Sukandi Notes

The Ant and the Dove: One hot day, an ant was searching for some water. After walking around for some time, she came to a spring. To reach the spring, she had to climb up a blade of grass. While making her way up, she slipped and fell into the water. She could have drowned if a dove up a nearby tree had not seen her. Seeing that the ant was in trouble, the dove quickly plucked a leaf and dropped it into the water near the struggling ant. The ant moved towards the leaf and climbed up onto it. Soon, the leaf drifted to dry ground, and the ant jumped out. She was safe at last. Just at that time, a hunter nearby was about to throw his net over the dove, hoping to trap it. Guessing what he was about to do, the ant quickly bit him on the heel. Feeling the pain, the hunter dropped his net. The dove was quick to fly away to safety. One good turn begets another.

The Apple Tree and the Farmer: Once upon a time, there lived a farmer in a village, beside a forest. He had a big garden that had an old apple tree and other plants, trees and beautiful flowers. When the farmer was a little boy, he spent much of his time playing with the apple tree. Those days, the apple tree had given the choicest of apples to him. However, as time passed, the apple tree became old and stopped bearing fruits. Now that the farmer was not getting any apples from the tree, he decided that the tree was useless. Therefore, he decided to cut the tree and use its wood to make some new furniture. He felt that since the tree was old and huge, he did not have to cure it, and it would make great furniture. He forgot that as a boy, he had spent his entire childhood climbing the tree and eating its apples. Now the apple tree was home to several little animals in the neighborhood. This included squirrels, sparrows and a huge variety of birds and insects. When the farmer took his axe and began chopping the tree, all the little animals came rushing down. They all began to plead with the farmer. They gathered round the farmer and said, "Please don't cut the tree. We used to play with you when you were small, under this very tree. This is our home and we have no other place to go". The farmer was adamant. He raised his axe and the commotion grew. "Please don't chop and destroy my home and kids," cried the squirrel. "Please don't chop and destroy my nest," cried the little birds. "Please don't cut the apple tree," cried the grasshopper. The farmer, however, forgot his childhood and his animal friends. He began to chop the tree harder. All the little animals became desperate, and wanted to protect the apple tree at any cost. The little animals said, "We will sing for you when you are toiling away in the fields. We will look after your little boy. He will not cry, but instead will be entertained and happy. You will like our songs and will not feel tired." However, their cries for help fell on deaf ears. Despite all their requests, the farmer continued to chop down the tree. All of a sudden, he noticed something shiny. On inspecting it, he realized that it was a beehive, full of honey. He took a little and put it in his mouth. The taste of the honey woke up the little boy in him. Suddenly, the memories of his childhood came rushing back. The honey tasted so good that he wanted more. It brought a sense of happiness to him. He smiled and exclaimed, "This tastes amazing." Realizing the change in the farmer's attitude, the little animals spoke in unison: The bee said, "I will always provide you with sweet honey." The squirrel said, "I will share any amount of nuts that you want." The birds cried, "We will sing as many songs as you want." Finally, the farmer realized his folly, and put down his axe. He understood that the tree was home to many lovely animals that provided him with so many things. He wanted his little boy to have the childhood that he had. The farmer realized that the apple tree was not that fruitless. The little boy in him saved the apple tree. He threw away the axe and said to the little creatures, "I promise that I would never cut this tree. I have realized my mistake and you all can now live in peace and harmony." The little creatures thanked the bee profusely. If the farmer had not found the beehive, they would have been homeless by now. They continued living happily in the old apple tree. Moral: Each and every living thing in nature is of some use: we should not destroy any living thing.

