has fallen
out of his sword, his
eyes are gone, and he is
golden no longer,' said
the Mayor; 'in fact, he is
little better than a
beggar!'
'Little better than a
beggar,' said the Town
Councillors.
'And there is actually
a dead bird at his feet,'
continued the Mayor.
'We must really issue a
proclamation that birds
are not to be allowed to
die here.' And the Town
Clerk made a note of
the suggestion.
So they pulled down
the statue of the
Happy Prince. 'As he is
no longer beautiful he is
no longer useful,' said
the Art Professor at
the University.
Then they melted
the statue in a furnace,
and the Mayor held a
meeting of the
Corporation to decide
what was to be done
with the metal. 'We
must have another
statue, of course,' he
said, 'and it shall be a
statue of myself.'
< 10 >
'Of myself,' said each
of the Town Councillors,
and they quarrelled.
When I last heard of
them they were
quarrelling still.
'What a strange
thing!' said the overseer
of the workmen at the
foundry.'This broken
lead heart will not melt
in the furnace. We must
throw it away.' So they
threw it on a dust-heap
where the dead
Swallow was also lying.
'Bring me the two
most precious things in
the city,' said God to
one of His Angels; and
the Angel brought Him
the leaden heart and
the dead bird.
'You have rightly
chosen,' said God,'for in
my garden of Paradise
this little bird shall sing
for evermore, and in my
city of gold the Happy
Prince shall praise me.'
a tall column, stood the
statue of the Happy
Prince. He was gilded all
over with thin leaves of
fine gold, for eyes he
had two bright
sapphires, and a large
red ruby glowed on his
sword-hilt.
He was very much
admired indeed.'He is as
beautiful as a
weathercock,' remarked
one of the Town
Councillors who wished
to gain a reputation for
having artistic taste;
'only not quite so
useful,' he added,
fearing lest people
should think him
unpractical, which he
really was not.
'Why can't you be like
the Happy Prince?'
asked a sensible
mother of her little boy
who was crying for the
moon. 'The Happy Prince
never dreams of crying
for anything.'
'I am glad there is
some one in the world
who is quite happy',
muttered a
disappointed man as he
gazed at the wonderful
statue.
'He looks just like an
angel,' said the Charity
Children as they came
out of the cathedral in
their bright scarlet
cloaks, and their clean
white pinafores.
'How do you know?'
said the Mathematical
Master, 'you have never
seen one.'
'Ah! but we have, in
our dreams,' answered
the children; and the
Mathematical Master
frowned and looked
very severe, for he did
not approve of children
dreaming.
One night there flew
over the city a little
Swallow. His friends had
gone away to Egypt six
weeks before, but he
had stayed behind, for
he was in love with the
most beautiful Reed. He
had met her early in the
spring as he was flying
down the river after a
big yellow moth, and
had been so attracted
by her slender waist
that he had stopped to
talk to her.
'Shall I love you said
the Swallow', who liked
to come to the point at
once, and the Reed
made him a low bow. So
he flew round and round
her, touching the water
with his wings, and
making silver ripples.
This was his courtship,
and it lasted all through
the summer.
< 2 >
'It is a ridiculous
attachment,' twittered
the other Swallows,
'she has no money, and
far too many relations;'
and indeed the river
was quite full of Reeds.
Then, when the
autumn came, they all
flew away.
After they had gone
he felt lonely, and began
to tire of his lady-love.
'She has no
conversation,' he said,
'and I am afraid that
she is a coquette, for
she is always flirting
with the wind.' And
certainly, whenever the
wind blew, the Reed
made the most graceful
curtsies. I admit that
she is domestic,' he
continued, 'but I love
travelling, and my wife,
consequently, should
love travelling also.'
'Will you come away
with me?' he said finally
to her; but the Reed
shook her head, she
was so attached to her
home.
'You have been
trifling with me,' he
cried, 'I am off to the
Pyramids. Good-bye!'
and he flew away.
All day long he flew,
and at night-time he
arrived at the city.
'Where shall I put up?'
he said 'I hope the town
has made preparations.'
Then he saw the
statue on the tall
column. 'I will put up
there,' he cried; 'it is a
fine position with plenty
of fresh air.' So he
alighted just between
the feet of the Happy
Prince.
'I have a golden
bedroom,' he said softly
to himself as he looked
round, and he prepared
to go to sleep; but just
as he was putting his
head under his wing, a
large drop of water fell
on him.'What a curious
thing!' he cried, 'there is
not a single cloud in the
sky, the stars are quite
clear and bright, and yet
it is raining. The climate
in the north of Europe is
really dreadful. The
Reed used to like the
rain, but that was
merely her selfishness.'
Then another drop
fell.
'What is the use of a
statue if it cannot keep
the rain off?' he said; 'I
must look for a good
chimney-pot,' and he
determined to fly away.
< 3 >
But before he had
opened his wings, a
third drop fell, and he
looked up, and saw -
Ah! what did he see?
The eyes of the
Happy Prince were filled
with tears, and tears
were running down his
golden cheeks. His face
was so beautiful in the
moonlight that the little
Swallow was filled with
pity.
'Who are you?' he
said.
'I am the Happy
Prince.'
'Why are you
weeping then?' asked
the Swallow; 'you have
quite drenched me.'
'When I was alive
and had a human heart,'
answered the statue, 'I
did not know what
tears were, for I lived in
the Palace of Sans-Souci
where sorrow is not
allowed to enter. In the
daytime I played with
my companions in the
garden, and in the
evening I led the dance
in the Great Hall. Round
the garden ran a very
lofty wall, but I never
cared to ask what lay
beyond it, everything
about me was so
beautiful. My courtiers
called me the Happy
Prince, and happy indeed
I was, if pleasure be
happiness. So I lived,
and so I died. And now
that I am dead they
have set me up here so
high that I can see all
the ugliness and all the
misery of my city, and
though my heart is
made of lead yet I
cannot choose but
weep.'
'What, is he not solid
gold?' said the Swallow
to himself. He was too
polite to make any
personal remarks out
loud.
