THE LAZY DREAMER

Story-31:The Lazy Dreamer

Once, in a small village, there lived a poor Brahmin. He was very learned, but did nothing all day. He lived on the alms the villagers gave him every day.

One day, as usual, the Brahmin got up in the morning, performed his morning rituals and set out to beg for alms. As he went from door to door, people gave him several things. Some gave dal. Others gave him rice and yet others gave him vegetables. But one generous lady gave the Brahmin a large measure of flour.

"Ah! What good luck. I will not have to beg for alms for a long time," thought the Brahmin to himself.

He went home and cooked his lunch. After he had eaten, the Brahmin put the flour into a large mud pot and hung it near his bed. "Now, it will be safe from rats," he said to himself as he lay down in his cot for an afternoon nap.

He began to think, "I will save this flour until there is a famine. Then I will sell it at a very good price. With that, I will buy a pair of goats. Very soon, I will have a large flock of goats. With their milk, I will make more money. Then I will buy a cow and a bull. Very soon I will also have a large herd of cows. Their milk will fetch me a lot of money. I will become very wealthy. I will build for myself, a huge palace and get married to a beautiful woman... Then we will have a little son. I will be a proud father. In a few months my son will start crawling. He will be mischievous and I will be very worried that he may come to some harm. 1 will call out to my wife to take care of him. But she will be busy with house work and will ignore my call. I will get so angry. I will kick her to teach her a lesson like this..."

The Brahmin threw out his leg up. His foot hit the pot of flour hanging overhead and it came down with a resounding crash, spilling the flour all over the dirty floor. The lazy Brahmin realised that his foolishness and vanity had cost him a precious measure of flour. The laziness and foolishness taught him a lesson. Thereafter he lived an active life which took to heights.

A GLASS OF MILK

Story-30:A Glass of Milk

Once, there was a poor boy who made a living by selling various objects from door to door. This was the way he earned money to pay for his school.

One day, as he was walking from house to house as usual, he felt very hungry and weak. He felt that he couldn't walk even a few steps. He decided to ask for food at a house. He knocked on the door and was stunned to see a beautiful young girl open the door. With much hesitation, he asked the girl for a glass of water.

The young girl understood his condition and offered him a huge glass of milk. With an astonished look, the boy drank the milk very slowly.

"How much do I owe you for this milk?" he asked her.

The girl replied, "I do not want any money for this."

The boy thanked the girl from the bottom of his heart and left the place.

Years passed by. The young girl grew up. In her youth, unfortunately, she fell ill and was diagnosed with the rarest kind of nervous disorder. Many experienced doctors were baffled at her condition, and she was admitted in the city hospital with the most advanced facilities.

Dr. Kevin, a renowned neuro specialist was called in by the hospital to examine her. Even with his extraordinary expertise, Dr. Kevin found the girl's illness very hard to cure. However, with perseverance and hard work that lasted months, he was finally able to get the disease under control. With careful medication and monitoring, the girl was completely cured in the end.

Everyone praised the doctor, but the girl was quite worried about how much the hospital bill would come to. Her family had just a little money kept away in the bank, which was by no means enough to pay for such a long treatment in that reputed hospital.

The girl was given the hospital bill finally. With trembling hands, she opened it. She was stunned to see that the bill had been crossed out and cancelled, and there was a note underneath signed by Dr. Kevin.

"Bill paid years ago with a glass of milk!"

Moral: One good turn begets another.

HUMANITY

Story-29:Humanity

Father and son, went to a temple.

Suddenly son shouted after seeing the pillars of Lions at the entrance of the temple.

"Run Dad, or those Lions will eat us."

Dad consoled him saying "they are just statues and won’t harm us."

Son replied, “If those lion statues won’t harm us then how could statues of God give us blessings."

The father wrote in his diary...

"I am still speechless on my child’s answer and have started searching for God in Humans instead of statues. I didn't find God but I found humanity."

THE BICYCLE

Story-28:The Bicycle

Mike was an 11 years old boy. He was the only son to his parent. His father worked as a carpenter and his mother was a home maker. Although Mike's family wasn't a rich one, they lead a happy life.

Mike's school was located a mile away from his home. Mike's birthday was coming up in a week. He requested his father to buy him a bicycle, so that he can go to school in cycle and not by walk and depend on his father to drop him at school. His father also promised him to buy a bicycle so that he need not walk to school anymore. Mike felt so happy.

The birthday boy woke up happily with his mother and father wishing him with all smiles on his birthday. Mike was feeling very happy and expects that his father would gift him the bicycle. He had a beautiful gift wrapped nicely in his father's hand and surprised.

The father gifted him the parcel and Mike saw a set of books as the birthday gift from his father. Although he was a little unhappy as he did not receive the bicycle, he thanked his father.

Mike's father was depressed as he did not have enough money to buy a cycle. He promised to his son that he would soon buy him a cycle.

After a week, when he was walking on his way to his home back from school, he saw a boy riding a cycle. Mike felt that the cycle was too small for the big boy. Suddenly, the boy crashed into a post and skidded in the street. Mike rushed to him and recognized him. He was his school mate, named Sam.

Sam was injured badly and there was no one near to help him except Mike. Mike helped him stand up and provided him water. Since Sam was riding the cycle faster, his left leg and hands were severely injured. He asked him to sit in a corner and took the cycle and rushed to a nearby hospital to get help.

An ambulance came and carried Sam to the hospital. He then rushed to Sam's home and informed about the accident to his parent.

Sam and his parent thanked Mike for the timely help. Mike in turn thanked, 'It was all possible just I had Sam's cycle.' Mike also told Sam's parent, 'cycle is too small for Sam to ride and that's why he was injured.' Sam and Mike became close friends. Mike met Sam every day in hospital until he was discharged.

Sam got a new cycle and he came to know that Mike doesn't own a cycle. He gave his old cycle to Mike and with Mike's parent permission, Mike accepted the gift from Sam.

One deserves from another for their wellness.