The Farmer and The Hunter

image source: google image

In the days of ancient China, there was a farmer who has a hunter neighbor with his careless fierce dogs. The dogs often jump the fence and chase the farmer’s sheep. The farmer asked the hunter to keep the dogs but he didn't care.

One day, the dogs were jumping the fence and attacked some sheep so badly injured. The farmer lost his patience, then he went to town to consultation to a judge.

Judge said, “I could punish the hunter and order to confine the dogs to be chained. But, you will lose a friend and gain an enemy. Which one you choose, a friend or enemy of your neighbor?” the farmer prefers to have a friend and the judge tell the solution.

The farmer went home and took his best three ships to give it to the hunter’s children. The hunter’s children are very welcome that they have sheep as toy and pet and play with sheep. To keep the children’s sheep, the hunter keeps the dogs into cage. Since that, the dogs never interfere the farmer’s sheep.

In addition to the gratitude, the hunter often give the farmer the prey that he got. In return, the farmer sends the hunter lambs and homemade cheese. In a short time, the neighbors become good friends.

As ancient Chinese idiom says, “The best way to beat and influence people is with virtue, goodness and compassion.”

It is almost same with American expression that says, “A person can catch more flies with honey than with vinegar.”

Four Candles Story

image source: sfhp.co.uk

There are 4 candles are litting, slowly melted.

It was so quiet that their conversation was heard

The first said: "I am the Peace." "But man can not look after me: it is better I turned myself alone!" So little by little the candle lit off.

The second said: "I am Faith." "Too bad I'm not useful anymore." "People do not want to know me, for that there was no need for me to stay on." Once finished speak,it  extinguished by wind.

Sadly, turn the third candle to speak: "I am Love." "I'm not able anymore to stay on." "People no longer look for me and think that I’m useful." "They hate each other, even hate those who love him, hate his family." Without waiting a long time, then off the third candle.

Unexpectedly ...

A child came into the room, and saw the three candles had been extinguished. Because of fear of the darkness, he said: "Ekh what happened ?? You must stay on, I'm afraid of the dark! "

Then he is crying out loud.

Then the fourth candle said:

Do not be afraid, Do not cry, for I was still there and on, we still can always light a candle three others:

"I am HOPE."

With shining eyes, the child took the Candle of Hope and lit the other three candles back.

The thing that never dies in our heart is only HOPE... and each of us may be able to be a tool, like a child, which in any circumstances be able to revive the Faith, Peace, Love with its HOPE!

Life is not always bright, sometimes the wind blow, dimming our "candles". In any difficult circumstances, lest you lose hope ... especially hopes to Him. With hope, God willing, we can survive and with His permission we can light "candles" Another of our lives.

The Lazy Grasshopper and The Ants

image source: prawnandquartered.com

In a field one summer's day a grasshopper was hopping about, chirping and singing to its heart's content.  A group of ants walked by, grunting as they struggled to carry plump kernels of corn. He was observing some ants collecting food for the winter. They were busy in carrying the food and storing it into their home. Making fun of them, the grasshopper said to one of them, "Where are you going with those heavy things?" asked the grasshopper.

Without stopping, the first ant replied, "To our ant hill.  This is the third kernel I've delivered today."

"Why not come and sing with me," teased the grasshopper, "instead of working so hard?" 

"We are helping to store food for the winter," said the ant, "and think you should do the same." 

"Winter is far away and it is a glorious day to play," sang the grasshopper.

But the ants went on their way and continued their hard work.

The grasshopper replied, “Ha! What a foolish thing to do! Worrying about the future! Not enjoying the present.” Saying so the grasshopper left the place humming a melodious song.

The weather soon turned cold.  All the food lying in the field was covered with a thick white blanket of snow that even the grasshopper could not dig through.  Soon the grasshopper found itself dying of hunger. He staggered to the ants' hill and saw them handing out corn from the stores they had collected in the summer.  He begged them for something to eat.

"What!" cried the ants in surprise, "haven't you stored anything away for the winter?  What in the world were you doing all last summer?"

"I didn't have time to store any food," complained the grasshopper; "I was so busy playing music that before I knew it the summer was gone."

The ants shook their heads in disgust, turned their backs on the grasshopper and went on with their work.

