Download - Stories From Around the World
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JAI SRI RAM
STORIES FROM AROUND THE WORLD
Compiled byS.Geethapriya
Price Rs. 22.00
Published by
Sri Aanjineyaa Pathippagam
1849, P.K.N ROAD, MUTHU CYCLE COMPLEX,
BYE PASS ROAD, SIVAKASI-626 189
CELL : 90034 - 58722
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CONTENTS
1. Friends 52. Family Misfortunes 83. The Short-sighted Brothers 1
34. Force of Habit 1
95. The Fisherman Who Rose Too
High
2
26. Wish List 2
87. Double Trouble 3
28. Little One Inch 3
59. The Tiger's whisker 3
910. Why Crows are Black 4
311. Top Answers 4
812. Disputed Waters 5
3
CONTENTS
13. Making Haste Slowly 5
514. The Dissatisfied Devotee 5
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15. Stomach Problems 6
016. Learning from the Enemy 6
417. Butterfly Lovers 6
818. The Root of the Matter 7
419. Dreams 7
720. Not True 8
021. Secret of Casket 8
422. Royal Servant 9
023. The Generous Student 9
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1. Friends (Africa)
A mouse and a frog were friends. Every
morning the frog would hop out of his pond
and go to visit his friend who lived in a hole inthe side of a tree. He would return home at
noon.
The mouse delighted in his friends company
unaware that the friend was slowly turning into
an enemy. The reason? The frog felt slighted
because though he visited the mouse
everyday, the mouse on his part, had never
made an attempt to visit him.
One day he felt he had been humiliated
enough. When it was time for him to take leave
of the mouse, he tied one end of a string
around his own leg, tied the other end
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to the mouses tail, and hopped away,
dragging the hapless mouse behind him.
The frog dived deep into the pond. The mouse
tried to free himself but couldnt, and soon
drowned. His bloated body floated to the top. A
hawk saw the mouse floating on the ponds
surface.
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He swooped down, and grabbing the mouse in
his talons, flew to the branch of a nearby tree.
The frog, of course, was hauled out of the
water too. He desperately tried to free himself,
but couldnt and the hawk soon put an end to
his struggles.
In Africa they have a saying: Dont dig too
deep a pit for your enemy, you may fall into it
yourself.
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2. Family Misfortunes
(A tale from Bhutan)
The Dough family was an unusual one. The
head of the family, Dough, as his name
suggested, was a ball of dough. His wife was a
slab of butter. They had two children, Ant and
Cotton.
One morning, Mother Butter asked her son, Ant
to go and get some resin from the mepche
tree, as resin made good fuel.
"Stay away from fresh resin," she cautioned.
"You could get stuck. Get a small dried piece."
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"She thinks I'm still a baby," thought Ant as he
climbed jauntily up the tree. "She doesn't know
how strong I've become." He saw a big blob of
resin emerging from a crack and rushed
forward to grab it. And of course he got stuck.
When he didn't return, Father Dough decided
to go in search of him.
"Don't go too near the edge of the road," said
his wife.
"You could easily slip and roll down the
side.""What does she know?" thought Dough
as he rolled out of the house. "If I follow her
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advice and walk down the middle of the road, I
could get crushed by the carts going by. I'm
safer at the edge."He zoomed to the edge of
the road, lost his balance and went rolling
down the side of the steep hill.
When her husband did not return, Mrs. Dough
asked her daughter, Cotton, to go out and look
for him.
"Take care not to walk in open spaces, my
child," warned Mother Dough as Cotton got
ready to leave. "You could get blown away by
the wind."
Cotton thought her mother was being too
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fussy and went dancing down the street. Then
disregarding her mother's advice she decided
to take a short cut across a meadow. She
didn't even get halfway.
A gust of wind picked her up and carried her
away into the mountains.
Mother Butter waited for her family to return.
The day got hotter and hotter and Mother
Butter began to melt and became smaller and
smaller till finally there was nothing left of her
except a puddle of liquid.
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So ends the story of the Dough family which
perished because nobody wanted to be told
what to do.
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3. The Short-sighted Brothers
(China)
Three elderly brothers, all very short-sighted,
lived in a large house on the outskirts of a city,
in China. One day the youngest brothersuggested that he should take charge of the
finances. Elder brothers sight is so bad, he
cannot see how much money hes receiving or
giving, he said, and people take advantage of
his disability.
As if you can see better, sneered the second-
youngest brother. If youre saying our
finances should be handled by the one who has
the best sight, then it is I who should be given
charge. I can see better than either of you. I
have my doubts about that, said the eldest
brother.
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Lets settle this once and for all. Ive heard the
monastery is putting up a tablet inscribed with
a saying, above the main doorway, tonight.
Lets go there tomorrow and test our vision.
Whoever can read the inscription with the least
strain will get charge of our money. Agreed?
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Agreed, said his brothers in unison.
Good! Now go away and let me get a few
winks.
As soon as they had gone, the eldest brother
sneaked out of the house and went to the
monastery where he met a monk.
