ST 1 :
Struggles of our Life
Once upon a time a daughter
complained to her father that her life was miserable and that she didn’t know
how she was going to make it. She was tired of fighting and struggling all the
time. It seemed just as one problem was solved, another one soon followed. Her
father, a chef, took her to the kitchen. He filled three pots with water and
placed each on a high fire.
Once the three pots began to boil,
he placed potatoes in one pot, eggs in the second pot and ground coffee beans
in the third pot. He then let them sit and boil, without saying a word to his
daughter. The daughter, moaned and impatiently waited, wondering what he was
doing. After twenty minutes he turned off the burners. He took the potatoes out
of the pot and placed them in a bowl. He pulled the eggs out and placed them in
a bowl. He then ladled the coffee out and placed it in a cup.
Turning to her, he asked. “Daughter,
what do you see?” “Potatoes, eggs and coffee,” she hastily replied.
“Look closer”, he said, “and touch
the potatoes.” She did and noted that they were soft.
He then asked her to take an egg and
break it. After pulling off the shell, she observed the hard-boiled egg.
Finally, he asked her to sip the
coffee. Its rich aroma brought a smile to her face.
“Father, what does this mean?” she
asked.
He then explained that the potatoes,
the eggs and coffee beans had each faced the same adversity-the boiling water.
However, each one reacted differently. The potato went in strong, hard and
unrelenting, but in boiling water, it became soft and weak. The egg was
fragile, with the thin outer shell protecting its liquid interior until it was
put in the boiling water. Then the inside of the egg became hard. However, the
ground coffee beans were unique. After they were exposed to the boiling water,
they changed the water and created something new.
“Which one are you?” he asked his
daughter. “When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond? Are you a
potato, an egg, or a coffee bean?”
The End
ST 2 :
The Elephant Rope
As a
man was passing the elephants, he suddenly stopped, confused by the fact that
these huge creatures were being held by only a small rope tied to their front
leg. No chains, no cages. It was obvious that the elephants could, at anytime,
break away from their bonds but for some reason, they did not.
He saw
a trainer nearby and asked why these animals just stood there and made no
attempt to get away. “Well,” trainer said, “when they are very young and much
smaller we use the same size rope to tie them and, at that age, it’s enough to
hold them. As they grow up, they are conditioned to believe they cannot break
away. They believe the rope can still hold them, so they never try to break
free.”
The man
was amazed. These animals could at any time break free from their bonds but
because they believed they couldn’t, they were stuck right where they were.
Like
the elephants, how many of us go through life hanging onto a belief that we
cannot do something, simply because we failed at it once before?
Failure is part of learning; we
should never give up the struggle in life.A mouse looked through the crack in the wall to see the farmer and his wife open a package. “What food might this contain?” the mouse wondered. He was devastated to discover it was a mousetrap.
Retreating to the farmyard, the mouse proclaimed the warning: “There is a mousetrap in the house! There is a mousetrap in the house!”
The chicken clucked and scratched, raised her head and said, “Mr. Mouse, I can tell this is a grave concern to you, but it is of no consequence to me. I cannot be bothered by it.”
The mouse turned to the pig and told him, “There is a mousetrap in the house! There is a mousetrap in the house!” The pig sympathized, but said, “I am so very sorry, Mr. Mouse, but there is nothing I can do about it but pray. Be assured you are in my prayers.”
The mouse turned to the cow and said, “There is a mousetrap in the house! There is a mousetrap in the house!” The cow said, “Wow, Mr. Mouse. I’m sorry for you, but it’s no skin off my nose.”
So, the mouse returned to the house, head down and dejected, to face the farmer’s mousetrap alone.
That very night a sound was heard throughout the house – like the sound of a mousetrap catching its prey. The farmer’s wife rushed to see what was caught. In the darkness, she did not see it was a venomous snake whose tail the trap had caught. The snake bit the farmer’s wife. The farmer rushed her to the hospital and she returned home with a fever.
Everyone
knows you treat a fever with fresh chicken soup, so the farmer took his hatchet
to the farmyard for the soup’s main ingredient. But his wife’s sickness
continued, so friends and neighbors came to sit with her around the clock. To
feed them, the farmer butchered the pig. The farmer’s wife did not get well;
she died. So many people came for her funeral, the farmer had the cow
slaughtered to provide enough meat for all of them.
