Sunday, March 14, 2010
Two Lenten Sunday stories
These two stories are retold the way I liked.
Have a nice day,
Ron
1. BIKERS
Three heavy high performance motor-bikes came to a screeching halt outside the eatery beside the highway.
One can easily tell that these were hell-riders from the sound of the Harley-Davidsons and the airy leather gear they sported. They slammed the doors open and swaggered their way into the dining area.
This eatery was also the stop-spot for truckers, the usual relief and refreshment spots that spotted the long highway along their journey. There was a lone trucker tucking at one of the tables.
The hell-riders sauntered towards his table. One of them toppled his mug of half-empty beer, another tipped his plate of remaining food over the table edge while the third kicked his chair off his backside.
The trucker picked himself up and dusted the dirt off his outfit. He turned towards the bartender, paid his due and walked slowly out of the eatery. He did not say anything.
The hell-riders laughed, "Ain't he a softie ? He could have asked for damages ! He's nothing but a coward !"
The bartender responded, "Yeah, he looks like a coward alright, and he's a very bad driver too; he just ran over three bikes !"
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2. IN-LAWs
Not long ago, somewhere in China, a young man got married. As was the custom the bride lived with the in-laws. As was usual the mother-in-law's little bits of advice and criticism accumulated. The young man was filial and sought peace, but his wife began to resent the nagging which seemed to become intolerable. Time wore on, and ideas developed. The young wife felt that she had to do something or go insane.
She went to see a Chinese medicine man; she asked him to concoct some medicine for poisoning someone. The medicine man was taken aback, but regaining his position he asked her for the reason and the victim. After listening to her plight he agreed to help her.
He explained to her, "If you poison the victim quickly and she dies you will be in trouble, and so will I. If you accept my way here is what we will do, and you must do what I tell you." The young woman agreed and he concocted the medicine. He told her, "I have made it such that it will weaken her slowly and she will die in due course. All this while you must pretend and treat her nicely like your own mother so that she will not suspect anything and take the medicine regularly, and you will succeed and lead the happy life you want."
The young wife did as she was told; she greeted her mother-in-law cheerfully, fed her the regular medicine and performed her chores dutifully. Cunningly she waited.
Meanwhile, the mother-in-law could not help noticing the change in behaviour in her daughter-in-law, and her mood changed too. She was filled with pride and began to tell her friends and neighbours what a wonderful daughter-in-law she had. She also complimented her in front of everybody whenever the occasion arrived.
The daughter-in-law was overwhelmed by her senior's praise and tears of joy flooded her; but then her wickedness struck her. Realising the harm she was doing while acting good, she quickly went to the medicine man and asked him to do a reversal as she now loved her mother-in-law. The medicine man smiled and assured her, "She will not die. Your kindness to her was the medicine that she has been taking and that changed her attitude towards you. What you had been giving her from me was not poison but health food."
Have a nice day,
Ron
1. BIKERS
Three heavy high performance motor-bikes came to a screeching halt outside the eatery beside the highway.
One can easily tell that these were hell-riders from the sound of the Harley-Davidsons and the airy leather gear they sported. They slammed the doors open and swaggered their way into the dining area.
This eatery was also the stop-spot for truckers, the usual relief and refreshment spots that spotted the long highway along their journey. There was a lone trucker tucking at one of the tables.
The hell-riders sauntered towards his table. One of them toppled his mug of half-empty beer, another tipped his plate of remaining food over the table edge while the third kicked his chair off his backside.
The trucker picked himself up and dusted the dirt off his outfit. He turned towards the bartender, paid his due and walked slowly out of the eatery. He did not say anything.
The hell-riders laughed, "Ain't he a softie ? He could have asked for damages ! He's nothing but a coward !"
The bartender responded, "Yeah, he looks like a coward alright, and he's a very bad driver too; he just ran over three bikes !"
******************************
2. IN-LAWs
Not long ago, somewhere in China, a young man got married. As was the custom the bride lived with the in-laws. As was usual the mother-in-law's little bits of advice and criticism accumulated. The young man was filial and sought peace, but his wife began to resent the nagging which seemed to become intolerable. Time wore on, and ideas developed. The young wife felt that she had to do something or go insane.
She went to see a Chinese medicine man; she asked him to concoct some medicine for poisoning someone. The medicine man was taken aback, but regaining his position he asked her for the reason and the victim. After listening to her plight he agreed to help her.
He explained to her, "If you poison the victim quickly and she dies you will be in trouble, and so will I. If you accept my way here is what we will do, and you must do what I tell you." The young woman agreed and he concocted the medicine. He told her, "I have made it such that it will weaken her slowly and she will die in due course. All this while you must pretend and treat her nicely like your own mother so that she will not suspect anything and take the medicine regularly, and you will succeed and lead the happy life you want."
The young wife did as she was told; she greeted her mother-in-law cheerfully, fed her the regular medicine and performed her chores dutifully. Cunningly she waited.
Meanwhile, the mother-in-law could not help noticing the change in behaviour in her daughter-in-law, and her mood changed too. She was filled with pride and began to tell her friends and neighbours what a wonderful daughter-in-law she had. She also complimented her in front of everybody whenever the occasion arrived.
The daughter-in-law was overwhelmed by her senior's praise and tears of joy flooded her; but then her wickedness struck her. Realising the harm she was doing while acting good, she quickly went to the medicine man and asked him to do a reversal as she now loved her mother-in-law. The medicine man smiled and assured her, "She will not die. Your kindness to her was the medicine that she has been taking and that changed her attitude towards you. What you had been giving her from me was not poison but health food."