Ive heard youre putting up an inscription
over the doorway, he said. Can you tell me
what the inscription reads?
Certainly. Its a quotation from Confucius. It
reads: Be Honest At All Times."
The brother went away chuckling at his
cleverness. A little later the second brother
arrived there.
Can you tell me what the inscription you are
going to put up over the doorway reads? he
said to the monk.Everybody seems to want to
know, said the man.
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"It reads: Be Honest At All Times.
Is there any decoration around it?
The tablet has a flowery border.
The second brother went away very pleased
with himself. Hardly had he gone when the
third brother arrived there. He too enquired
about the inscription and on being told what it
was, asked if there was any other writing on
it.
Only the donors name, Wang Lee, at the
bottom, said the monk.
The next morning the three brothers made
their way to the monastery.
Theres the inscription, said the oldest when
they drew near the entrance.
I can clearly make out the writing. It reads:
Be Honest At All Times.
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Your sight is better than I thought, said the
second brother.
But definitely not better than mine. Can you
see the decoration around the inscription?
Decoration? What decoration?
Theres a floral decoration all around the
tablet, said the brother, triumphantly.
Very good, very good, applauded the
youngest brother. But can either of you see
any other writing on the tablet besides the
inscription?
Other writing? intoned the second brother,
his face falling. What other writing is there?
The name of the donor, Wang Lee, said the
youngest brother, pointing.
Cant you see it? Its at that corner.
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The monk they had talked to the previous
evening came out of the monastery just then.
Oh, youve come to see the inscription, he
said. So sorry. We couldnt put it up yesterday
evening. We are going to put it up today.
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4. Force of Habit (Europe)
One day a man found a book in his attic.
The book was so old that the papers were
yellow and some of the pages crumbled as heturned them.
He discovered that it was a book on magic but
try as he might he could not understand any
portion of it except one paragraph. The
paragraph stated that on the shores of the
Black Sea there was a pebble that could turn
anything it was touched to into gold. This
pebble, the ancient writer said, could be
distinguished from the others only by touching
it : unlike the other pebbles it was warm to the
touch.The man went to the shores of the Black
Sea and began to search for the pebble.
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From morning to night he would pick up
pebbles and feel them. To ensure that he did
not pick up the same pebble twice he would
fling every pebble he picked up, far out into
the sea.
The days stretched into weeks and then into
months. A year passed. Then another. The
man went on looking for the pebble.
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But every pebble he picked up was as cold as
ice and he flung them away as fast as he
picked them.
Now he had become so expert at it that he
could pick up a pebble and fling it into the sea
with one smooth action.
One evening as he was wearily leaving the
beach after another days search he saw a
pebble in front of him.
He picked it up. It was warm. But out of force
of habit he flung it far out into the sea!
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5. The Fisherman Who Rose
Too High (Europe)
A fisherman, enfeebled with age, could no
longer go out to sea so he began fishing in the
river. Every morning he would go down to the
river and sit there fishing the whole day long.
In the evening he would sell whatever he had
caught, buy food for himself and go home. It
was a hard life for an old man. One hot
afternoon while he was trying to keep awake
and bemoaning his fate, a large bird with
silvery feathers alighted on a rock near him.It
was Kaha, the heavenly bird.
"Have you no one to care for you, grandpa?"
asked the bird.
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"Not a soul."
"You should not be doing such work at your
age," said the bird. "From now on I'll bring you
a big fish every evening. Sell it and live in
comfort."
True to her word, the bird began to drop a
large fish at his doorstep every evening. All
that the fisherman had to do was take it to the
market and sell it. As big fish were in great
demand, he was soon rolling in money.
He bought a cottage near the sea, with a
garden around it and engaged a servant to
cook for him. His wife had died some years
earlier. Now he decided to marry again and
began to look for a suitable woman. One day
he heard the royal crier make an
announcement.
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"Our king has news of a great bird called
Kaha," said the crier. "Whoever can give
information about this bird and help catch it,
will be rewarded with half the gold in the royal
treasury and half the kingdom!"
The fisherman was sorely tempted by the
reward. Half the kingdom would make him a
prince!"Why does the king want the bird?" he
asked.
"He has lost his sight," explained the crier. "A
wise man has advised him to bathe his eyes in
the blood of a Kaha bird. Do you know where it
can be found?"
"No...I mean...no, no...."
Torn between greed and his sense of gratitude
to the bird, the fisherman could not give a
coherent reply. The crier, sensing that he knew
something about the bird,
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informed the king. The king had him brought to
the palace.
"If you have information about the bird, tell
me," urged the king. "I will reward you
handsomely and if you help catch it, I will
personally crown you king of half my domain."
"I will get the bird for you," cried the
fisherman, suddenly making up his mind. "But
Kaha is strong. I'll need help."
The king sent a dozen men with him.
That evening when the bird came with the fish,
the fisherman called out to her to wait.
"You drop the fish and go and I never get a
chance to thank you for all that you've done for
me," he said. "Today I've laid out a feast for
you inside. Please alight and come in."
