THE ONE-EYED DOE

A Doe had the misfortune to lose one of her eyes, and could not see any one

approaching her on that side. So to avoid any danger she always used to feed ona high cliff near the sea, with her sound eye looking towards the land. By thismeans she could see whenever the hunters approached her on land, and oftenescaped by this means. But the hunters found out that she was blind of one eye,and hiring a boat rowed under the cliff where she used to feed and shot her fromthe sea. “Ah,” cried she with her dying voice. “You cannot escape your fate.”

YOU'RE FAR MORE PRECIOUS THAN DIAMONDS AND PEARLS

“If memory serves me correctly, I was wearing a little white tank top and ashort black skirt. I had been raised Orthodox Muslim, so I had never beforeworn such revealing clothing while in my father’s presence. When we finallyarrived, the chauffer escorted my younger sister, Laila, and me up to myfather's suite.As usual, he was hiding behind the door waiting to scare us. We exchangedmany hugs and kisses as we could possibly give in one day. My father took agood look at us. Then he sat me down on his lap and said something that Iwill never forget.He looked me straight in the eyes and said, “Hana, everything that God made valuable in the world is covered and hard to get to. Where do you finddiamonds? Deep down in the ground covered and protected. Where do youfind pearls? Deep down at the bottom of the ocean covered up and protected in a beautiful shell.Where do you find gold? Way down in the mine, covered over with layers and layers of rock. You’ve got to work hard to get to them.”He looked at me with serious eyes. “Your body is sacred. You’re far more precious than diamondsand pearls, and you should be covered too.”Source: More Than A Hero: Muhammad Ali’s Life Lessons Through His Daughter’s Eyes.

WORDS AND ACTIONS SHOULD BE THE SAME

There once was a boy who loved eating sweets. He always asked for sweets from his father. His
father was a poor man. He could not always afford sweets for his son. But the little boy did not
understand this, and demanded sweets all the time.
The boy’s father thought hard about how to stop the child asking for so many sweets. There was a
very holy man living nearby at that time. The boy’s father had an idea. He decided to take the boy
to the great man who might be able to persuade the child to stop asking for sweets all the time.
The boy and his father went along to the great man. The father said to him, “O great saint, could
you ask my son to stop asking for sweets which I cannot afford?” The great man was in difficulty,
because he liked sweets himself. How could he ask the boy to give up asking for sweets? The holy
man told the father to bring his son back after one month.
During that month, the holy man gave up eating sweets, and when the boy and his father returnedafter a month, the holy man said to the boy “My dear child, will you stop asking for sweets which
your father cannot afford to give you?”
From then on, the boy stopped asking for sweets.
The boy’s father asked the saint, “Why did you not ask
my son to give up asking for sweets when we came to
you a month ago?” The saint replied, “How could I ask a
boy to give up sweets when I loved sweets myself. In the
last month I gave up eating sweets.” A person’s example
is much more powerful than just his words. When we ask
someone to do something, we must do it ourselves also. We should not ask others to do what we do
not do ourselves.
Always make sure that your actions and your words are same.

A VERY POWERFUL STORY

He remembered his grandmother’s warning about praying on time: “My son, you shouldn’t leave
prayer to this late time.” His grandmother’s age was 70 but whenever she heard the Adhan, she got
up like an arrow and performed Salah/Namaz/prayer. He, however could never win over his ego to
get up and pray. Whatever he did, his Salah was always the last to be offered and he prayed it
quickly to get it in on time. Thinking of this, he got up and realized that there were only 15 minutes
left before Salat-ul Isha. He quickly made Wudhu and performed Salat-ul Maghrib. While making
Tasbih, he again remembered his grandmother and was embarrassed by how he had prayed. His
grandmother prayed with such tranquility and peace. He began making Dua and went down to
make Sajdah and stayed like that for a while.
He had been at school all day and was tired, so tired. He awoke abruptly to the sound of noise and
shouting. He was sweating profusely. He looked around. It was very crowded. Every direction he
looked in was filled with people. Some stood frozen looking around, some were running left and
right and some were on their knees with their heads in their hands just waiting. Pure fear and
apprehension filled him as he realized where he was.
His heart was about to burst. It was the Day of Judgment. When he was alive, he had heard many
things about the questioning on the Day of Judgment, but that seemed so long ago. Could this be
something his mind made up? No, the wait and the fear were so great that he could not have imag-
ined this. The interrogation was still going on. He began moving frantically from people to people
to ask if his name had been called. No one could answer him. All of a sudden his name was called
and the crowd split into two and made a passageway for him. Two people grabbed his arms and led
him forward. He walked with unknowing eyes through the crowd. The angels brought him to the
center and left him there. His head was bent down and his whole life was passing in front of his
eyes like a movie. He opened his eyes but saw only another world. The people were all helping oth-
ers. He saw his father running from one lecture to the other, spending his wealth in the way of
Islam. His mother invited guests to their house and one table was being set while the other was
being cleared.
He pleaded his case; “I too was always on this path. I helped others. I spread the word of Allah.
I performed my Salah. I fasted in the month of Ramadan. Whatever Allah ordered us to do, I did.
Whatever he ordered us not to do, I did not.” He began to cry and think about how much he loved
Allah. He knew that whatever he had done in life would be less than what Allah deserved and his
only protector was Allah. He was sweating like never before and was shaking all over. His eyes were
fixed on the scale, waiting for the final decision. At last, the decision was made. The two angels with
sheets of paper in their hands, turned to the crowd. His legs felt like they were going to collapse. He
closed his eyes as they began to read the names of those people who were to enter Jahannam/Hell.
His name was read first. He fell on his knees and yelled that this couldn’t be, “How could I go toJahannam? I served others all my life, I spread the word of Allah to others.” His eyes had become
blurry and he was shaking with sweat. The two angels took him by the arms. As his feet dragged,
they went through the crowd and advanced toward the blazing flames of Jahannam. He was yelling
and wondered if there was any person who was going to help him. He was yelling of all the good
deeds he had done, how he had helped his father, his fasts, prayers, the Qur’an that he read, he was
asking if none of them would help him. The Jahannam angels continued to drag him. They had got-
ten closer to the Hellfire. He looked back and these were his last pleas. Had not Rasulullah [saw]
said, “How clean would a person be who bathes in a river five times a day, so too does the Salah
performed five times cleanse someone of their sins?” He began yelling, “My prayers? My prayers?
My prayers?”
The two angels did not stop, and they came to the edge of the abyss of Jahannam. The flames of the
fire were burning his face. He looked back one last time, but his eyes were dry of hope and he had
nothing left in him. One of the angels pushed him in.
He found himself in the air and falling towards the
flames. He had just fallen five or six feet when a hand
grabbed him by the arm and pulled him back. He lifted
his head and saw an old man with a long white beard.
He wiped some dust off himself and asked him,
“Who are you?” The old man replied, “I am your prayers.”
“Why are you so late! I was almost in the Fire! You
rescued me at the last minute before I fell in.”
The old man smiled and shook his head. “You always
performed me at the last minute, and did you forget?”
At that instant, he blinked and lifted his head from
Sajdah. He was in a sweat. He listened to the voices
coming from outside. He heard the adhan for Salat-ul
Isha. He got up quickly and went to perform Wudhu.
“Say Your Prayers Before Prayers For You Are Said.”
“Namaz Parh Is Se Pehle Ke Teri Namaz Parhi Jaye.

