On The Way To The Sun

-MRS. W. K. CLIFFORD

He had journeyed a long way, and was very tired. It seemed like a dream when he stood up after a sleep in the field, and looked over the wall, and saw the garden, and the flowers, and the children playing all about. He looked at the long road behind him, at the dark wood and the barren hills; it was the world to which he belonged. He looked at the garden before him, at the big house, and the terrace, and the steps that led down to the smooth lawn—it was the world which belonged to the children.

"Poor boy," said the elder child, "I will get you something to eat."

"But where did he come from?" the gardener asked.

"We do not know," the child answered; "but he is very hungry, and mother says we may give him some food."

"I will take him some milk," said the little one; in one hand she carried a mug and with the other she pulled along her little broken cart.

"But what is he called?" asked the gardener.

"We do not know," the little one answered; "but he is very thirsty, and mother says we may give him some milk."

"Where is he going?" asked the gardener.

"We do not know," the children said; "but he is very tired."

When the boy had rested well, he got up saying, "I must not stay any longer," and turned to go on his way.

"What have you to do?" the children asked.

"I am one of the crew, and must help to make the world go round," he answered.

"Why do we not help too?"

"You are the passengers."

"How far have you to go?" they asked.

"Oh, a long way!" he answered. "On and on until I can touch the sun."

"Will you really touch it?" they said, awestruck.

"I dare say I shall tire long before I get there," he answered sadly. "Perhaps without knowing it, though, I shall reach it in my sleep," he added. But they hardly heard the last words, for he was already far off.

"Why did you talk to him?" the gardener said. "He is just a working boy."

"And we do nothing! It was very good of him to notice us," they said, humbly.

"Good!" said the gardener in despair. "Why, between you and him there is a great difference."

"There was only a wall," they answered. "Who set it up?" they asked curiously.

"Why, the builders, of course. Men set it up."

"And who will pull it down?"

"It will not want any pulling down," the man answered grimly. "Time will do that."

As the children went back to their play, they looked up at the light towards which the boy was journeying.

"Perhaps we too shall reach it some day," they said.

The Hungry Mouseimage: http://www.kidsgen.com/short_stories/images/mouse.gif

A mouse was having a very bad time. She could find no food at all. She looked here and there, but there was no food, and she grew very thin.At last the mouse found a basket, full of corn. There was a small hole in the basket, and she crept in. She could just get through the hole.Then she began to eat the corn. Being very hungry, she ate a great deal, and went on eating and eating. She had grown very fat before she felt that she had had enough.When the mouse tried to climb out of the basket, she could not. She was too fat to pass through the hole." How shall I climb out?" said the mouse. "oh, how shall I climb out?"Just then a rat came along, and he heard the mouse."Mouse," said the rat, "if you want to climb out of the basket, you must wait till you have grown as thin as you were when you went in." 

The Two FrogsTwo frogs had lived in a village all their lives. they thought they would like to go and see the big city that was about ten miles away.

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They talked about it for a long time, and at last they set off to see the city.

It was a hot day, and they soon began to feel tired. They had only gone a little way when one said to the other, "We must be nearly there. Can you see the city?"

"No," said the other frog; "but if I climb on your back I might be able to see it."

So he climbed up on the back of the other frog to see the city.

Now when the frog put up his head, his eyes could only see what was behind, and not what was in front. So he saw the village they had just left.

"Can you see the city?", asked the frog who was below.

"Yes," answered the frog who had climbed up. " I can see it. It looks just like our village."

Then the frogs thought that it was not worthwhile going any farther. They went back and told the frogs round the village that they had seen the city, and it was just like theirs. 

The Magic Of Mushkil GushaOnce in the royal city of Isfahan, there was an old woodcutter who lived alone with his young daughter. Every day, the woodcutter went out to the desert to gather camel-thorn bushes, then sold them in the marketplace as firewood. In this way, he earned barely enough for the two of them.

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One morning, the woodcutter's daughter said, Father, we always have enough to eat. But just once, it would be nice to have something special. Do you think you could buy us some date cakes?

I think I could do that, my dear, said the woodcutter. I'll just gather some extra wood today.

So the woodcutter walked farther that day to gather more thorn bushes. But he took longer than he meant to.

By the time he got back with the wood, darkness had fallen. It was too late to go to the marketplace. What's more, when he reached his house, he found that his daughter had already bolted the front door and gone to bed.

Knock as he would, there was no answer. So he had to sleep outside on the doorstep.

Next morning, the woodcutter awoke while it was still dark. He told himself, I might as well go out right now and get another big load of wood. Then I can

sell twice as much and buy even more date cakes.

So he left his load and went back to the desert to gather more bushes. But again he took longer than he meant to, and when he got back, it was dark and the door was bolted. So again he had to sleep on the doorstep.

