Poison Your Mother-in-Law ...

A long time ago in China, a girl named Li-Li got married and went to
live with her husband and mother-in-law. In a very short time, Li-Li
found that she couldn't get along with her mother-in-law at all.

Their personalities were very different, and Li-Li was angered by
many of her mother-in-law's habits. In addition, she criticized Li-Li
constantly.

Days passed days, and weeks passed weeks. Li-Li and her mother-in-law
never stopped arguing and fighting. But what made the situation even
worse was that, according to ancient Chinese tradition, Li-Li had to
bow to her mother-in-law and obey her every wish.

All the anger and unhappiness in the house was causing Li-Li's poor
husband great distress.

Finally, Li-Li could not stand her mother-in-law's bad temper and
dictatorship any longer, and she decided to do something about it.

Li-Li went to see her father's good friend, Mr. Huang, who sold
herbs. She told him the situation and asked if he would give her some
poison so that she could solve the problem once and for all. Mr.
Huang thought for a while, and finally said, Li-Li, I will help you
solve your problem, but you must listen to me and obey what I tell
you. Li-Li said, "Yes, Mr. Huang, I will do whatever you tell me to
do."

Mr.Huang went into the back room, and returned in a few minutes with
a package of herbs.

He told Li-Li, "You can't use a quick-acting poison to get rid of
your mother-in-law, because that would cause people to become
suspicious. Therefore, I have given you a number of herbs that will
slowly build up poison in her body.

Every other day prepare some delicious meal and put a little of these
herbs in her serving. Now, in order to make sure that nobody suspects
you when she dies, you must be very careful to act very friendly
towards her. Don't argue with her, obey her every wish, and treat her
like a queen."

Li-Li was so happy. She thanked Mr. Huang and hurried home to start
her plot of murdering her mother-in-law.

Weeks went by, and months went by, and every other day, Li-Li served
the specially treated food to her mother-in-law. She remembered what
Mr.Huang had said about avoiding suspicion, so she controlled her
temper, obeyed her mother-in-law, and treated her like her own
mother. After six months had passed, the whole household had changed.

Li-Li had practiced controlling her temper so much that she found
that she almost never got mad or upset. She hadn't had an argument
with her mother-in-law in six months because she now seemed much
kinder and easier to get along with.

The mother-in-law's attitude toward Li-Li changed, and she began to
love Li-Li like her own daughter. She kept telling friends and
relatives that Li-Li was the best daughter-in-law one could ever
find. Li-Li and her mother-in-law were now treating each other like a
real mother and daughter.

Li-Li's husband was very happy to see what was happening.

One day, Li-Li came to see Mr. Huang and asked for his help again.
She said, "Dear Mr. Huang, please help me to keep the poison from
killing my mother-in-law! She's changed into such a nice woman, and I
love her like my own mother. I do not want her to die because of the
poison I gave her."

Mr. Huang smiled and nodded his head. "Li-Li, there's nothing to
worry about. I never gave you any poison. The herbs I gave you were
vitimans to improve her health. The only poison was in your mind and
your attitude toward her, but that has been all washed away by the
love which you gave to her."

MORAL: Brothers and Sisters have you ever realised that how you treat
others is exactly how they will treat you?
There is a wise Chinese saying: 'The person who loves others will
also be loved in return.'

Unknown Author

Why We Shout In Anger

A saint was visiting the Ganges river to bathe one day ... He overheard some family members on the banks, shouting and bickering angrily at each other ...

He turned to his disciples, smiled and asked, "Why do angry people shout at each other ???" ... The disciples thought for a while, then one of them said, "Because we lose our calm, that's why we shout" ... The saint replied, "But, why should you shout when the other person is just next to you ??? You can simply tell him or her what you have to say in a soft manner" ... Other disciples supplied answers but none satisfied the saint ...

Finally, the saint explained, "When two people are angry at each other, there is a great distance between their hearts ... To cover that distance they must shout so they can hear each other ... The angrier they are, the stronger they will have to shout to hear each other, such that they can bridge that great distance ... What happens when two people fall in love ??? They don’t shout at each other but talk softly, because their hearts are very close ... The distance between them is either nonexistent or very small" ... The saint continued, "When they love each other even more, what happens ??? They do not speak; they only whisper, and when they get even closer to each other in their love, finally they do not need to whisper; they only look at each other and that’s all ... That is how close two people are when they love each other" ...

He looked at his disciples and said, "So when you argue do not let your hearts get distant, do not say words that distance each other more ... Otherwise, there will come a day when the distance is so great that you will not find the path to return"

The Farmer and the Miser

A farmer owed a large sum of money to a man in the neighboring village who was known to be a miser. The farmer was unable to pay back his debt. The miser was old and unattractive but he fancied the farmer’s beautiful daughter. So he proposed a deal: he would forgive the farmer’s debt if he could marry his daughter. Both the farmer and his daughter were horrified by the deal. So the miser suggested another idea — he would put a black pebble and a white pebble into an empty bag. Then the girl would pick one pebble from the bag. If she picked the black pebble, she would become the miser's wife and her father’s debt would be forgiven. If she picked the white pebble, she need not marry the miser and her father’s debt would still be forgiven. But if she refused to pick a pebble, her father would go to jail for not paying his debt.

The farmer and his daughter agreed to this plan and the miser bent over to pick up two pebbles. The daughter saw that he picked up two black pebbles and put them into the bag. He then asked her to pick a pebble from the bag. The young woman had to think fast — should she refuse to pick a pebble? Should she tell her father that she saw him pick up two black pebbles? Or should she just pick one of the two black pebbles and sacrifice herself in order to save her father from going to prison for his debt?

The girl put her hand into the bag and drew out a pebble. Without looking at it or showing it, she quickly dropped the pebble in the field where it immediately got lost among all the other pebbles. “Oh, I dropped the pebble,” she said. “But no problem, if we look into the bag at the one that is left, we will know which pebble I picked.” Since the remaining pebble was black, it would have to be assumed that she had picked the white one. And since the miser dared not admit his dishonesty, the daughter's quick thinking and her ability to "think outside the box" changed what seemed to be an impossible situation into a happy ending for herself and her father. It also outwitted the miser's dishonest plan and resulted in the miser getting exactly what he deserved — nothing!
(Adapted from a traditional teaching story)

A real book

“Lord! When you sell a man a book you don’t sell him just twelve ounces of paper and ink and glue—you sell him a whole new life. Love and friendship and humour and ships at sea by night—there’s all heaven and earth in a book, in a real book I mean.”

- Christopher Morley

The Worms

A king was once passing along his way when he saw some animal droppings. And he saw some worms in those droppings. The thought came to his mind that there is no purpose behind the creation of these worms. They are useless, with no real job.

Very soon thereafter he lost his eyesight. Being rich, he spent thousands of rands trying different treatments to restore his eyesight. All to no avail. Then it was mentioned to him that a certain pious Hakeem (natural medical practioner) was very good. The king sent for him.

The Hakeem refused to go to the king and asked that the king come to him. On examining the king, the Hakeem prescribed a powder that was to be put in the king’s eyes three times a day. Gradually the king’s eyesight returned until he was fully cured.

He went to the Hakeem with lavish gifts which the Hakeem refused. The king said, ‘At least tell me what you used in that wonderful medicine.’ The Hakeem replied that he used the worms which one finds in animal droppings. He dried them out, crushed them into powder and made the king apply that to his eyes. The king bowed his head in submission to Allah, Who created every atom with a definite purpose.

Never look down on any creation of Allah Ta’ala, for everything is there for a reason. The events that happen to us also have definite purpose. Every human is a valuable treasure who can benefit the world.