A BOY WITH STRONG BELIEF

Shaykh Fath al-Mowsily relates, once I saw a young boy walking through the jungle. It appeared as

if he was uttering some words. I greeted him with Salaam and he replied accordingly. I inquired,

“Where are you going?” He retorted, “To the house of Allah
(Makkah).” I further asked, “What are you reciting?”
“The Qur’an” he replied. I remarked, “You are at a tender
age, it is not an obligation that you are required to fulfill.”
He said, “I have witnessed death approach people younger
than me and therefore would like to prepare if death was to
knock on my door.” I astoundingly commented, “Your steps
are small and your destination far.” He responded, “My duty
is to take the step and it remains the responsibility of Allah
to take me to my destination.” I continued to ask, “Where is
your provision and conveyance (means of transport).”
He replied, “My Yaqeen (belief) is my provision and my feet’s are my conveyance.” I explained, “I am asking you regarding bread and water.”
He replied! “Oh Shaykh if someone invited you to his house, would it be appropriate to take your
own food?” I exclaimed, “No!” “Similarly, My Lord has invited His servant to His house, it is only
the weakness of your Yaqeen that makes us carry provisions. Despite this, do you think Allah will
let me go to waste?” “Never” I replied. He then left. Sometime later I saw him in Makkah. He
approached me and inquired, “Oh Shaykh are you still of weak belief?”
Source: Stories of the Pious by Shaikh Ahmad Ali.

GOD EXISTS

A man went to a barbershop to have his hair and his beard cut
as always. He started to have a good conversation with the
barber who attended him. They talked about so many things on
various subjects.
Suddenly, they touched the subject of God. The barber said:
“Look man, I don’t believe that God exists as you say so.”
“Why do you say that?”
Asked the client. Well, it’s so easy; you just have to go out in
the street to realize that God does not exist. Oh, tell me, if God
existed, would there be so many sick people? Would there be
abandoned children? If God existed, there would be neither
suffering nor pain. “I can’t think of a God who permits all of
these things.” The client stopped for a moment thinking but he
didn’t want to respond so as to prevent an argument.
The barber finished his job and the client went out of the shop.
Just after he left the barbershop, he saw a man in the street with a long hair and beard (it seems
that it had been a long time since he had his cut and he looked so untidy). Then the client again
entered the barbershop and he said to the barber: “know what? Barbers do not exist.”
“How come they don’t exist?” asked the barber. “Well I am here and I am a barber.” “No!” - the
client exclaimed. “They don’t exist because if they did there would be no people with long hair and
beard like that man who walks in the street.”
“Ah, barbers do exist, what happens is that people do not come to us.” “Exactly!” - Affirmed the
client. “That’s the point. God does exist, what happens is people don’t go to Him and do not look
for Him that’s why there’s so much pain and suffering in the world.”

THE CRACKED POT

Once upon a time there was a water-bearer in India
who had two large pots, each hung on each end of a
pole which he carried across his neck. One of the pots
had a crack in it, and while the other pot was perfect
and always delivered a full portion of water at the end
of the long walk from the stream to the master’s house,
the cracked pot arrived only half full.
For a full two years this went on daily, with the bearer
delivering only one and a half pot full of water in his
master’s house.
Of course, the perfect pot was proud of its
accomplishments, perfect to the end for which it was
made. But the poor cracked pot was ashamed of its own
imperfection, and miserable that it was able to
accomplish only half of what it had been made to do.
After two years of what it perceived to be a bitter failure, it spoke to the water-bearer one day by
the stream. “I am ashamed of myself, and I want to apologize to you.” “Why?” asked the bearer.
“What are you ashamed of ?”
“I have been able, for these past two years, to deliver only half my load because this crack in my
side causes water to leak out all the way back to your master’s house. Because of my flaws, you have
to do all of this work and you don’t get full value from your efforts, the pot said. The water-bearer
felt sorry for the old cracked pot, and in his compassion he said, “As we return to the master’s
house, I want you to notice the beautiful flowers along the path.”
Indeed, as they went up the hill, the old cracked pot took notice of the sun warming the beautiful
wild flowers on the side of the path, and this cheered it some.
But at the end of the trail, it still felt bad because it had leaked out half its load, and so again it
apologized to the bearer for its failure.
The bearer said to the pot, “Did you notice that there were flowers only on your side of your path,
but not on the other pot’s side?
That’s because have always known about your flaw, and I took advantage of it. I planted flower
seeds on your side of the path, and every day while we walk back from the stream, you’ve watered
them. For two years I have been able to pick these beautiful flowers to decorate my master’s table.
Without you being just the way you are, he would not have this beauty to grace his house.”
Each of us has our own unique flaw. But it’s the cracks and flaws we each have that
make our lives together so very interesting and warding. You’ve just got to take each
person for what they are and look for the good in them.

