Buzz
2. The Wish
A salesperson, a secretary, and a manager went out for lunch together. They stumbled upon an antique oil lamp. As they rubbed it to remove the dust, a Genie appeared. The Genie said:
– “I will grant each of you one wish. Who goes first?”
– “Me first, me first!” – the secretary eagerly exclaimed - “I wish to be in Bali surfing without a care in the world!”
Poof.. She vanished.
– “Next, next!” – the salesperson hurriedly said – “I wish to be lying on a Hawaiian beach with a personal masseuse, enjoying unlimited cocktails with my significant other.”
Poof.. He disappeared too.
– “What about you?” – the Genie asked the manager.
The manager wished: “I wish those two would return to the office after lunch break.”
Lesson: Always let the older ones speak first.
The shepherd, upon seeing the Falcon's struggle, immediately understood the situation. He rushed over, captured the Falcon, and clipped its wings. As evening fell, he brought the Falcon home for the children to play with.
'Oh, what a silly bird!' they exclaimed with laughter.
'Daddy, what kind of bird is that?'
'That's a Falcon, my child. But if you were to ask it, it would claim to be an Eagle.'
Lesson Learned: Don't let your prideful arrogance lead you to overestimate yourself!
The Raven inquired:
'Where are you off to, my friend?'
The Catbird replied:
'I'm heading eastward, seeking new abodes.'
The Raven pressed further:
'Why the departure, might I ask?'
The Catbird explained:
'The world here despises my calls, so I seek refuge elsewhere.'
The Raven pondered:
'What if you altered your tune? Yet, even there, the world may shun your voice. Such is life!'
'As you wish,' resigned the Catbird, 'I shall retreat into silence, wings folded, for eternity.'
Lesson Learned: Not all is as we desire upon our birth. The challenge lies in bettering our circumstances. Stagnation leads to futility!
7. The Tale of Fingers
One day, the fingers debated amongst themselves which of them was the most important. Initially, the middle finger asserted:
'I occupy the central position of the hand; without me, the hand lacks its essence.'
The other fingers argued:
'Though you sit at the center and tower above, your presence is merely for show, offering little aid in grasping and holding.'
The ring finger, adorned with a ring, proudly proclaimed its significance: it bore the symbolic mark of the owner's maturity, signifying marriage.
But the other fingers chuckled and remarked:
'Better you stayed silent. The wedding ring the owner keeps in their pocket, often to feign singularity to young women. Besides, what else do you accomplish?'
'The most crucial role is still mine!' declared the index finger. 'Who points the way? Who highlights the organs' shortcomings? It is I. Just listen to the owner's frequent remarks: 'Our progress is hindered here...' Everyone fears my accusation, for no one wishes to be the cause of the group's sluggishness.'
'You're mistaken, dear friend,' objected the thumb, 'not only you know how to point. I, too, can point, but with finesse, subtly. I don't point directly at others but rather suggestively, discreetly behind their backs, yet still hitting the mark as usual. Moreover, in some instances, when the owner seeks to evade responsibility, I assist by guiding guests to other doors, meeting other people for favors or opposition...'
The little finger had remained silent until now. Then, it revealed what it could boast of: being the smallest finger. But...
'Why, little pinky, do you say nothing?' inquired the other fingers.
'I know how to point too,' it replied. 'Because I am small, when the owner needs self-criticism, they use me to point at their chest, and no one sees it. Besides, I also serve in moments requiring hooks: if a deal is struck with someone, I simply seal it. Thus, both parties clasp me to seal their agreement.'
Lesson Learned: Each part, each person, holds a different level of importance within a group, a society. Avoid envy, jealousy, and disdain for others.
8. The Thread Finds the Culprit
Once upon a time, there was a wealthy merchant named Phong. He owned ten large cargo ships transporting goods across the country. Each ship had a captain carefully chosen by Phong to manage it. Among these captains was one named Ninh, known for his quick wit and efficiency, earning Phong's utmost trust. However, unbeknownst to Phong, Ninh had long been having an affair with Phong's wife. The two were deeply in love, longing to marry openly to fulfill their desires.
One day, on the first day of the new year, the ten ships were preparing to set sail. As per tradition, when reaching the river's entrance, the merchant ships would stop by the temple to pay respects before departing. This time, Phong accompanied his ships to the temple, treating the captains and sailors to a lavish feast, then returned home by land. Seeing Phong returning alone, late at night, Ninh ambushed him on a secluded path, murdering him. Quickly, he rushed back to the ship, just in time as they were about to set sail. Thus, the ten ships sailed off, unaware that their owner had been killed, and none suspected Ninh, the murderer.