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The Kaha was reluctant to accept the invitation
but the fisherman pleaded so earnestly that
she finally gave in, and alighted.
The moment she was on the ground, the
fisherman grabbed one of her legs and shouted
to the soldiers hiding in his house to come out.
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They rushed to his aid but their combined
effort could not keep the Kaha down. She rose
into the air with the fisherman still clinging
onto her leg.
By the time he realized he was being carried
away, the fisherman was too high in the air to
let go. He hung on grimly, and neither he nor
the Kaha were ever seen again.
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6. Wish List (France)
His troops, led by four of his finest
commanders won a great battle for him, and
Napoleon Bonaparte was in a generousmood.Ask for anything and Ill give it to you,
he said to the four officers who had
distinguished themselves.
Ive always wanted a house in Paris, said one
of the men, a German.
Done! said Napoleon. Youll get a mansion in
the city.
Ive always desired to own a hotel, said the
second officer, a Frenchman.
Done! said the emperor. Ill order a hotel to
be given to you.
Ive always wanted a brewery, said the
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third man, a Pole.
Done! said the emperor. I will give you a
brewery!
And you, sir? he said, turning to the fourth
man. What will you have?
Grant me a fortnights leave, said the man.
Done! said the emperor. Your leave begins
from tomorrow!
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Now the fourth man happened to be a Jew, and
in those days at least, Jews were supposed to
be shrewd and possess great business acumen.
So his colleagues were surprised that he had
asked for so little. They felt he had missed a
rare opportunity to become rich, and were
elated that they themselves had kept their wits
about them and asked for worthwhile things.
They asked him about it when they ran into
him later that day.
Why did you ask for so little? they taunted
him.
Did courage fail you?
You asked for a lot, replied the Jew. But you
must remember that the emperor is a busy
man.
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He will order his secretary to fulfill his
promises. His secretary too is a busy man. He
will pass on the order to his assistant who too
is a busy man. So the emperors order will go
down from subordinate to subordinate and
finally in the course of a few monthsitll get
lost!
Well appeal to the emperor! shouted the
Frenchman.
The emperor will not know what youre talking
about, said the Jew. By then our great
victory will have become a dim memory. You
should have asked for something that the
emperor could give immediately like I did.
Now, if youll excuse me gentlemen, I have
work to do.
And leaving the three officers gaping, the Jew
went off to arrange for his holiday.
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7. Double Trouble (Indonesia)
Jamal was a lazy, good-for-nothing fellow. He
lounged about the house all day, much to his
wife Fatimas annoyance. One day, Fatima toldher husband to dig the patch of land outside
their hut.Ill borrow a spade from our
neighbor, she said. Then we can plant some
vegetables.
Jamal agreed reluctantly. The soil was hard
and he was soon tired. He leaned against the
spade for a moment, then, hearing Fatimas
voice, he quickly resumed digging.
Thunk! His spade struck metal. Jamal excitedly
scraped away the mud. It was a big cooking
pot. As Jamal leaned over to see if there was
anything in it, his pouch of tobacco and some
coins fell into the pot.
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Jamal bent to retrieve them, then jumped back
in surprise. There were now two pouches and
double the number of coins! Come quickly!
he called to Fatima. Look what Ive found!
When Fatima came over, she was so excited
that she put the coins in four or five times.
Soon there was a tidy pile of money. She
stooped to collect the coins and lost her
balance. Into the pot she fell and out came two
Fatimas, one a mirror image of the other.
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They immediately set to squabbling over
Jamal. Jamal stood irresolute for a moment,
then jumped into the pot. The new Jamal
refused to leave with his wife till they were
given an identical set of possessions right
down to a blanket with two holes. But how did
he recognize his wife?
She was a mirror image so her nose ring was
on the left nostril, while the real Fatima had
always worn hers on the right!
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8. Little One Inch (Japan)
Once long ago in Japan there lived a couple
who had no children. They prayed to the gods
for a child, even one as small as a finger, and
finally their prayers were answered. The child
born to them was so small that they named
him Issun Boshi, 'Little One Inch'.
When Issun Boshi reached the age of 15, he
said goodbye to his parents and set out for
Kyoto, the capital city, to seek his fortune.
In Kyoto he found employment in a wealthy
household. He could not do much work
because of his size, but his diligence and
sincerity pleased his master and his mistress.
And their daughter found him delightful. One
day Issun Boshi accompanied
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the girl to the temple.
On the way, two giants leaped out in front of
them from behind some bushes.Issun Boshi
deliberately drew their attention to him so that
the girl could escape. But then the giants were
furious with him and one of them picked himup and swallowed him.
Issun Boshi had a needle his mother had given
him. He used to wear it around his waist like a
sword. When he found himself in the giant's
stomach he took out the needle from its
scabbard and began to stab the giant's
stomach with it. Then climbing out through the
gullet he stormed into the giant's mouth where
he wreaked havoc with his needle. The giant
was frightened and spat him out.