The Fox and the Grapes: One afternoon, a fox was walking through the forest and spotted a bunch of grapes hanging from a lofty branch. "Just the thing to quench my thirst," said the fox. Taking a few steps back, the fox jumped and just missed the hanging grapes. Again, the fox took a few paces back and tried to reach them, but still failed. Short StoriesFinally, giving up, the fox turned up his nose and said, "They're probably sour anyway." Then he walked away. Moral: It's Easy To Despise What You Cannot Have. A note about the story The 'Fox and the Grapes' is often cited as an example for cognitive dissonance: the discomfort people experience when their beliefs/actions are at odds with other beliefs/actions. In the story, the fox sees some grapes on a vine and wants to eat them. He tries to jump up, but cannot reach them because they are too high. When he realizes he will not be able to eat any grapes, the fox becomes disdainful; he tells himself that those grapes were sour and not worthy of desire anyway. Psychologist and teacher Leon Festinger pointed out in 1957, that often, people hold two conflicting beliefs, or they believe one thing but do something that is against that belief. The resulting cognitive dissonance is psychologically distressful, and we often try to alleviate it by justifying our actions or changing our beliefs. Either way, the goal is to get our beliefs and actions in line with each other.

The Milkmaid and her Pail: Patty the Milkmaid was going to the market carrying milk in a pail on her head. As she went along, she began calculating what she would do with the money she would get for the milk. "I'll buy some fowls from Farmer Brown," said she, "and they will lay eggs each morning, which I will sell to the parson's wife. With the money that I get from the sale of these eggs, I'll buy myself a new dimity frock and a chip hat, and when I go to the market, won't all the young men come up and speak to me! Polly Shaw will be so jealous, but I don't care. I shall just look at her and toss my head like this." Short Stories As she spoke that, she tossed her head back and the pail fell off it, and all the milk was spilt! Moral: Do Not Count Your Chickens Before They Are Hatched.

Gold Coins and a Selfish Man: Sam was a greedy and selfish man. He always desired to have lots and lots of money and never hesitated to cheat others to make money. Also, he never wished to share anything with others. He paid very low wages to his servants. However, one day, he learned a lesson that changed his life forever. It so happened that one day, a small bag that belonged to Sam was missing. The bag had 50 gold coins in it. Sam searched high and low for the bag, but could not find it. Sam's friends and neighbours also joined in the search, but all their efforts were in vain. After a couple of days, the ten year old daughter of a man working for Sam found the bag. She told her father about it. Her father identified the bag as the one that was missing, and immediately decided to take it to his master. He gave the bag back to his master Sam, and asked him to check whether the bag had 50 gold coins. Sam was exultant to get the coins back, but he decided to play a trick. He shouted at his worker, "there were 75 gold coins in this bag but you gave me only 50! Where are the other coins? You have stolen them!" The worker was shocked to hear this and pleaded his innocence. Selfish and greedy, Sam did not accept the worker's story, and decided to take the issue to court. The judge heard both the sides. He questioned the daughter and the worker about the number of coins they had found in the bag, and they assured it was only 50. He cross-examined Sam and Sam replied, "Yes my lord, I had 75 gold coins in my bag, and they gave me only 50. Hence, it is quite obvious that they have stolen 25 coins!" The judge then asked, "Are you sure that your bag had 75 coins?" Sam nodded vigorously. The judge then made his judgment. "Since Sam lost a bag of 75 gold coins and the bag found by the girl had only 50 coins, it is obvious that the bag that was found does not belong to Sam. It was lost by someone else. If anyone finds a bag of 75 gold coins, I will declare that it belongs to Sam. As there are no complaints about the loss of 50 coins, I order the girl and his father to take those 50 coins as a token of appreciation for their honesty!" Honesty will always be rewarded and greed punished!

