Short Stories
Short Stories
Short Stories
There once was a little boy who had a bad temper. His Father
gave him a bag of nails and told him that every time he lost his
temper, he must hammer a nail into the back of the fence.
The first day the boy had driven 37 nails into the fence. Over
the next few weeks, as he learned to control his anger, the number
of nails hammered daily gradually dwindled down. He discovered it
was easier to hold his temper than to drive those nails into the
fence.
Finally the day came when the boy didn’t lose his temper at
all. He told his father about it and the father suggested that the boy
now pull out one nail for each day that he was able to hold his
temper. The day passed and the young boy was finally able to tell
his father that all the nails were gone. The father took his son by the
hand and led him to the fence. He said, “You have done well, my
son, but look at the holes in the fence.”
The fence will never be the same. When you say things in
anger, they leave a scar just like this one. You
can put a knife in a man and draw it out. It
won’t matter how many times you say I’m
sorry, the wound is still there. A verbal wound
is as bad as a physical one.
1
Butterfly and Cocoon
What this man in his kindness and haste did not understand
was that the restricting cocoon and the struggle required for the
butterfly to get through the tiny opening were nature's way of
forcing fluid from the body of the butterfly into its wings so that it
would be ready for flight once it achieved its freedom from the
cocoon.
2
Once upon a time, there
was a king who ruled a
prosperous country.
One day, he went for a
trip to some distant
areas of his country.
When he was back to
his palace, he
complained that his feet
were very painful, because it was the first time that he went for such
a long trip, and the road that he went through was very rough and
stony. He then ordered his people to cover every road of the entire
country with leather.
Definitely, this would need thousands of cows’ skin, and would cost
ahuge amount of money.
Then one of his wise servants dared himself to tell the king, “Why
do you have to spend that unnecessary amount of money? Why
don’t you just cut a little piece of leather to cover your feet?”
Generosity
3
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.
4
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 his 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
5
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.”
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?”
6
A long time ago, there was a huge apple tree. A little boy
loved to come and play around it every day. He climbed to the
treetop, ate the apples, and took a nap under the shadow. He loved
the tree and the tree loved to play with him. Time went by, the little
boy had grown up and he no
longer played around the tree every day.
One day, the boy came back to the tree and he looked sad.
“Come and play with me”, the tree asked the boy.
“Sorry, but I do not have money, but you can pick all my
apples and sell them. So, you will have money.”
The boy was so excited. He grabbed all the apples on the tree
and left happily. The boy never came back after he picked the
apples. The tree was sad.
One day, the boy who now turned into a man returned and the
tree was excited.
“Sorry, but I do not have any house. But you can chop off my
branches to build your house.” So the man cut all the branches of
the tree and left happily. The tree was glad to see him happy but the
man never came back since then. The tree was again lonely and sad.
One hot summer day, the man returned and the tree was
delighted.
7
“I am getting old. I want to go sailing to relax myself. Can
you give me a boat?” said the man.
“Use my trunk to build your boat. You can sail far away and
be happy.”
So the man cut the tree trunk to make a boat. He went sailing
and never showed up for a long time.
“No more trunk for you to climb on.” “I am too old for that
now” the man said. “I really cannot give you anything, the only
thing left is my dying roots,” the tree said with tears.
“Good! Old tree roots are the best place to lean on and rest,
come sit down with me and rest.” The man sat down and the tree
was glad and smiled with tears.
You may think the boy is cruel to the tree, but that is how all
of us treat our parents. We take them for granted; we don’t
appreciate all they do for us, until it’s too late.
8
A father had a family of sons
who were always quarreling among
themselves. When he failed to solve
their fights with his advice, he
decided to give them a practical
illustration of the evils of disunion;
and for this purpose he one day told
them to bring him a bundle of sticks.
When they had done so, he placed the bundle into the hands
of each of them in succession, and ordered them to break it in
pieces. They tried with all their strength, but were not able to do it.
9
Patty the Milkmaid was
going to market carrying her
milk in a pail on her head.
10
One day a young man was standing in
the middle of the town proclaiming that he had
the most beautiful heart in the whole valley.
Suddenly, an old man appeared at the front of the crowd and said,
“Why your heart is not nearly as beautiful as mine.”
The crowd and the young man looked at the old man’s heart. It was
beating strongly ... but full of scars. It had places where pieces had been
removed and other pieces put in ... but they didn’t fit quite right and there
were several jagged edges.
In fact, in some places there were deep gouges where whole pieces
were missing. The people starred ... how could he say his heart is more
beautiful, they thought?
The young man looked at the old man’s heart and saw its state and
laughed.
“You must be joking,” he said. “Compare your heart with mine ... mine
is perfect and yours is a mess of scars and tears.”
“Yes,” said the old man, “Yours is perfect looking ... but I would never
trade with you. You see, every scar represents a person to whom I have given
my love..... I tear out a piece of my heart and
give it to them ... and often they give me a piece of their heart which fits into
the empty place in my heart ... but because the pieces aren’t exact, I have
some rough edges, which I cherish, because they remind me of the love we
shared.
Sometimes I have given pieces of my heart away ... and the other
person hasn’t returned a piece of his heart to me. These are the empty
gouges ... giving love is taking a chance. Although these
gouges are painful, they stay open, reminding me of the love I have for these
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people too ... and I hope someday they may return and fill the space I have
waiting. So now do you see what true beauty is?”
