THE CARTER AND HERCULES

           One morning a carter tilled his wooden cart with many bags wheat. He yoked to it a pair of stout oxen. He set out for a dist market to sell his goods. A heavy shower of rain overtook him o the way. It made tile muddy road almost impassable. All of a sudden  the wheels of the cart got stuck in the mud. The cart did not move The carter goaded the oxen and even whipped them. But they could d not move on.

           In his helplessness the carter fell down on his knees and offer prayers to Hercules, the god of strength for his help. Hercules appeared  before him and said, “Lazy fellow, get up and put your shoulder the wheel. Help comes only to him who helps himself.”

           The carter followed the god’s advice. Within a few minutes he was able to get the wheels of the cart out of the mud. “Thus do I he men,” said Hercules, and then he disappeared,

Moral: God helps (hose who help themselves.

A MAGICIAN AND A TAILOR

           A magician and a tailor lived in the same city. Once they happened to meet together. “Alas !” said the tailor, “What an unfortunate man am I! If people in their want are forced to live without clothes, I have nothing to fall back upon.”

           The magician said, “Indeed my friend, I pity you. You know only one petty art. But thank God, things are not so quite bad with’ me. If one trick of mine fails, I have hundred other tricks”.

           “You are lucky indeed!” said the tailor. “Don’t be anxious, my friend”, said the magician. “If you ever fall in evil days, just tell me, I will help you.”

           After a month a great famine visited the land. The tailor somehow managed to earn his living, for people could not do without clothes. But the proud magician with his hundred tricks could find no customer. In vain he promised to eat fire or to vomit pins, or to swallow living fishes, but not a single man cared for him. The proud magician was at last forced to beg from the very tailor whom he had pitied before.

THE FARMER’S MAGIC

           Once there was in Bagdad an honest and hard-working farmer named Cressin. He looked after his cattle with great care. He used sharp implements to till the ground and manured his fields every year. The result was that his land yielded him abundant crop.

           ‘Cressin’s simple and idle neighbours could not account for his wonderful produce. They grew jealous of him and accused him of his supposed sorcery before the justiciar.

          “My lord, this man knows magic”, they said, “that’s why his fields yield more and our fields less. So with equal lands we are wretched and miserable.”
          

          The farmer was brought before the justiciar. Cressin said, “My lord, I know no magic. Behold this comely damsel, my daughter. She is my fellow-labourer. Behold these implements of husbandry, these ploughs and oxen. Come with me to my fields and see how they are tilled, how manured, how weeded and how watered! This is the magic I use.”

           The simple words of the farmer had their effects on the wise justiciar. He rewarded Cressin for his honest labour and said to others angrily, “Go, and learn the magic.”

THE SAILOR AND THE CAGED BIRDS

          In a war between England and Germany an English sailor was made a prisoner. He was confined in France for several years. In his prison-cell he would always think of his motherland, wife and children. He always longed to see them.

          When the war came to an end, the English sailor was set free with other prisoners of war. His joy knew no bounds when he found himself a free man once more. He came back to his dear and near ones.
         
          One day the sailor visited a bird-seller’s shop in London. It was full of cages containing all kinds of birds. The condition of these birds in cages reminded him of his own miserable life in France. He bought a number of cages containing birds. He opened the cages and set the birds free one by one. With a heart full of joy he gazed at the birds flying far into the blue sky.
         
          The bird-seller was amazed at his strange conduct. He asked him, “How is it that you have released all the birds you have bought?“ The sailor replied, “I find pleasure to set imprisoned birds free, for I know very well the pain of captivity.”

COMPETITION AMONG THREE ARTISTS

          Once upon a time three rival painters lived in a certain city of Persia. Their fame had spread far and wide. People from different places would rush to the city to see their pictures. They were so good at their work that it was very difficult to say who was the best artist. So as a trial of skill it was decided that each was to draw a picture and judges would decide who had done the best work.

         The artists began their work in right earnest. One of the artists painted a bunch of flowers. It was so beautiful and natural that a swarm of bees came buzzing to settle on the picture. The judges were amazed at his skill. Another painted a heap of plums and peaches in a dish. It was so natural and life-like that an ox came and tried to seize it. The third artist painted a curtain on the wall. The judges thought that the picture was behind the screen. So they drew the curtain aside and found there was no curtain there, but only a painting. The picture of the curtain was adjudged the best, for it had deceived the judges, while the other pictures deceived an insect and an animal.

LORD BUDDHA AND THE MOTHER IN GRIEF

           One day a poor woman came to Lord Buddha weeping for the death of her only son. So her sorrow was too deep for tears. She requested the great saint to give her some medicine to restore her dead son to life. Buddha was touched by the great grief of the woman. He asked her to bring a handful of mustard seed from a house where no death had taken place.

           The weeping mother went from door to door for a handful of mustard seed. She asked every member of the house if there was any death in his family. But at every door she met with the same replies. Some said, “I have lost my husband.” Another said, “Our youngest child died last year.”

           The woman came to Buddha with a heavy heart. She told him the result of her quest. Buddha then said to the woman tenderly, “Then you see, sorrow and death are common to all. Once a man is born, he is sure to die. So, you should not think much of your own sorrow.”

THE POOR COBBLER AND HIS RICH NEIGHBOUR

           Once there lived a poor but contented cobbler in a village. He earned an honest living by the sweat of his brow He worked and sang from morn till night. He was indeed the happiest man in the locality.

           The cobbler’s rich neighbor was always anxious about hi wealth. He knew no peace of mind. So being envious of the cobbler’s carefree life, he wanted to put an end to this by a clever device.

           One day the rich man gave the cobbler a bag of money, saying. “Friend, here is some money for you for improving your lot with it.”

           The cobbler was at first in a fix. Then he accepted the money and hid it in a hole inside his cottage. But his anxiety for the money made him forget his usual joy.

At last one day the poor cobbler felt that the money had matched away all his mirth. So he went to his rich neighbor with the money and said, “Sir, take back your money. My happiness and joy are more valuable than it.” So saying, the cobbler gave out a sigh of great relief and went away.

Moral: Contentment is the root of all happiness.