The Stranger in the Garden: Once upon a time, there was a man who had a big garden. He had planted many fruit trees and cared for them till they bore fruits. Now he wanted to harvest the fruits and sell them to make money for his family. One fine day, while picking the fruits with his son, the man saw a stranger sitting on the branch of a tree and picking fruits. The man became angry and shouted, "Hey you! What are you doing on my tree? Aren't you ashamed of stealing?" The stranger sitting on the branch looked at the gardener, but didn't reply, and continued picking the fruits. The gardener was very angry and shouted again, "For a whole year I have taken care of these trees. You have no right to take the fruits without my permission. So come down at once!" The stranger on the tree answered, "Why should I come down? This is the garden of God and I am the servant of God, so I have the right to pick these fruits. You should not interfere with the work of God and his servant." The gardener was very surprised at this answer and thought of a plan. He told the stranger to come down from the tree. As the stranger climbed down the tree, the gardener tied him to the tree and began beating him with a stick. The stranger began to scream, "Why are you beating me? You have no right to do this." The gardener paid no attention and continued beating him. The stranger screamed, "Don't you fear God? You are beating an innocent man. The gardener answered, "Why should I fear? This wood in my hand belongs to God and I am the servant of God. You shouldn't interfere with the work of God and his servant." The stranger hesitated and then spoke, "Wait. Don't beat me, I am sorry for taking the fruits. This is your garden and I should seek your permission before taking the fruits. So, please forgive me and set me free." The gardener smiled and said, "Don't use God's name to justify your ill-conceived actions." Then the gardener untied him and let him go free.

Money Can't Buy Everything: Nick was a 10 year old boy. He was the only son to his parents. Nick's father was a very busy businessman who could not spend time with his son. He came home after Nick slept, and was off to office before Nick woke up in the morning. Nick yearned for his father's attention. He wanted to go outdoors and play with his father just like his friends did. One day, Nick was surprised to see his father at home in the evening. "Dad, it is a big surprise to see you at home," Nick said. "Yes son, my meeting was cancelled. So I'm at home. But after two hours I have to catch a flight," his father replied. "When will you be back?" "Tomorrow noon." Nick was in deep thought for a while. Then he asked, "Dad, how much do you earn in a year?" Nick's father was taken aback. He said, "My dear son, it's a very big amount and you won't be able to understand it." "Ok dad, are you happy with the amount you earn?" "Yes my dear. I'm very happy, and in fact I'm planning to launch our new branch and a new business in a few months. Isn't that great?" "Yes, dad. I'm happy to hear that. Can I ask you one more question?" "Yes, dear." "Dad, can you tell me how much you earn in a day or even half a day?" "Nick, why are you asking this question?" Nick's father was perplexed. But Nick was persistent. "Please answer me. Can you please tell me how much you earn in an hour?" Nick's father gave in and replied, "It will be around $ 25/- per hour." Nick ran to his room upstairs, and came down with his piggy bank that contained his savings. "Dad, I have $50 in my piggy bank. Can you spare two hours for me? I want to go to the beach and have dinner with you tomorrow evening. Can you please mark this in your schedule?" Nick's father was speechless! The greatest gift a parent can give his child is time. Money can't buy everything!

True Wealth: Once upon a time, there lived a very rich and wealthy man in a big town. He led a luxurious life. He always boasted about his wealth to his friends and relatives. His son was studying in a distant city and he returned home for vacation. The rich man wanted to show off to his son how rich he was. But his son wasn't fond of any luxurious lifestyle. However, the rich man wanted to make his son realize that his lifestyle was extremely rich and that poor people suffered a lot. He planned a day's visit to the entire town to show him the life of the poor people. The father and the son took a chariot and visited the entire town. They returned home after two days. The father was happy that his son was very quiet after seeing the poor people honouring the rich man and after witnessing the sufferings of the poor due to lack of facilities. The rich man asked his son, "Dear boy, how was the trip? Have you enjoyed it?" "Yes my dad, it was a great trip with you," the son replied. "So, what did you learn from the trip?" the father asked. The son was silent. "Finally you have realized how the poor suffer and how they actually live," said the father. "No father," replied the son. He added, "We have only two dogs, they have 10 dogs. We have a big pool in our garden, but they have a massive bay without any end! We have luxurious and expensive lights imported from various countries, but they have countless stars lighting their nights. We have a house on a small piece of land, but they have abundant fields that go beyond the horizon. We are protected by huge and strong walls around our property, but they bond with each other and surround themselves with their fellow beings. We have to buy food from them, but they are so rich that they can cultivate their own food." The rich father was stunned and speechless, on hearing his son's words. Finally the son added, "Dad, thank you so much for showing me who is rich and who is poor. Thank you for letting me understand how poor we really are!" True wealth is not measured by money and property! True wealth is created in good friendships and compassionate relationships.