The young man stood silently with tears running down his cheeks. He
walked up to the old man, reached into his perfect young and beautiful heart,
and ripped a piece out. He offered it to the old man with trembling hands.
The old man took his offering, placed it in his heart and then took a
piece from his old scarred heart and placed it in the wound in the young
man’s heart. It fit.... but not perfectly, as there were
some jagged edges.
The young man looked at his heart, not perfect anymore but more
beautiful than ever, since love from the old man’s heart flowed into his. They
embraced and walked away side by side.
The Rope
12
The night fell heavy in the heights of the
mountains and the man could not see anything. All
was black. Zero visibility, and the moon and the
stars were covered by the clouds. As he was
climbing only a few feet away from the top of the
mountain, he slipped and fell in to the air, falling at
great speed. He could only see black spots as he
went down, and the terrible sensation of being
sucked by gravity.
Only the rope was holding him and in that moment of stillness he had
no other choice other to scream: “Help me God.”
All of a sudden a deep voice coming from the sky answered, “What do
you want me to do?”
“Save me God.”
There was a moment of silence and the man decided to hold on to the
rope with all his strength. The rescue team tells that the next day a climber
was found dead and frozen, his body hanging from a rope. His hands holding
tight to it only one foot away from the ground.
How attached we are to our rope will we let go??? Don’t ever doubt about the
words of God. We should never say that He has forgotten us or abandoned us.
13
Once upon a time there was a man who had a big garden. He
had planted many fruit trees and cared for them till they bear fruits.
Now he wanted to pick up the fruits and sell them to make money
for his family.
One fine day while picking
fruits with his son, the man saw a
stranger sitting on the branch of a
tree and picking the fruits. This
man become angry and shouted,
“Hey you! What are you doing on
my tree? Aren’t you ashamed of
stealing fruits in the day time?”
The stranger on the branch just
looked at the gardener but didn’t
reply, and continued picking the fruits. The gardener was very
angry and shouted again, “For a whole year I have taken care of
these trees, you have no right to take the fruits without my
permission so come down at once!”
The stranger on the tree answered, “Why should I come
down? This is the garden of God and I am the servant of God, so I
have the right to pick these fruits and you should not interfere
between the work of God and his servant.” The gardener was very
surprised at this answer and thought of a plan. He called his son and
said, “go bring a rope and get this man down from the tree.” His son
brought the rope and the gardener ordered him to tie the stranger to
the tree. The gardener then took a stick and started to beat the
stranger. The stranger began to scream. “Why are you beating me?
You have no right to do this.”
The gardener paid no attention and continued beating him.
The stranger screamed, “Don’t you fear God, you are beating an
innocent man? The gardener answered, “Why should I fear? This
wood in my hand belongs to God and I am too the servant of God,
so I have nothing to fear, and you shouldn’t interfere with the work
of God and his servant.” The stranger hesitated and then spoke,
“Wait don’t beat me, I am sorry for taking the fruits. This is your
14
garden and I should seek your permission before taking the fruits.
So, please forgive and set me free.”
The gardener smiled and said, “Since you have now realized
your mistake, I will forgive you but remember that God has given
all his servants brains so every person’s deeds are in his own
hands.” Then the gardener untied him and let him go free.
15
A Merchant and His Donkey
There was nothing the merchant could do, except return home
where he loaded his donkey with more bags of salt. As they reached
the slippery riverbank, now deliberately, the donkey fell into the
river and wasted all the bags of salt on its back again.
The foolish, tricky donkey again set on its way. On reaching the
river he again fell into the water. But instead of the load becoming
lighter, it became heavier.
The merchant laughed at him and said: “You foolish donkey, your
trick had been discovered, you should know that, those who are too
clever sometimes over reach themselves.”
Christmas Surprise
16
It was two days before
Christmas. Harry, Cornelius,
Monty and I were busy building
a snowman when Fritz appeared
with his little niece Emily and
introduced her.
“Emily is from the South and
has never seen snow before,”
Fritz told us. “She doesn’t know
much about our winters.”
It turned out Emily also didn’t know much about
Christmas.”Who is Santa Claus, Waldo?” she asked me, shivering in
the cold air.
“Santa Claus,” I
explained, “brings presents
and toys to human children
at Christmas time.”
“Does he also bring presents
to animal children?” Emily
asked.
“Well,” I said, “he
hasn’t been around this part
of the forest for many years.
I guess he is too busy
visiting all the human
children to have much time left for animals.”
“Do you think he will come if I write to him?” Emily asked.
“I don’t think so,” said Monty. “I’ve never seen him, myself.”
“Neither have I,” Harry added, shaking his head.
“You see. Santa Claus is only for human children,” Fritz said
to Emily. “So forget about the whole idea. Let’s go home now before
you catch a cold.”
17
Strong or Weak
There was a proud teak tree in the forest. He was tall and
strong. There was a small herb next to the tree.
At the same time, the herb bowed low. The teak made fun of
the herb.
One day there was a storm in the forest. The herb bowed low.
As usual the teak did not want to bow.
He fell down. This was the end of the proud tree. When
everything was calm the herb stood straight. He looked around. He
saw the proud teak had fallen.