DETERMINATON

In 1883, a creative engineer named John Roebling was inspired by an idea to build a spectacular
bridge connecting New York with the Long Island. However bridge building experts throughout the
world thought that this was an impossible feat and told Roebling to forget the idea. It just could not
be done. It was not practical. It had never been done before.
Roebling could not ignore the vision he had in his mind of this bridge. He thought about it all the
time and he knew deep in his heart that it could be done. He just had to share the dream with
someone else. After much discussion and persuasion he managed to convince his son Washington,
an up and coming engineer, that the bridge in fact could be built.
Working together for the first time, the father and son developed concepts of how it could be
accomplished and how the obstacles could be overcome. With great excitement and inspiration,
and the headiness of a wild challenge before them, they hired their crew and began to build their
dream bridge.
The project started well, but when it was only a few months underway a tragic accident on the site
took the life of John Roebling. Washington was injured and left with a certain amount of brain
damage, which resulted in him not being able to walk or talk or even move.
“We told them so.”
“Crazy men and their crazy dreams.”
“It’s foolish to chase wild visions.”
Everyone had a negative comment to make and felt that the project should be scrapped since the
Roeblings were the only ones who knew how the bridge could be built. In spite of his handicap
Washington was never discouraged and still had a burning desire to complete the bridge and his
mind was still as sharp as ever.
He tried to inspire and pass on his enthusiasm to some of his friends, but they were too daunted
by the task. As he lay on his bed in his hospital room, with the sunlight streaming through the
windows, a gentle breeze blew the flimsy white curtains apart and he was able to see the sky and
the tops of the trees outside for just a moment.
It seemed that there was a message for him not to give up. Suddenly an idea hit him. All he could
do was move one finger and he decided to make the best use of it. By moving this, he slowly
developed a code of communication with his wife.
He touched his wife’s arm with that finger, indicating to her that he wanted her to call the
engineers again. Then he used the same method of tapping her arm to tell the engineers what to do.
It seemed foolish but the project was under way again.
For 13 years Washington tapped out his instructions with his finger on his wife’s arm, until the
bridge was finally completed. Today the spectacular Brooklyn Bridge stands in all its glory as a
tribute to the triumph of one man’s indomitable spirit and his determination not to be defeated by
circumstances. It is also a tribute to the engineers and their team work, and to their faith in a man
who was considered mad by half the world. It stands too as a tangible monument to the love and
devotion of his wife who for 13 long years patiently decoded the messages of her husband and told
the engineers what to do.
Perhaps this is one of the best examples of a never-say-die attitude that overcomes a terrible
physical handicap and achieves an impossible goal.
Often when we face obstacles in our day-to-day life, our hurdles seem very small in comparison to
what many others have to face.
The Brooklyn Bridge shows us that
dreams that seem impossible can be
realized with determination and
persistence, no matter what the
odds are.
Even the most distant dream
can be realized with
determination and persistence.

JUST P.U.S.H!

A man was sleeping at night in his cabin when suddenly his room filled with light, and the Lord
told the man he had work for him to do, and showed him a large rock in front of his cabin. The Lord explained that the man was to push against the rock with all his might. So, this the man
did, day after day. For many years he toiled from sun up to
sun down; his shoulders set squarely against the cold,
massive surface of the unmoving rock, pushing with all of
his might. Each night the man returned to his cabin sore and
worn out, feeling that his whole day had been spent in vain.
Since the man was showing discouragement, the Adversary
(Satan) decided to enter the picture by placing thoughts into
the weary mind: “you have been pushing against that rock for
a long time, and it hasn’t moved.” Thus, giving the man the
impression that the task was impossible and that he was a
failure. These thoughts discouraged and disheartened the
man. Satan said, “Why kill yourself over this?”
“Just put in your time, giving just the minimum effort; and that will be good enough.”
That’s what he planned to do, but decided to make it a matter of prayer and take his troubled
thoughts to the Lord. “Lord,” he said, “I have labored long and hard in your service, putting all my
strength to do that which you have asked. Yet, after all this time, I have not even budged that rock
by half a millimeter. What is wrong? Why am I failing?”
The Lord responded compassionately, “My Servant, when I asked you to serve Me and you
accepted, I told you that your task was to push against the rock with all of your strength, which you
have done. Never once did I mention to you that I expected you to move it. Your task was to push.
And now you come to Me with your strength spent, thinking that you have failed. But, is that really
so? Look at yourself. Your arms are strong and muscled, your back sinewy and brown, your hands
are callused from constant pressure, your legs have become massive and hard.
Through opposition you have grown much, and your abilities now surpass that which you used to
have. Yet you haven’t moved the rock. But your calling was to be obedient and to push and to
exercise your faith and trust in My wisdom. This you have done. Now I, my servant, will move the
rock.” At times, when we hear a word from God, we tend to use our own intellect to decipher what
He wants, when actually what God wants is just a simple obedience and faith in Him. By all means,
exercise the faith that moves mountains, but know that it is still God who moves mountains.
When everything seems to go wrong .................................. just P.U.S.H!
When the job gets you down ............................................... just P.U.S.H!
When people don’t react the way you think they should ... just P.U.S.H!
When your money is “gone” and the bills are due ............. just P.U.S.H!
When people just don’t understand you ............................ just P.U.S.H!
P + U + S + H = Pray + Until + Something + Happens

WEAKNESS OR STRENGTH?

Sometimes your biggest weakness can become your biggest strength. Take, for example, the story of
one 10-year-old boy who decided to study Judo despite the fact that he
had lost his left arm in a devastating car accident.
The boy began lessons with an old Japanese Judo Master Sensei.
The boy was doing well, so he couldn’t understand why, after three
months of training the master had taught him only one move.
“Sensei,” the boy finally said, “Shouldn’t I be learning more moves?”
“This is the only move you know, but this is the only move you’ll ever need to know,”
the Sensei replied.
Not quite understanding, but believing in his teacher, the boy kept training.
Several months later, the Sensei took the boy to his first tournament. Surprising himself, the boy
easily won his first two matches. The third match proved to be more difficult, but after some time,
his opponent became impatient and charged; the boy deftly used his one move to win the match.
Still amazed by his success, the boy was now in the finals.
This time, his opponent was bigger, stronger, and more experienced. For a while, the boy appeared
to be overmatched. Concerned that the boy might get hurt, the referee called a time-out.
He was about to stop the match when the sensei intervened.
“No,” the Sensei insisted, “Let him continue.”
Soon after the match resumed, his opponent made a critical mistake: he dropped his guard.
Instantly, the boy used his move to pin him. The boy had won the match and the tournament.
He was the champion.
On the way home, the boy and Sensei reviewed every move in each and every match.
Then the boy summoned the courage to ask what was really on his mind.
“Sensei, how did I win the tournament with only one move?”
“You won for two reasons,” the Sensei answered. “First, you’ve almost mastered one of the most
difficult throws in all of Judo. And second, the only known defense for that move is for your
opponent to grab your left arm.”
The boy’s biggest weakness had become his biggest strength.