He awoke once more before dawn. There's no sense wasting a day, he said. I'll go back out for one more big load. How many date cakes we'll have then!

But yet again he took too long, and yet again the door was bolted when he got back.

The woodcutter sank to the doorstep and wept.

What's wrong, old man?

He looked up to see a dervish in a long green robe and a tall green cap.

Holy sir, for three days I have gone out to gather thorn bushes, and for three days I have come home too late to get into my house. And in all that time, I've had nothing to eat.

What night is this, old man?

The woodcutter said, Why, Friday eve, of course.

That's right. It's the eve of our holy day. And that's the time of Mushkil Gusha.

Mushkil Gusha? said the woodcutter.

That's right, old man -- the 'Remover of Difficulties.'

The holy man took some roasted chickpeas and raisins from his pouch and handed them to the woodcutter. Here, share this with me.

Thank you, sir!

You may not know it, the dervish went on, but Mushkil Gusha is already helping you. If you want your good fortune to continue, here's what you must

do: Every Friday eve, find someone in need. Then share what you have, and tell a tale of Mushkil Gusha. That way, you both will be helped.

And with that, the holy man vanished.

As the woodcutter stared at the empty spot, the door to his house swung open.

Father, where have you been? Oh, please come inside! I was so worried!

A few days passed, while the woodcutter and his daughter enjoyed the many date cakes he bought after selling his wood. Then one morning, when the woodcutter had gone to the desert and his daughter had finished her housework, she decided to go walking in a public park.

She was strolling down a broad path when a carriage stopped beside her.

What a pretty little girl! said a royal young lady. I am the daughter of the king. Would you like to be my handmaiden?

Yes, Your Highness, the girl said, blushing.

So the woodcutter's daughter became a handmaiden of the princess. With the gifts the princess gave her, she and her father became quite rich. He bought a nice house, and he didn't have to gather thorn bushes anymore.

But somehow he forgot what the dervish told him.

A month went by. One day, the princess went on a picnic to one of her father's private gardens, and she brought along the woodcutter's daughter. There was a small lake there, so they decided to go for a swim.

The princess took off her necklace and hung it on a branch overlooking the water. But when she came out, she forgot all about it.

A few days later at the palace, the princess looked for the necklace but couldn't find it. She turned angrily to the woodcutter's daughter.

You stole my necklace! You must have taken it when we went for our swim!

No, Your Highness, I wouldn't do that!

You're a thief and a liar too! I'll show you what happens to people of your kind! Get out of my sight!

The woodcutter's daughter ran home in tears. But an hour later, soldiers came to the door. They arrested the woodcutter and carried him off to a public square in front of the prison. Then they locked his feet in the stocks and left him there.

The woodcutter had to suffer the taunts and jeers of the passersby. Some people were kinder, though, and even threw him scraps of food.

Now, that evening was Friday eve. As the sun set, the woodcutter cast his thoughts over all that had happened to him in the past weeks. All at once, he cried out.

Oh, what a foolish, ungrateful wretch I am! Didn't the dervish say to share what I have each Friday eve and tell of Mushkil Gusha? Yet I haven't done it once!

Just then, a packet of chickpeas and raisins landed by the woodcutter. When he looked up, he didn't see who had thrown it. But he did see a beggar boy coming by.

Young friend! called the woodcutter. Please share this with me while I tell you a story.

The boy sat down and gratefully took what was offered. As he ate, the woodcutter related everything that had happened, from when his daughter asked for date cakes, to when he was put in the stocks.

Thank you, sir, said the boy. I needed the food, and the story was good too. I hope it has a happy ending.

The beggar boy went on his way. But he'd only gone a block when a rich merchant stopped him.

My one and only son! Ever since you were stolen at birth, I've looked for that birthmark on your left cheek. Now at last I've found you!

But they leave our story here.

The next day, the princess had another picnic in her father's private garden, and again she went down to the lake for a swim. She was about to step into the water when she saw the reflection of her necklace. She looked up into the tree -- and there was the necklace itself, right where she had left it.

That woodcutter's daughter didn't take it at all!

By the end of the day, the woodcutter was free from the stocks, and his daughter was back in the palace.

And every Friday eve after that, the woodcutter always remembered to find someone in need, share what he had, and tell his tale of Mushkil Gusha.

The Boy Who Cried Wolf

AesopA shepherd-boy, who watched a flock of sheep near a village, brought out the villagers three or four times by crying out, "Wolf! Wolf!" and when his neighbors came to help him, laughed at them for their pains. 