The hungry fox who got caught in the tree trunk: Once upon a time, there was a hungry fox that was looking for something to eat. He was very hungry. No matter how hard he tried, the fox could not find food. Finally he went to the edge of the forest and searched there for food. Suddenly he caught sight of a big tree with a hole in it. Inside the hole was a package. The hungry fox immediately thought that there might be food in it, and became very happy. He jumped into the hole. When he opened the package, he saw slices of bread, meat and fruit in it! An old woodcutter had placed the food in the tree trunk before he began to cut down trees in the forest. He was going to eat it for his lunch. The fox happily began to eat. After he finished eating, he felt thirsty and decided to leave the hole and drink some water from a nearby spring. However, no matter how hard he tried, he could not get out of the hole. Do you know why? Yes, the fox had eaten so much food that he became too big to fit through the hole! The fox was very sad and upset. He told himself, "I wish I had thought a little before jumping into the hole." Yes children, this is the result of doing something without thinking about it first.

Cocoon and the Butterfly: Many of us know that a beautiful and colourful butterfly comes from an unappealing worm! Here is the story of a butterfly that was never able to live its life as a normal butterfly. One day, a man saw a cocoon. He loved butterflies and had a craze for its wonderful combination of colours. In fact, he used to spend a lot of time around butterflies. He knew how a butterfly would struggle to transform from an ugly caterpillar into a beautiful one. He saw the cocoon with a tiny opening. It meant that the butterfly was trying to make its way out to enjoy the world. He decided to watch how the butterfly would come out of the cocoon. He was watching the butterfly struggling to break the shell for several hours. He spent almost more than 10 hours with the cocoon and the butterfly. The butterfly had been struggling very hard for hours to come out through the tiny opening. Unfortunately, even after continuous attempts for several hours, there was no progress. It seemed that the butterfly had tried its best and could not give any more try. The man, who had a passion and love for butterflies, decided to help the butterfly. He got a pair of scissors and tweaked the cocoon to make larger opening for the butterfly and removed the remaining cocoon. The butterfly emerged without any struggle! Unfortunately, the butterfly looked no longer beautiful and had a swollen body with small and withered wings. The man was happy that he had made the butterfly come out of the cocoon without any more struggles. He continued to watch the butterfly and was quite eager to see it fly with its beautiful wings. He thought that at any time, the butterfly might expand its wings, shrink the body and the wings could support the body. Unfortunately, neither did the wings expand nor the swollen body reduce. Unfortunately, the butterfly just crawled around with withered wings and a huge body. It was never able to fly. Although the man did it with a good intention, he did not know that only by going through struggles the butterfly can emerge to be beautiful, with strong wings. The continuous effort from the butterfly to come out of its cocoon would let the fluid stored in the body be converted into wings. Thus, the body would become lighter and smaller, and the wings would be beautiful and large. If we don't want to undergo any struggle, we won't be able to fly! Struggles make us shine!

Fools: It was a cold and silent night. The weather was freezing cold. A group of monkeys were on a tree. They were clinging to its branches. One of the monkeys said, "I wish we could find some fire. It will help us to keep warm." Suddenly they noticed a flock of fireflies. One of the young monkeys thought it was fire. He caught a firefly. He put it under a dry leaf and started blowing at it. Some other monkeys also joined in his efforts. In the meanwhile, a sparrow came flying to its nest which was on the same tree the monkeys were sitting on. She noticed what they were doing. The sparrow laughed. She said, "Hey silly monkeys, that is a firefly, not real fire. I think all of you should take shelter in a cave." The monkeys did not listen to the sparrow. They continued to blow at the poor firefly. After some time, the monkeys became very tired. Now they realized that what the sparrow had said was correct. They set free the firefly and moved to a nearby cave.