'Far away,' continued
the statue in a low
musical voice,'far away
in a little street there is
a poor house. One of
the windows is open,
and through it I can see
a woman seated at a
table. Her face is thin
and worn, and she has
coarse, red hands, all
pricked by the needle,
for she is a
seamstress. She is
embroidering passion-
fowers on a satin gown
for the loveliest of the
Queen's maids-of-
honour to wear at the
next Court-ball. In a bed
in the corner of the
room her little boy is
lying ill. He has a fever,
and is asking for
oranges. His mother has
nothing to give him but
river water, so he is
crying. Swallow,
Swallow, little Swallow,
will you not bring her
the ruby out of my
sword-hilt? My feet are
fastened to this
pedestal and I cannot
move.'
< 4 >
'I am waited for in
Egypt,' said the
Swallow. 'My friends are
flying up and down the
Nile, and talking to the
large lotus flowers.
Soon they will go to
sleep in the tomb of the
great King. The King is
there himself in his
painted coffin. He is
wrapped in yellow linen,
and embalmed with
spices. Round his neck is
a chain of pale green
jade, and his hands are
like withered leaves.'
'Swallow, Swallow,
little Swallow,' said the
Prince,'will you not stay
with me for one night,
and be my messenger?
The boy is so thirsty,
and the mother so sad.
'I don't think I like
boys,' answered the
Swallow. 'Last summer,
when I was staying on
the river, there were
two rude boys, the
miller's sons, who were
always throwing
stones at me. They
never hit me, of course;
we swallows fly far too
well for that, and
besides, I come of a
family famous for its
agility; but still, it was a
mark of disrespect.'
But the Happy Prince
looked so sad that the
little Swallow was
sorry. 'It is very cold
here,' he said 'but I will
stay with you for one
night, and be your
messenger.'
'Thank you, little
Swallow,' said the
Prince.
So the Swallow
picked out the great
ruby from the Prince's
sword, and flew away
with it in his beak over
the roofs of the town.
He passed by the
cathedral tower, where
the white marble angels
were sculptured. He
passed by the palace
and heard the sound of
dancing. A beautiful girl
came out on the
balcony with her lover.
'How wonderful the
stars are,' he said to
her,'and how wonderful
is the power of love!' 'I
hope my dress will be
ready in time for the
State-ball,' she
answered; 'I have
ordered passion-
flowers to be
embroidered on it; but
the seamstresses are
so lazy.'
He passed over the
river, and saw the
lanterns hanging to the
masts of the ships. He
passed over the Ghetto,
and saw the old Jews
bargaining with each
other, and weighing out
money in copper scales.
At last he came to the
poor house and looked
in. The boy was tossing
feverishly on his bed,
and the mother had
fallen asleep, she was
so tired. In he hopped,
and laid the great ruby
on the table beside the
woman's thimble. Then
he flew gently round
the bed, fanning the
boy's forehead with his
wings. 'How cool I feel,'
said the boy, 'I must be
getting better;' and he
sank into a delicious
slumber.
< 5 >
Then the Swallow
flew back to the Happy
Prince, and told him
what he had done. 'It is
curious,' he remarked,
'but I feel quite warm
now, although it is so
cold.'
'That is because you
have done a good
action,' said the Prince.
And the little Swallow
began to think, and
then he fell asleep.
Thinking always made
him sleepy.
When day broke he
flew down to the river
and had a bath.
'What a remarkable
phenomenon,' said the
Professor of
Omithology as he was
passing over the bridge.
'A swallow in winter!'
And he wrote a long
letter about it to the
local newspaper. Every
one quoted it, it was
full of so many words
that they could not
understand.
'To-night I go to
Egypt,' said the
Swallow, and he was in
high spirits at the
prospect. He visited all
the public monuments,
and sat a long time on
top of the church
steeple. Wherever he
went the Sparrows
chirruped, and said to
each other, 'What a
distinguished stranger!'
so he enjoyed himself
very much.
When the moon rose
he flew back to the
Happy Prince. 'Have you
any commissions for
Egypt?' he cried; 'I am
just starting.'
'Swallow, Swallow,
little Swallow,' said the
Prince, 'will you not stay
with me one night
longer?'
'I am waited for in
Egypt,' answered the
Swallow. To-morrow
my friends will fly up to
the Second Cataract.
The river-horse couches
there among the
bulrushes, and on a
great granite throne
sits the God Memnon.
All night long he
watches the stars, and
when the morning star
shines he utters one cry
of joy, and then he is
silent. At noon the
yellow lions come down
to the water's edge to
drink. They have eyes
like green beryls, and
their roar is louder than
the roar of the
cataract.'
'Swallow, Swallow,
little Swallow,' said the
Prince,'far away across
the city I see a young
man in a garret. He is
leaning over a desk
covered with papers,
and in a tumbler by his
side there is a bunch of
withered violets. His
hair is brown and crisp,
and his lips are red as a
pomegranate, and he
has large and dreamy
eyes. He is trying to
finish a play for the
Director of the Theatre,
but he is too cold to
write any more. There
is no fire in the grate,
and hunger has made
him faint.'
< 6 >
'I will wait with you
one night longer,' said
the Swallow, who really
had a good heart. 'Shall I
take him another ruby?'
'Alas! I have no ruby
now,' said the Prince;
'my eyes are all that I
have left. They are
made of rare sapphires,
which were brought out
of India a thousand
years ago. Pluck out one
of them and take it to
him. He will sell it to the
jeweller, and buy food
and firewood, and finish
his play.'
'Dear Prince,' said the
Swallow,'I cannot do
that;' and he began to
weep.
'Swallow, Swallow,
little Swallow,' said the
Prince, 'do as I
command you.'
So the Swallow
plucked out the Prince's
eye, and flew away to
the student's garret. It
was easy enough to
get in, as there was a
hole in the roof.
Through this he darted,
and came into the room.
The young man had his
head buried in his hands,
so he did not hear the
flutter of the bird's
wings, and when he
looked up he found the
beautiful sapphire lying
on the withered violets.
