Meng Zi and the Fish

A long, long time ago, there was a famous person in China who we call Meng Zi.  During that time, China still was divided into many countries.
   There was one time that Meng Zi wanted to go to one of those countries, because the king invited Meng Zi to help them to build a canal.
   When Meng Zi was walking, he heard, "Help me!  Help me!"  Then, he found a small fish.  The fish was lying in the road.  Meng Zi said, "How can I help you?"  The small fish asked, "Would you give me a cup of water?  I need some water."  Meng Zi said, "Sure. I'll give you some water.  But I'm on a business now, since the king invited me to build a canal.  The canal will pass through here and connect with the sea.  When I build it up, you'll be able to go back home by way of the canal.  You don't need a cup of water, you will get the whole water of the sea."
   The fish was very angry.  It said, "Thank you for your kindness.  When you construct the canal to here, I'll be a dried fish.  But, if you give me some water now, I'll live longer.  When you come here again, you won't be able to see me any more."
   The story means that you should just help people with what they want now.

   -unknown

Intelligence

Once there was a King in Bangladesh whose name was Sulta Mohamood.  He had a daughter.  She was very beautiful.  One day the King told his daughter to get married to someone who she liked.  But she told him that she would marry a boy who was more intelligent than her.
   So the King announced it everywhere.  Day after day many princes came to the palace to answer and asked questions.  But everyone failed and nobody married her.
   One day a very poor boy who was the servant of that King came to the princess and asked, "Do you know that your father borrowed 2 million dollars from my grandfather?"  The princess told him that she did not know, and this was the one answer that hte princess did not know, and she was defeated  by that poor boy.  So she was bound to marry that poor boy.

   -Faruke

Story

One day my friend asked me, "Did you ever see the watermelon tree?"  When he asked me this question, I was confused.  He asked  me again, "Did you see the berry tree?"  I considered these quesitons and I answered, "No."  The watermelon grows on the ground.  It isn't a tree.  Berry, a plant, isn't a tree.  I answered these questions.  My friend said,  "You are not bad."  I said, "Of course, these questions are easy for me.  Next time, you can give me more difficult questions.
   -May

About a funny story that happened to me

Fall 1988

Yesterday I went to the golf game with my cousin's son/  It was the first time in my life I played this game.  In this game we have to pass 12 parts.  The winner should have less points than the others.  We started the game and in myself it was a surprise for me.  Every part didn't take for me more than 2 or three tries to get the ball in the hole.  In the golf place there were many people and all of them  stopped playing to look at me.  Really I was very surprised to win the game and to do very well in every part.  Like if a part needed three tries to get the ball in the hole, it took me 1 or 2 only.  It was very strange and I think I was lucky.  Yesterday, and should take a lottery and I'm sure I will win.

   -Jean Howayek

An Ant Lion

Fall 1988

There are a lot of tiny holes in the central park in Pittsburg.  Each hole has an ant lion.  They catch ants for food.  They lived in sand, and make a hole.  They wait for ants to slide into the hole.  Ants can not go up to the surface if they fall into the hole, because the hole is very slippery.  When ants go to the bottom of the hole, they will be eaten by an ant lion.
   One day, an ant lion waited for an ant.  He was very hungry.  An ant slipped into his hole.  She was very hungry too.  They saw each other.  Then they fell in love.  Now, they live in his hole together and they share some foods.

   -Aki

The Man and the Wolf

   Once there was a man who grazed sheep; he wanted to joke with his friend, then he called to the, "Help, help, help, he-e-e-e-e-e-e-e-lp, the wolf came!!!" After that his friends ran fast to him, but they found him laughing.  Then they asked him, "What happened?" and he said, "Nothing, I am just joking."  He did it two more times, but one day the wolf came for real; he wanted to eat the sheep; then the man called his friends, "Help, help. please, someone help me!!!"  But his friends thought he was joking.  Then nobody helped him, and then, the wolf ate the sheep.

   -Ahmed

(no title)

A long time ago, a magician lived in the lake.  One evening, when the woodman cut down a tree with an iron ax, he dropped the iron ax in the lake, so he cried because he didn't have another axe or enough money to buy one.  He cried nearby the lake.  Just at that time, the magician appeared there, and said, "Why are you crying?"
   The woodman said, "I dropped my iron ax in the lake", and then the magician disappeared into the lake.
   Afterwards he appeared standing on the lake with a silver ax and he asked, "Is this yours?"
   The woodman answered, "It's not mine", so the magician again went into the lake and then appeared in front of the woodman with a gold ax.  But this gold ax was not his, so the magician went into the lake and appeared with his ax.  Only then the man said, "It's mine".
   The magician said, "You didn't lie so I'll give you all three axes, your ax and the gold and silver axes.  Afterwards, the man sold his axes for a lot of money; so then he became a rich person.
   Another woodman heard this story.  So this woodman went there and intentionally dropped his iron ax and then he pretended to cry, so the magician also appeared in front of his eyes, and he asked, "Why are you crying?"
   He answered, "I lost my ax."  The magician went into the lake after the conversation and appeared with a gold ax.
  He asked, "Is this yours?"
  He answered, "Yes", so the magician disappeared at once.  The man had nothing, not even his ax.

   -Rina