The
mouse looked upon it all from his crack in the wall with great sadness. So, the
next time you hear someone is facing a problem and think it doesn’t concern
you, remember, when one of us is threatened, we are all at risk. We are all
involved in this journey called life. We must keep an eye out for one another
and make an extra effort to encourage one another. Each of us is a vital thread
in another person’s tapestry.
The End
ST 3 :
Nobody Laugh At A Lion
In the cool of the morning, on
the edge of the jungle, the animals were busy as can be. They were running and
racing, climbing and clambering, crawling and creeping all over the place. Pa Lion
sat and watched. “You can see why I’m crowned as the jungle’s king,” he said.
“The reason is, I’m the best one in doing this difficult task.”
“Do stop boasting,” said Ma
Lion. “I ask you, if you are the best one, I just want to know where are you
best at?” The question made Pa Lion thought hard for a second.
“Well, running for a start. You
just watch this.” Soon after that, Pa Lion jumped into the high grass, causing
all animals fear.
As Pa Lion ran, the sleek,
long-legged cheetah raced past him with ease, and Cheetah laughed. He laughed
quietly, because nobody laughs out loud at a lion. But Pa Lion heard him.
“All right,” said Pa Lion,
rather annoyed.
“Cheetah might be just a little
bit better at running. But I’m best at… at climbing trees. Look!”
Pa Lion dug his great claws into
the nearest tree and scrambled and scartched and scrabbled, and slowly heaved
himself up on to the lowest branch.
Monkey was swinging by his tail
in the highest branches of the tree, and he saw Pa Lion climbing and he
sniggered. He sniggered quietly, because nobody sniggers out loud at a lion.
But Pa Lion heard him. “All right,” said Pa Lion, grumpily. “Monkey mught be
just a little bit better at climbing trees. But I‘m the best at… at creeping
through the long grass, quiet as quiet.”
Pa Lion dropped into a low
crouch, then, crawling and creeping, slow as slow quiet as quiet, he moved
through the long grass. Snake was slipping through the grass, smooth and silent
as a high. He saw Pa Lion crawling and creeping, and he smiled. He smiled to
himself, because nobody smiles at a lion. But Pa Lion saw him. Pa Lion began to
feel angry. “Okay,” he said. “I think, snakes are the animal that may have a
better ability in creeping through the long grass, quiet as quiet. But I am the
best at… at…” “You are very good at sleeping,” said Ma Lion. “It shouldn’t be
counted, “said Pa Lion.
Then he said, “I am the
strongest. Watch me.” He pushed his great head against the trunk of a small
tree, bending it until it broke with a loud crack! Elephant was plodding past,
leaving a trail of flattened bushes and broken trees in his path. He saw Pa
Lion and he lifted his trunk and trumpeted. He trumpeted softly, because not
even an elephant trumpets out loud at a lion. But Pa Lion heard him.
Now Pa Lion was furious. “Okay,”
he said. “I know that.. Elephant is an animal that just a little bit stronger.
But I am the best at… the best at… Oh! I can’t think of anything! “It really
makes me want to… ROAR!”
And the sound of Pa Lion’s roar
rolled and rumbled and grew and grumbled and echoed and thundered through the
jungle. Pa Lion was the very, very best at roaring. Cheetah stopped laughing,
and Monkey stopped sniggering, and Snake stopped smiling, and Elephant stopped
trumpeting. And Pa Lion was happy at last… because nobody laughs at a lion.
The End
ST 4 :
Bulding Bridges
Once
upon a time two brothers who lived on adjoining farms fell into conflict. It was
the first serious rift in 40 years of farming side by side, sharing machinery,
and trading labor and goods as needed without a hitch.
Then
the long collaboration fell apart. It began with a small misunderstanding and
it grew into a major difference, and finally it exploded into an exchange of
bitter words followed by weeks of silence.
One
morning there was a knock on John's door. He opened it to find a man with a
carpenter's toolbox. "I'm looking for a few days work," he said.
"Perhaps
you would have a few small jobs here and there. Could I help you?"