18
The Boy Who Cried 'Wolf'
The villagers heard his cries but they laughed because they
thought it was another trick. The boy ran to the nearest villager and
said, “A wolf is attacking the sheep. I lied before, but this time it is
true!”
Finally, the villagers went to look. It was true. They could see
the wolf running away and many dead sheep lying on the grass.
We may not believe someone who often tells lies, even when he tells
the truth.
19
The Crystal Ball
The crystal ball was glittering like a colorful rainbow. Nasir carefully
took it in his hand and turned it around. With surprise suddenly he heard a
weak voice coming from the crystal ball. It said; “You can make a wish that
your heartdesires and I will fulfill it.” Nasir could not believe that he had
actually hearda voice. But he became so engrossed in his thoughts for he had
so many wishes but he must wish for something which was impossible like
the wish to be able to fly. He said to himself, if I wait till tomorrow I will
remember many things. He put the crystal ball in a bag and gathered the herd,
happily returned back to the village. He decided that he would not tell anyone
about the crystal ball. On the following day also, Nasir could not decide what
to wish for, because he really had everything he needed.
The days passed as usual, and Nasir appeared to be very cheerful that
the people around him were amazed to see his cheerful disposition. One day a
boy followed Nasir and his herd and hid behind a tree. Nasir as usual sat in
one corner, took out the crystal ball and for a few moments looked at it. The
boy waited for the moment when Nasir would go to sleep. Then he took the
crystal ball and ran away. When he arrived in the village, he called all the
people and showed them the crystal ball. The citizens of that village took the
crystal ball in their hand and turned it around with surprise. Suddenly they
heard a voice from inside the crystal ball, which says, “I can fulfill your
wish.” One person took the ball and screamed, “I want one bag full of gold.”
Another took the ball and said loudly, “I want two chest full of jewelry.”
20
Some of them wished that they would have their own palace with
grand door made from pure gold instead of their old houses. Some also
wished for bags full of jewelry, but nobody asked for gardens in their
palaces. All their wishes were fulfilled but still the citizens of the village
were not happy. They were jealous because the person that had a palace had
no gold and the person that had the gold had no palace. For this reason, the
citizens of the village were angry and were not speaking to each other. There
was not even one garden which existed in the village where the children
could play. The patience of the children was running out and they were
uncomfortable. Nasir and his family were happy and pleased. Every morning
and afternoon he would play the flute.
The children could not wait anymore and decided to return the crystal
ball to Nasir. The parents and neighbors went to him. The children said to
Nasir; “When we had a small village we all were happy and joyful.” The
parent also spoke. In one way or another nobody is happy. The expensive
palaces and jewelry only bring us pain. When Nasir saw that the people were
really regretful, he said I have not wished till now, if you really want
everything to return to its own place, then I will wish for it. Everyone
happily agreed. Nasir took the crystal ball in his hand turned around and
wished that the village become the same as it was before. Everyone quickly
turned towards the village and saw it became the same old village with
gardens full of trees and fruits.
Once again the people started to live happily and the children played
under the shade of trees. From the next day and everyday at sunset the sound
of Nasir’s flute could be heard in the village.
This story teaches us that we should be happy with whatever we have and not
to be greedy.
21
The Proud Red Rose
The proud red rose looked angrily at the pine and said, “I thought you
had good taste! You do not know what beauty is at all. You cannot compare
my thorns to that of the cactus.”
The rose tried to move its roots away from the cactus, but it could not
move. As the days passed, the red rose would look at the cactus and say
insulting things, like: This plant is useless? How sorry I am to be his
neighbor.
The cactus never got upset and he even tried to advise the rose, saying,
“God did not create any form of life without a purpose.”
Spring passed, and the weather became very warm. Life became
difficult in the forest, as the plants and animals needed water and no rain fell.
The red rose began to wilt. One day the rose saw sparrows stick their beaks
into the cactus and then fly away, refreshed.
This was puzzling, and the red rose asked
the pine tree what the birds were doing. The
pine tree explained that the birds got water
from the cactus. “Does it not hurt when they
make holes?” asked the rose.
22
“Yes, but the cactus does not like to see any birds suffer,” replied the pine.
The rose opened its eyes in wonder and said, “The cactus has water?”
“Yes you can also drink from it. The sparrow can bring water to you if you
ask the cactus for help.”
The red rose felt too ashamed of its past words and behavior to ask for
water from the cactus, but then it finally did ask the cactus for help. The
cactus kindly agreed and the birds filled their beaks with water and watered
the rose’s roots. Thus the rose learned a lesson and never judged anyone by
their appearance again.
23
One day, the man lost thirty gold coins. He went to his friend’s house
and told him how he lost his gold coins. His friend was a kind man.
As his friend’s daughter was coming from an errand she found thirty
gold coins, when she arrived home, she told her father what she had found.
The girl’s father told her that the gold coins belong to his friend and he sent
for him. When the selfish man arrived, he told him how his daughter had
found his thirty gold coins and handed then to him. After counting the gold
coins the man said that ten of them was missing and had been taken by the
girl as he had forty gold coins. He further commented that he will recover the
remaining amount from him. But the girl’s father refused.