'I am beginning to be
appreciated,' he cried;
'this is from some great
admirer. Now I can
finish my play,' and he
looked quite happy.
The next day the
Swallow flew down to
the harbour. He sat on
the mast of a large
vessel and watched the
sailors hauling big
chests out of the hold
with ropes. 'Heave a-
hoy!' they shouted as
each chest came up. 'I
am going to Egypt!' cried
the Swallow, but
nobody minded, and
when the moon rose he
flew back to the Happy
Prince.
'I am come to bid
you good-bye,' he cried.
'Swallow, Swallow,
little Swallow,' said the
Prince,'will you not stay
with me one night
longer?'
'It is winter,'
answered the Swallow,
and the chill snow will
soon be here. In Egypt
the sun is warm on the
green palm-trees, and
the crocodiles lie in the
mud and look lazily
about them. My
companions are building
a nest in the Temple of
Baalbec, and the pink
and white doves are
watching them, and
cooing to each other.
Dear Prince, I must
leave you, but I will
never forget you, and
next spring I will bring
you back two beautiful
jewels in place of those
you have given away.
The ruby shall be redder
than a red rose, and the
sapphire shall be as blue
as the great sea.
< 7 >
'In the square
below,' said the Happy
Prince, 'there stands a
little match-girl. She has
let her matches fall in
the gutter, and they are
all spoiled. Her father
will beat her if she does
not bring home some
money, and she is
crying. She has no shoes
or stockings, and her
little head is bare. Pluck
out my other eye, and
give it to her, and her
father will not beat her.
'I will stay with you
one night longer,' said
the Swallow,'but I
cannot pluck out your
eye. You would be quite
blind then.'
'Swallow, Swallow,
little Swallow,' said the
Prince, 'do as I
command you.'
So he plucked out
the Prince's other eye,
and darted down with
it. He swooped past the
match-girl, and slipped
the jewel into the palm
of her hand. 'What a
lovely bit of glass,' cried
the little girl; and she
ran home, laughing.
Then the Swallow
came back to the Prince.
'You are blind now,' he
said, 'so I will stay with
you always.'
'No, little Swallow,'
said the poor Prince,
'you must go away to
Egypt.'
'I will stay with you
always,' said the
Swallow, and he slept
at the Prince's feet.
All the next day he
sat on the Prince's
shoulder, and told him
stories of what he had
seen in strange lands.
He told him of the red
ibises, who stand in
long rows on the banks
of the Nile, and catch
gold fish in their beaks;
of the Sphinx, who is as
old as the world itself,
and lives in the desert,
and knows everything;
of the merchants, who
walk slowly by the side
of their camels, and
carry amber beads in
their hands; of the King
of the Mountains of the
Moon, who is as black
as ebony, and worships
a large crystal; of the
great green snake that
sleeps in a palm-tree,
and has twenty priests
to feed it with honey-
cakes; and of the
pygmies who sail over a
big lake on large flat
leaves, and are always
at war with the
butterflies.
< 8 >
'Dear little Swallow,'
said the Prince, 'you tell
me of marvellous
things, but more
marvellous than
anything is the
suffering of men and of
women. There is no
Mystery so great as
Misery. Fly over my city,
little Swallow, and tell
me what you see
there.'
So the Swallow flew
over the great city, and
saw the rich making
merry in their beautiful
houses, while the
beggars were sitting at
the gates. He flew into
dark lanes, and saw the
white faces of starving
children looking out
listlessly at the black
streets. Under the
archway of a bridge
two little boys were
lying in one another's
arms to try and keep
themselves warm.
'How hungry we are'
they said. 'You must not
lie here,' shouted the
Watchman, and they
wandered out into the
rain.
Then he flew back
and told the Prince
what he had seen.
'I am covered with
fine gold,' said the
Prince, 'you must take it
off, leaf by leaf, and
give it to my poor; the
living always think that
gold can make them
happy.'
Leaf after leaf of
the fine gold the
Swallow picked off, till
the Happy Prince looked
quite dull and grey. Leaf
after leaf of the fine
gold he brought to the
poor, and the children's
faces grew rosier, and
they laughed and played
games in the street.
'We have bread nod'
they cried.
Then the snow
came, and after the
snow came the frost.
The streets looked as if
they were made of
silver, they were so
bright and glistening;
long icicles like crystal
daggers hung down
from the eaves of the
houses, everybody
went about in furs, and
the little boys wore
scarlet caps and skated
on the ice.
The poor little
Swallow grew colder
and colder, but he would
not leave the Prince, he
loved him too well. He
picked up crumbs
outside the baker's door
when the baker was
not looking, and tried to
keep himself warm by
flapping his wings.
But at last he knew
that he was going to
die. He had just
strength to fly up to
the Prince's shoulder
once more.'Good-bye,
dear Prince!' he
murmured, 'will you let
me kiss your hand?'
< 9 >
'I am glad that you
are going to Egypt at
last, little Swallow,' said
the Prince, 'you have
stayed too long here;
but you must kiss me
on the lips, for I love
you.'
'It is not to Egypt
that I am going,' said
the Swallow. I am going
to the House of Death.
Death is the brother of
Sleep, is he not?'
And he kissed the
Happy Prince on the lips,
and fell down dead at
his feet.
At that moment a
curious crack sounded
inside the statue, as if
something had broken.
The fact is that the
leaden heart had
snapped right in two. It
certainly was a
dreadfully hard frost.
Early the next
morning the Mayor was
walking in the square
below in company with
the Town Councillors.
As they passed the
column he looked up at
the statue: 'Dear me!
how shabby the Happy
Prince looks!' he said.
'How shabby indeed!'
cried the Town
Councillors, who always
agreed with the Mayor,
and they went up to
look at it.
'The ruby has fallen
out of his sword, his
eyes are gone, and he is
golden no longer,' said
the Mayor; 'in fact, he is
little better than a
beggar!'
'Little better than a
beggar,' said the Town
Councillors.
'And there is actually
a dead bird at his feet,'
continued the Mayor.