The value of a copper coin: Mahatma Gandhi, honoured as the father of India, was a very special person. The following story illustrates one of the reasons for him to be called 'Mahatma' (great soul). Once, Gandhi was on an expedition to collect funds from various cities and villages for an organization to help the poor. He went to several places and finally reached Orissa. He organized a meeting in Orissa. There, he gave a speech to the public, requesting them to give him funds for the organization. At the end of his speech, a very old woman with bent back, tattered clothing, white hair, and shrunken skin got up. She requested the volunteers to allow her to reach Gandhi. However, the volunteers stopped her. She did not give up. She fought with them and reached Gandhi. She touched the feet of Gandhi. Then she took out a copper coin kept in the folds of her saree and placed it at his feet. Then the old lady left the stage. Gandhi very carefully took the coin. The treasurer of the organization for the poor asked Gandhi for the copper coin, but he refused to give it. "I keep cheques worth thousands of rupees," said the treasurer. "Yet you won't trust me with a copper coin!" Gandhi said, "This copper coin is worth much more than those thousands. If a man has several lakhs and he gives away a thousand or two, it doesn't mean much." Yes, the coin might have been the only thing that the poor old woman possessed. She did not even have proper clothes and could not afford good food. Still she gave everything she had. That is why Gandhi regarded the coin as very precious. Offering help when we have nothing or very little makes it more valuable.

Abc learns a lesson: Abc is a middle aged man. Although he was born in a poor family, he was raised well by his father and mother. His father owned a welding shop, and used to work for more than 12 hours a day, so that his family could lead a comfortable life. However, abc's father could not earn sufficient money to provide a decent life to his family. abc was an average student in school, and used to score around 70 percent marks. abc's dream was to become a doctor. Since his marks weren't very high, he could not get the desired course that he wanted to study. Instead, he joined a bachelor's degree course, completed the course successfully, and got a job in a company. While his life was going on with no dramatic change, his father continued to work in his welding shop, so that he did not have to depend on abc. After getting a permanent job, abc's parents wanted him to marry. He got married to a girl from his native town, and at the same time was also promoted in his job. After a few years, his wife gave birth to beautiful twin boys. Later, abc began to earn a handsome salary, and started to live luxuriously. He bought a new house and a new car. Some of the luxuries were really unnecessary. Although his company provided him with a car, abc purchased a new car! After an extravagant life that spanned almost 6 to 7 years, abc was neither able to manage all the household expenses, nor pay for the children's education and other basic necessities. It so happened that abc's father fell sick, and as a result, could not continue his work in the welding shop. He requested abc to give some money for his treatment and other household expenses. abc, who was already suffering from financial crisis, shouted at his parents and told them that he had no money to provide. He complained to his parents, "You never sent me to a big school. I was not provided with expensive clothes. You rarely fed me with my favorite food. I was not able to taste different varieties of food. When I got low marks you didn't have enough money to provide me with private tuition, and it took me more than 10 years to get settled. Now, while I am again struggling for money, you are not doing anything to help me, but instead are a burden to me! So, please don't come to me again." His parents were left shattered. After a week, while abc was on an official tour, he met a small boy aged about 10 years selling toys. The boy requested abc to buy something. abc asked the boy why he was selling toys instead of studying. The boy replied, "My father met with an accident a year ago and he lost one hand. He cannot work now. My mother works as a maid in a few houses. I'm helping my parents by selling these toys. I go to school in the morning, and sell toys in the evenings. I work for 3 hours a day and study at night!" abc purchased a few toys from the little boy. He thought about what the boy had said. He realized that he had been wrong in the way he treated his parents. He had learnt a lesson from the small boy. At a very small age, this boy was helping his parents, but abc, in order to meet the demands of his lavish lifestyle, had neglected his parents. So, what can we learn from abc and this poor, small boy? Respect is the foundation of love, and it is our duty to take care of our parents, when we get older and mature.

