Fiksi Anak

The Wolf and The Lamb

2018-07-16T08:49:00.000+07:00

Once, a little lamb was grazing on a meadow, along with a flock of sheep. Being very mischievous, the little lamb wandered some distance away from the sheep. It began to enjoy the fresh and delicious grass that it found there. It had come a long way from its group, but was unaware of that.

The lamb was also unaware of another fact: a wolf was closely following it!

When the lamb realized that it had lost its way and was far away from the flock, it decided to return and join them. However, the lamb was stunned to see a hungry and cunning wolf standing behind it.

The lamb realized that there was no option except to surrender itself to the wolf.

The lamb asked the wolf, “Are you going to eat me?”

The wolf said, “Yes, at any cost!”

The lamb said again, “But can you please wait for some more time? I have eaten a lot of grass now and my stomach is filled with grass. If you eat me now, you will feel as though you are eating grass! So please wait until the grass is digested.”

The wolf agreed, “Oh yes, I will wait. You are here before me and I can wait for some more time!”

The lamb thanked the wolf.

After some time, the wolf got ready to kill lamb, but the lamb stopped him again.

“Dear wolf, please wait for some more time. The grass is yet to be digested. If you eat me now, you will see a lot of grass in my stomach! Let me dance and then it will be digested easily.”

The wolf agreed.

The little lamb danced crazily for a while, and then suddenly stopped.

The wolf enquired what had happened.

The lamb said, “I cannot dance properly because there is no music. You see this bell around my neck? Can you untie this bell and ring it loudly? Then I can dance fast and the grass in my stomach also will get digested fast.”

The wolf, overcome with the desire to eat the lamb, was ready to do anything. He removed the bell tied to the lamb’s neck and rang it with all his might.

Meanwhile, the shepherd was searching for the little lamb and heard the bell ringing. He saw the wolf and the lamb. He ran towards the wolf with a stick. Seeing the shepherd with a stick, the wolf ran away, and the lamb was saved!

Bahasa Indonesia:

Suatu ketika, seekor domba kecil merumput di padang rumput, bersama dengan kawanannya. Karena sangat nakal, domba kecil itu berjalan agak jauh dari teman-temannya. Ia mulai menikmati rumput segar dan lezat yang diketemukannya di sana. Tempat itu sangat jauh teman-temannya, tetapi ia tidak menyadarinya.

Anak domba itu juga tidak menyadari ada serigala yang mengikutinya.

Saat domba itu menyadari bahwa dirinya telah tersesat jauh dari kawanannya, ia memutuskan untuk kembali dan bergabung dengan mereka. Namun, domba itu terpaku melihat serigala yang lapar dan licik berdiri di belakangnya.

Anak domba itu menyadari bahwa tidak ada pilihan kecuali menyerahkan dirinya kepada serigala.

Domba kecil itu bertanya kepada serigala, “Apakah kamu akan memakanku?”

Serigala menjawab, "Dengan segala cara."

Anak domba itu berkata lagi, “Tetapi bisakah kamu menunggu lebih lama lagi? Aku sudah makan banyak rumput sekarang dan perutku dipenuhi rumput. Jika kamu memakanku sekarang, kamu akan merasa seolah-olah makan rumput! Jadi tolong tunggu sampai rumput selesai dicerna.”

Serigala itu setuju, “Oh ya, aku akan menunggu. Kamu di sini, didepanku dan aku akan menunggunya.”

Anak domba itu berterima kasih kepada serigala.

Setelah beberapa lama, serigala bersiap-siap untuk membunuh domba, tetapi domba menghentikannya lagi.

"Wahai serigala, tolong tunggu beberapa waktu lagi. Rumput di perutku belum selesai dicerna. Jika kamu memakan aku sekarang, kamu akan melihat banyak rumput di perutku! Biarkan aku menari supaya rumput itu lebih mudah dicerna. ”

Serigala setuju.

Domba kecil itu menari seperti orang gila selama beberapa saat, dan tiba-tiba berhenti.

