1.

PUPPIES FOR SALE

A store owner was tacking a sign above his door that read “Puppies for
Sale”. Signs have a way of attracting children, and soon a little boy
appeared at the store and asked, “How much are you gonna sell those
puppies for?” The store owner replied, “Anywhere from $30 to $50.” The
little boy reached into his pocket and pulled out some change. “I have
$2.37, can I look at them?” The store owner smiled and whistled. Out of the
back of the store came his dog running down the aisle followed by five little
puppies. One puppy was lagging considerably behind. Immediately the little
boy singled out the lagging, limping puppy.
“What’s wrong with that little dog?” he asked. The man explained that
when the puppy was born the vet said it had a bad hip socket and would
limp for the rest of it’s life. The little boy got really excited and said “That’s
the puppy I want to buy!” The man replied “No, you don’t want to buy that
little dog. If you really want him, I’ll give him to you.” The little boy got upset.
He looked straight into the man’s eyes and said, “I don’t want you to give
him to me. He is worth every bit as much as the other dogs and I’ll pay the
full price. In fact, I will give you $2.37 now and 50 cents every month until I
have him paid for.”
The man countered, “You really don’t want to buy this puppy, son. He’s
never gonna be able to run, jump and play like other puppies.” The little boy
reached down and rolled up his pant leg to reveal a badly twisted, crippled
left leg supported by a big metal brace. He looked up at the man and said,
“Well, I don’t run so well myself and the little puppy will need someone who
understands.” The man was now biting his bottom lip. Tears welled up in his
eyes… He smiled and said, “Son, I hope and pray that each and every one
of these puppies will have an owner such as you.”
 2. WHO YOU ARE MAKES A DIFFERENCE
One night a man came home to his 14 –year-old son and sat him down.
He said, "The most incredible thing happened to me today. I was in my
office and one of the junior executives came in and he told me that he
admired me and gave me a blue ribbon for being creative genius. The blue
ribbon that says 'Who I am makes a difference'. Then he gave me an extra
ribbon and asked me to find somebody else special to honor. As I was
driving home tonight, I started thinking about whom I would honor with this
ribbon and I thought about you.
My days are really hectic, and when I come home, I don't pay a lot of
attention to you. Sometimes I scream at you for not getting enough good
grades in school and for your bedroom being a mess, but somehow tonight,
I just wanted to sit here and, well, just let you know that you do make a
difference to me. Beside your mother, you are the most important person in
my life. You're a great kid and I love you".
The startled boy started to sob and sob, and he couldn't stop crying. His
whole body shook. He looked up at his father and said, through his broken
tears, "I was planning on committing suicide tomorrow, Dad, because I
didn't think you loved me. Now I don't need to do that."
- Helice Bridges
Love cures people – both the ones who give it and the ones who
receive it.
- Karl Menninger
 3. HEAVEN AND HELL
A holy man was having a conversation with the Lord one day and said,
'Lord, I would like to know what Heaven and Hell are like.'
The Lord led the holy man to two doors.
He opened one of the doors and the holy man looked in. In the middle
of the room was a large round table. In the middle of the table was a large
pot of stew, which smelled delicious and made the holy man's mouth water.
The people sitting around the table were thin and sickly. They appeared
to be famished. They were holding spoons with very long handles that were
strapped to their arms and each found it possible to reach into the pot of
stew and take a spoonful. But because the handle was longer than their
arms, they could not get the spoons back into their mouths.
The holy man shuddered at the sight of their misery and suffering.
The Lord said, 'You have seen Hell.'
They went to the next room and opened the door. It was exactly the
same as the first one. There was the large round table with the large pot of
stew which made the holy man's mouth water. The people were equipped
with the same long-handled spoons, but here the people were well
nourished and plump, laughing and talking.
The holy man said, 'I don't understand.'
'It is simple,' said the Lord. 'It requires but one skill. You see they have
learned to feed each other, while the greedy think only of themselves.'
 4. LADY, ARE YOU RICH?
They huddled inside the storm door - two children in ragged outgrow
coats.
"Any old papers, lady?"
I was busy. I wanted to say no - until I looked down at their feet. Thin
little sandals, sopped with sleet. "Come in and I'll make you a cup of hot
cocoa." There was no conversation. Their soggy sandals left marks upon
the hearthstone.
Cocoa and toast with jam to fortify against the chill outside. I went back
to the kitchen and started again on my household budget...
The silence in the front room struck through to me. I looked in.
The girl held the empty cup in her hands, looking at it. The boy asked in
flat voice, "Lady... are you rich?"
"Am I rich? Mercy, no!" I looked at my shabby slipcovers.
The girl put her cup back in its saucer - carefully. "Your cups match your
saucers." Her voice was old with a hunger that was not of the stomach.
They left then, holding their bundles of papers against the wind. They
hadn't said thank you. They didn't need to. They had done more than that.
Plain blue pottery cups and saucers. But they matched. I tested the
potatoes and stirred the gravy. Potatoes and brown gravy - a roof over our
heads - my man with a good steady job - these things matched, too.
I moved the chairs back from the fire and tidied the living room. The
muddy prints of small sandals were still wet upon my hearth. I let them be. I
want them there in case I ever forget again how very rich I am.
 5. BETTER BENT THAN BROKEN
Once a huge oak tree stood on the bank of a river. It was well nourished
by the water of the river. Naturally, it was very strong and had a thick stem.
Just nearby, grew some reeds with thin but flexible stems. They stood
almost half in water and had flourished well too.
One day, strong winds blew. The tree, though huge and strong, broke
from the middle and was thrown across the stream just among the reeds.
On the other hand, the tree was very surprised to see that the reeds
suffered no harm at all.
The oak could not make out the reason of the safety of the reeds and
asked them, "How is it that, you being frail and slender, managed to face
the gale without any harm. But I, strong enough, have been broken."
The reeds replied, "You were proud of your strength and refused to
bend. So, you broke while we bowed and yielded to the gale and were
spared."

