The Town Mouse and the Country Mouse
A Country Mouse once invited his friend the Town Mouse to visit him on the farm. He took him around the countryside to see new sights, generously sharing his store of wheat-stocks and roots newly pulled up from the bushes.
The Town Mouse, however, was not impressed. He said, “I wish you would come and visit me in the city. It is so much better there, with a fare of food you wouldn’t even imagine! I am sorry to say this, but your life here is no better than an ant’s.”
“Oh yes, I’d love to try it out someday,” said the Country Mouse sportingly and the two set about making plans for a visit to the city.
When the Country Mouse reached the plush city home of the Town Mouse, a mouth-watering spread of dried figs, honey, raisins, beans and bread was put before the mouse from the countryside. And as a special treat at the end, out came a dainty piece of cheese from a basket.
“This is simply delightful!” said the Country Mouse, “I wish I could have all this on the farm!”
Just as they began to eat, someone opened the kitchen door! The two mice jumped up and ran off as fast as they could, squeaking in fear, into a tiny little dark hole in the wall.
Once they knew that all was clear they then squeezed out of the hole again and set about eating their feast before them.
Scarcely had they begun, when someone else entered the kitchen to take something out of a cupboard. The mice scampered off again more frightened than before!
The Country Mouse was famished by now and said to his friend, “The feast you have set before me is very tempting, but I really must leave you to enjoy it by yourself.
“There are too many dangers here. I prefer the bush roots, however dry, as long as I can eat them without fear. And yes, I prefer my bare farmlands offering safety and peace of mind, than the dangerous luxury of this city. Goodbye, my friend.”
Moral
There is no place like home.
Showing posts with label Good short stories. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Good short stories. Show all posts
Friday, February 5, 2010
The Two Pots
The Two Pots
There were once two pots floating down the river. One glistened happily in the sun while the other looked dull and soggy from being wet in the water.
That is because one pot was made of brass and the other was made of clay. “Please do not come near me!” said the earthen pot to the brass.
“Why not? We could be friends,” said the brass pot.
“No,” replied the clay pot. “I am too fragile. If you touch me even once I will shatter into pieces. I must stay far from you and cannot think of being your friend. Please go way, you will find someone further downstream just like you to play with!”
The brass pot, disappointed and sad, then floated away as the river took him across to another corner of the riverbank, while the earthen pot wet and cold in the wind, seemed to suddenly grow a shade gloomier.
Moral
Equals make the best friends.
There were once two pots floating down the river. One glistened happily in the sun while the other looked dull and soggy from being wet in the water.
That is because one pot was made of brass and the other was made of clay. “Please do not come near me!” said the earthen pot to the brass.
“Why not? We could be friends,” said the brass pot.
“No,” replied the clay pot. “I am too fragile. If you touch me even once I will shatter into pieces. I must stay far from you and cannot think of being your friend. Please go way, you will find someone further downstream just like you to play with!”
The brass pot, disappointed and sad, then floated away as the river took him across to another corner of the riverbank, while the earthen pot wet and cold in the wind, seemed to suddenly grow a shade gloomier.
Moral
Equals make the best friends.
The Vain Jackdaw
The Vain Jackdaw
One day, the birds of a certain forest got together to select a king from among themselves. "Who shall we name King?" they cried.
Some of the birds suggested that they go to the Sun for help. "O mighty Sun, all living creatures in the air and on the ground pass under your fierce gaze. Surely you will be able to choose from among all the birds you see, one that is most beautiful, to be our King," said one of the birds.
"I can help you, little creatures. Return to me tomorrow with every single bird of the forest and I will select the most striking of all to be your king," said the Sun.
In the midst of the birds was a young Jackdaw. He was terribly eager to be chosen king. But he also knew that he was dull and unattractive, with nothing but black and grey feathers all over his body.
The Jackdaw looked around in despair after the birds had gone, searching for some means of changing the way he looked.