The man left the gold coins and went to the court and informed the
judge there about what had taken place between him and the girl’s father.
The judge sent for the girl and her father, and when they arrived asked
the girl how many gold coins she found. She replied thirty gold coins. The
Judge that asked the selfish man how many gold coins he lost and he
answered forty gold coins.
The judge then told the man that the gold coins did not belong to him
because the girl found thirty and not forty as he claimed to have lost and then
told the girl to take the gold coins and that if any- body is looking for them he
will send for the girl.
The judge told the man that if anybody reports that they have found
forty gold coins he will send for him. It was then that the man confessed that
he lied and that he lost thirty gold coins but the judge did not listen to him.
The Ship
A voyaging
ship was wrecked
during a storm at
sea and only two of
the men on it were
able to swim to a
small, desert like
island.
24
The two survivors, not knowing what else to do, agreed that
they had no other recourse but to pray to God. However, to find out
whose prayer was more powerful, they agreed to divide the territory
between them and stay on opposite sides of the island.
The first thing they prayed for was food. The next morning,
the first man saw a fruit-bearing tree on his side of the land, and he
was able to eat its fruit. The other man’s parcel of land remained
barren.
After a week, the first man was lonely and he decided to pray
for a wife. The next day, another ship was wrecked, and the only
survivor was a woman who swam to his side of the land. On the
other side of the island, there was nothing.
Soon the first man prayed for a house, clothes, more food. The
next day, like magic, all of these were given to him. However, the
second man still had nothing.
Finally, the first man prayed for a ship, so that he and his wife
could leave the island. In the morning, he found a ship docked at his
side of the island. The first man boarded the ship with his wife and
decided to leave the second man on the island.
As the ship was about to leave, the first man heard a voice
from heaven booming, “Why are you leaving your companion on
the island?”
“My blessings are mine alone, since I was the one who prayed
for them,” the first man answered. “His prayers were all
unanswered and so he does not deserve anything.”
“You are mistaken!” the voice rebuked him. “He had only one
prayer, which I answered. If not for that, you would not have
received any of my blessings.”
25
“Tell me,” the first man asked the voice, “What did he pray
for that I should owe him anything?”
26
“Don’t be so ungrateful,” rustled the tree in reply. “I am
being extremely useful to you at this very moment, shielding you
from the hot sun. And you call me a good-for-nothing!”
27
True Wealth
28
On their return from their trip, the father asked his son, “How
was the trip?” “It was great, Dad.” “Did you see how poor people
can be?” the father asked. “Oh yeah” said the son. “So what did you
learn from the trip?” asked the father.
The son answered, “I saw that we have one dog and they had
four. We have a pool that reaches to the middle of our garden and
they have a creek that has no end.” “We have imported lanterns in
our garden and they have the stars at night.” “Our patio reaches to
the
front yard and they have the whole horizon.” “We have a small
piece of land to live on and they have fields that go beyond our
sight.” “We have servants who serve us, but they serve others.”
“We buy our food, but they grow theirs.” “We have walls around
our property to protect us; they have friends to protect them.”
With this the boy’s father was speechless. Then his son
added, “Thanks dad for showing me how poor we are.”
29
"Mistress," said the knight, "this donkey tries my temper. Will
you give me some spurs?”
"Oh, no, sir knight," the child answered. “You would hurt the
poor donkey; besides, you have no heels to put them on."
“Cruel knight!" exclaimed the donkey. “Make him get off,
dear mistress; I will carry him no longer."
“Let him stay," said the child, gently; “he has no legs, and
cannot walk."
“Then why did he want spurs?”
"Just the way of the world, dear donkey; just the way of the
world."
“Ah!" sighed the donkey, “some ways are very trying,
especially the world’s; “and then it said no more, but thought of the
fields it would never see, and the thistles it would never taste.
"Oh, do stop!” the little one cried out in terror; "does the
horse make that noise along the floor?"
“Yes."
30
"And is it a real noise?"
“But I thought only real things could make real things," the
little one said;” where does the imitation horse end and the real
sound begin?
"At this the big brother stood still for a few minutes.
"No, I am not," the little one laughed; and, getting astride the
wooden horse, he sat up bravely. "Oh, Jack, dear," he said to his
brother,” we will always be glad that we are real boys, or we too
might have been made with mouths we were never able to shut!"
She was always called the bad girl, for she had once, when she
was very little, put out her tongue at the postman. She lived alone
with her grandmother and her three brothers in the cottage beyond
the field, and the girls in the village took no notice of her. The bad
girl did not mind this, for she was always thinking of the cuckoo
clock. The clock stood in one corner of the cottage, and every hour a
door opened at the top of its face, and a little cuckoo came out and
called its name just the same number of times that the clock ought to
have struck, and called it so loudly and in so much haste that the
clock was afraid to strike at all. The bad girl was always wondering
whether it was worse for the clock to have a cupboard in its
forehead, and a bird that was always hopping in and out, or for the
poor cuckoo to spend so much time in a dark little prison. "If it could
only get away to the woods," she said to herself, " who knows but its
voice might grow sweet, and even life itself might come to it!
31
"She thought of the clock so much that her grandmother used to
say--
"You are not in prison, granny dear, and you have not even a
bee in your bonnet, let alone a bird in your head. Why should I think
of you?”