The Wolf, however, did truly come at last. The Shepherd-boy, now really alarmed, shouted in an agony of terror: "Pray, do come and help me; the Wolf is killing the sheep"; but no one

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paid any heed to his cries, nor rendered any assistance. The Wolf, having no cause of fear, at his leisure lacerated or destroyed the whole

flock. 

There is no believing a liar, even when he speaks the truth. 

The Miser

Aesopmiser sold all that he had and bought a lump of gold, which he buried in a hole in the ground by the side of an old wall and went to look at daily. One of his workmen observed his frequent visits to the spot and decided to watch his movements. He soon discovered the secret of the hidden treasure, and digging down, came to the lump of gold, and stole it. The Miser, on his next visit, found the hole empty and began to tear his hair and to make loud lamentations. A neighbor, seeing him overcome with grief and learning the cause, said, "Pray do not grieve so; but go and take a stone, and place it in the hole, and fancy that the gold is still lying there. It will do you quite the same service; for when the gold was there, you had it not, as you did not make the slightest use of it." 

The Snow Queen

by Hans Christian AndersenThere is a legend that, once upon a time, a beautiful fairy, the Snow Queen, lived on the highest, most solitary peaks of the Alps. The mountain folk and shepherds climbed to the summits to admire her, and everyone fell head over heels in love with her. 

Every man would have given anything, including his life, to marry her. Indeed, their lives are just what they did give, for Fate had decided that no mortal would every marry the Snow

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Queen. But in spite of that, many brave souls did their best to approach her, hoping always to persuade her. 

Each suitor was allowed to enter the great ice palace with the crystal roof, where the Queen's throne stood. But the second he declared his love and asked for her hand, thousands of goblins appeared to grasp him and push him over the rocks, down into bottomless abysses. 

Without the slightest emotion, the Queen would watch the scene, her heart of ice unable to feel anything at all. The legend of the crystal palace and the beautiful heartless Queen spread as far as the most distant alpine valley, the home of a fearless chamois hunter. Fascinated by the tale, he decided to set out and try his luck. Leaving his valley, he journeyed for days on end, climbing the snowclad mountain faces, scaling icebound peaks and defying the bitterly cold wind that swept through the alpine gullies. 

More than once he felt all was lost, but the thought of the lovely Snow Queen gave him new strength and kept him moving onwards. At last, after many days climbing, he saw glinting in the sunshine before him, the tall transparent spires of the ice palace. 

Summoning all his courage, the young man entered the Throne Room. But he was so struck by the Snow Queen's beauty that he could not utter a word. Shy and timid, he did not dare speak. So he knelt in admiration before the Queen for hours on end, without opening his mouth. The Queen looked at him silently, thinking all the while that, provided he did not ask her hand in marriage, there was no need to call the goblins. 

Then, to her great surprise, she discovered that his behaviour touched her heart. She realised she was becoming quite fond of this hunter, much younger and more handsome than her other suitors. Time passed and the Snow Queen dared not admit, not even to herself, that she would actually like to marry the young man. 

In the meantime, the goblins kept watch over their mistress; first they were

astonished, then they became more and more upset. For they rightly feared that their Queen might be on the point of breaking the Law and bringing down on the heads of all the Mountain People the fury of Fate. 

Seeing that the Queen was slow to give the order to get rid of her suitor, the goblins decided to take matters into their own hands. One night, as dusk fell, they slipped out of the cracks in the rock and clustered round the young chamois hunter. Then they hurled him into the abyss. The Snow Queen watched the whole scene from the window, but there was nothing she could do to stop them. However, her icy heart melted, and the beautiful cruel fairy suddenly became a woman. 

A tear dropped from her eye, the first she had ever shed. And the Snow Queen's tear fell on to a stone where it turned into a little silvery star. 

This was the first edelweiss ... the flower that grows only on the highest, most inaccessible peaks in the Alps, on the edge of the abyss and precipice . . . 

You Can't Please Everyoneimage: http://www.kidsgen.com/moral_stories/images/please1.jpg

One day a man was going to market with his son and his ass. they met a couple on the

way.

"Why walk when you have an ass to ride?" called out the husband, "seat the boy on

the ass."

"I would like that," said the boy, "help me up father."

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And the father did that willingly.

Soon they met another couple. "How shameful of you!" cried the woman, "let your father ride, won't he be tired?"

So, the boy got down and the father rode the ass. Again they marched on.

"poor boy", said the next person they met, "why should the lazy father ride while his son is walking?"

So, the boy got onto the ass too. As they went on, they met some travellers.

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"How cruel of them!" They are up to kill the poor ass." cried one of the travellers.

Hearing this, the father and the son got down. Now they decided to carry the ass on their shoulders. As they did so, the travellers broke into laughter.

The laughter frightened the ass. It broke free and galloped away.

MORAL: You can not please everyone