To his good fortune, he found a number of feathers strewn all over the place where all the birds had collected. "I can dress my drab feathers in these pretty colours!" he cawed, and set about sticking the many-hued plumes in between his own.
The next day all the birds got together once more before the Sun, as decided. And who should be chosen King, but the Jackdaw!
But that wasn't for long, for the other birds flared up in protest. They weren't fooled by the Jackdaw's disguise and called loudly to the Sun to see the hoax before him. They then went about plucking off all the false feathers of the Jackdaw.
They even picked out many of his real ones! The vain bird was finally left standing alone, sorry and ashamed, and uglier than he ever was!
Moral
It is not only fine feathers that make fine birds
One day, the birds of a certain forest got together to select a king from among themselves. "Who shall we name King?" they cried.
Some of the birds suggested that they go to the Sun for help. "O mighty Sun, all living creatures in the air and on the ground pass under your fierce gaze. Surely you will be able to choose from among all the birds you see, one that is most beautiful, to be our King," said one of the birds.
"I can help you, little creatures. Return to me tomorrow with every single bird of the forest and I will select the most striking of all to be your king," said the Sun.
In the midst of the birds was a young Jackdaw. He was terribly eager to be chosen king. But he also knew that he was dull and unattractive, with nothing but black and grey feathers all over his body.
The Jackdaw looked around in despair after the birds had gone, searching for some means of changing the way he looked.
To his good fortune, he found a number of feathers strewn all over the place where all the birds had collected. "I can dress my drab feathers in these pretty colours!" he cawed, and set about sticking the many-hued plumes in between his own.
The next day all the birds got together once more before the Sun, as decided. And who should be chosen King, but the Jackdaw!
But that wasn't for long, for the other birds flared up in protest. They weren't fooled by the Jackdaw's disguise and called loudly to the Sun to see the hoax before him. They then went about plucking off all the false feathers of the Jackdaw.
They even picked out many of his real ones! The vain bird was finally left standing alone, sorry and ashamed, and uglier than he ever was!
Moral
It is not only fine feathers that make fine birds
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
God still answers prayers. A good story
A young man had been to Wednesday night Bible Study. The Pastor shared about listening to God and obeying the Lord's voice. The young man couldn't help but wonder, "Does God still speak to people?"
After service he went out with some friends for coffee and pie and discussed the message. Several different ones talked about how God had led them in different ways.
It was about ten o'clock when the young man started driving home. Sitting in his car, he just began to pray, "God.. If you still speak to people, speak to me. I will listen. I will do my best to obey."
As he drove down the main street of his town, he had the strangest thought, to stop and buy a gallon of milk.
He shook his head and said "God, is that you?" He didn't get a reply and started on home. But again, the thought, buy a gallon of milk. The young man thought about Samuel and how he didn't recognize the voice of God, and how little Samuel ran to Eli. "Okay, God, in case that is you. I will buy the milk." It didn't seem like too hard a test of obedience. He could always use the milk. He stopped and purchased the gallon of milk and started off toward home. As he passed Seventh Street, he again felt the urge, turn down that street. "This is crazy", he thought and drove on past the intersection. Again, he felt that he should turn down Seventh Street.
At the next intersection, he turned back and headed down Seventh. Half jokingly, he said out loud, "Okay, God, I will." He drove several blocks, when suddenly, he felt like he should stop. He pulled over to the curb and looked around. He was in a semi-commercial area of town. It wasn't the best, but it wasn't the worst of either.
The businesses were closed and most of the houses looked dark like the people were already in bed. Again, he sensed something. "Go and give the milk to the people in the house across the street."
The young man looked at the house. It was dark and it looked like the people were either gone or they were already asleep. He started to open the door and then sat back in the car seat. "Lord, this is insane. Those people are asleep and if I wake them up, they are going to be mad and I will look stupid." Again he felt like he should go and give the milk.
Finally, he opened the door, "Okay God, if this is you, I will go to the door and I will give them the milk. If you want me to look like a crazy person, okay. I want to be obedient. I guess that will count for something but if they don't answer right away, I am out of here." He walked across the street and rang the bell, He could hear some noise inside.