One day, close by the farm, she saw the big girls from the
school gathering flowers.
“Give me one," she said; "perhaps the cuckoo would like it."
But they all cried, "No, no!" and tried to frighten her away. "They
are for the little one's birthday. Tomorrow she will be seven years
old," they said,” and she is to have a crown of flowers and a cake,
and all the afternoon we shall play merry games with her."
“Is she unhappy, that you are taking so much trouble for her?“
asked the bad girl.
"Oh, no; she is very happy: but it will be her birthday, and we
want to make her happier.”
"Why?"
“Are all things that live to be loved and cared for? " the bad girl
asked, but they were too busy to listen, so she went on her way
thinking; and it seemed as if all things round the birds, and bees, and
the rustling leaves, and the little tender wild flowers, half hidden in
the grass answered, as she went along
32
"Yes, they are all to be cared for and made happier, if it be
possible."
"Oh, no; it is not alive," the trees answered; "but many things
that do not live have voices, and many others are just sign-posts,
pointing the way."
“We find out for ourselves; we must all find out for ourselves,"
the trees sighed and whispered to each other.
As the bad girl entered the cottage, the cuckoo called out its
name eleven times, but she did not even look up. She walked straight
across to the chair by the fireside, and kneeling down, kissed her
granny's hands.
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By and by she heard another little TAP, TAP, TAP
on the window pane.
"Who is there?" she said.
The same soft little voice answered,
"It's the Rain, and I want to come in!"
"No, you can't come in," said the little
Rosebud.
Then it was very still for a long
time. At last, there came a little rustling, whispering sound, all
round the window: RUSTLE, WHISPER, WHISPER.
"Who is there?" said the little Rosebud.
"It's the Sunshine," said a little, soft,
cheery voice, "and I want to come in!"
"N--no," said the little pink rose, "you
can't come in." And she sat still again.
Pretty soon she heard the sweet little
rustling noise at the key-hole.
"Who is there?" she said.
"It's the Sunshine," said the cheery little voice, "and I want to
come in, I want to come in!"
"No, no," said the little pink rose, "you cannot come in."
By and by, as she sat so still, she heard TAP, TAP, TAP, and
RUSTLE, WHISPER, RUSTLE, all up and down the window pane,
and on the door, and at the key-hole.
"WHO IS THERE?" she said.
"It's the Rain and the Sun, the Rain
and the Sun," said two little voices,
together, "and we want to come in! We
want to come in! We want to come in!"
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"Dear, dear!" said the little Rosebud, "if there are two of you, I
s'pose I shall have to let you in."
So she opened the door a little wee crack, and in they
came. And one took one of her little hands, and the other took her
other little hand, and they ran, ran, ran with her, right up to the top of
the ground. Then they said,--
"Poke your head through!"
So she poked her head through; and she was in the midst of a
beautiful garden. It was springtime, and all the other flowers had
their heads poked through; and she was the prettiest little pink rose
in the whole garden!
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The Carrot, the Egg, and the Coffee Bean
She let them sit and boil, without saying a word. In about
twenty minutes, she turned off the burners. She fished the carrots out
and placed them in a bowl. She pulled the eggs out and placed them
in a bowl. Then she ladled the coffee out and placed it in a bowl.
Turning to her daughter, she asked, "Tell me, what do you see?"
Her mother explained that each of these objects had faced the
same adversity - boiling water - but each reacted differently. The
carrot went in strong, hard and unrelenting. However, after being
subjected to the boiling water, it softened and became weak.
The egg had been fragile. Its thin outer shell had protected its
liquid interior. But, after sitting through the boiling water, its inside
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became hardened! The ground coffee beans were unique, however.
After they were in the boiling water, they had changed the water.
If you are like the bean, when things are at their worst, you get
better and change the situation around you. When the hours are the
darkest and trials are their greatest, do you elevate to another level?
How do you handle adversity? Are you a carrot, an egg, or a coffee
bean?
37
The Seeker of Truth
38
At last he understood the message of the well: we have already
been given everything we need: our task is to assemble and use it in
the appropriate way. Nothing is meaningful so long as we perceive
only separate fragments. But as soon as the fragments come together
into a synthesis, a new entity emerges, whose nature we could not
have foreseen by considering the fragments alone.
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The Secret of Happiness
"Well", asked the wise man, "Did you see the Persian tapestries
that are hanging in my dining hall? Did you see the garden that it
took the master gardener ten years to create? Did you notice the
beautiful parchments in my library?"
40
The boy was embarrassed, and confessed that he had observed
nothing. His only concern had been not to spill the oil that the wise
man had entrusted to him.
"But where are the drops of oil I entrusted to you?" asked the
wise man. Looking down at the spoon he held, the boy saw that the
oil was gone.
"Well, there is only one piece of advice I can give you", said
the wisest of wise men. "The secret of happiness is to see all the
marvels of the world and never to forget the drops of oil on the
spoon".
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The House with the Golden Windows
The little girl lived in a small, very simple, poor house on a hill
and as she grew she would play in the small garden and as she grew
she was able to see over the garden fence and
across the valley to a wonderful house high
on the hill - and this house had golden
windows, so golden and shining that the little
girl would dream of how magic it would be
to grow up and live in a house with golden
windows instead of an ordinary house like
hers.
