God is the Only Giver

          In the city of Rome there lived two blind beggars. They would beg in busy streets of Rome every day. One of’ them used to cry, “God alone can make one happy.” The other would cry on the opposite side of the street with the words, “The king alone can make one happy.’ This they did every day.

          The king out of great curiosity called the second beggar and asked, “Well, do you believe that the king can make you happy?”

          “My lord,” said the beggar, “I believe it from the core of my heart.”

The king was flattered by the speech of the second beggar and gave him a big loaf filled with gold coins. The second beggar left the king with a bow. He felt the loaf very heavy. So he sold it to the first beggar for a paltry sum.

          The first beggar brought out a knife to take a slice of the bread, but great was his surprise and joy when he found a number of gold coins in it. He thanked God for His mercy and gave up his old profession.

Innocence and Sin

          Once a young artist wanted to paint a face. He wanted to make it a living symbol of innocence and joy. He took a jolly child for his model and drew his face. The picture became very beautiful and attractive.

          Long years passed on. The artist had become a grey old man. He took into his head to draw another picture as a contrast to his picture of innocence. He wanted to call it ‘guilt’.

          This time the artist went to a dark and damp dungeon for his model. He found an ugly criminal chained there. He was condemned to death for crime. The artist took him as his model for the second picture. The artist asked the jailor the name of the criminal. To his great surprise he discovered a strange fact.

          The criminal was really the child whose picture the artist had painted at first.

The Shoe-Maker and The Monkey

          In a village a shoe-maker worked in his shop for long hours. A monkey lived in a tree nearby. Its great delight was to watch the shoe-maker at his work. At noon the shoe-maker was generally absent from the shop. The monkey would come down from the tree and work with the tools of the shoe-maker. The result was’ that his tools got blunted, leather spoiled and customers’ shoe damaged.

          The shoe-maker was thus very much annoyed with the monkey. He hit upon a plan to put an end to the mischief caused by the monkey. “This will be your last attempt to imitate me,” said the shoe-maker to himself. He brought a razor from his inner room. He sat down in still view of the monkey and pretended to draw the razor across his throat several tunes. Then he left the shop, leaving the razor lying open.

          The shoe-maker guessed correctly. The monkey came down and imitated his work with razor, After a few minutes the shoe-maker came back to find the monkey lying dead in his shop with his throat cut from ear to ear.

A Dumb Beggar

             In a city two beggars were rivals in their trade. One of them bit upon a novel plan to earn more money than the other. He presented to be dumb. He got a plate with the word ‘dumb’ painted on it and kept it hanging down his neck.

             His plate -attracted people. He thus earned much more money than the other beggar. The other earned much less, though he shouted his loudest all the day. So he grew jealous of his rival and tried to expose him.

             One day a kind gentleman saw the dumb beggar on the street. He was about to offer him a silver coin” The rival beggar saw it and cried out, ‘“Sir, he is not really dumb. He is a cheat.” At this the pretender became very angry and shouted at the top of his voice, “You liar, I have been dumb from my birth. I am so even now.”

             The gentleman being astonished, said, “You may be dumb. But I won’t help a dumb man who can talk so well,”

The Old Farmer & his Sons

             An old farmer had three sons who would often fall out with one another. The father advised them not to do so, but they would never live in peace. The old man was in a great fix. He was at a loss to know what to do. At last he hit upon a clever plan.

             One day the old man called his sons to him and gave them a bundle of sticks.

“Well, my boys,” said he, “now break (he bundle to pieces.”

             Each of his sons tried with all his might to do so, but none succeeded.

             

             The old man then untied the bundle and asked his sons to break the sticks separately. This they could do quite easily.

             Then turning to his sons’, the old man said, “You see my sons, you cannot break the bundle. But you can easily break every stick of the bundle. So, if you live united, none can do you any harm. But if you fall out with one another, you will come to grief”

             The Sons then could understand that union is strength. From that day they began to live together in peace.

Moral: United we stand divided we fall.

Black Beard and White Hair

             There was an old Mahomedan. He was well-known in his locality for his long beard. Both his hair and beard were grey. But he had a wish to look younger than his years. So he was in the habit of dyeing his beard black. But as hair on his head was covered by his turban, he left it as it was.

             One hot day the old Mahomedan fell asleep, and his turban rolled off, leaving his white head exposed. It was indeed a funny sight. It excited laughter from his friends who saw it. One of his friends said to the old Mahomedan, “How funny it is! You have a fine young black beard, but old white hair on your head! “

             But the old Mahomedan had a great presence of mind. He cleverly replied “My friend, there is nothing strange in this. My beard is younger than my hair by some twenty years. So it is young at forty, while my hair is old and white at sixty.”

Two Friends and Bear

             Two friends were once going through a forest. One of them said to the other, “if any beast attacks you, I will stay with you and help you.” The other friend said, “I will stand by you too in your danger.”

             Before they had gone far, a big bear came rushing towards them out of a. thicket. At once one of the friends, in great fear, climbed up a tree. He hid himself among the branches. The other was fat and sound able to get up. So he fell on the ground with face downwards and held his breath; for he had heard that a bear would never touch a dead body.

             The bear came up to him and smelt his face. But the man lay quite still. The bear, supposing him to be dead, went away.

             When all was safe, the man who had climbed up the tree came down to his friend and asked, “What (lid the bear say to you? I saw him putting his mouth close to your ears.” The friend said in reply, “The bear told me not to trust a friend who runs away in time of danger.”