'We must really issue a
proclamation that birds
are not to be allowed to
die here.' And the Town
Clerk made a note of
the suggestion.
So they pulled down
the statue of the
Happy Prince. 'As he is
no longer beautiful he is
no longer useful,' said
the Art Professor at
the University.
Then they melted
the statue in a furnace,
and the Mayor held a
meeting of the
Corporation to decide
what was to be done
with the metal. 'We
must have another
statue, of course,' he
said, 'and it shall be a
statue of myself.'
< 10 >
'Of myself,' said each
of the Town Councillors,
and they quarrelled.
When I last heard of
them they were
quarrelling still.
'What a strange
thing!' said the overseer
of the workmen at the
foundry.'This broken
lead heart will not melt
in the furnace. We must
throw it away.' So they
threw it on a dust-heap
where the dead
Swallow was also lying.
'Bring me the two
most precious things in
the city,' said God to
one of His Angels; and
the Angel brought Him
the leaden heart and
the dead bird.
'You have rightly
chosen,' said God,'for in
my garden of Paradise
this little bird shall sing
for evermore, and in my
city of gold the Happy
Prince shall praise me.'
A Lovely sad Love Story
There was a blind girl
who hated herself bcoz
of being blind. She hated
everyone except her
boyfriend.. One day the
girl said that if she cud
only see the world she
wud marry her
boyfriend, one day
someone donated their
eyes 2 her and then she
saw everything
including his boyfriend,
her boyfriend ask her,
"now that you can see,
will you marry me?", the
girl was shocked when
she saw her boyfriend
is also blind, and she
refuse to marry him.
Her boyfriend walks
away with tears and
said,
“just take care of my
eyes dear".
who hated herself bcoz
of being blind. She hated
everyone except her
boyfriend.. One day the
girl said that if she cud
only see the world she
wud marry her
boyfriend, one day
someone donated their
eyes 2 her and then she
saw everything
including his boyfriend,
her boyfriend ask her,
"now that you can see,
will you marry me?", the
girl was shocked when
she saw her boyfriend
is also blind, and she
refuse to marry him.
Her boyfriend walks
away with tears and
said,
“just take care of my
eyes dear".
Friday, 18 November 2011
Four Wives
There was a rich
merchant who had 4
wives. He loved the 4th
wife the most and
adorned her with rich
robes and treated her
to delicacies. He took
great care of her and
gave her nothing but
the best.
He also loved the 3rd
wife very much. He's
very proud of her and
always wanted to
show off her to his
friends. However, the
merchant is always in
great fear that she
might run away with
some other men.
He too, loved his 2nd
wife. She is a very
considerate person,
always patient and in
fact is the merchant's
confidante. Whenever
the merchant faced
some problems, he
always turned to his
2nd wife and she would
always help him out and
tide him through
difficult times.
Now, the merchant's
1st wife is a very loyal
partner and has made
great contributions in
maintaining his wealth
and business as well as
taking care of the
household. However,
the merchant did not
love the first wife and
although she loved him
deeply, he hardly took
notice of her.
One day, the merchant
fell ill. Before long, he
knew that he was
going to die soon. He
thought of his luxurious
life and told himself,
"Now I have 4 wives
with me. But when I
die, I'll be alone. How
lonely I'll be!"
Thus, he asked the 4th
wife, "I loved you most,
endowed you with the
finest clothing and
showered great care
over you. Now that I'm
dying, will you follow
me and keep me
company?" "No way!"
replied the 4th wife and
she walked away
without another word.
The answer cut like a
sharp knife right into
the merchant's heart.
The sad merchant then
asked the 3rd wife, "I
have loved you so much
for all my life. Now that
I'm dying, will you
follow me and keep me
company?" "No!" replied
the 3rd wife. "Life is so
good over here! I'm
going to remarry when
you die!" The
merchant's heart sank
and turned cold.
He then asked the 2nd
wife, "I always turned
to you for help and
you've always helped
me out. Now I need
your help again. When I
die, will you follow me
and keep me company?"
"I'm sorry, I can't help
you out this time!"
replied the 2nd wife. "At
the very most, I can
only send you to your
grave." The answer
came like a bolt of
thunder and the
merchant was
devastated.
Then a voice called out :
"I'll leave with you. I'll
follow you no matter
where you go." The
merchant looked up and
there was his first
wife. She was so
skinny, almost like she
suffered from
malnutrition. Greatly
grieved, the merchant
said, "I should have
taken much better care
of you while I could
have !"
Actually, we all have 4
wives in our lives
a. The 4th wife is our
body. No matter how
much time and effort
we lavish in making it
look good, it'll leave us
when we die.
b. Our 3rd wife ? Our
possessions, status
and wealth. When we
die, they all go to
others.
c. The 2nd wife is our
family and friends. No
matter how close they
had been there for us
when we're alive, the
furthest they can stay
by us is up to the grave.
d. The 1st wife is in
fact our soul, often
neglected in our pursuit
of material, wealth and
sensual pleasure.
Guess what? It is
actually the only thing
that follows us
wherever we go.
Perhaps it's a good idea
to cultivate and
strengthen it now
rather than to wait until
we're on our deathbed
to lament
merchant who had 4
wives. He loved the 4th
wife the most and
adorned her with rich
robes and treated her
to delicacies. He took
great care of her and
gave her nothing but
the best.
He also loved the 3rd
wife very much. He's
very proud of her and
always wanted to
show off her to his
friends. However, the
merchant is always in
great fear that she
might run away with
some other men.
He too, loved his 2nd
wife. She is a very
considerate person,
always patient and in
fact is the merchant's
confidante. Whenever
the merchant faced
some problems, he
always turned to his
2nd wife and she would
always help him out and
tide him through
difficult times.
Now, the merchant's
1st wife is a very loyal
partner and has made
great contributions in
maintaining his wealth
and business as well as
taking care of the
household. However,
the merchant did not
love the first wife and
although she loved him
deeply, he hardly took
notice of her.