When she got to an age where she gained enough skill and
sensibility to go outside her garden fence, she asked her mother is
she could go for a bike ride outside the gate and down the lane. After
pleading with her, her mother finally allowed her to go, insisting that
she kept close to the house and didn't wander too far. The day was
beautiful and the little girl knew exactly where she was heading!
Down the lane and across the valley, she rode her bike until she got
to the gate of the golden house across on the other hill.
As she dismounted her bike and lent it against the gate post,
she focused on the path that lead to the house and then on the house
itself...and was so disappointed as she realized all the windows were
plain and rather dirty, reflecting nothing other than the sad neglect of
the house that stood derelict.
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She realized that she had been living in her golden house and
all the love and care she found there was what made her home the
'golden house'. Everything she dreamed was right there in front of
her nose!
43
The Banker and the Pauper
44
The Magic of Mushkil Gusha
45
By the time he got back with the wood, darkness had fallen. It
was too late to go to the marketplace. What's more, when he reached
his house, he found that his daughter had already bolted the front
door and gone to bed.
Next morning, the woodcutter awoke while it was still dark. He told
himself, I might as well go out right now and get another big load of
wood. Then I can sell twice as much and buy even more date cakes.
So he left his load and went back to the desert to gather more bushes.
But again he took longer than he meant to, and when he got back, it
was dark and the door was bolted. So again he had to sleep on the
doorstep.
But yet again he took too long, and yet again the door was bolted
when he got back.
The woodcutter sank to the doorstep and wept.
What's wrong, old man?
He looked up to see a dervish in a long green robe and a tall
green cap.
Holy sir, for three days I have gone out to gather thorn bushes, and
for three days I have come home too late to get into my house. And
in all that time, I've had nothing to eat.
What night is this, old man?
The woodcutter said, Why, Friday eve, of course.
That's right. It's the eve of our holy day. And that's the time of
Mushkil Gusha.
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Mushkil Gusha? said the woodcutter.
That's right, old man -- the 'Remover of Difficulties.'
The holy man took some roasted chickpeas and raisins from his
pouch and handed them to the woodcutter. Here, share this with me.
Thank you, sir!
You may not know it, the dervish went on, but Mushkil Gusha
is already helping you. If you want your good fortune to continue,
here's what you must do: Every Friday eve, find someone in need.
Then share what you have, and tell a tale of Mushkil Gusha. That
way, you both will be helped.
And with that, the holy man vanished.
As the woodcutter stared at the empty spot, the door to his
house swung open.
Father, where have you been? Oh, please come inside! I was so
worried!
A few days passed, while the woodcutter and his daughter enjoyed
the many date cakes he bought after selling his wood. Then one
morning, when the woodcutter had gone to the desert and his
daughter had finished her housework, she decided to go walking in a
public park.
She was strolling down a broad path when a carriage stopped
beside her.
What a pretty little girl! said a royal young lady. I am the daughter of
the king. Would you like to be my handmaiden?
Yes, Your Highness, the girl said, blushing.
So the woodcutter's daughter became a handmaiden of the
princess. With the gifts the princess gave her, she and her father
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became quite rich. He bought a nice house, and he didn't have to
gather thorn bushes anymore.
A month went by. One day, the princess went on a picnic to one of
her father's private gardens, and she brought along the woodcutter's
daughter. There was a small lake there, so they decided to go for a
swim.
A few days later at the palace, the princess looked for the necklace
but couldn't find it. She turned angrily to the woodcutter's daughter.
You stole my necklace! You must have taken it when we went for
our swim!
The woodcutter had to suffer the taunts and jeers of the passersby.
Some people were kinder, though, and even threw him scraps of
food.
Now, that evening was Friday eve. As the sun set, the woodcutter
cast his thoughts over all that had happened to him in the past weeks.
All at once, he cried out.
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Oh, what a foolish, ungrateful wretch I am! Didn't the dervish say to
share what I have each Friday eve and tell of Mushkil Gusha? Yet I
haven't done it once!
Thank you, sir, said the boy. I needed the food, and the story was
good too. I hope it has a happy ending.
The beggar boy went on his way. But he'd only gone a block
when a rich merchant stopped him.
My one and only son! Ever since you were stolen at birth, I've
looked for that birthmark on your left cheek. Now at last I've found
you!
The next day, the princess had another picnic in her father's private
garden, and again she went down to the lake for a swim. She was
about to step into the water when she saw the reflection of her
necklace. She looked up into the tree -- and there was the necklace
itself, right where she had left it.
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The 4 Wives
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.
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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.
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 !"
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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.
"Well," said the farmer, as he rubbed the sweat off the back of his neck,
"these puppies come from fine parents and cost a good deal of money."
The boy dropped his head for a moment. Then reaching deep into his
pocket, he pulled out a handful of change and held it up to the farmer. "I've got
thirty-nine cents. Is that enough to take a look?"
"Sure," said the farmer.
And with that he let out a whistle.
"Here, Dolly!" he called.
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Out from the doghouse and down the ramp ran Dolly followed by four
little balls of fur. The little boy pressed his face against the chain link fence.
His eyes danced with delight.