Sand and Stone: John and James were best friends. They fought for many reasons, but never gave up their friendship. They went in search of a job and visited many places to earn some money. They passed through various places, villages, towns, forests, and beaches. They supported each other throughout their journey. One day, they reached a desert. They had a very little food and water. John said that they should save the food and water for later use. However, James disagreed. He wanted to drink water, as he was very thirsty. They quarrelled with each other for water. John slapped James, and they walked in silence. James wrote on the sand, "My best friend slapped me!" Finally, they reached an oasis. They were very happy, and had a lot of fun in the water. While they both were bathing, James was a bit careless and began to drown. John rushed to him and saved him. James hugged his friend and thanked him. They had a little nap and decided to leave the place. When they were about to leave, James carved something on the rock. It was "My best friend saved my life!" He said to John, "When you slapped me, I recorded it on sand. The wind would have blown it away by now. However, when you saved my life, I recorded it on rock. It will remain there forever." We have to forget the bad things and cherish the good things done to us.

The Boy who cried Wolf: Once there was a shepherd boy, who had to look after a flock of sheep. One day, he felt bored and decided to play a trick on the villagers. He shouted, "Help! Wolf! Wolf!" The villagers heard his cries and rushed out of the village to help the shepherd boy. When they reached him, they asked, "Where is the wolf?" The shepherd boy laughed loudly, "Ha, Ha, Ha! I fooled you all. I was only playing a trick on you." A few days later, the shepherd boy played the trick again. He cried, "Help! Help! Wolf! Wolf!" Again, the villagers rushed up the hill to help him and again they found that the boy had tricked them. They were very angry with him for being so naughty. Then, sometime later, a wolf really went into the field. The wolf attacked one sheep, and then another and another. The shepherd boy ran towards the village shouting, "Help! Help! Wolf! Help! Somebody!" The villagers heard his cries but they laughed because they thought it was just another trick. The boy ran to the nearest villager and said, "A wolf is attacking the sheep. I lied before, but this time it is true!" Finally, the villagers went to look. It was true. They could see the wolf running away and many dead sheep lying on the grass. We may not believe someone who often tells lies, even when he tells the truth.

Three Sons and a Bundle of Sticks: Once upon a time, an old man lived with his three sons in a village. The three sons were hard workers. Still, they quarrelled all the time. The old man tried a lot to unite them but he failed. Though the villagers appreciated their hard work and efforts, they made fun of them on their fights. Months passed by and the old man fell sick. He told his sons to stay united, but they didn't listen to him. So, he decided to teach them a practical lesson so that they would forget their differences and stay united. The old man called his sons. He told them, "I will give you a bundle of sticks. Separate each stick and you will have to break each stick into two. The one who breaks the sticks quickly will be rewarded more." The sons agreed. The old man gave a bundle of 10 sticks to each of them and asked them to break each stick into pieces. They broke the sticks into pieces in minutes. And again they started to quarrel among themselves as to who came first. The old man said, "Dear sons, the game is not over. Now I will give another bundle of sticks to each of you. You will have to break the sticks as a bundle, not as separate sticks." The sons agreed and tried to break the bundle of sticks. Though they tried their best, they could not break the bundle. They failed to complete the task. The three sons reported their failure to their father. Breaking bundle of sticksThe old man replied, "Dear sons, See! You could easily break the single sticks into pieces, but you were not able to break the bundle! So, if you stay united, nobody can do any harm to you. If you quarrel every time with your brothers, anyone can easily defeat you. I request you to stay united." The three sons understood the power of unity and promised their father that whatever be the situation, they would all stay together. Moral: Unity is Strength!