A LESSON FROM A FROG TALE

A group of frogs were hopping contentedly through the woods, going about their froggy business,
when two of them fell into a deep pit. All of the other frogs gathered around the pit to see what
could be done to help their companions. When they saw how deep the pit was, the rest of the
dismayed group agreed that it was hopeless and told the two frogs in the pit that they should
prepare themselves for their fate, because they were as good as dead.
Unwilling to accept this terrible fate, the two frogs began to jump with all of their might. Some of
the frogs shouted into the pit that it was hopeless, and that the two frogs wouldn’t be in that
situation if they had been more careful, more obedient to the froggy rules, and more responsible.
The other frogs continued sorrowfully shouting that they should save their energy and give up,
since they were already as good as dead. The two frogs continued jumping as hard as they could,
and after several hours of desperate effort were quite weary.
Finally, one of the frogs took heed to the calls of his fellows. Spent and disheartened, he quietly
resolved himself to his fate, lay down at the bottom of the pit, and died as the others looked on in
helpless grief. The other frog continued to jump with every ounce of energy he had, although his
body was wracked with pain and he was completely exhausted.
His companions began a new, yelling for him to accept his fate, stop the pain and just die.
The weary frog jumped harder and harder and - wonder of wonders! Finally leapt so high that he
sprang from the pit. Amazed, the other frogs celebrated his
miraculous freedom and then gathering around him asked,
“Why did you continue jumping when we told you it was
impossible?” Reading their lips, the astonished frog
explained to them that he was deaf, and that when he saw
their gestures and shouting, he thought they were cheering
him on. What he had perceived as encouragement inspired
him to try harder and to succeed against all odds.
This simple story contains a powerful lesson. Your encouraging words can lift someone up and help
him or her make it through the day. Your destructive words can cause deep wounds; they may be
the weapons that destroy someone’s desire to continue trying - or even their life. Your destructive,
careless word can diminish someone in the eyes of others, destroy their influence and have a lasting
impact on the way others respond to them.

MOUNTAIN STORY

A son and his father were walking on the mountains.
Suddenly, his son falls, hurts himself and screams: “AAAhhhhhhhhhhh!”
To his surprise, he hears the voice repeating, somewhere in the mountain: “AAAhhhhhhhhhhh!”
Curious, he yells: “Who are you?”
He receives the answer: “Who are you?”
And then he screams to the mountain: “I admire you!”
The voice answers: “I admire you!”
Angered at the response, he screams: “Coward!”
He receives the answer: “Coward!”
He looks to his father and asks: “What’s going on?”
The father smiles and says: “My son, pay attention.”
Again the man screams: “You are a champion!”
The voice answers: “You are a champion!”
The boy is surprised, but does not understand.
Then the father explains: “People call this ECHO,
but really this is LIFE.”
It gives you back everything you say or do.
Our life is simply a reflection of our actions.
If you want more love in the world,
create more love in your heart.
If you want more competence in your team,
improve your competence.
This relationship applies to everything, in all aspects of life;
Life will give you back everything you have given to it.”
“Your life is not a coincidence. It’s a reflection of you!”

DON’T JUDGE A BOOK BY ITS COVER!

A lady in a faded gingham dress and her husband, dressed in a homespun threadbare suit, stepped
off the train in Boston and walk timidly without an appointment into the Harvard University
President’s outer office.
The secretary could tell in a moment that such backwoods, country hicks had no business at
Harvard and probably didn’t even deserve to be in Cambridge.
“We want to see the president,” the man said softly.
“He’ll be busy all day,” the secretary snapped.
“We’ll wait,” the lady replied.
For hours the secretary ignored them, hoping that the couple would finally become discouraged
and go away. They didn’t and the secretary grew frustrated and finally decided to disturb the
president, even though it was a chore she always regretted.
“Maybe if you see them for a few minutes, they’ll leave,” she said to him.
He sighed in exasperation and nodded. Someone of his importance obviously didn’t have the time
to spend with them, but he detested gingham dresses and homespun suits cluttering up his outer

office.
The president, stern faced and with dignity, strutted toward the couple.
The lady told him, “We had a son who attended Harvard for one year. He loved Harvard. He was
happy here. But about a year ago, he was accidentally killed. My husband and I would like to erect a
memorial to him, somewhere on campus.”
The president wasn’t touched.... He was shocked.
“Madam,” he said, gruffly, “we can’t put up a statue for every person who attended Harvard and
died. If we did, this place would look like a cemetery.”
“Oh, no,” the lady explained quickly. “We don’t want to erect a statue. We thought we would like to
give a building to Harvard.”
The president rolled his eyes. He glanced at the gingham dress and homespun suit, and then
exclaimed, “A building! Do you have any earthly idea how much a building costs? We have over
seven and a half million dollars in the physical buildings here at Harvard.”
For a moment the lady was silent.
The president was pleased. Maybe he could get rid of them now.
The lady turned to her husband and said quietly, “Is that all it
costs to start a university? Why don’t we just start our own?”
Her husband nodded.
The president’s face wilted in confusion and bewilderment. Mr.
and Mrs. Leland Stanford got up and walked away, traveling to
Palo Alto, California where they established the University that
bears their name, Stanford University, a memorial to a son that
Harvard no longer cared about.
You can easily judge the character of others by how
they treat those who they think can do nothing.

THE OBSTACLE IN OUR PATH

In ancient times, a king had a boulder placed on a roadway. Then he hid himself and watched to
see if anyone would remove the huge rock. Some of the king’s wealthiest merchants and courtiers
came by and simply walked around it.
Many loudly blamed the king for not keeping the roads clear, but none did anything about getting
the big stone out of the way. Then a peasant came along carrying a load of vegetables. On
approaching the boulder, the peasant laid down his burden and tried to move the stone to the side
of the road. After much pushing and straining, he finally succeeded. As the peasant picked up his
load of vegetables, he noticed a purse lying in the road where the boulder had been.
The purse contained many gold coins and a note from the
king indicating that the gold was for the person who
removed the boulder from the roadway. The peasant
learned what many others never understand.
Every obstacle presents an opportunity to
improve one’s condition. 