As the dogs made their way to the fence, the little boy noticed
something else stirring inside the doghouse. Slowly another little ball
appeared; this One noticeably smaller. Down the ramp it slid. Then in a
somewhat awkward manner the little pup began hobbling toward the others,
doing its best to catch up....
"I want that one," the little boy said, pointing to the runt.
The farmer knelt down at the boy's side and said, "Son, you don't want that
puppy. He will never be able to run and play with you like these other dogs
would."
With that the little boy stepped back from the fence, reached down, and
began rolling up one leg of his trousers. In doing so he revealed a steel brace
running down both sides of his leg attaching itself To a specially made shoe.
Looking back up at the farmer, he said, "You see sir, I don't run too well
myself, and he will need Someone who understands."
53
Wait for the Brick
A young and successful executive was traveling down a neighborhood
street, going a bit too fast in his new Jaguar. He was watching for kids darting
out from between parked cars and slowed down when he thought he saw
something. As his car passed, no children appeared. Instead, a brick smashed
into the Jag's side door! He slammed on the brakes and drove the Jag back to
the spot where the brick had been thrown. The angry driver then jumped out of
the car, grabbed the nearest kid and pushed him up against a parked car,
shouting, "What was that all about and who are you?”
“Just what the heck are you doing? That's a new car and that brick you
threw is going to cost a lot of money. Why did you do it?"
The young boy was apologetic. "Please mister ... please, I'm sorry... I
didn't know what else to do," he pleaded. "I threw the brick because no one
else would stop..." With tears dripping down his face and off his chin, the
youth pointed to a spot just around a parked car.
"It's my brother," he said. "He rolled off the curb and fell out of his
wheelchair and I can't lift him up."
Now sobbing, the boy asked the stunned executive, "Would you please
help me get him back into his wheelchair? He's hurt and he's too heavy for me.
Moved beyond words, the driver
tried to swallow the rapidly swelling
lump in his throat. He hurriedly lifted
the handicapped boy back into the
wheelchair, then took out his fancy
handkerchief and dabbed at the fresh
scrapes and cuts. A quick look told him
everything was going to be okay.
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"Thank you and may God bless you," the grateful child told the stranger.
Too shook up for words, the man simply watched the little boy push his
wheelchair-bound brother down the sidewalk toward their home. It was a long,
slow walk back to the Jaguar. The damage was very noticeable, but the driver
never bothered to repair the dented side door. He kept the dent there to remind
him of this message: Don't go through life so fast that someone has to throw a
brick at you to get your attention!
God whispers in our souls and speaks to our hearts. Sometimes when we
don't have time to listen, He has to throw a brick at us.
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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 those building blocks
are being laid for the child's future.
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Let us all be wise builders and role models. Take care of yourself ... and
those you love ... today, and every day!
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hopes and dreams when the first tree said, "Someday I hope to be a
treasure chest. I could be filled with gold, silver and precious gems. I
could be decorated with intricate carving and everyone would see the
beauty."
Finally the third tree said, "I want to grow to be the tallest and
straightest tree in the forest. People will see me on top of the hill and
look up to my branches, and think of the heavens and God and how
close to them I am reaching. I will be the greatest tree of all time and
people will always remember me."
After a few years of praying that their dreams would come true,
a group of woodsmen came upon the trees. When one came to the
first tree he said, "This looks like a strong tree, I think I should be
able to sell the wood to a carpenter" ... and he began cutting it down.
The tree was happy, because he knew that the carpenter would make
him into a treasure chest.
At the second tree a woodsman said, "This looks like a strong
tree, I should be able to sell it to the shipyard." The second tree was
happy because he knew he was on his way to becoming a mighty
ship.
When the woodsmen came upon the third tree, the tree was
frightened because he knew that if they cut him down his dreams
would not come true. One of the woodsmen said, "I don't need
anything special from my tree so I'll take this one", and he cut it
down.
When the first tree arrived at the carpenters, he was made into
a feed box for animals. He was then placed in a barn and filled with
hay. This was not at all what he had prayed for. The second tree was
cut and made into a small fishing boat. His dreams of being a mighty
ship and carrying kings had come to an end. The third tree was cut
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into large pieces and left alone in the dark. The years went by, and
the trees forgot about their dreams.
Then one day, a man and woman came to the barn. She gave
birth and they placed the baby in the hay in the feed box that was
made from the first tree. The man wished that he could have made a
crib for the baby, but this manger would have to do. The tree could
feel the importance of this event and knew that it had held the
greatest treasure of all time. Years later, a group of men got in the
fishing boat made from the second tree. One of them was tired and
went to sleep. While they were out on the water, a great storm arose
and the tree didn't think it was strong enough to keep the men safe.
The men woke the sleeping man, and he stood and said "Peace" and
the storm stopped. At this time, the tree knew that it had carried the
King of Kings in its boat.
Finally, someone came and got the third tree. It was carried
through the streets as the people mocked the man who was carrying
it. When they came to a stop, the man was nailed to the tree and
raised in the air to die at the top of a hill. When Sunday came, the
tree came to realize that it was strong enough to stand at the top of
the hill and be as close to God as was possible, because Jesus had
been crucified on it.
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The Rose Within
60
He saw the bud that would soon blossom, but noticed thorns
upon the stem and he thought, "How can any beautiful flower come
from a plant burdened with so many sharp thorns? Saddened by this
thought, he neglected to water the rose, and just before it was ready
to bloom... it died.