One day, the merchant
fell ill. Before long, he
knew that he was
going to die soon. He
thought of his luxurious
life and told himself,
"Now I have 4 wives
with me. But when I
die, I'll be alone. How
lonely I'll be!"
Thus, he asked the 4th
wife, "I loved you most,
endowed you with the
finest clothing and
showered great care
over you. Now that I'm
dying, will you follow
me and keep me
company?" "No way!"
replied the 4th wife and
she walked away
without another word.
The answer cut like a
sharp knife right into
the merchant's heart.
The sad merchant then
asked the 3rd wife, "I
have loved you so much
for all my life. Now that
I'm dying, will you
follow me and keep me
company?" "No!" replied
the 3rd wife. "Life is so
good over here! I'm
going to remarry when
you die!" The
merchant's heart sank
and turned cold.
He then asked the 2nd
wife, "I always turned
to you for help and
you've always helped
me out. Now I need
your help again. When I
die, will you follow me
and keep me company?"
"I'm sorry, I can't help
you out this time!"
replied the 2nd wife. "At
the very most, I can
only send you to your
grave." The answer
came like a bolt of
thunder and the
merchant was
devastated.
Then a voice called out :
"I'll leave with you. I'll
follow you no matter
where you go." The
merchant looked up and
there was his first
wife. She was so
skinny, almost like she
suffered from
malnutrition. Greatly
grieved, the merchant
said, "I should have
taken much better care
of you while I could
have !"
Actually, we all have 4
wives in our lives
a. The 4th wife is our
body. No matter how
much time and effort
we lavish in making it
look good, it'll leave us
when we die.
b. Our 3rd wife ? Our
possessions, status
and wealth. When we
die, they all go to
others.
c. The 2nd wife is our
family and friends. No
matter how close they
had been there for us
when we're alive, the
furthest they can stay
by us is up to the grave.
d. The 1st wife is in
fact our soul, often
neglected in our pursuit
of material, wealth and
sensual pleasure.
Guess what? It is
actually the only thing
that follows us
wherever we go.
Perhaps it's a good idea
to cultivate and
strengthen it now
rather than to wait until
we're on our deathbed
to lament
Love and Time
Once upon a
time, there was
an island where
all the feelings
lived: Happiness,
Sadness,
Knowledge, and
all of the others,
including Love.
One day it was
announced to
the feelings
that the island
would sink, so all
constructed
boats and left.
Except for Love.
Love was the
only one who
stayed. Love
wanted to hold
out until the last
possible
moment.
When the island
had almost sunk,
Love decided to
ask for help.
Richness was
passing by Love
in a grand boat.
Love said,
"Richness, can
you take me
with you?"
Richness
answered, "No, I
can't. There is a
lot of gold and
silver in my boat.
There is no place
here for you."
Love decided to
ask Vanity who
was also passing
by in a beautiful
vessel. "Vanity,
please help me!"
"I can't help you,
Love. You are all
wet and might
damage my
boat," Vanity
answered.
Sadness was
close by so Love
asked,
"Sadness, let me
go with you."
"Oh . . . Love, I
am so sad that I
need to be by
myself!"
Happiness
passed by Love,
too, but she was
so happy that
she did not even
hear when Love
called her.
Suddenly, there
was a voice,
"Come, Love, I
will take you." It
was an elder. So
blessed and
overjoyed, Love
even forgot to
ask the elder
where they were
going. When
they arrived at
dry land, the
elder went her
own way.
Realizing how
much was owed
the elder,
Love asked
Knowledge,
another elder,
"Who Helped
me?"
"It was Time,"
Knowledge
answered.
"Time?" asked
Love. "But why
did Time help
me?"
Knowledge
smiled with deep
wisdom and
answered,
"Because only
Time is capable
of
understanding
how valuable
Love is."
time, there was
an island where
all the feelings
lived: Happiness,
Sadness,
Knowledge, and
all of the others,
including Love.
One day it was
announced to
the feelings
that the island
would sink, so all
constructed
boats and left.
Except for Love.
Love was the
only one who
stayed. Love
wanted to hold
out until the last
possible
moment.
When the island
had almost sunk,
Love decided to
ask for help.
Richness was
passing by Love
in a grand boat.
Love said,
"Richness, can
you take me
with you?"
Richness
answered, "No, I
can't. There is a
lot of gold and
silver in my boat.
There is no place
here for you."
Love decided to
ask Vanity who
was also passing
by in a beautiful
vessel. "Vanity,
please help me!"
"I can't help you,
Love. You are all
wet and might
damage my
boat," Vanity
answered.
Sadness was
close by so Love
asked,
"Sadness, let me
go with you."
"Oh . . . Love, I
am so sad that I
need to be by
myself!"
Happiness
passed by Love,
too, but she was
so happy that
she did not even
hear when Love
called her.
Suddenly, there
was a voice,
"Come, Love, I
will take you." It
was an elder. So
blessed and
overjoyed, Love
even forgot to
ask the elder
where they were
going. When
they arrived at
dry land, the
elder went her
own way.
Realizing how
much was owed
the elder,
Love asked
Knowledge,
another elder,
"Who Helped
me?"
"It was Time,"
Knowledge
answered.
"Time?" asked
Love. "But why
did Time help
me?"
Knowledge
smiled with deep
wisdom and
answered,
"Because only
Time is capable
of
understanding
how valuable
Love is."
Sand and Stone
A story tells that
two friends were
walking through
the desert. During
some point of the
journey they had
an argument, and
one friend slapped
the other one in
the face. The one
who got slapped
was hurt, but
without saying
anything, wrote in
the sand: "TODAY
MY BEST FRIEND
SLAPPED ME IN THE
FACE."
They kept on
walking until they
found an oasis,
where they
decided to take a
bath. The one, who
had been slapped,
got stuck in the
mire and started
drowning, but the
friend saved him.
After the friend
recovered from
the near drowning,
he wrote on a
stone: "TODAY MY
BEST FRIEND
SAVED MY LIFE."
The friend who
had slapped and
saved his best
friend asked him,
"After I hurt you,
you wrote in the
sand and now, you
write on a stone,
why?"
