A TENALI RAMAN STORY

Tenali and the Thieves

Once there were so many thefts in Vijayanagara city which made people alret on the presence of thieves. One night, before going to bed Tenali saw some thieves in the bushes near his house. Then he made a plan with his wife.

After a while , the theives outside heard Tenali's voice saying to his wife," Dear be careful and lock all the doors and windows as robberies are taking place in the city. I have put all our Jewels in this box, so help me carry it to the well behind our house. We will throw it into the well. the theives can never get to them this way."

The theives heard all this and they saw Tenali and his wife threw the box into the well. then Tenali and his wife went into their house n closed all the doors.

The theives were happy at this chance and got busy taking out the water from the well for the whole night to get the box. Early in the morning Tenali came to the well and saw the theives drawing water for the whole night. Tenali smiled at them and said ' Thank you friends, for watering my plants. What must I pay you for your labour'.

Hearing this the theives fell at Tenali's feet for forgiveness. Tenali let them go when they promised not to steal or rob anyone ever again.

REAL STORY FROM A SAINT'S LIFE

Sai Baba was very fond of lighting lamps every evening in the Masjid and other temples. For the oil needed in those little earthenware lamps that he lit, he depended on the generosity of the grocers of Shirdi. So he would call on the grocers for donations of some oil everyday. One day as he approached the grocers they bluntly refused to oblige him, saying they had no fresh stocks. Without a word of protest Baba returned to the mosque and kept the dry wicks in the lamps. The local vendors were watching him with curiosity. Baba took some water in the tin pot that contained very little (a few drops) of oil, and filled all the lamps with it and lighted them. To the surprise and dismay of the watching local vendors, the lamps began to burn, and kept burning deep into the midnight.

Vendors who refused to give oil were stunned to see the miracle and fell at Baba’s feet and sought forgiveness for their wickedness. Baba readily forgave them and advised them to never tell a lie, and said “Falsehood displeases God”. He said that their conduct was unsociable and unwanted. He asked them never again to take pleasure in other’s distress.

A STORY FROM PANCHATHANDHRA

The Sparrow and the elephant

Once upon a time there lived a sparrow with her husband on a tree. She had built a nice nest and laid her eggs in the nest. One morning, a wild elephant with spring fever feeling restive came to the tree in search of shade and in a rage broke the branch of the tree on which the nest was residing. Unluckily all the sparrow eggs were lost though both parents were saved. The she-sparrow was deep in lament.

Seeing her lament, the woodpecker bird, a friend of hers offered her consolation that she would think of a way of killing the elephant. Then she went to her friend the gnat, who in turn went to the counselor frog for advice. The frog then devised a scheme for killing the elephant. He asked the gnat to buzz in the ears of the elephant, so that the elephant would be thrilled to listen to the music of the gnat and close its eyes. Then she asked the woodpecker to pluck his eyes. She herself would be on the edge of a pit and would croak misleading the elephant to think that it is a pond.

The next day at noon the three carried out the plan and the elephant was killed when he fell flat into a pit after being blinded by the woodpecker when he closed his eyes in response to the gnat. So the revenge was taken with collective wit of all three animals.
MORAL: Wit is superior to brute force.

GREAT SAYINGS!!!

"Researchers have discovered that chocolate produces some of the same reactions in the brain as marijuana. The researchers also discovered other similarities between the two, but can't remember what they are." - Mat Lauer on NBC's Today Show.

"I'm not going to have some reporters pawing through our papers. We are the president." - Hilary Clinton, commenting on the release of subpoened documents.

"China is a big country, inhabited by many chinese."- Former French President, Charles De Gaulle.

A POLICE STORY

SUSPECT

A District Attorney in the US requested all the robbery victims to come to the police station to study a lineup of five people. He placed his suspect at the end of the line. Then he asked each to step forward and say, "Give me all your money... and I need some change in quarters, nickels and dimes." The first four did it right. However, when it was the last man's turn to recite, he broke the case by blurting out, "That isn't what I said."

- Nancy M. Carson

A ZEN STORY

Working Very Hard

A martial arts student went to his teacher and said earnestly, "I am devoted to studying your martial system. How long will it take me to master it." The teacher's reply was casual, "Ten years." Impatiently, the student answered, "But I want to master it faster than that. I will work very hard. I will practice everyday, ten or more hours a day if I have to. How long will it take then?" The teacher thought for a moment, "20 years."

MONEY MAKES MANY THINGS

It is August. In a small town on the South Coast of France, holiday season is in full swing, but it is raining so there is not too much business happening. Everyone is heavily in debt.

Luckily, a rich Russian tourist arrives in the foyer of the small local hotel. He asks for a room and puts a Euro100 note on the reception counter, takes a key and goes to inspect the room located up the stairs on the third floor.

The hotel owner takes the banknote in a hurry and rushes to his meat supplier to whom he owes E100. The butcher takes the money and races to his supplier to pay his debt. The wholesaler rushes to the farmer to pay E100 for pigs he purchased some time ago.

The farmer triumphantly gives the E100 note to a local prostitute who gave him her services on credit. The prostitute goes quickly to the hotel, as she was owing the hotel for her hourly room use to entertain clients.

At that moment, the rich Russian is coming down to reception and informs the hotel owner that the proposed room is unsatisfactory and takes his E100 back and departs.

There was no profit or income. But everyone no longer has any debt and the small town's people look optimistically towards their future.

PS: It may help understand the current financial crisis which is largely triggered by "phantom" money.

Laugh with Mulla

Donkey's Word

One day a neighbor called on Molla. "Molla, I want to borrow your donkey." "I'm sorry," Molla said, "but I've already lent it out."

As soon as he had spoken, the sound of a donkey braying came from Molla's stable. "But Molla, I can hear your donkey in there."

"Shame on you," Molla said indignantly, "that you would take the word of a donkey over my word."

Tiger Powder

One day Molla Nasreddin was sprinkling some powder on the ground around his house.
"Molla, what are you doing?" a neighbor asked.
"I want to keep the tigers away."
"But there are no tigers within hundreds of miles."
"Effective, isn't it?" Molla replied.

Whatever You Say

One day the King invited Molla to his palace for dinner. The royal chef prepared, among others, a cabbage recipe for the occasion.

After the dinner, the King asked, "How did you like the cabbage?"
"It was very delicious," complimented Molla.
"I thought it tasted awful," said the King.
"You're right," added Molla, "it was very bland."
"But you just said it tasted 'delicious,'" the King noted.
"Yes, but I'm the servant of His Majesty, not of the cabbage," he replied.