BUTTERFLY AND COCOON

A man found a cocoon of a butterfly. One day a small opening appeared; he sat and watched the
butterfly for several hours as it struggled to force its body through that little hole. Then it seemed
to stop making any progress. It appeared as if it had gotten as far as it could and it could go no
farther.
Then the man decided to help the butterfly, so he took a pair of scissors
and snipped off the remaining bit of the cocoon. The butterfly then
emerged easily. But it had a swollen body and small, shriveled wings.
The man continued to watch the butterfly because he expected that, at any
moment, the wings would enlarge and expand to be able to support the
body, which would contract in time.
Neither happened! In fact, the butterfly spent the rest of its life crawling
around with a swollen body and shriveled wings. It never was able to fly.
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.
Sometimes struggles are exactly what we need in our life. If nature allowed us to go
through our life without any obstacles, it would cripple us. We would not be as strong
as what we could have been. And we could never fly...

FATHERS EYES

A teenager lived alone with his father, and the two of them had a very special relationship. The
father believed in encouragement. Even though the son was always on the bench, his father was
always in the stands cheering. He never missed a game.
This young man was the smallest of the class when he entered high school. His father continued to
encourage him but also made it very clear that he did not have to play football if he didn’t want to.
But the young man loved football and decided to hang in there. He was determined to try his best
at every practice, and perhaps he’d get to play when he became a senior. All through high school he
never missed a practice or a game, but remained a bench warmer all four years. His faithful father
was always in the stands, always with words of encouragement for him. When the young man went
to college, he decided to try out for the football team as a “walk-on.”
Everyone was sure he could never make the cut, but he did. The coach admitted that he kept him
on the roster because he always puts his heart and soul to every practice, and at the same time,
provided the other members with the spirit and hustle they badly needed. The news that he had
survived the cut thrilled him so much that he rushed to the nearest phone and called his father.
His father shared his excitement and was sent season tickets for all the college games. This
persistent young athlete never missed practice during his four years at college, but he never got to
play in the game.
It was the end of his senior football season, and as he trotted onto the practice field shortly before
the big play off game, the coach met him with a telegram. The young man read the telegram and he
became deathly silent. Swallowing hard, he mumbled to the coach, “My father died this morning.
Is it all right if I miss practice today?”
The coach put his arm gently around his shoulder and said, “Take the rest of the week off, son.
And don’t even plan to come back to the game on Saturday.” Saturday arrived, and the game was
not going well.
In the third quarter, when the team was ten points behind, a silent young man quietly slipped into
the empty locker room and put on his football gear. As he ran onto the sidelines, the coach and his
players were astounded to see their faithful team-mate back so soon.
“Coach, please let me play. I’ve just got to play today,” said the young man.
The coach pretended not to hear him. There was no way he wanted his worst player in this close
playoff game. But the young man persisted, and finally feeling sorry for the kid, the coach gave in.
“All right,” he said. “You can go in.” Before long, the coach, the players and everyone in the stands
could not believe their eyes. This little unknown, who had never played before, was doing
everything right. The opposing team could not stop him. He ran, he passed, blocked and tackled
like a star. His team began to triumph.
The score was soon tied. In the closing seconds of the game, this kid intercepted a pass and ran all
the way for the winning touchdown. The fans broke loose. His team-mates hoisted him onto their
shoulders. Such cheering you’ve never heard!
Finally, after the stands had emptied and the team had
showered and left the locker room, the coach noticed
that the young man was sitting quietly in the corner all
alone. The coach came to him and said, “Kid, I can’t
believe it. You were fantastic!”
Tell me what got into you? How did you do it? He
looked at the coach, with tears in his eyes, and said,
“Well, you knew my dad died, but did you know that my
dad was blind?” The young man swallowed hard and
forced a smile, “Dad came to all my games, but today
was the first time he could see me play, and I wanted to
show him I could do it!”

GRANDPA’S TABLE

A frail old man went to live with his son, daughter-in-law, and four-year old grandson. The old
man’s hands trembled, his eyesight was blurred, and his step faltered. The family ate together at
the table. But the elderly grandfather’s shaky hands and failing sight made eating difficult. Peas
rolled off his spoon onto the floor. When he grasped, the glass, 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. Since Grandfather had broken a dish or two, his food was
served in a wooden bowl. When the family glanced in Grandfather’s direction, sometimes he had a
tear in his eye as he sat 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 in 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 the building blocks are being laid for the child’s future. Let’s be wise builders
and role models.
“Life is about people connecting with people, and making a positive difference.
Take care of yourself, ... and those you love, ... today, ... and everyday!

A HOLE IN THE FENCE

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.
Friends and loved ones are a very rare jewel, indeed.
They make you smile and encourage you to succeed.
They lend an ear, they share a word of praise, and they
always want to open their hearts to us. Water your
relationships with kindness… and they will grow. So be
careful little lips what you say…! And you won't chase
friendships away.

TRUE WEALTH

One day a father of a very wealthy family took his son on a trip to the country with the purpose of
showing his son how the poor people live so he could be thankful for his wealth.
They spent a couple of days and nights on the farm of what would be considered a very poor family
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.”

WHAT IS A FAMILY?

A man came home from work late, tired and irritated,
to find his 5-year old son waiting for him at the door.
SON: “Daddy, may I ask you a question?”
DAD: “Yeah sure, what is it?” replied the man.