The other friend
replied: "When
someone hurts us,
we should write it
down in sand
where winds of
forgiveness can
erase it away. But,
when someone
does something
good for us, we
must engrave it in
stone where no
wind can ever
erase it."
LEARN TO WRITE
YOUR HURTS IN
THE SAND, AND TO
CARVE YOUR
BENEFITS IN
STONE
two friends were
walking through
the desert. During
some point of the
journey they had
an argument, and
one friend slapped
the other one in
the face. The one
who got slapped
was hurt, but
without saying
anything, wrote in
the sand: "TODAY
MY BEST FRIEND
SLAPPED ME IN THE
FACE."
They kept on
walking until they
found an oasis,
where they
decided to take a
bath. The one, who
had been slapped,
got stuck in the
mire and started
drowning, but the
friend saved him.
After the friend
recovered from
the near drowning,
he wrote on a
stone: "TODAY MY
BEST FRIEND
SAVED MY LIFE."
The friend who
had slapped and
saved his best
friend asked him,
"After I hurt you,
you wrote in the
sand and now, you
write on a stone,
why?"
The other friend
replied: "When
someone hurts us,
we should write it
down in sand
where winds of
forgiveness can
erase it away. But,
when someone
does something
good for us, we
must engrave it in
stone where no
wind can ever
erase it."
LEARN TO WRITE
YOUR HURTS IN
THE SAND, AND TO
CARVE YOUR
BENEFITS IN
STONE
Generosity
Mahatma Gandhi went
from city to city, village
to village collecting
funds for the Charkha
Sangh. During one of his
tours he addressed a
meeting in Orissa. After
his speech a poor old
woman got up. She was
bent with age, her hair
was grey and her
clothes were in tatters.
The volunteers tried to
stop her, but she
fought her way to the
place where Gandhiji
was sitting. "I must see
him," she insisted and
going up to Gandhiji
touched his feet. Then
from the folds of her
sari she brought out a
copper coin and placed it
at his feet. Gandhiji
picked up the copper
coin and put it away
carefully. The Charkha
Sangh funds were
under the charge of
Jamnalal Bajaj. He asked
Gandhiji for the coin but
Gandhiji refused. "I keep
cheques worth
thousands of rupees
for the Charkha Sangh,"
Jamnalal Bajaj said
laughingly "yet you
won't trust me with a
copper coin." "This
copper coin is worth
much more than those
thousands," Gandhiji
said. "If a man has
several lakhs and he
gives away a thousand
or two, it doesn't mean
much. But this coin was
perhaps all that the
poor woman
possessed. She gave
me all she had. That
was very generous of
her. What a great
sacrifice she made.
That is why I value this
copper coin more than a
crore of rupees."
from city to city, village
to village collecting
funds for the Charkha
Sangh. During one of his
tours he addressed a
meeting in Orissa. After
his speech a poor old
woman got up. She was
bent with age, her hair
was grey and her
clothes were in tatters.
The volunteers tried to
stop her, but she
fought her way to the
place where Gandhiji
was sitting. "I must see
him," she insisted and
going up to Gandhiji
touched his feet. Then
from the folds of her
sari she brought out a
copper coin and placed it
at his feet. Gandhiji
picked up the copper
coin and put it away
carefully. The Charkha
Sangh funds were
under the charge of
Jamnalal Bajaj. He asked
Gandhiji for the coin but
Gandhiji refused. "I keep
cheques worth
thousands of rupees
for the Charkha Sangh,"
Jamnalal Bajaj said
laughingly "yet you
won't trust me with a
copper coin." "This
copper coin is worth
much more than those
thousands," Gandhiji
said. "If a man has
several lakhs and he
gives away a thousand
or two, it doesn't mean
much. But this coin was
perhaps all that the
poor woman
possessed. She gave
me all she had. That
was very generous of
her. What a great
sacrifice she made.
That is why I value this
copper coin more than a
crore of rupees."
King Grisly Beard
A great king of a land
far away in the East
had a daughter who
was very beautiful, but
so proud and haughty
and conceited, that
none of the princes who
came to ask for her
hand in marriage was
good enough for her. All
she ever did was make
fun of them.
Once upon a time the
king held a great feast
and invited all her
suitors. They all sat in a
row, ranged according
to their rank -- kings
and princes and dukes
and earls and counts
and barons and knights.
When the princess
came in, as she passed
by them, she had
something spiteful to
say to each one.
The first was too
fat: 'He's as round as a
tub,' she said.
The next was too
tall: 'What a maypole!'
she said.
The next was too
short: 'What a
dumpling!' she said.
The fourth was too
pale, and she called him
'Wallface.'
The fifth was too
red, so she called him
'Coxcomb.'
The sixth was not
straight enough; so she
said he was like a green
stick that had been laid
to dry over a baker's
oven. She had some
joke to crack about
every one. But she
laughed most of all at a
good king who was
there.
'Look at him,' she
said; 'his beard is like an
old mop; he shall be
called Grisly-beard.' So
the king got the
nickname of Grisly-
beard.
But the old king was
very angry when he
saw how his daughter
behaved and how badly
she treated all his
guests. He vowed that,
willing or unwilling, she
would marry the first
man that came to the
door.
Two days later a
travelling fiddler came
by the castle. He began
to play under the
window and begged for
money and when the
king heard him, he said,
'Let him come in.'
< 2 >
So, they brought the
dirty-looking fellow in
and, when he had sung
before the king and the
princess, he begged for
a gift.
The king said, 'You
have sung so well that I
will give you my
daughter to take as
your wife.'
The princess begged
and prayed; but the king
said, 'I have sworn to
give you to the first
man who came to the
door, and I will keep my
word.'
Words and tears
were to no avail; the
parson was sent for,
and she was married to
the fiddler.
When this was over,
the king said, 'Now get
ready to leave -- you
must not stay here --
you must travel with
your husband.'
So the fiddler left
the castle, and took the
princess with him.
Soon they came to a
great wood.
'Pray,' she said,
'whose is this wood?'