When the other giant bent down to look at
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him, Issun Boshi stabbed him in the eye. The
giants had had enough. They ran away, one
holding a hand to his mouth and the other to
his eye.
In their haste they left behind a mallet which
Issun Boshi and the girl she had come back
to help him recognized as a magical object.
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"You have to hit it on the ground and make a
wish," said the girl.
So they hit the mallet on the ground and made
a wish. The next moment, Issun Boshi had
grown to normal size and stood clad in the
armor of a samurai!
The girl's father had no hesitation in giving hisdaughter in marriage to Issun Boshi, and the
young samurai proved to be a devoted
husband. Oh, yes, he brought his parents too
to live with him and them, though happy to see
their dear son grown so big, continued to call
him Issun Boshi!
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9. The Tiger's whisker (Korea)
An old hermit lived in the Lun Mountains of
Korea. Many people sought his advice for he
was a font of wisdom and was knowledgeable
in the magical arts. One day, a woman came
and pleaded with him to help her regain her
husbands affection.
"He was so loving and caring before he left for
the wars," she explained. "He has returned
after three years but now he is cold and aloof."
"War does these things to men," said the
hermit. "They say you can make a potion that
can kindle love in the person who consumes
it," said the woman.
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"I could make such a potion, it is true, but Ilack one of the ingredients that go into its
making."
"What is this ingredient?" asked the woman.
"It is a tigers whisker."
The woman left promising to get what he
wanted. The very next day she went in search
of a tiger and finally saw one on the banks of a
river. The tiger snarled when he saw her and
she retreated.
She returned to the spot the next day. Again
the tiger snarled and again she retreated. But
she kept going to the place and gradually the
animal got used to her presence and stopped
snarling.
She began to bring him food. In course of time
the tiger became so friendly that he would
come right up to her to take the food.
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One day she timidly reached out and patted his
head. A few days later she ran her hand downthe side of his face.
And then one day she deftly pulled out one of
his whiskers.
She rushed to the hermits house with the
whisker.
"Ive got it!" she said, triumphantly.
"Good," said the hermit.
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He took the whisker to the fireplace and
dropped it into the fire. "W-what have youdone!" said the woman, aghast. "You promised
to make me a magic potion!"
"You dont need one," said the hermit, softly.
"Tell me, how did you win the tigers affection?
Through gentleness and a great deal of
patience. Would a man be less responsive than
a savage and blood thirsty beast? Go and win
over your husband as you did the tiger."
The woman turned over what the hermit had
said, in her mind as she slowly made her way
home. When she saw her husband her first
instinct was to turn away, then remembering
the tiger and the hermits words, she checked
herself and moved forward, a smile on her
face.
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10. Why Crows are Black
(Myanmar)
The Sun while going on his daily rounds saw a
princess and fell in love with her. Whenever he
could slip away from the heavens he would
take human form and go down to the princess
to spend some time with her. The princess too
became quite fond of him and would wait forhim to come.
One day the Sun decided to send her a blood-
red ruby as a token of his love for her. He put
the gem in a silken bag, and calling a crow that
was flying past, asked the bird to deliver the
gem to his beloved. Crows had milky white
feathers in those days and it was considered
auspicious if a crow came anywhere near you.
So the Sun was pleased
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that he had found a crow to deliver the gem.
As the crow sped through the sky with the
silken bag, the aroma of food reached its
nostrils. Looking down it saw that a wedding
feast was in progress, and immediately it was
distracted from its mission. Food was one thing
it could never resist!
Alighting on a tree nearby, it hung the bag on
a twig and went off to find some food.
While the crow was feasting, a merchant
passing by saw the bag on the tree, and
knocked it down with a pole.
When he opened the bag and saw its contents
he almost swooned in joy. Quickly pocketing
the ruby, he filled the bag with dry cow dung
that was lying there, and then deftly returned
the bag to the branch.
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It was all done so quickly that the crow missed
all the action. After having its fill, it flew up to
the tree, and picking up the bag took it to the
person it was intended for.
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The princess was in the garden. When the crow
gave her the bag, she took it eagerly, knowing
that it was from the Sun. But when she saw its
contents she reeled back in shock and anger.
Believing that it was the Suns way of telling
her that he did not care for her, she flung the
bag away, rushed to her palace, and never
came out again.
When the Sun learnt of what had happened he
was furious. So great was his anger that when
he turned his scorching gaze on the crow, its
feathers were burned black.
Its feathers have been black ever since.
The story goes on to tell us that the ruby did
notstay with the man who stole it.
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It fell out of his pocket and rolled into a deep
pit.
Men have been trying to dig it out ever since.
Many precious stones have been found in the
process, making Burma (now Myanmar) one of
the richest sources of rubies and sapphires, but
the ruby that the Sun sent to the princess has
yet to be found.
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11. Top Answers (Nepal)
Bhupendra Prasad had spent a huge sum on
his only sons wedding which had been
celebrated with pomp and splendor.
A few weeks after the wedding, Bhupendra,
wanting to test his daughter-in-laws
intelligence asked her: Can you guess how
much I spent on your wedding?
