Download - Stories From Around the World

7/27/2019 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

7

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.

8

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.

12

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.

74

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.

80

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."

84

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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