6. THE RAT AND THE ELEPHANT

A Rat was traveling along the King's highway. He was a very proud Rat,
considering his small size and the bad reputation all Rats have. As Mr. Rat
walked along—he kept mostly to the ditch—he noticed a great commotion
up the road, and soon a grand procession came in view. It was the King and
his retinue.
The King rode on a huge Elephant adorned with the most gorgeous
trappings. With the King in his luxurious howdah were the royal Dog and
Cat. A great crowd of people followed the procession. They were so taken
up with admiration of the Elephant, that the Rat was not noticed. His pride
was hurt.
"What fools!" he cried. "Look at me, and you will soon forget that clumsy
Elephant! Is it his great size that makes your eyes pop out? Or is it his
wrinkled hide? Why, I have eyes and ears and as many legs as he! I am of
just as much importance, and"
But just then the royal Cat spied him, and the next instant, the Rat knew
he was not quite so important as an Elephant.
A resemblance to the great in some things does not make us great.
 7. BELLING THE CAT
Long ago, the mice had a general council to consider what measures
they could take to outwit their common enemy, the Cat.
Some said this, and some said that; but at last a young mouse got up
and said he had a proposal to make, which he thought would meet the
case.
"You will all agree," said he, "that our chief danger consists in the sly
and treacherous manner in which the enemy approaches us. Now, if we
could receive some signal of her approach, we could easily escape from
her."
"I venture, therefore, to propose that a small bell be procured, and
attached by a ribbon round the neck of the Cat. By this means we should
always know when she was about, and could easily retire while she was in
the neighbourhood."
This proposal met with general applause, until an old mouse got up and
said: "That is all very well, but who is to bell the Cat?" The mice looked at
one another and nobody spoke. Then the old mouse said:
"IT IS EASY TO PROPOSE IMPOSSIBLE REMEDIES."

8. NEVER FIGHT OVER TRIFLES

It was high summer. A traveller hired a donkey and set out on a journey.
The owner of the donkey was following behind to drive the beast. At mid-
day, they decided to take rest for some time but couldn't find any shady
place around. So, the traveler decided to rest in the shade of the donkey.
But the owner didn't let him do so as he himself wanted to sit in its shadow.
The trveller said, "How can you refuse me the shadow? I have paid you
money after all."
"But you have paid for the ride, not for resting in his shadow", retorted
the owner.
So, an argument followed between the two. When the donkey saw that
the owner and the hirer were busy fighting, he took to his heels and was
soon out of sight.