About the cost of a sack of rice, said the
woman.
Her father-in-laws mouth dropped open inastonishment.
The cost of a sack of rice! he spluttered. You
foolish girl, I spent a fortune on your wedding!
The woman said nothing.
Shes a nitwit, thought Bhupendra.
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A nitwit! My poor son!
A few weeks later, while they were all going to
a relatives wedding they met up with a funeral
procession.
Who has died? asked Bhupendra, stopping a
mourner.
Is it just one corpse or a hundred? asked his
daughter-in-law.
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Bhupendra, greatly embarrassed by his
daughter-in-laws question, walked away
without waiting for the mourners answer.
Presently they came upon labourers working in
a field.
Looks like you had a good harvest! shouted
Bhupendra.
But are you reaping this years harvest or last
years? asked his daughter-in-law.
Your wife is mad! said Bhupendra to his son.
Mad! She talks nonsense!
Does she?
Dont pretend you dont know! roared his
father. Didnt you hear the silly questions she
asked?
Her questions may not be as silly as they
seem, said his son.
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Why not ask her to explain?
Bhupendra did not say anything. But later
when he found himself alone with his
daughter-in-law he decided to act on his sons
advice.
Tell me, he said, what did you mean when
you asked the mourner whether they were
carrying one corpse or a hundred?
Some men have scores of dependents,
explained the young woman. When such a
man dies many lives are shattered. His
dependents die with him, in a way. That is why
I asked the mourner whether they were
carrying one corpse or a hundred.
What did you mean when you asked those
laborers whether they were harvesting this
years crop or last years?
These laborers are perennially in debt,
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explained the daughter-in-law. I was
enquiring whether they were working to pay off
last years debt or had paid it all and were
beginning anew.
Bhupendra now realized that his daughter-in-
law, far from being a nitwit, was probably
cleverer than he was.
One last question, he said. Why did you say
I spent only the equivalent of the price of a
sack of rice for your wedding when you know
full well I spent a fortune?
What you spent on the essentials of the
marriage amounted to only a few hundred
rupees, smiled the young woman. The rest
you spent to uphold and enhance your
prestige. In other words, not on the marriage
but on yourself.
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12. Disputed Waters (Persia)
A man sold a well to a farmer, but when the
farmer went to draw water from it, stopped
him and said:
"I sold you the well but not the water. You will
have to pay separately for the water."
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The farmer of course refused and the case was
taken to a Kazi (judge).
After hearing both sides the Kazi said to the
man who had sold the well:
"Since you sold only the well, you have no
right to keep your water in it. Pay a rent to this
farmer for using his well or take your water out
at once!"
The man realized that he had been outwitted,
and bowing to the Kazi quietly left the court.
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13. Making Haste Slowly
(Philippines)
A trader bought a large number of coconuts at
a village, and loading them on to his horse cart
set off for home. Encountering a boy, a little
later, he asked him how long it would take to
reach the main road.
Go slowly, and youll reach it in ten minutes,
replied the lad, but if you go fast itll take you
half an hour or more.
Fool! shouted the trader, and drove away at
breakneck speed. Fifty meters down the road,
one of the wheels struck a stone. The jolt sent
the coconuts flying in all directions.
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It took the man a long time to gather all the
coconuts and put them back in the cart.
Afterwards, he climbed back wearily into the
drivers seat, and with the boys words ringing
in his ears, drove slowly and cautiously the rest
of the way.
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14. The Dissatisfied Devotee
(Rome)
Many tales are told about Neptune the Roman
god of the sea. Neptune was said to be one of
the most generous of the gods.
One day a woman who lived close to the sea
went down to the beach and began singing
songs in his praise. Finally the god came to the
surface and asked her what she wanted.
I want a cow, said the woman.
The next moment there was a cow standingbeside her. The woman was thrilled. She began
singing another song. At the end of it there
was another cow beside her. The woman went
on singing and every time she
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stopped for breath there would be another cow
on the beach. The beach was small and so as
the number of cows started growing it
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started getting crowded. Finally there was just
enough room for her to stand.
Yet the woman was not satisfied. There was a
large rock at her feet. She felt that if she
removed the rock there would be place for one
more cow there. So she picked it up and
summoning all her strength heaved it into the
sea. Unfortunately for her, Neptune himself
was coming to the surface at that moment to
bestow his blessings on his devotee. The rock
hit him on the head. The god was so angry he
dived back into the waters taking with him all
the cows he had given the woman.
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15. Stomach Problems
(Myanmar)
In Burma, in days gone by, a wealthy landlord
decided to build a rest house for wandering
monks. He invited, or rather, commanded the
men of the village over which he held sway, to
work on the project.
You will earn merit by this work, he
announced, so I will not pay you.
Nobody wanted to displease him so all the
able-bodied men of the village came to help.
All except the village simpleton. He sat on a log
and watched the others work, marveling at
their industry.
The landlords blood boiled when he spotted
the idler.
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The landlords blood boiled when he spotted
the idler.
Why arent you working! he hollered.