SON: “Daddy, how much do you make an hour?”
DAD: “That’s none of your business. Why do you ask such a thing?” the man said angrily.
SON: “I just want to know. Please tell me, how much do you make an hour?”
DAD: “If you must know, I make $20 an hour.”
“Oh,” the little boy replied, with his head down. Looking up, he said,
“Daddy, may I please borrow $10?”The father was furious, “If the only reason you asked that is so you can borrow some money to buy
a silly toy or some other nonsense, then you march yourself straight to your room and go to bed.
Think about why you are being so selfish. I work hard everyday for such this childish behavior.”
The little boy quietly went to his room and shut the door. The man sat down and started to get even
angrier about the little boy’s questions. How dare he ask such questions only to get some money?
After about an hour or so, the man had calmed down, and started to think: Maybe there was
something he really needed to buy with that $10 and he really didn’t ask for money very often.
The man went to the door of the little boy’s room and opened the door.
“Are you asleep, son?” He asked. “No daddy, I’m awake,” replied the boy.
“I’ve been thinking, maybe I was too hard on you earlier,” said the man. “It’s been a long day and
I took out my aggravation on you. Here’s the $10 you asked for.”
The little boy sat straight up, smiling. “Oh, thank you daddy!” He yelled.
Then, reaching under his pillow he pulled out some crumpled up bills.
The man, seeing that the boy already had money, started to get angry again.
The little boy slowly counted out his money, and then looked up at his father.
“Why do you want more money if you already have some?” the father grumbled.
“Because I didn’t have enough, but now I do,” the little boy replied.
“Daddy, I have $20 now. Can I buy an hour of your time? Please come home early tomorrow.
I would like to have dinner with you.”
Share this story with someone you like.... But even better, share $20 worth of time with someone
you love. It’s just a short reminder to all of you working so hard in life.
We should not let time slip through our fingers without having spent some time with those who
really matter to us, those close to our hearts.
If we die tomorrow, the company that we are working for could easily replace us in a matter of
days.
But the family & friends we leave behind will feel the loss for the rest of their lives. And come to
think of it, we pour ourselves more into work than to our family. An unwise investment indeed!
So what is the moral of the story???
Don’t work too hard...and you know what’s the full word of FAMILY?
FAMILY = (F)ATHER (A)ND (M)OTHER,(I)(L)OVE (Y)OU!

BEAUTIFUL GIFT!

A young man was getting ready to graduate 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. 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 beautiful wrapped
gift box. Curious, but somewhat disappointed the young man opened
the box and found a lovely, leather-bound Holy Qur’an. Angrily, he
raised his voice at his father and said, “With all your money you give
me a Holy book?” and stormed out of the house, leaving the holy book.
He never contacted his father again for long long time. 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
things. When he arrived at his father’s house, sudden sadness and regret filled his heart. He began
to search his father’s important papers and saw the still new Holy Qur’an, just as he had left it years
ago. With tears, he opened the Holy Qur’an and began to turn the pages. As he Read those words, a
car key dropped from an envelope taped behind the Holy Qur’an. 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.
How many times do we miss GOD blessings because
they are not packaged as we expected?

PAID IN FULL

A little boy came up to his mother in the kitchen one evening while she was fixing supper, and he
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 had 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 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.
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 up 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.”

MENTALLY RETARDED!

A few years ago, at the Seattle Special Olympics, nine contesta

nts, all physically or
mentally disabled, assembled at the starting line for the 100-yard dash.
At the gun, they all started out, not exactly in a dash, but with a relish to run the
race to the finish and win. All, that is, except one little boy who stumbled on the
asphalt, tumbled over a couple of times, and began to cry. The other eight heard the boy cry. They
slowed down and looked back. Then they all turned around and went back.....every one of them.
One girl with Down’s syndrome bent down and kissed him and said, “This will make it better.”
Then all nine linked arms and walked together to the finish line. Everyone in the stadium stood,
and the cheering went on for several minutes. People who were there are still telling the story.
Why? Because deep down we know this one thing: What matters in this life is more
than winning for ourselves. What matters in this life is helping others win, even if it
means slowing down and changing our course.

THE DEVOTED MOTHER

A mother duck and her little ducklings were on their way
to the lake one day. The ducklings were very happy
following their mother and quack-quacking along the way.
All of a sudden the mother duck saw a fox in the distance.
She was frightened and shouted, “Children, hurry to the
lake. There’s a fox!”
The ducklings hurried towards the lake. The mother duck
wondered what to do. She began to walk back and forth dragging one wing on the ground.
When the fox saw her he became happy. He said to himself, “It seems that
she’s hurt and can’t fly! I can easily catch and eat her!” Then he ran
towards her.
The mother duck ran, leading the fox away from the lake. The fox followed
her. Now he wouldn’t be able to harm her ducklings. The mother duck
looked towards her ducklings and saw that they had reached the lake. She was relieved, so she
stopped and took a deep breath.
The fox thought she was tired and he came closer, but the mother duck quickly spread her wings
and rose up in the air. She landed in the middle of the lake and her ducklings swam to her.
The fox stared in disbelief at the mother duck and her ducklings. He could not reach them because
they were in the middle of the lake.
Dear children, some birds drag one of their wings on the ground when an enemy is
going to attack. In this way they fool their enemies into thinking they are hurt. When
the enemy follows them this gives their children time to escape.

THE ANGEL

Once upon a time there was a child ready to be born. One day the child asked God, “They tell me
you are going to send me to earth tomorrow but how am I going to live there being so small and
helpless?” God replied, “Among the many angels I have chosen one for you. She will be waiting for
you and will take care of you.”
Said child, “But tell me here in Heaven I don’t do anything else but sing and smile. That’s what I
need to be happy!” God replied, “Your angel will sing for you every day. And you will feel your
angel’s love and be happy.”
And, said the child, “How am I going to be able to understand when people talk to me, if I don’t
know the language that men talk?” “That’s easy”, God said, “Your angel will tell you the most
beautiful and sweet words you will ever hear, and with much patience and care, your angel will
teach you how to speak.” The child looked up at God saying, “And what am I going to do when I
want to talk to you?” God smiled at the child saying, “Your angel will teach you how to pray.”
The child said, “I’ve heard on earth there are bad men. Who will protect me?” God replied, “Your
angel will defend you, even if it means risking life!” The child looked sad, saying, “But I will always
be sad because I will not see you anymore.” God replied, “Your angel will always talk to you about
me and will teach you the way to come back to
me, even though I will always be next to you.”
At that moment there was much peace in Heaven,
but voices from earth could already be heard.
The child in a hurry, asked softly, “Oh God, if
I am about to leave now please tell me my angel’s
name!” God replied, Your angel’s name is of no
importance… you will simply call her
MOTHER!

THE BOY AND THE APPLE TREE

A long time ago, there was a huge apple tree. A little boy loved to come and play around it
everyday. 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.
“I am no longer a kid, I do not play around trees any more”
the boy replied.
“I want toys. I need money to buy them.”
“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 t
he 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.
“Come and play with me” the tree said.
“I do not have time to play. I have to work for my family. We need a house for shelter.
Can you help me?”
“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.
“Come and play with me!” the tree said.
“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.
Finally, the man returned after many years. “Sorry, my boy. But I do not have anything for you
anymore. No more apples for you”, the tree said. “No problem, I do not have any teeth to bite” the
man replied.