When the winter came the Grasshopper had no food and found itself dying of hunger - while it saw the ants distributing every day corn and grain from the stores they had collected in the summer. Then the Grasshopper knew: It is best to prepare for days of need, saving for the future is the best help and there is a time for work and a time for play.

Sand and Rock

image source: cutewallpaperss.com

Once upon a time, there are two friends were walking in the desert. On the way they both fight and in anger, one slapped other. Then a friend who was slapped, wrote on the sand, "Today my friend just slapped me."

After that, they walk around again and found an oasis, a fountain in the middle of the desert. Then, when they're drinking, it turns out that a friend who was slapped is dragging in deep water oasis. He began to sink. Lucky, his friend was helping him so that he is safe. Then, after break, he took a stone and wrote to the stone, "Today my friend just saved me."

Wonder, his friend asked, “You wrote on the sand now you’re writing on the stone, what's the difference?"

The friend replied, "When my friend did a bad thing, I wrote in the sand. So that later, the written in the sand will be blown by the wind and disappeared. That is, I just wanted this experience does not want me to remember and only briefly in my mind. Then I’ll forget it. But the goodness that my friend did, I write in stone so I can always remember him. "

Well, young friend, do you like the friend in that story or just the opposite. There are people who actually know the ugliness of his writing on stone. But his kindness on the sand. So, we assisted and helped, he did not remember, but if we make a little mistake he will remember for the rest of his life. Our lesson this time is simple, be easy to forgive and many remember the kindness of others. Thus, we will have more friends than enemies.

Don't Judge Book by Its Cover

pic image: google image

Once upon a day, an old man and a 25 year old girl are sitting in the train opposite with a man and a young lady. When the train is running the girl is very happy, like a child who thrills to ride train for the first time. “Dad dad.. Look! Those trees walked back toward us,” said the girl.

That phenomenon of course is a common thing when we are in vehicle. But that girl is very enthusiastic, acting like a child. “Dad dad, look!” She said while pointing the clouds, “The clouds are following us.” The old man is smiling look his daughter.

It’s different with the couple who sat in front of them. They both stared at the girl with a strange look. They think the girl acted strange.  25 years old but acts like a child. “Why you didn’t bring your daughter to the doctor?” Ask one of couple. She’s looking at her with a pity gaze. They think the young girl has abnormal behavior or abnormal psychological.

The old man smiled. “I have brought my daughter to the doctor, shortly after she was born. The doctor told me that she was blind”, said the old man, “Not long ago my daughter had eyes surgery and succeed. It is her first time see the world through her eyes.”

It’s easy for us to judge someone looks strange, stupid, impolite brash and other. But is it makes you better than them? Not really. Because everyone has their own life story. Sometimes they also had wound. It would be wise if you do not judge other without unknowing the story behind it.

Sad Love Story

A Very Painful Story..

A Gentle Man

Rise Above Humiliation

                                                   Pic source: historicalstockphotos.com

When Abraham Lincoln (1809 – 1865) was a young lawyer, he often consulted with other lawyers on the case. One day, he sat in the waiting room to see a senior lawyer. But when it came time, the lawyer only sees Lincoln glance and shout, “What’s he doing here? Get rid of him! I’m not going to deal with a stiff monkey!” Lincoln pretended not to hear. Even though he knew it was deliberate insult. Although shy, he remained calm. Then when the trial took place, Lincoln ignored. But the lawyer who had insulted Lincoln so cruel, he can defend his client with brilliant. Handling of the case was made Lincoln fascinated. He said to himself, “His reason is very nice. The arguments were precise and very complete. Well organized and prepared! I’ll go home and really be keen to learn the law again.” Time flies..

Lincoln becomes president of United States in March 1861. Among the main critics, there is Edwin M. Stanton, a lawyer who once insulted and hurt Lincoln so deeply, but Lincoln lifted him in important positions as a Secretary of War. He never forgot that Stanton is a smart-witted lawyer, which is needed by country. When Lincoln died, Stanton said, “He is the pearl belonged to civilization.  

Only a person who has character and forgiving like Lincoln can rise and succeed in humiliation! So, keep the mood. Do not let other people’s bad attitude determines how we act. Select to continue to do well and learn to forgive. Make ‘junk’ as ‘fertilizer’ or ‘fuel’ for forward-both within the family, work or where we live.

