There once was a stingy merchant always looking for cheap things to eat and cheap clothes to wear. One day as he was walking in the market, he saw an old lady selling two cakes of bread. He bargained with her and managed to buy it cheap. Happy with himself for having struck a good […]
In China, there was a woodcutter who used to depend on woods for his living. One day, the woodcutter went out to cut some firewood and discovered that his favourite axe was missing. He couldn’t find it anywhere. Then he noticed his neighbour’s son standing near the woodshed. The woodcutter thought, ‘Aha! That boy must
In Egypt, there lived a confectioner with a beautiful wife and a parrot which acted as a guard of their house. One evening before leaving, the confectioner ordered the parrot to guard the house until he returned the next morning. Soon after he had left, his wife went for her old lover and they passed
Chapter 17 Emma was not required, by any subsequent discovery, to retract her ill opinion of Mrs. Elton. Her observation had been pretty correct. Such as Mrs. Elton appeared to her on this second interview, such she appeared whenever they met again, self-important, presuming, familiar, ignorant, and ill-bred. She had a little beauty and a
There was a notable man of the Children of Israel who had accumulated good wealth and led a pious life. His son was well taught about good virtues. When his father was dying, he called his son and advised him never to swear falsely in the name of God. After he died, many of their
Once there was a ferryman on the Nile who used to work in between eastern and western banks. One fine day he was approached by an old man who asked him if he could ferry him and give him some food for the Allah’s sake. He agreed and started towards the eastern side, noticing the
Chapter 16 Emma continued to entertain no doubt of her being in love. Her ideas only varied as to the how much. At first, she thought it was a good deal; and afterwards, but little. She had great pleasure in hearing Frank Churchill talked of; and, for his sake, greater pleasure than ever in seeing
There was a beautiful mountain with a river running at the foothill, upon which a Prophet was doing penance. As the Prophet was praying, he saw a horseman stop near the stream, after keeping a bag on the ground. But when he left, he forgot to take the bag which contained one thousand dinars. After
Al-Hajjaj bin Yusuf Al-Sakafi was always in pursuit of a notable man for a long time. One day when the man he was after was brought before him, he immediately ordered his men to arrest him and send him to the jail. He was ordered to be chained and the blacksmith was brought to fix
A beggar found a leather purse that someone had dropped in the marketplace. Opening it, he discovered that it contained a 100 pieces of gold. Then he heard a merchant shout, “A reward! A reward to the one who finds my leather purse!”Being an honest man, the beggar came forward and handed the purse to
Chapter 15 It may be possible to do without dancing entirely. Instances have been known of young people passing many, many months successively, without being at any ball of any description, and no material injury accrue either to body or mind; but when a beginning is made, when the felicities of rapid motion have once
Once King Anushirwan, known for his justness, feigned himself sick and asked his attendants to get him a mud-brick from some ruined village. He would use it as medicine. But they couldn’t find any ruined village or castaway mud-brick in his reign. Knowing this, the King rejoiced that it was proved that his kingdom had
Chapter 14 Emma did not repent her condescension in going to the Coles. The visit afforded her many pleasant recollections the next day; and all that she might be supposed to have lost on the side of dignified seclusion, must be amply repaid in the splendour of popularity. She must have delighted the Coles—worthy people,
Once Iskandar Zulkarnain undertook a journey and came across a tribe of small people holding strange habits. They never possessed any wealth; they dug the graves in front of their doors, swept them daily and kept them clean, never ate meat or animals and ate grass for food. Iskandar was intrigued by the habits of
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Chapter 13 Emma’s very good opinion of Frank Churchill was a little shaken the following day, by hearing that he was gone off to London, merely to have his hair cut. A sudden freak seemed to have seized him at breakfast, and he had sent for a chaise and set off, intending to return to