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I would have liked to work on this noble
undertaking, said the simpleton, rising to his
feet, but my stomach is empty. Who can work
on an empty stomach?
Seeing that the man was of robust build and
capable of contributing massively to the task
on hand, the landlord ordered his servants to
feed him.
This took a long time as the man kept on
asking for second and third helpings of the
food that was being served to him. But finally
he pushed his plate aside, belched loudly and
went to wash.
Then he returned to the site.
Some time later the landlord went to inspect
the work and was furious when he saw the
simpleton again sitting idly on the log.
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Why arent you working! he roared.
I would have liked to work, said the
simpleton, rising to his feet.
Indeed I want to work on this noble
undertaking. But my stomach is full. Who can
work on a full stomach?
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16. Learning from the Enemy
(Japan)
A samurai warrior slew his master in a fit of
rage. He repented immediately but the deed
was done and he knew that if he was caught
he would be put to death. He fled.
His wanderings took him to a remote village
that was separated from the rest of the world
by a mountain. The path across the mountain
was narrow and treacherous and many
villagers had lost their lives while traversing it.The murderer decided to atone for his sin by
single-handedly cutting a road through the
mountain to end the isolation of the village.
He worked from dawn to dusk and in four
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years had penetrated halfway into the
mountain. One morning when he was hard at
work in the tunnel, a young man called out to
him to come out. He was the son of the man
who had been murdered. He wanted revenge.
I deserve to die, said the former samurai.
Slay me by all means but wait until Ive
completed this tunnel.
The young man agreed to wait. He watched
fascinated as day after day the samurai
labored at a seemingly impossible task. The
rocks he was digging through were so massive
that at the end of a days work they seemed
not to have been touched at all. The young
man began to develop a grudging respect for
his enemys tenacity and determination.
Eventually he found himself
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helping the mandigging side by side with him
and carrying out the rubble.
Years passed and then one day the two men
broke through to the other side. The mountain
had been conquered at last and the centuries-
old isolation of the village had been ended.
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Now I am ready to die, said the samurai,
kneeling before the young man. Cleave my
head in two.
The youth raised his sword with a cry, the
blood rushing to his head. At last his fathers
death would be avenged. But he found hecould not bring himself to do it. Slowly he
lowered his sword.
Youre a murderer, he said. But Ive learnt
much from you in these last few years. How
can I harm my teacher?
And he sheathed his sword and walked away.
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17. Butterfly Lovers (China)
Long ago in China, at a time when girls were
expected to stay at home and learn household
work while the boys went to school, a girl
named Zhu conceived a desire to study.
Her family was wealthy and Zhu was pampered
but her father did not want to go against
tradition. When she pestered him he told her if
she got admission into a school he would not
stop her from studying. He was confident that
no school would admit a girl.But Zhu was resourceful. She disguised herself
as a boy and managed to get admission into a
school in the city of Hangzhou, where her aunt
lived.
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Every morning she would put on her disguise
and go to school.
There was a boy named Liang in her class. The
two were drawn to each other, and in course of
time became good friends. As the months and
the years passed they became inseparablecompanions, and Zhu realized that she was in
love.
She wanted to stay with Liang the rest of her
life. She thought of a plan. She told Liang that
when they finished school, and he had got a
job he should come to her house and ask her
father for her sisters hand.
Liang readily agreed. He too did not want to
lose Zhu. If he married her sister they could
continue to meet.
After finishing school, Liang lost no time in
taking up a job, and when he had saved
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enough to get married he hastened to Zhus
house.
Zhu saw him coming, and was overjoyed. It
was a year since they had parted and she had
missed him terribly. Unable to restrain herself
she rushed out shouting, Im your friend, asyou can see Im a girl, I cannot live without
you!
Liang was dazed by the revelation, but soon
recovered and caught Zhu in a warm embrace.
Suddenly everything had fallen into place. Now
he knew why he had felt such a strong love for
Zhu.
Zhu took him to her father who listened
attentively to what Liang had to say, but when
the young man asked for Zhus hand, he shook
his head.
He told Liang that Zhu had already been
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promised to another man, a wealthy merchant.
Nothing that Liang said could make Zhus
father change his mind.
Liang left, shattered. He felt frighteningly
alone. The thought that he would never see
Zhu again filled him with pain. On the way, hecollapsed and died.
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When Zhu learnt of Liangs death she lost all
desire to continue living. She pretended to
agree to the marriage arranged for her on
condition that the wedding procession passed
by Liangs grave.
As the wedding procession neared thecemetery the wind began to howl and the sky
grew dark. Zhu jumped down from her
palanquin and rushing to Liangs grave threw
herself on it, sobbing uncontrollably.
A peal of thunder suddenly rent the air. The
next moment, a bolt of lightning hit the grave,
breaking it open. Zhu leapt into it.
The storm subsided as quickly as it had
started. When Zhus relatives reached the
grave and peered into it, all they saw at first
was an empty coffin.
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Then out flew two butterflies, dancing as if
they could not believe they were together.