Try Different Ways

                                                          Pic source: shutterstock.com

One day, a kid goes outside home and forgot to close the door house. Then there is a fly rush into that house. The fly straight to a table which filled with delicious food and eating with gusto.

After full, the fly rush want to get out of the house and flew toward the door when he entered. But it turns out the glass door has been closed.

The fly was flying around the glass, occasionally jumping and crashing the glass, with relentless the fly trying to get out of the glass door. That fly crept around the glass from up to down, from left to right, and keep on repeatedly. The day darker, the fly was exhausted and starving. The next morning, that fly hung limp and collapsed on the floor.

Not far from that place, a group of red ants appear to go hand in hand out of the nest to find food. When the ants encounter the helpless fly, they gathered around and bite the fly’s body to death. That herd of ants was transporting the poor fly carcasses to their nests.

On the way, a little ant asked his older companion, “What’s wrong with this fly? Why is he dying?” The older replied, “Oh, it’s often that there are flies that died in vain like this. Actually he have been tried, he really has struggled trying to get out of the glass door. But when it did not find a way out, he was frustrated and tired until finally fell dying and becoming our dinner.”

But the little ant still curious and asked again,” I still not understand, instead that fly had tried hard? Why it didn’t work?” Still walking and carrying the fly carcass, the old ants replied, “That fly relentless and have tried repeatedly. It’s just that he did so repeatedly in the same way.”

The old ant was order his friends paused as he went on to say, but this time with more serious expression and tone, “Remember boy, if you do things the same way but expecting different results, then your fate will be like this fly.”

The Snail and the Frog

                                                           Pic source: photorator.com

There is a snail that always looks cynical to a frog. One day, the frog who lost his patience finally ask the snail, “Hey snail, did a make a very bad mistake so you hate me?” Snail replied, “you frog has four legs and can jump back and forth, but I have to bring this shell. This is heavy, crawling on the ground, so I feel very sad,” the frog replied,“ Every life has each misery respectively, except that you only see my excitement, but you do not see our suffer.”

Immediately, there was a big eagle flying towards them. Snail quickly covers his put in his body into the shell, while the frog ate by eagle.

Enjoy your life, do not need to be compared with others. Jealousy of our hearts toward others will bring more suffer. It’s better to think about what we have. It will bring more gratitude and happiness for us.

Freedom Mind

                                             Pic source: americasfavoritetool.weebly.com

The inventor of modern toothbrush is an Englishman named William Addis. He wears bones that he was perforated into small pieces, then fills with fur and glued it into one. William became a millionaire after the idea was developed into a hairy nylon toothbrush and manufactured by the American Company named Du Pont in 1938.

Did you know that when William Addis find the concept of a toothbrush, he was languishing in jail? His body was in prison but his mind was not imprisoned. While many people, who are not in prison, often imprison his mind self. That jail forms into the words:

“No way”

“Never”

”Would not”

“Don’t want”

“Do not brave” and others “no” words, which is often a barrier us to evolve. The Creator gives us the potential to be developed, positively and as much as possible. So, do not allow any state to imprison our minds.

A Touring King

                                                              Pic source: clipartpanda.com

A king will be touring the country to see his people condition. He decided to walk alone. Just a few meters walk outside the castle, his legs hurt because he was stumbling stone. He thought, “Apparently the streets in this country very bad. I have to fix it”. The king then called all the ministers of the palace. He was ordered to coat all the roads in the country with the best cow leather. Immediately, the minister does the preparations. He collects cows from all over the country.

In the midst of that busyness, come an ascetic to the king and said, “O my lord, why Your Majesty wanted to make many cowhide for covering the streets in this country, when Your Majesty only needs two pieces of cowhide for coat Your Majesty’s feet”. Since then, the world found leather to cover the feet which called ‘slippers’.

There is a valuable lesson from the story. To make the world a comfortable place, sometimes, we have to change our view, our heart and ourselves. Not by changing the world or may even regret the fate that has happened in this life. Because we are often mistaken in interpreting the world.

World, in our minds, sometimes just a personal form. World, we define as our own, which are our own players. No one else is involved there, because that world is a shadow of us.

Yes, indeed, the way of life that we take is still steep and rocky. Which we could choose, lining every road it with furry rug so we never felt hurt. Or, coat our hearts so that we can survive the streets it?