PARABLE OF THE PENCIL

The Pencil Maker took the pencil aside, just before putting him into the box.
“There are 5 things you need to know,” he told the pencil, “Before I send you out into the world.
Always remember them and never forget, and you will become the best pencil you can be.”
One: “You will be able to do many great things, but only if you allow yourself to be held in
someone’s hand.”
Two: “You will experience a painful
sharpening from time to time, but
you’ll need it to become a better
pencil.”
Three: “You will be able to correct
any mistakes you might make.”
Four: “The most important part of
you will always be what's inside.”
And Five: “On every surface you are used on, you must leave your mark. No matter what the
condition, you must continue to write.”
The pencil understood and promised to remember, and went into the box with purpose in its heart.
Now replacing the place of the pencil with you. Always remember them and never forget, and you
will become the best person you can be.
One: “You will be able to do many great things, but only if you allow yourself to be held in God’s
hand. And allow other human beings to access you for the many gifts you possess.”
Two: “You will experience a painful sharpening from time to time, by going through various
problems in life, but you’ll need it to become a stronger person.”
Three: “You will be able to correct any mistakes you might make.”
Four: “The most important part of you will always be what’s on the inside.”
And Five: “On every surface you walk through, you must leave your mark. No matter what the
situation, you must continue to do your duties.”
Allow this parable on the pencil to encourage you to know that you are a special person and only
you can fulfill the purpose to which you were born to accomplish.
Never allow yourself to get discouraged and think that
your life is insignificant  and cannot make a change.

THE MILKMAID

A milkmaid was on her way to the market to sell some milk from her cow. As she carried the large
jug of milk on top of her head, she began to dream of all the things she could do after selling the
milk.
“With that money, I’ll buy a hundred chicks to rear in my backyard. When they are fully grown.
I can sell them at a good price at the market.”
As she walked on, she continued dreaming, “Then I’ll buy
two young goats and rear them on the grass close by. When
they are fully grown, I can sell them at an even better price!”
Still dreaming, she said to herself, “Soon, I’ll be able to buy
another cow, and I will have more milk to sell. Then I shall
have even more money...”
With these happy thoughts, she began to skip and jump.
Suddenly she tripped and fell. The jug broke and all the
milk spilt onto the ground.
No more dreaming now, she sat down and cried.
Do not count your chickens before they are hatched.

THE THIRSTY CROW

One hot day, a thirsty crow flew all over the fields looking for
water. For a long time, she could not find any. She felt very weak,
almost giving up hope.
Suddenly, she saw a water jug below her. She flew straight down
to see if there was any water inside. Yes, she could see some water
inside the jug!
The crow tried to push her head into the jug. Sadly, she found
that the neck of the jug was too narrow. Then she tried to push
the jug down for the water to flow out. She found that the jug
was too heavy.
The crow thought hard for a while. Then looking around her, she
saw some pebbles. She suddenly had a good idea. She started
picking up the pebbles one by one, dropping each into the jug.
As more and more pebbles filled the jug, the water level kept
rising. Soon it was high enough for the crow to drink. Her plan had
worked!
If you try hard enough, you may soon find an answer to your problem.

THE FOX AND THE GRAPES

It was a sunny day and fox was walking across the fields. Soon he came to a vineyard. 

As he came nearer, he could see some bunches of juicy grapes.
The fox looked carefully around him. He had to make sure that he was safe from the hunters.
He decided to steal some before anyone came along.
He jumped upwards but he could not reach the grapes. He jumped
again as high as he could. He still could not reach them. The grapes
were just too high for him!
He was not ready to give up. He backed off, took some running steps
and leapt into the air towards the grapes. Again he failed to reach
them.
It was getting dark, and he was getting angry. His legs hurt with all
that running and jumping. At last he stopped trying.
As he walked away, he said to himself, “I don’t really want those
grapes. I’m sure they are too sour to eat.”
Sometimes when we cannot get what we want,
we pretend that it is not worth having.

THE FOX AND THE STORK

A selfish fox once invited a stork to dinner at his home in a hollow tree. That evening, the stork flew
to the fox’s home and knocked on the door with her long beak. The fox opened the door and said,

“Please come in and share my food.”
The stork was invited to sit down at the table. She was very hungry and the food smelled delicious!
The fox served soup in shallow bowls and he licked up all his soup very quickly. However, the stork
could not have any of it as the bowl was too shallow for her long beak. The poor stork just smiled
politely and stayed hungry.
The selfish fox asked, “Stork, why haven’t you taken your soup? Don’t you like it?”
The stork replied, “It was very kind of you to invite me for dinner.
Tomorrow evening, please join me for dinner at my home.”
The next day, when the fox arrived at the stork’s home, he
saw that they were also having soup for dinner. This time
the soup was served in tall jugs. The stork drank the soup
easily but the fox could not reach inside the tall jug. This
time it was his turn to go hungry.
A selfish act can backfire on you.

THE MONKEY AND THE DOLPHIN

One day long ago, some sailors set out to sea in their sailing ship. One of

them brought his pet monkey along for the long journey.
When they were far out at sea, a terrible storm overturned their ship.
Everyone fell into the sea, and the monkey was sure that he would drown.
Suddenly a dolphin appeared and picked him up.
They soon reached the island and the monkey came down from the
dolphin’s back. The dolphin asked the monkey, “Do you know this place?”
The monkey replied, “Yes, I do. In fact, the king of the island is my best
friend. Do you know that I am actually a prince?”
Knowing that no one lived on the island, the dolphin said, “Well, well, so
you are a prince! Now you can be a king!”
The monkey asked, “How can I be a king?”
As the dolphin started swimming away, he answered, “That is easy. As you are the only creature on
this island, you will naturally be the king!”
Those who lie and boast may end up in trouble.

THE ANT AND THE DOVE

One hot day, an ant was searching for some water.

After walking around for some time, she came to a spring.

To reach the spring, she had to climb up a blade of grass.

While making her way up, she slipped and fell into the water.