A man's voice yelled out, "Who is it? What do you want?" Then the door opened before the young man could get away. The man was standing there in his jeans and T-shirt.
He looked like he just got out of bed. He had a strange look on his face and he didn't seem too happy to have some stranger standing on his doorstep. "What is it?"
The young man thrust out the gallon of milk, "Here, I brought this to you."
The man took the milk and rushed down a hallway speaking loudly in Spanish. Then from down the hall came a woman carrying the milk toward the kitchen.
The man was following her holding a baby. The baby was crying. The man had tears streaming down his face. The man began speaking half crying, "We were just praying. We had some big bills this month and we ran out of money. We didn't have any milk for our baby. I was just praying and asking God to show me how to get some milk."
His wife in the kitchen yelled out, "I ask him to send an Angel with some. Are you an Angel?" The young man reached into his wallet and pulled out all the money he had on him and put it in the man's hand.
He turned and walked back toward his car and the tears were streaming down his face. He knew that God still answers prayers.
After service he went out with some friends for coffee and pie and discussed the message. Several different ones talked about how God had led them in different ways.
It was about ten o'clock when the young man started driving home. Sitting in his car, he just began to pray, "God.. If you still speak to people, speak to me. I will listen. I will do my best to obey."
As he drove down the main street of his town, he had the strangest thought, to stop and buy a gallon of milk.
He shook his head and said "God, is that you?" He didn't get a reply and started on home. But again, the thought, buy a gallon of milk. The young man thought about Samuel and how he didn't recognize the voice of God, and how little Samuel ran to Eli. "Okay, God, in case that is you. I will buy the milk." It didn't seem like too hard a test of obedience. He could always use the milk. He stopped and purchased the gallon of milk and started off toward home. As he passed Seventh Street, he again felt the urge, turn down that street. "This is crazy", he thought and drove on past the intersection. Again, he felt that he should turn down Seventh Street.
At the next intersection, he turned back and headed down Seventh. Half jokingly, he said out loud, "Okay, God, I will." He drove several blocks, when suddenly, he felt like he should stop. He pulled over to the curb and looked around. He was in a semi-commercial area of town. It wasn't the best, but it wasn't the worst of either.
The businesses were closed and most of the houses looked dark like the people were already in bed. Again, he sensed something. "Go and give the milk to the people in the house across the street."
The young man looked at the house. It was dark and it looked like the people were either gone or they were already asleep. He started to open the door and then sat back in the car seat. "Lord, this is insane. Those people are asleep and if I wake them up, they are going to be mad and I will look stupid." Again he felt like he should go and give the milk.
Finally, he opened the door, "Okay God, if this is you, I will go to the door and I will give them the milk. If you want me to look like a crazy person, okay. I want to be obedient. I guess that will count for something but if they don't answer right away, I am out of here." He walked across the street and rang the bell, He could hear some noise inside.
A man's voice yelled out, "Who is it? What do you want?" Then the door opened before the young man could get away. The man was standing there in his jeans and T-shirt.
He looked like he just got out of bed. He had a strange look on his face and he didn't seem too happy to have some stranger standing on his doorstep. "What is it?"
The young man thrust out the gallon of milk, "Here, I brought this to you."
The man took the milk and rushed down a hallway speaking loudly in Spanish. Then from down the hall came a woman carrying the milk toward the kitchen.
The man was following her holding a baby. The baby was crying. The man had tears streaming down his face. The man began speaking half crying, "We were just praying. We had some big bills this month and we ran out of money. We didn't have any milk for our baby. I was just praying and asking God to show me how to get some milk."
His wife in the kitchen yelled out, "I ask him to send an Angel with some. Are you an Angel?" The young man reached into his wallet and pulled out all the money he had on him and put it in the man's hand.
He turned and walked back toward his car and the tears were streaming down his face. He knew that God still answers prayers.
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