An Indian Rickshaw Man

                                                            Pic source: bbc.co.uk

Whose hearts have not been touched to see a man pull a rickshaw on a hot day while carrying a baby? This is really happened in India. This man caring for his baby because his wife died after giving birth and no one is willing to take care of the baby.

This man’s name is Bablu Jatav, 38 years. He was blessed with a baby girl named Damini after married for 15 years with his wife, Shanti. Mr. Bablu said that he was very happy to be blessed a put but he kept a deep sadness because his wife died shortly after birth. “Shanti died shortly after giving birth at the hospital on September 20, 2014”, said Bablu. Since that, no one was willing to take care of my daughter, so I was looking after her, even when I pull a rickshaw,” he added.

Bablu is a daily rickshaw man in Bharatpur city. He did not have any brother or sister who can take care his baby, so the only way is taking care of his daughter while working. Bablu holds his baby with cloth wrapped around his neck. He was forced to do it, even in the middle of a very hot day. It is very worrying, especially for very young Damini. The heat of the sun and road conditions make it had to be rushed to hospital Jaipur some time ago. The baby suffered from septicemia, anemia and acute dehydration. Fortunately, the baby’s condition improved after treatment. The news quickly spread in India, so many offers of assistance received by Bablu. It is probable that the local Indian government is processing a way to help care for the baby. Hopefully the aids come soon, so this baby girl got better treatment.

The Carpenters

                                                       Pic source: chewyandthegang.com

A middle-aged man and a young man began to fell trees in the early morning. Probably because now his not really strong as he young, the middle-aged man will rest for 10 minutes, every 50 minutes. While the young man, probably because he still young, powerful and strong, he never rested for one moment and just keep working. When they finish their work, the boy realizes a something surprise. The middle-aged carpenter gets more logs than the carpenter boy. Later, the young carpenter asked the man to learn from him. Then, the middle-aged carpenter replied, “Rest is also a job. In addition to providing adequate power supply to the body. Rest can also hone the energy that we have”.

Working and learning with persistent is good, but it would be better if adapted to rest. Our bodies also have certain limits and capabilities when used. When the limit is exceeded, rest. That’s a way better to make the body re-powered. When man works with a strong body and fresh, then good results will be achieved as is done with more vigor. Conversely, if the work is continuously performed without any time to rest, the body will not be able to withstand fatigue and fatigue can lead to the work being done in disarray. So, rest.

Point of View

A wife was cooking in the kitchen. The husband who was beside him, endless bubbling. “Slow down, be careful! The fire was too big, quickly reversed, the oil is too much!”. His wife spontaneously replied, I understand how to cook. Then the husband calmly replied, I just want you to understand how I feel. When I’m driving, you beside me with endless babble.

Learning to give leeway to others is not difficult, as long as we want to seriously stand in the corner and understand other’s point of view to see a problem.

The Crow & the Goose

                                                    Pic source: vancouverislandbirds.com

There is a very arrogant crow. One day at a lake near farmer’s yard, the crow was met with some wild geese that fly and play around the lake. While observing the way of flying goose, said the crow. “I do not know how you fly. However, the way you fly was really bad. Don’t you know how to drift?” said the crow arrogantly. The crow flew there to show off how he flies. Swooping down, spinning and drifting.

With great pleasure, the crow said, “this is the way to fly!”. Because of his pride again, the crow said, “let race who is the most powerful flier?”.

Feeling challenged, the older geese undertakes compete with the crow, “well, let’s see who can fly the farthest. Eventually they begin to fly. While the crow is flying with his style, spinning, swooping up and down. While flying, the crow was still mocking and laughing at the way the flight of wild geese. The longer they are farther away from the mainland until they approached the shore, then flew towards the open sea. They were still racing and flying. Because rambled and mocked the wild goose, the crow finally began to feel tired and eventually fell into the sea then dead. But the goose? He was tired too so he down to the sea and decided to swim.

The point is, we shouldn’t be too overbearing with our strengths and demeaning. Not necessarily other people worse than us. Therefore, at all you do not underestimate friends or relatives who s seems less capable than you. Yes, this time they seemed to lack. However, it may be, at another time, they would be better than you. Learn to accept the lack of others. If one wanted to fix the flaws in people, do with polite. Everyone has the advantage, but certainly also has some drawbacks.

Source: www.checkouthungerok.org