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The Donkey and the Well

One day a farmer's donkey fell down into a well. The animal cried piteously
for hours as the farmer tried to figure out what to do.

Finally, he decided the animal was old, and the well needed to be covered up
anyway; it just wasn't worth it to retrieve the donkey.

He invited all his neighbors to come over and help him. They all grabbed a
shovel and began to shovel dirt into the well. At first, the
donkey realized what was happening and cried horribly. Then, to everyone's
amazement he quieted down.

A few shovel loads later, the farmer finally looked down the well. He was
astonished at what he saw. With each shovel of dirt that hit his back, the
donkey was doing something amazing.  He would shake it off and take a step
up.

As the farmer's neighbors continued to shovel dirt on top of the animal, he
would shake it off and take a step up.

Pretty soon, everyone was amazed as the donkey stepped up over the edge of
the well and happily trotted off!

Life is going to shovel dirt on you, all kinds of dirt. The trick to getting
out of the well is to shake it off and take a step up. Each of
our troubles is a steppingstone. We can get out of the deepest wells just by
not stopping, never giving up! Shake it off and take a step up.

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Originally Posted by SooBahkDon


My Kind Of Town

   A young traveler looking  to relocate came upon a city
where an old man greeted him cordially.
The young man asked, "What kind of people live in this wretched place?"
To this the old man replied, " What kind of people live in the place you come from?"
The traveler said," A bunch of wicked and selfish snobs, I am happy to have left there."
The old man sighed,"The same you shall find here."

Later that day another young man searching to settle and start a new life came upon
the same kindly old man and asked,"What kind of people live in this beautiful village?"
The old man repeated," What kind of people live in the place you leave behind?"
The young traveler smiled and said,"A magnificent group of people. Honest, amicable,
neighborly, it hurts very much to have left them."
The old man offered," The same you shall find here."

A passerby who had heard both conversations approached the old man and asked,
"How is it possible that you give two completely different answers to the very same question?"
to which the old man answered, "Each one carries in his heart their outlook on life. How we
see the world has a direct effect on how others see and treat us. Our mental attitude is one
of the few things in life over which we maintain absolute control."

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Originally Posted by SooBahkDon


The King and His Falcon


One day long ago, a King went hunting.
On his forearm perched his favorite trained hunting falcon.
His bird would fly high in the air, spot a rabbit or some other prey
and circle it for his master.
  It had been a long day and the King had left his hunting party
and continued on alone far from home.
By the end of the day the King was very thirsty and began
to look for a place to drink.
  At last he spotted some water trickling over the edge of a high rock.
He got down from his horse and unpacked his cup.
As the King held his cup under the trickling drops,
his pet falcon left his arm and flew overhead looking for prey.
When the cup was nearly full the King put it to his lips
and was about to drink.
All of a sudden his falcon swooped down and knocked the cup
from his hands, spilling the water.
   Annoyed, the King waved the bird away and began
to fill the cup once again.
When it was half full he could wait no longer and again
put the cup to his lips.
Again the bird swooped down and knocked the cup before he could drink.
  "You Imbecile", he swore as the bird alighted on a rock
A third time the King filled his cup and a third time
the bird knocked it away.
   His anger growing into rage, the King picked up a stick
and declared that if the bird attacked a forth time it would pay dearly.
   He filled his cup but a third of the way, and then put it to his lips.
Again the falcon swooped down, but this time the King was ready.
He sliced at the bird as he passed, hitting it, but not before the bird
knocked the cup from his hand.
The cup rolled past the injured bird and into an unreachable crevice.
   Determined to quench his thirst, the King climbed up
the steep rocky bank until, out of breath,
he at last reached the spring.
There it was, a pool of water, a pool of water in which a
dead and very poisonous snake floated.
   The King looked down at his wounded bird, the bird
that had saved his life.
He climbed down the hill with his loyal friend
secured safely in his hunting bag.
He brought the bird back to his kingdom and nursed
it back to health, vowing never again to act in anger.

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Originally Posted by SooBahkDon


The Burried Treasure

   Once a farmer lay on his deathbed despairing of the fate of his lazy sons.
Near his final hour an inspiration came to him.
He called his sons around his bed and bade them draw in close.
"I am soon to leave this world, my sons," he whispered.
"I want you to know that I have left a valuable treasure for you.
I have hidden it in my field. Dig carefully and well and you shall find it.
I ask only that you share it amongst yourselves evenly".
   The sons begged him to tell them exactly where he had burried it,
but the father breathed his last and spoke no more.
   As soon as their father was burried, the sons took up their pitchforks and shovels
and began to turn over the soil in their father's field.
They dug and dug until they had turned over the whole field twice.
They found no treasure.
But they decided that since the field was so well dug up
they might as well plant some grain as their father had done.
The crop grew well for them.
After the harvest they decided to dig again in hopes of finding the burried treasure.
Again they found not a treasure, but a field prepared for sowing.
This years crop was better than the one before.
   This went on for a number of years until the sons had grown accustomed
to the cycles of the seasons and the rewards of daily labor.
By that time their farming earned them enough money to live a happy life.
It was then that they realized the treasure their father had left for them.

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Posted By Don Bozzuffi

One of my own, hope you enjoy.


THE OLD MAN AND HIS MARE

Once there was a kind old man who respected everyone
and was grateful for everything that he was fortunate enough to have.
One of his few possessions was a beautiful mare
that gave him overwhelming joy.
He would spend countless hours brushing the horse and walking her
through town for exercise and so the children could enjoy
her beauty and gracefulness as well.
He truly loved this animal and was quite content with
the simple carefree life they shared.
As time went on he started to wonder if the horse was as
content as he was or if there was a better or more exciting
life somewhere else for his animal.
For although the old man was happy, he wanted the same for his horse.
He decided to post a notice in town which read, "My magnificent
animal will be given to he who can prove its life is unfulfilled."
Many of the towns people were familiar with the splendor this animal
possessed and would go to great lengths to have it for their own.
The first response was from a farmer who said,
"The beast will only be happy if it is plowing the fields
as nature intended. To help supply food for its master
will bring it true happiness".
So the old man brought his horse to the farm and watched
as it labored in the hot sun for hours.
At days end the old man looked into the horse's eyes
and saw only despair so he took his animal home.
The next claim was from a festival coordinator who
pompously claimed, "The colorful ornate garb it will wear
will bring excitement to the masses as she trots proud and stern."
So the old man brought his horse to the festival grounds and
watched as it reared in displeasure while the trainer attempted
to transform it into a show horse. As the trainer raised his
whip for obedience, the old man grabbed the reigns and
took his old friend home once again.
The final assertion came from a man who claimed to be a breeder.
He said, "This animal can only find true happiness when caring for
its own fold. Its life will find contentment through the eyes of its young."
The old man started to walk the horse to the breeders ranch but was told,
"You must let me take her alone as she needs to cut all ties with you
and give full attention to produce offspring and hone its nurturing skills."
So the old man gave the reigns to the breeder but followed him
from a safe distance to insure the horses safety and satisfy his own conscience."
As they came into town the old man witnessed the "breeder"
securing the horse into a stable.
Attached to the stable was a shop with a sign that read, "Butcher, Top Quality Meats".
The old man quickly opened the stable doors, jumped on his horse and
rode home quickly to safety.
The next day while brushing his horse, the old man came to realize
how calm and relaxed the animal was and that the simple life they shared
was more than enough to bring contentment to both.
Never again would he look for something that was evidently already there