***
The murder case was brought to light, but the local authorities had to wait until all the people on the ten ships returned before initiating the investigation. However, there was no evidence to suspect anyone. After days of fruitless inquiries, the local authorities had to elevate the case to higher authorities for trial. The provincial officials, upon receiving the case file, were greatly perplexed. The interrogations continued with no results. Eventually, one person from the group of suspects came to see the governor, offering a small tip to uncover the culprit. He whispered a few words into the governor's ear.
Immediately, the officials summoned the ship captains and sailors to the temple. They instructed everyone to perform rituals and stay overnight at the temple. By midnight, the officials called everyone to rise and instructed each person to hold a piece of straw in their mouth, while looking straight at the candle flame on the altar. The officials said:
'The deity in this temple is revered. The deity witnessed the day Mr. Phong was murdered and knows who the culprit is. We have prayed to the deity: if you are innocent, the straw will remain unchanged, but if you are guilty, your straw will grow longer than others.'
Following the officials' orders, everyone sat in silence until dawn broke. Before the verdict, each person came forward with their piece of straw. Indeed, one straw was different from the others, but it did not grow longer; instead, it had shrunk. This straw belonged to Captain Ninh. When Ninh heard the order to hold the straw, he became anxious and nervous. After holding it for a while, he felt the straw lengthening in his mouth. So, nearing dawn, he bit off a piece. When the straw was measured, he never suspected that it was different from everyone else's because of his actions. Realizing the trickery of the officials and fearing divine retribution, Captain Ninh confessed to everything. He was arrested along with his adulterous partner and brought to justice.'
Lesson Learned: The law of karma never fails; do not commit deeds you'll regret for a lifetime in pursuit of temporary gains.
9. The Clever Son-in-law
A wealthy man wanted to find a clever son-in-law for his beloved daughter. In the same village, there was an orphaned farmer who struggled daily, working as a hired hand, barely making ends meet.
When the wealthy man learned of the matchmaker's intention, the farmer approached him to arrange a match. Despite the farmer's poverty and lack of noble lineage, the matchmaker tried to help. Upon receiving the proposal, trusting the matchmaker, the wealthy man agreed with one condition: the farmer must serve as a son-in-law for 3 years, proving his wit and business acumen, then the wealthy man would agree to the wedding.
One day, the father-in-law-to-be and the son-in-law went to the fields together. The weather was scorching hot, and the wealthy man raised his hand to shield his head and recited a couplet:
'Destiny brings together unexpected ties.' The son-in-law, hesitating, slapped his belly and pointed outward, then left.
The wealthy man, perplexed by the son-in-law's behavior, angrily said: 'I don't understand anything!'
The son-in-law replied: 'Even so, you still don't know, he cleverly replied: 'Fate carries many meanings within.' From now on, you should not test his abilities anymore. If he gets angry and leaves, I won't take responsibility anymore!'
Another day, when the farmer was working and it started raining, he sought shelter at the matchmaker's house. Looking at the pouring rain outside, the matchmaker involuntarily remarked: 'Rain showers accompany the wind.'
As evening fell and the rain continued, thunder and lightning repeatedly struck, the wealthy man, irritated by the scene, read aloud:
'Thunder roars, earth trembles in fear.'
The son-in-law promptly responded: 'Rain showers accompany the wind.'
Hearing this, the wealthy man nodded in approval for the cleverly matched couplet.
From then on, the wealthy man was reassured and stopped testing his son-in-law's abilities. After the 3-year period, the farmer was married in a grand ceremony, with all expenses borne by the wealthy man. The villagers laughed, saying: 'Ignorance turns to wisdom; With luck, even a young man becomes the village elder.'
Lesson Learned: Good fortune meets kindness.
10. Plowing in the Middle of the Road
It's said that there was a very poor old farmer who made a living by plowing fields. He wanted to make a good plow to make his fieldwork more productive and less strenuous. One day, he was delighted to have obtained a good piece of wood for the plow, but since he had never made a plow before, he took the wood to the roadside and sat down to whittle, asking for opinions from passersby.
After a while, a passerby commented:
– What you're carving won't work, it's too big.
Hearing this, the old farmer thought it made sense and adjusted accordingly. But then another passerby remarked:
– This won't work either; the head of the plow you're making is too big.
Again, considering the advice, the old farmer made adjustments.
And finally, by the end of the day, the old farmer was left with just a small piece of wood. He no longer had the opportunity to carve the plow according to his own ideas, and the precious wood had turned into a pile of scraps. The old farmer felt very sad, but in the end, he understood: “In everything we do, we must have our own convictions and persevere on the path we have chosen.”