And as the people standing around the grave
watched in fascination and bewilderment the
two lovely butterflies flew out of sight.
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18. The Root of the Matter
(Africa)
A porcupine came and asked a dog for food.
The dog said he had no food but showed him afield of sugarcane belonging to a judge.
"Eat as much as you want," said the dog, "but
leave the roots intact so that the plants will
grow again."
The porcupine found the sugarcane sweet and
juicy. He began to visit the field every day. In
the beginning he ate only the stems, as
directed by the dog, but after a few days he
began to eat the roots too.
One day the judge saw the destruction in his
field and was very angry. He called the dog
and accused him of destroying his crop. The
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dog said it was the porcupine who was to
blame. The porcupine said he was innocent and
suggested that the matter be settled in court.
The judge agreed.
The porcupine waited till winter set in. Then
one chilly morning he went to the dog's houseand told him the judge had summoned them.
When they entered the judge's chamber the
dog began to shiver with the cold.
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"See how he trembles, Your Honor," said the
porcupine. "Isn't that a sure sign of guilt?"
"What do you have to say for yourself?" asked
the judge, looking sternly at the dog.
But the dog's teeth were chattering with the
cold and he could not speak. Thinking that hissilence was an admission of guilt, the judge
pronounced him guilty and kicked him out of
the house.
Whenever a dog barks incessantly, Africans say
he is warning the judge that the porcupine has
got into his field.
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19. Dreams (Nepal)
An owl had its home in a tree under which an
elephant used to come to spend the night. In
course of time the two became good friends.
One evening, the elephant while looking for
food, blundered into a gathering of demons.
On seeing the elephant, the demon-king began
to shout: "It's him, it's him!"
"Who is he, O king?" asked his attendants.
"Last night, I dreamt I ate an elephant," said
the demon. "It looked remarkably like this one
here.
Catch him and let me eat him so that my
dream may come true."
The demons caught the elephant who was so
terrified that he put up no resistance
whatsoever.
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His knees began to buckle as the king,
accompanied by his queen, began to advance
on him, teeth bared.
Suddenly his friend, the owl, came swooping
down, shrieking: "It's her! It's her!" and settled
on the elephant's head.
The king stopped dead in his tracks.
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"Who are you referring to, bird?" he growled.
"The queen," said the owl. "Last night I dreamt
I married her. Please marry us so that my
dream may come true."
"I will never marry an owl!" declared the
demoness."And nobody is asking you to, my dear," said
the king who was mightily afraid of her.
"Dreams are not to be taken seriously. See,
here is the elephant I ate in my dream but I'm
letting him go."
The elephant lumbered away, muttering thanks
to his friend.
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20. Not True (Japan)
Mr. Kitchom loved to listen to stories, but at
the end of the tale he would invariably exclaim,
"That can't be true!"
One day he was standing at the gate of his
house when he saw the village schoolmaster
going by. He called out to him and begged him
to tell him a story.
"On one condition," said the teacher.
"When I finish, you should not say 'That can't
be true.' If you say that, I'll be entitled to asack of grain from your house."
"Agreed," said Mr. Kitchom.
"I'll tell you the story of a great lord who lived
in China a long time ago," said the teacher.
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One day this aristocrat got into his palanquin
to go to the governor's palace. On the way he
heard a bird crying 'preeep.... preeeeep.' When
he peered out the bird soiled his robe with its
droppings.
"The lord sent his servant back for a new robe
and when he had brought it he took off the
soiled robe, threw it away and put on the new
one. Then they resumed the journey. A little
later the bird called out again and when the
lord peered out it soiled his sword with its
droppings. The nobleman sent his servant back
for a new sword and when he had brought it,gave the soiled one to the servant and kept the
new one.
"The lord made up his mind not to look out if
the bird cried out again, but when it did he
could not resist looking out and this time the
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bird dropped its load directly on his head.
"The lord sent his servant to bring him a new
head and when he had brought it, cut
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off his own with his sword......"
"Oh, but that can't be true!" blurted Mr.
Kitchom.
"No, it can't," agreed the teacher,
triumphantly, "but you've uttered the
prohibited phrase and you agreed to forfeit a
sack of rice as penalty!"
"Did I?" said Mr. Kitchom, slyly.
"That can't be true."
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21. Secret of Casket (China)
On her 75th birthday, Ah-ling distributed her
wealth among her four sons and announced
that she would spend three months of the year
with each son, in turn.
The arrangement worked well for a while and
then the old woman found that the welcome
she received at each son's house was
becoming less and less cordial. Finally she
began to feel positively unwanted. Now she
saw her sons in their true colors. Money meant
everything to them; people came second.
One day, Ah-ling's friend, Jing-mei, came to
see her. Jing-mei was distressed to find her
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friend in such an unhappy state and advised
her on what she should do. Afterwards, Jing-
mei tearfully embraced her friend, and left.
A few days later, towards sundown, Ah-ling
went out without telling anyone where she was
going and returned an hour later, her clothes
covered in mud.