'It belongs to King
Grisly-beard,' he
answered; 'hadst thou
taken him, all would
have been thine.'
'Ah! unlucky wretch
that I am!' she sighed;
'would that I had
married King Grisly-
beard!'
Next they came to
some fine meadows.
'Whose are these
beautiful green
meadows?' she said.
'They belong to King
Grisly-beard, hadst thou
taken him, they would
all have been thine.'
'Ah! unlucky wretch
that I am!' she said;
'would that I had
married King Grisly-
beard!'
Then they came to a
great city. 'Whose is
this noble city?' she
said.
'It belongs to King
Grisly-beard; hadst thou
taken him, it would all
have been thine.'
< 3 >
'Ah! wretch that I
am!' she sighed; 'why
did I not marry King
Grisly-beard?'
'That is no business
of mine,' said the
fiddler, 'why should you
wish for another
husband? Am I not
good enough for you?'
At last they came to
a small cottage. 'What a
paltry place!' she said;
'to whom does that
little dirty hole belong?'
The fiddler said,
'That is your and my
house, where we are to
live.'
'Where are your
servants?' she cried.
'What do we want
with servants?' he said;
'you must do for
yourself whatever is to
be done. Now make the
fire, and put on water
and cook my supper, for
I am very tired.'
But the princess
knew nothing of making
fires and cooking, and
the fiddler was forced
to help her.
When they had
eaten a very scanty
meal they went to bed;
but the fiddler called her
up very early in the
morning to clean the
house.
They lived like that
for two days and when
they had eaten up all
there was in the
cottage, the man said,
'Wife, we can't go on
thus, spending money
and earning nothing. You
must learn to weave
baskets.'
Then the fiddler
went out and cut
willows, and brought
them home, and she
began to weave; but it
made her fingers very
sore.
'I see this work
won't do,' he said, 'try
and spin; perhaps you
will do that better.'
So she sat down and
tried to spin; but the
threads cut her tender
fingers until the blood
ran.
'See now,' said the
fiddler, 'you are good for
nothing; you can do no
work. What a bargain I
have got! However, I'll
try and set up a trade in
pots and pans, and you
shall stand in the
market and sell them.'
< 4 >
'Alas!' she sighed, 'if
any of my father's
court should pass by
and see me standing in
the market, how they
will laugh at me!'
But her husband did
not care about that,
and said she would
have to work if she did
not want to die of
hunger.
At first the trade
went well because
many people, seeing
such a beautiful
woman, went to buy
her wares and paid their
money without even
thinking of taking away
the goods. They lived on
this as long as it lasted
and then her husband
bought a fresh lot of
pots and pans, and she
sat herself down with
it in the corner of the
market.
However, soon a
drunken soldier soon
came by and rode his
horse against her stall
and broke all her goods
into a thousand pieces.
She began to cry,
and did not know what
to do. 'Ah! what will
become of me?' she
said; 'what will my
husband say?' So she
ran home and told him
everything.
'Who would have
thought you would have
been so silly,' he said,
'as to put an
earthenware stall in the
corner of the market,
where everybody
passes? But let us have
no more crying; I see
you are not fit for this
sort of work, so I have
been to the king's
palace, and asked if
they did not want a
kitchen-maid; and they
say they will take you,
and there you will have
plenty to eat.'
So the princess
became a kitchen-maid
and helped the cook to
do all the dirtiest work.
She was allowed to
carry home some of the
meat that was left
over, and they lived on
that.
She had not been
there long before she
heard that the king's
eldest son was passing
by, on his way to get
married. She went to
one of the windows
and looked out.
Everything was ready
and all the pomp and
brightness of the court
was there. Seeing it,
she grieved bitterly for
the pride and folly that
had brought her so low.
The servants gave her
some of the rich meats
and she put them into
her basket to take
home.
< 5 >
All of a sudden, as
she was leaving, in
came the king's son in
his golden clothes. When
he saw such a beautiful
woman at the door, he
took her by the hand
and said she should be
his partner in the dance.
She trembled with fear
because she saw that
it was King Grisly-beard,
who was making fun of
her. However, he kept
hold of her, and led her
into the hall. As she
entered, the cover of
the basket came off,
and the meats in it fell
out. Everybody laughed
and jeered at her and
she was so ashamed
that she wished she
were a thousand feet
deep in the earth. She
sprang over to the door
so that she could run
away but on the steps
King Grisly-beard
overtook her, brought
her back and said:
'Fear me not! I am
the fiddler who has
lived with you in the
hut. I brought you there
because I truly loved
you. I am also the
soldier that overset
your stall. I have done
all this only to cure you
of your silly pride, and
to show you the folly of
your ill-treatment of
me. Now it is all over:
you have learnt
wisdom, and it is time
to hold our marriage
feast.'
Then the
chamberlains came and
brought her the most
beautiful robes. Her
father and his whole
court were already
there, and they
welcomed her home.
Joy was in every face
and every heart. The
feast was grand; they
danced and sang;
everyone was merry;
and I only wish that you
and I had been there.
far away in the East
had a daughter who
was very beautiful, but
so proud and haughty
and conceited, that
none of the princes who
came to ask for her
hand in marriage was
good enough for her. All
she ever did was make
fun of them.
Once upon a time the
king held a great feast
and invited all her
suitors. They all sat in a
row, ranged according
to their rank -- kings
and princes and dukes
and earls and counts
and barons and knights.
When the princess
came in, as she passed
by them, she had
something spiteful to
say to each one.
The first was too
fat: 'He's as round as a
tub,' she said.
The next was too
tall: 'What a maypole!'
she said.
The next was too
short: 'What a
dumpling!' she said.
The fourth was too
pale, and she called him
'Wallface.'
The fifth was too
red, so she called him
'Coxcomb.'
The sixth was not
straight enough; so she
said he was like a green
stick that had been laid
to dry over a baker's
oven. She had some
joke to crack about
every one. But she
laughed most of all at a
good king who was
there.
'Look at him,' she
said; 'his beard is like an
old mop; he shall be
called Grisly-beard.' So
the king got the
nickname of Grisly-
beard.
