Story

Happiness Lies In Contentment

Once there lived a happy cobbler who passed his days in working and singing from morning till night. A rich neighbor of his was banker who one day said to him, “How much do you earn a year?” The cobbler replied that he had never saved his one year’s income and even he did not know how many days a year had. Hearing this, the banker became surprised. He asked the cobbler what he did with his money. The cobbler told that he lived from hand to mouth. In fact the cobbler earned very little and spent all the money he earned a day to support himself and he had no ambition. He had no demand for amenities that had not been possessed.

So poverty could not stand in the way of his happiness. At this, a deep thought occurred in the mind of the banker. He sighed, “How helpless I am!” A vast property belonged to the banker. But a dissatisfaction always troubled him. So he always wanted more riches which snatched away his happiness. The banker said himself, “What is use of this possession when I’m deprived of real peace?” He thought he was poorer than the cobbler. So he began to find out happiness giving away all his riches to the poor. In fact happiness is a relative factor which varies from person to person. It can’t be possessed in spite of having vast property.

Judgment of King Solomon

Once two quarrelling women came to King Solomon with a baby. Each of them claimed to be the child’s mother. Solomon asked them different questions to decide the dispute but it came to nothing. Finding no other way to solve the problem Solomon ordered to cut the child in two halves. An executioner was sent for. Solomon said to the executioner, “Cut the child in two equal halves and then give one half to each of them. On hearing the order one of the women began to wail. Throwing herself at the feet of the King she said, “Pleas, don’t cut the baby, give the child alive to the other woman. I don’t claim the child.” The other woman remained silent. So, King Solomon could make out who the real mother was and handed over the child to the wailing woman who was the real mother. The false mother was duly punished.

 

A Clever Astrologer

Once there was a king who was very fond of knowing his future from the astrologers. A famous astrologer happened to stop at his Capital on his way to Banaras. The king called on him to know his future and the astrologer said something unpleasant. At this the king got furious and condemned him to death saying “Men like you shouldn’t live to spoil the peace of world.” But another thought had crossed his mind before the astrologer was taken away for execution. “How long would you live?” asked the king. The astrologer mused for a while for some way to escape, as he was sure the king would prove him a liar putting him to death then and there, if he would live longer than that day. With ready wit he said, “The stars declare that I shall die only a week before your majesty, so good bye. I shall wait to receive your majesty where you have been sending me.” At this the king turned pale as dead and shouted, “Drive this wretch away, let him not come again.”

Dividing the Bread/Two Rats and the Monkey

Once two rats found a loaf of bread. They could not agree within themselves to divide the bread. Because each of them wanted the larger share of it. They quarreled for some time on this. But at last one of the rats suggested to go to the monkey who had a scale. So they went to the monkey to divide the bread piece properly.

The cunning monkey divided the piece in such a way that it was not equally divided. Then he cut a small part of a piece and ate that instantly which was larger than the other. Again, the dishes of the scale were unequal and the monkey ate another small part of the larger portion. He continued this method and the bread piece became smaller gradually. The rats understood the monkey’s crafty trick and ordered the monkey to stop that. The monkey stopped his deception but claimed the rest of the bread as his charge.

Teaching of Prophet on Begging

Once Hazrat Muhammad (Sm) was sitting with his followers. All on a sudden a man came to him. He was healthy. He came near Hazrat Muhammad (Sm) and said to him, “Please, Hazrat give me some food.”

Hazrat Muhammad (Sm) asked him if he had anything at home. The man said that he had only one blanket. Hazrat Muhammad (Sm) told him to bring the blanket. The man went home and again came back with the blanket in his hand. Hazrat Muhammad (Sm) took the blanket and said to the followers:

“Is there anybody here to buy this blanket?”

One of the followers raised his hand. Hazrat Muhammad (Sm) sold the blanket and gave half of the money to the man to buy food. He gave the rest of the money to buy an axe. He requested the man to maintain his family by doing the work of woodcutter. He said to him, “Do not beg. Begging is not good at all.”