"Where did you go?" asked her son, and thenseeing that she was holding a small
ornamental chest, hurried to her, his gaze
riveted on the casket.
"What is that?"
"Something that could change all our lives for
the better, in different ways," said his mother.
"What does it contain?"
"You'll find out when I'm dead and gone."
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The young man lost no time in informing his
brothers about the casket.
"It is obvious she has not given us all her
wealth," said the eldest. "She must have kept
back some of her more valuable gems. God
alone knows how many caskets the wily
woman has buried."
They questioned their mother but she refusedto tell what the casket contained, or even if
there were more caskets hidden elsewhere.
Many a time, the brothers tried to open the
casket in her absence but it was securely
locked and they could never find the key.
But now Ah-ling no longer felt unwanted. Her
sons and daughters-in-lawfussed over her and
went out of their way to make her feel
welcome. In fact, now each son tried to
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persuade her to stay longer than the three
months, but she never extended her stay, not
wishing to show a preference for any son.
She passed away in her sleep, a few days
before her 84th birthday.
Her friend, Jing-mei came for the funeral rites
and before departing handed over a key to the
dead woman's eldest son in the presence of his
brothers.
"This is the key to the casket," she said and
left.
The sons and their wives hurried to the old
woman's chamber in great excitement. This
was the day they had been waiting for, for
weeks and months and years.
They bolted the door from the inside and
huddled around the casket. With trembling
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hands, the oldest brother fitted the key into
the lock and turned it.
It opened with a click. The man flicked open
the lid and then they all stared with disbelief at
the contents: ordinary pebbles.
"The gems might be below," said the oldest
brother and frantically overturned the
contents. All they found was a note from their
mother. It read:
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"Great disappointment awaits all those whose
lives centre around money. It is a sad thing
when an old woman has to resort to trickery toget her sons to look after her. It shows lack of
character not only in her sons but in the
mother too. You at least have time to change
yourselves and my last message to you is: try
to do so".
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22. Royal Servant (Africa)
The King of Kamera in Africa was a proud and
stern man, feared by all his subjects.
One day while sitting in his mud palace,
surrounded by fawning courtiers and watched
by a multitude of people who had come to see
him, he was suddenly overcome by a sense of
grandeur and loudly declared that he was
master of the world and that all men were his
servants.
You are mistaken, said a frail voice. All men
are servants of one another.
A deathly silence followed the remark. The
blood froze in the veins of the people
assembled there. Then the king exploded in
anger.
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Who said that! he demanded, rising from the
royal stool.
Who dares suggest that I am a servant?
I do, said a voice in the crowd, and thepeople parted to reveal a white-haired old
man, leaning heavily on a stout stick.
Who are you? asked the king.
I am Boubakar, said the man. We have no
water in our village. I have come to ask for a
well to be dug there.
So you are a beggar! roared the king,
striding down to where the man stood. Yet
you have the temerity to call me a servant!
We all serve one another, said Boubakar,
showing no fear, and I will prove it to you
before nightfall.
Do that, said the monarch. Force me to wait
on you. If you can do that I will have
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not one but three wells dug in your village. But
if you fail, youll lose your head!
In our village, said the old man, when we
accept a challenge, we touch the persons feet.Let me touch your feet. Hold my stick.
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The king took the stick and the old man bent
down and touched the monarchs feet.
Now you may give it back to me, he said,
straightening up. The king gave him back his
stick.
Do you want any more proof? askedBoubakar.
Proof? asked the king, bewildered.
You held my stick when I asked you to and
gave it back to me when I asked you for it,
said the old man. As I said, all good men are
servants of one another.
The king was so pleased with Boubakars wit
and daring that he not only had wells dug in
his village but also retained him as an adviser.
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23. The Generous Student
(China)
Lin Piao used to absent himself from classes
very often and one day the principal of the
college made up his mind to expel him. So he
sent for the young man.
Lin arrived just as the principal was about to
go for lunch. "Is this the time to come!" said
the principal, sternly.
"Forgive me, Sir," said Lin, "but I got to college
very late today. You see, I found a lump ofgold in our field." "A lump of gold!" said the
principal, his eyes popping out. "Oh, my, what
are you going to do with it?"
"I decided to build a palatial house, buy several
acres of land and several head of cattle," said
the student.
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"I also decided to give you a small sum for the
trouble you have taken in educating me."
The principal was pleased and invited Lin to eat
with him. The young man ate ravenously but
the principal hardly touched his food. He was
wondering how much Lin would give him and ifit would be enough to buy that small paddy
field he had always wanted.
"I hope you've kept the gold in a safe place,"
he said, suddenly coming out of his reverie.
"I never got a chance to do that," said Lin. "It
disappeared the moment my mother shook me
awake."
"What!" screamed the principal. "You mean it
was all a dream?!" The young man nodded.
The principal controlled himself with a great
effort of will.
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"I'm happy you remembered me in your
dream," he said, finally. "I hope you remember
me when you really get some gold. Now please
leave."
It was only when the young man had left that
the principal remembered why he had sent for
him.
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