But the old king was
very angry when he
saw how his daughter
behaved and how badly
she treated all his
guests. He vowed that,
willing or unwilling, she
would marry the first
man that came to the
door.
Two days later a
travelling fiddler came
by the castle. He began
to play under the
window and begged for
money and when the
king heard him, he said,
'Let him come in.'
< 2 >
So, they brought the
dirty-looking fellow in
and, when he had sung
before the king and the
princess, he begged for
a gift.
The king said, 'You
have sung so well that I
will give you my
daughter to take as
your wife.'
The princess begged
and prayed; but the king
said, 'I have sworn to
give you to the first
man who came to the
door, and I will keep my
word.'
Words and tears
were to no avail; the
parson was sent for,
and she was married to
the fiddler.
When this was over,
the king said, 'Now get
ready to leave -- you
must not stay here --
you must travel with
your husband.'
So the fiddler left
the castle, and took the
princess with him.
Soon they came to a
great wood.
'Pray,' she said,
'whose is this wood?'
'It belongs to King
Grisly-beard,' he
answered; 'hadst thou
taken him, all would
have been thine.'
'Ah! unlucky wretch
that I am!' she sighed;
'would that I had
married King Grisly-
beard!'
Next they came to
some fine meadows.
'Whose are these
beautiful green
meadows?' she said.
'They belong to King
Grisly-beard, hadst thou
taken him, they would
all have been thine.'
'Ah! unlucky wretch
that I am!' she said;
'would that I had
married King Grisly-
beard!'
Then they came to a
great city. 'Whose is
this noble city?' she
said.
'It belongs to King
Grisly-beard; hadst thou
taken him, it would all
have been thine.'
< 3 >
'Ah! wretch that I
am!' she sighed; 'why
did I not marry King
Grisly-beard?'
'That is no business
of mine,' said the
fiddler, 'why should you
wish for another
husband? Am I not
good enough for you?'
At last they came to
a small cottage. 'What a
paltry place!' she said;
'to whom does that
little dirty hole belong?'
The fiddler said,
'That is your and my
house, where we are to
live.'
'Where are your
servants?' she cried.
'What do we want
with servants?' he said;
'you must do for
yourself whatever is to
be done. Now make the
fire, and put on water
and cook my supper, for
I am very tired.'
But the princess
knew nothing of making
fires and cooking, and
the fiddler was forced
to help her.
When they had
eaten a very scanty
meal they went to bed;
but the fiddler called her
up very early in the
morning to clean the
house.
They lived like that
for two days and when
they had eaten up all
there was in the
cottage, the man said,
'Wife, we can't go on
thus, spending money
and earning nothing. You
must learn to weave
baskets.'
Then the fiddler
went out and cut
willows, and brought
them home, and she
began to weave; but it
made her fingers very
sore.
'I see this work
won't do,' he said, 'try
and spin; perhaps you
will do that better.'
So she sat down and
tried to spin; but the
threads cut her tender
fingers until the blood
ran.
'See now,' said the
fiddler, 'you are good for
nothing; you can do no
work. What a bargain I
have got! However, I'll
try and set up a trade in
pots and pans, and you
shall stand in the
market and sell them.'
< 4 >
'Alas!' she sighed, 'if
any of my father's
court should pass by
and see me standing in
the market, how they
will laugh at me!'
But her husband did
not care about that,
and said she would
have to work if she did
not want to die of
hunger.
At first the trade
went well because
many people, seeing
such a beautiful
woman, went to buy
her wares and paid their
money without even
thinking of taking away
the goods. They lived on
this as long as it lasted
and then her husband
bought a fresh lot of
pots and pans, and she
sat herself down with
it in the corner of the
market.
However, soon a
drunken soldier soon
came by and rode his
horse against her stall
and broke all her goods
into a thousand pieces.
She began to cry,
and did not know what
to do. 'Ah! what will
become of me?' she
said; 'what will my
husband say?' So she
ran home and told him
everything.
'Who would have
thought you would have
been so silly,' he said,
'as to put an
earthenware stall in the
corner of the market,
where everybody
passes? But let us have
no more crying; I see
you are not fit for this
sort of work, so I have
been to the king's
palace, and asked if
they did not want a
kitchen-maid; and they
say they will take you,
and there you will have
plenty to eat.'
So the princess
became a kitchen-maid
and helped the cook to
do all the dirtiest work.
She was allowed to
carry home some of the
meat that was left
over, and they lived on
that.
She had not been
there long before she
heard that the king's
eldest son was passing
by, on his way to get
married. She went to
one of the windows
and looked out.
Everything was ready
and all the pomp and
brightness of the court
was there. Seeing it,
she grieved bitterly for
the pride and folly that
had brought her so low.
The servants gave her
some of the rich meats
and she put them into
her basket to take
home.
< 5 >
All of a sudden, as
she was leaving, in
came the king's son in
his golden clothes. When
he saw such a beautiful
woman at the door, he
took her by the hand
and said she should be
his partner in the dance.
She trembled with fear
because she saw that
it was King Grisly-beard,
who was making fun of
her. However, he kept
hold of her, and led her
into the hall. As she
entered, the cover of
the basket came off,
and the meats in it fell
out. Everybody laughed
and jeered at her and
she was so ashamed
that she wished she
were a thousand feet
deep in the earth. She
sprang over to the door
so that she could run
away but on the steps
King Grisly-beard
overtook her, brought
her back and said:
'Fear me not! I am
the fiddler who has
lived with you in the
hut. I brought you there
because I truly loved
you. I am also the
soldier that overset
your stall. I have done
all this only to cure you
of your silly pride, and
to show you the folly of
your ill-treatment of
me. Now it is all over:
you have learnt
wisdom, and it is time
to hold our marriage
feast.'
Then the
chamberlains came and
brought her the most
beautiful robes. Her
father and his whole
court were already
there, and they
welcomed her home.
Joy was in every face
and every heart. The
feast was grand; they
danced and sang;
everyone was merry;
and I only wish that you
and I had been there.
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