"Yes,"
said the older brother. "I do have a job for you. Look across the creek at
that farm. That's my neighbor, in fact, it's my younger brother. Last week
there was a meadow between us and he took his bulldozer to the river levee and
now there is a creek between us. Well, he may have done this to spite me, but
I'll go him one better. See that pile of lumber curing by the barn? I want you
to build me a fence - an 8-foot fence - so I won't need to see his place
anymore. Cool him down, anyhow."
The
carpenter said, "I think I understand the situation. Show me the nails and
the post-hole digger and I'll be able to do a job that pleases you."
The
older brother had to go to town for supplies, so he helped the carpenter get
the materials ready and then he was off for the day.
The
carpenter worked hard all that day measuring, sawing, nailing.
About
sunset when the farmer returned, the carpenter had just finished his job. The
farmer's eyes opened wide, his jaw dropped.
There
was no fence there at all. It was a bridge... a bridge stretching from one side
of the creek to the other! A fine piece of work handrails and all - and the
neighbor, his younger brother, was coming across, his hand outstretched.
"You
are quite a fellow to build this bridge after all I've said and done."
The
two brothers stood at each end of the bridge, and then they met in the middle,
taking each other's hand. They turned to see the carpenter hoist his toolbox on
his shoulder. "No, wait! Stay a few days. I've a lot of other projects for
you," said the older brother.
"I'd
love to stay on," the carpenter said, "but, I have many more bridges
to build."
ST 5 :
Why The Frog's Eye Bulge
Once upon a time, the only fire on earth was guarded by two
giants. No one dared ask them for any of it.
At long last, a brave man thought of a plan. He called
together all his animal friends and asked them to help him. He told a frog to
wait just outside the village where he was living. A little beyond the frog, he
placed a horse; beyond the horse, he placed a cat; beyond the cat, he placed
a dog and beyond the dog, he placed a lion. Beyond the lion was the house where
the giants lived.
The man then went to call on the giants. They were pleased
to see him as they felt rather lonely living by themselves.
“Can you please let me have some of your fire?” he asked
them. “No one else has any fire at all.”
The giants shook their heads. “the fire belongs to us and we
can’t give any of it away.” They replied.
The man then made a sign out of the window to the lion. The
lion began to roar; the dog to bark; the cat to meow; the horse to neigh and
the frog to croak. The giant rushed out to see what was the matter.
As soon as they did so, the man pick up a piece of burning
wood from the fire. He ran away with it as fast as he could. The giant saw what
had happened and chased after him. The man gave the piece of burning wood to
the lion. It was soon passed on from animal to animal until it reached the
frog. The frog hopped straight for the village. But the giant caught him by the
tail. The poor frog was so frightened that his eyes almost fell out, he jumped
once more and landed in the middle of village. Carrying the fire with him. But
he left behind his tail in the giants’ hands. So the people in the village were
able to obtain fire for the first time. but the poor frog lost his tail and his
eyes have bulged ever since.
The End
ST 6 :
The Legend Of Rawa Pening
Once upon a time, there was a little boy, who was poor,
dirty, and smelly, came into a little village. He was very hungry and weak. He
knocked at every door and asked for some food, but nobody cared about him.
Nobody wanted to help the little boy. Finally, a generous old woman helped him.
She gave him shelter and a meal. When the boy wanted to leave, the old woman
gave him a “lesung”, a big wooden mortar for pounding rice.
She reminded him, “Please remember, if there is a flood
you must save yourself. Use this “lesung” as a boat”.
The little boy was happy and thanked the old woman. The
little boy continued his journey. While he was passing through the village,
where he had asked for food, he saw many people gathering on the field. The boy
came closer and saw a stick stuck in the ground. People challenged each other
to pull out that stick. Everybody tried, but nobody succeeded.
“Can I try?” asked the little boy.
The crowd laughed mockingly. The boy wanted to try his
luck so he stepped forward and pulled out the stick. He could do it very
easily. Everybody was dumbfounded. Suddenly, from the hole left by stick, water
spouted out. It did not stop until it flooded the village. And no one was saved
from the water except the little boy and the generous old woman who gave him
shelter and meal. As she told him, he used the “lesung” as a boat and picked up
the old woman. The whole village became a huge lake.
It is now known as Rawa Pening Lake in Salatiga, Central
Java, Indonesia.
The End
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