Leo Tolstoy A certain King thought that, if only he knew the answers to the following three questions, he would never fail in anything he might undertake: How can I learn to do the right thing at the right time? Who are the people I most need, and to whom I should, therefore, pay more…
Category: Tale
044. What comes first? Priorities in life
The Professor was meeting his class of freshers for the first time. From his bag, he pulled out a large jar with a wide mouth. He put rocks, each about 2” in size, into the jar and when they reached the top, he asked the students, “Is the jar full?”. They all agreed that was…
038. The man that corrupted Hadleyburg
Mark Twain The incorruptible town Many years ago, Hadleyburg was known as the most honest and upright town in the whole region. The nineteen main residents of the town were very proud of their fame and taught their children the virtues of being honest and incorruptible. Once, however, the town offended a passing stranger. It…
036. Anno’s Magic Seeds
Mitsumasa Anno One winter day, a happy-go-lucky young man named Jack meets a wizard, who gives him two golden seeds. “These are magic seeds. Bake one seed and eat it – you will not feel hungry for a whole year. Plant the other seed and you will get two more magic seeds next year.” Jack…
032. The thief who spoke the truth
When the Thief entered the temple, he did not know that his life was going to change forever. It was night and he went in to take rest. He saw an old monk, who was eating some fruits. The monk offered him some and asked who he was. Seeing the venerable monk, the Thief could…
028. Life is like the coffee
The Professor was to retire soon and, before leaving the university campus, he invited a group of his favourite alumni to visit his home, have some coffee, and share old stories. The students invited were mostly successful in their careers and earning well. The students were happy to meet the Professor and at first they…
026. The Starfish Thrower: It made a difference for that one!
Loren Eiseley The young man had the habit of walking along the beach in the morning. He had been here often and he saw the beach as a place “littered with the debris of life” – shells, crabs, octopus, starfish, and such. The sea seemed to reject its offspring. The tiny breathing pores of the…
021. An Enemy of the People
Henrik Ibsen The doctor’s discovery In a small Norwegian town, Dr.Tomas Stockmann is a doctor at Kristen Springs, a spa that is popular with the town’s people and outsiders. The spa had been founded by himself and his brother, Peter Stockmann, who is also the Mayor of the town. At one point, Tomas becomes suspicious…
018. It is in your hands
Outside of a town, there lived an old and blind woman, who could answer any question asked by visitors. Her knowledge and wisdom became well-known and people revered her. One young man, who came from another town, did not believe that the woman had extraordinary powers. He thought that she was a fraud and made…
015. How far can friendship and loyalty go?
The Bodhisatta as a golden swan Long, long ago, the Bodhisatta was born as a swan and became the leader of a great flock of golden swans of the Dhatarattha clan. The beautiful swans lived in a cave in the Cittakuta mountains. Meanwhile, King Seyyassa ruled a kingdom with Varanasi as the capital. One night,…