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food on the table for this mob, the father and head of the household,
a goldsmith by profession, worked almost eighteen hours a day at his
trade and any other paying chore he could find in the neighborhood.
Despite their seemingly hopeless condition, two of Albrecht Durer
the Elder's children had a dream. They both wanted to pursue their
talent for art, but they knew full well that their father would never be
financially able to send either of them to Nuremberg to study at the
Academy.
When the young artist returned to his village, the Durer family
held a festive dinner on their lawn to celebrate Albrecht's triumphant
homecoming. After a long and memorable meal, punctuated with
music and laughter, Albrecht rose from his honored position at the
head of the table to drink a toast to his beloved brother for the years
of sacrifice that had enabled Albrecht to fulfill his ambition. His
closing words were, "And now, Albert, blessed brother of mine, now
it is your turn. Now you can go to Nuremberg to pursue your dream,
and I will take care of you."
All heads turned in eager expectation to the far end of the table
where Albert sat, tears streaming down his pale face, shaking his
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lowered head from side to side while he sobbed and repeated, over
and over, "No ...no ...no ...no."
Finally, Albert rose and wiped the tears from his cheeks. He
glanced down the long table at the faces he loved, and then, holding
his hands close to his right cheek, he said softly, "No, brother. I
cannot go to Nuremberg. It is too late for me. Look ... look what four
years in the mines have done to my hands! The bones in every finger
have been smashed at least once, and lately I have been suffering
from arthritis so badly in my right hand that I cannot even hold a
glass to return your toast, much less make delicate lines on
parchment or canvas with a pen or a brush. No, brother ...
for me it is too late."
One day, to pay homage to Albert for all that he had sacrificed,
Albrecht Durer painstakingly drew his brother's abused hands with
palms together and thin fingers stretched skyward. He called his
powerful drawing simply "Hands," but the entire world almost
immediately opened their hearts to his great masterpiece and
renamed his tribute of love "The Praying Hands."
The next time you see a copy of that touching creation, take a
second look. Let it be your reminder, if you still need one, that no
one - no one - - ever makes it alone!
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Dad’s Blessings
A young man was getting ready to graduate from college. For
many months he had admired a beautiful sports car in a dealer's
showroom, and knowing his father could well afford it, he told him
that was all he wanted.
As graduation day approached, the young
man awaited signs that his father had purchased
the car. Finally, on the morning of his
graduation, his father called him into his private
study. His father told him how proud he was to
have such a fine son, and told him how much he
loved him. He handed his son a beautifully
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wrapped gift box. Curious, but somewhat disappointed, the young
man opened the box and found a lovely, leather-bound Bible, with
the young man's name embossed in gold. Angry, he raised his voice
to his father and said "With all your money, you give me a Bible?"
and stormed out of the house, leaving the Bible.
Many years passed and the young man was very successful in
business. He had a beautiful home and wonderful family, but
realized his father was very old, and thought perhaps he should
go to him. He had not seen him since that graduation day. Before he
could make arrangements, he received a telegram telling him his
father had passed away, and willed all of his possessions to his son.
He needed to come home immediately and take care of things.
When he arrived at his father's house, sudden sadness
and regret filled his heart. He began to search through his father's
important papers and saw the still new Bible, just as he had left
it years ago. With tears, he opened the Bible and began to turn the
pages. And as he did, a car key dropped from the back of the Bible.
It had a tag with the dealer's name, the same dealer who had the
sports car he had desired. On the tag was the date of his graduation,
and the words PAID IN FULL.
Invitation
A woman came out of her house and saw 3 old men with long white
beards sitting in her front yard. She did not recognize them. She said "I don't
think I know you, but you must be hungry. Please come in and have something
to eat."
"Is the man of the house home?", they asked. "No", she said. "He's out."
"Then we cannot come in", they replied.
In the evening when her husband came home, she told him what had
happened. "Go tell them I am home and invite them in!" The woman went out
and invited the men in. "We do not go into a House together," they replied.
"Why is that?" she wanted to know.
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One of the old men explained: "His name is Wealth," he said pointing to
one of his friends, and said
pointing to another one, "He is
Success, and I am Love." Then
he added, "Now go in and
discuss with your husband
which one of us you want in
your home."
His wife disagreed. "My dear, why don't we invite Success?" Their
daughter-in-law was listening from the other corner of the house. She jumped
in with her own suggestion: "Would it not be better to invite Love? Our home
will then be filled with love!"
"Let us heed our daughter-in-law's advice," said the husband to his wife.
"Go out and invite Love to be our guest."
The woman went out and asked the 3 old men, "Which one of you is
Love? Please come in and be our guest."
Love got up and started walking toward the house. The other 2 also got
up and followed him. Surprised, the lady asked Wealth and Success: "I only
invited Love, Why are you coming in?"
The old men replied together: "If you had invited Wealth or Success, the
other two of us would've stayed out, but since you invited Love, Wherever He
goes, we go with him. Wherever there is Love, there is also Wealth and
Success!!!!!!"
OUR WISH FOR YOU... Where there is pain, we wish you peace and
mercy.
Where there is fear, we wish you love, and courage. Peace to you.
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