She could have drowned if a dove up a nearby tree had not

seen her. Seeing that the ant was in trouble, the dove quickly
plucked off a leaf and dropped it into the water near the
struggling ant. The ant moved towards the leaf and
climbed up there. Soon it carried her safely to dry ground.
Just at that time, a hunter nearby was throwing out his net
towards the dove, hoping to trap it.
Guessing what he was about to do, the ant quickly bit him on
the heel. Feeling the pain, the hunter dropped his net. The
dove was quick to fly away to safety.

HARE AND THE TORTOISE

Once a hare was roaming near a lake in a forest. Suddenly he saw a tortoise and mocked

him saying - "Hurry up, you slow coach! Don't you find life very dull taking so long to co
a few yards? I could have run to the other side of the lake by now."
The tortoise felt teased and dared the hare to a race. The race was to be through the wo
to a fixed goal.
The hare agreed laughingly. In a few minutes he was away and out of sight.
"What a funny race it is!" he said to himself , "I am already half -way through. But it is t
too cold; why not have a nap in the warm sunshine?"
The tortoise walked steadily on and on. In a short time, he passed by the sleeping hare. 

THE WOLF IN SHEEP’S CLOTHING

One day a wolf found a sheepskin. He covered himself with the sheepskin and got into a 

flock of sheep grazing in a field. He thought, “The shepherd will shut the sheep in the pen 

after sunset. At night I will run away with a fat sheep and eat it. 

All went well till the shepherd shut the sheep in the pen and left. The wolf waited patiently
for the night to advance and grow darker. But then an unexpected thing happened. One of
the servants of the shepherd entered the pen. His master had sent him to bring a fat sheep
for supper. As luck would have it, the servant picked up the wolf dressed in the sheepskin.
That night the shepherd and his guests had the wolf for supper.
Moral: An evil design has an evil end. 

BIRBAL THE WISE

One day, a rich merchant came to Birbal. He said to Birbal, “I have seven servants in my 

house. One of them has stolen my bag of precious pearls. Please find out the thief.”
So Birbal went to the rich man’s house. He called all the seven servants in a room. He gave a
stick to each one of them. Then he said, “These are magic sticks. Just now all these sticks are
equal in length. Keep them with you and return tomorrow. If there is a thief in the house,
his stick will grow an inch longer by tomorrow.”
The servant who had stolen the bag of pearls was scared. He thought, “If I cut a piece of one
inch from my stick, I won’t be caught.” So he cut the stick and made it shorter by one inch.
The next day Birbal collected the sticks from the servants. He found that one servant’s stick
was short by an inch. Birbal pointed his finger at him and said, “Here is the thief.” The
servant confessed to his crime. He returned the bag of pearls. He was sent to jail.
   

THE FARMER AND HIS SONS

A farmer had five sons. They were strong and hardworking. But they always quarrelled with 

one another. Sometimes, they even fought. The farmer wanted his sons to stop quarrelling

and fighting. He wanted them to live in peace. Plain words of advice or scolding did not have
much effect on these young people.
The farmer always thought what to do to keep his sons united. One day he found an answer
to the problem. So he called all his sons together. He showed them a bundle of sticks and
said, “I want any of you to break these sticks without separating them from the bundle.”
Each of the five sons tried one by one. They used their full strength and skill. But none of
them could break the sticks. Then the old man separated the sticks and gave each of them
just a single stick to break. They broke the sticks easily.
The farmer said, “A single stick by itself is weak. It is strong as long as it is tied up in a
bundle. Likewise, you will be strong if you are united. You will be weak if you are divided.”

Moral: United we stand, Divided we fall. 

AS YOU SOW, SO SHALL YOU REAP

One night, three thieves stole a lot of money from a rich man’s house. They put the money
in a bag and went to the forest. They felt very hungry. So, one of them went to a nearby
village to buy food. The other two remained in the forest to take care of the bag of money.
The thief that went for food had an evil idea. He ate his food at a hotel. Then he bought
food for his two mates in the forest. He mixed a strong poison with the food. He thought,
“Those two will eat this poisoned food and die. Then I will get all the money for myself.”
Meanwhile, the two wicked men in the forest decided to kill their mate on return. They
thought that they would divide the money between the two of them. All the three wicked
men carried out their cruel plans. The thief who wanted all the money for himself came to
the forest with the poisoned food. The two men in the forest hit him and killed him. Then
they ate the poisoned food and died.
Thus, these evil people met with an evil end.

Moral: Evil begets evil 

THE VILLAGER AND THE SPECTACLES

There was a villager. He was illiterate. He did not know how to read and write. He often saw
people wearing spectacles for reading books or papers. He thought, “If I have spectacles, I
can also read like these people. I must go to town and buy a pair of spectacles for myself.”
So one day he went to a town. He entered a spectacles shop He asked the shopkeeper for a
pair of spectacles for reading. The shopkeeper gave him various pairs of spectacles and a
book. The villager tried all the spectacles one by one. But he could not read anything. He
told the shopkeeper that all those spectacles were useless for him. The shopkeeper gave
him a doubtful look. Then he looked at the book. It was upside down! The shopkeeper said,
“Perhaps you don’t know how to read.”
The villager said, “No, I don’t. I want to buy spectacles so that I can read like others. But I
can’t read with any of these spectacles.” The shopkeeper controlled his laughter with great
difficulty when he learnt the real problem of his illiterate customer.
He explained to the villager, “My dear friend, you are very ignorant. Spectacles don’t help to
read or write. They only help you to see better. First of all you must learn to read and
write.”

Moral: Ignorance is blindness. 

THE WIND AND THE SUN

Once the Wind and the Sun had an argument. “I am stronger than you,” said the Wind. “No,you are not,” said the Sun. Just at that moment they saw a traveler walking across the road.He was wrapped in a shawl. The Sun and the Wind agreed that whoever could separate thetraveller from his shawl was stronger.The Wind took the first turn. He blew with all his might to tear the traveller’s shawl from hisshoulders. But the harder he blew, the tighter the traveller gripped the shawl to his body.The struggle went on till the Wind’s turn was over.Now it was the Sun’s turn. The Sun smiled warmly. The traveller felt the warmth of thesmiling Sun. Soon he let the shawl fall open. The Sun’s smile grew warmer and warmer...hotter and hotter. Now the traveller no longer needed his shawl. He took it off and droppedit on the ground. The Sun was declared stronger than the Wind.Moral: Brute force can’t achieve what a gentle smile can.