Serigala bertanya, apa yang terjadi?

Anak domba itu berkata, “Aku tidak bisa menari dengan baik karena tidak ada musik. Kamu melihat lonceng ini di leherku? Bisakah kamu melepaskan dan membunyikannya dengan keras? Lalu aku bisa menari cepat dan rumput di perutku juga akan cepat dicerna. ”

Karena keinginannya untuk memakan domba demikian besar, Serigala mau melakukan apa saja. Dia melepas lonceng yang diikat ke leher anak domba itu dan membunyikannya dengan sekuat tenaga.

Sementara itu, Penggembala yang sedang mencari domba kecil yang hilang itu dan mendengar lonceng berbunyi. Dia melihat serigala dan domba. Dia berlari menuju serigala dengan tongkat. Melihat gembala dengan tongkat, serigala melarikan diri, dan domba itu selamat

The Kitten

2018-07-12T10:12:00.000+07:00

Once there lived a brother and sister- Vasya and Katya. They had a cat. Once, in the spring season, the cat was lost. The children could not find it anywhere, though they looked for it everywhere.

One day, they heard many soft meows from the roof of the barn, while they were playing nearby. Vasya climbed onto the roof, and found to his great joy that their cat had given birth to five lovely kittens. He screamed in delight, to Katya, “I’ve found her! It’s out cat..and she had five kittens..They look so sweet. Come here, quick!”

Katya and Vasya visited the roof of the barn everyday. They fed the mother cat very well so that she will have enough milk to feed her babies. The barn roof had become the home of the cats.

The five kittens grew very fast. When they were big enough to crawl, Vasya and Katya took one of them with them to their house. It was grey and had white paws. The children’s mother gave the other kittens away to her friends, but let Vasya and Katya keep the grey kitten.

One day, the children decided to take the kitten to the meadow in front of their house, to play with it. The tall grass was stirring in the wind and the kitten happily played with it. Then Vasya and Katya saw some strange-looking leaves and began to pick them, forgetting all about the kitten.

Suddenly, they heard some sounds. Someone was shouting, “Come back, come back!” They saw a hunter riding a horse, and his two dogs were running ahead in the direction of the kitten. The dogs were getting close, and the kitten, instead of running away, stiffened and crouched, ready to face the dogs. It looked so tiny in front of the big dogs.

Katya screamed, and Vasya ran to the kitten as fast as he could, and fell on the kitten just as the dogs were about to pounce on it. Luckily, the hunter galloped up at that same moment, and drove the dogs away.

The children took the kitten home and they decided to never bring it out with them to the meadow.

Bahasa Indonesia:

Suatu ketika hiduplah seorang saudara laki-laki dan perempuan- Vasya dan Katya. Mereka punya kucing. Saat musim semi, kucing itu hilang. Anak-anak tidak dapat menemukannya di mana pun, meskipun mereka mencarinya di mana-mana.

Suatu hari, mereka mendengar banyak suara kucing yang lembut dari atap lumbung, sementara mereka bermain di dekatnya. Vasya naik ke atap, dan gembira karena mendapati kucing mereka melahirkan empat anak kucing yang cantik. Dia berteriak kegirangan ke Katya, “Aku telah menemukannya! Kucing kita yang hilang ... dan dia punya empat anak kucing ... Mereka terlihat sangat manis. Kemarilah, cepat! ”

Katya dan Vasya mengunjungi atap lumbung setiap hari. Mereka memberi makan induk kucing dengan sangat baik sehingga dia memiliki cukup susu untuk memberi makan bayinya. Atap gudang telah menjadi rumah kucing-kucing itu.

Kelima anak kucing tumbuh sangat cepat. Ketika mereka cukup besar untuk merangkak, Vasya dan Katya membawa salah satunya ke rumah mereka. Kucing itu berwarna abu-abu dan memiliki cakar putih. Ibu mereka memberikan anak-anak kucing lainnya ke ke teman-temannya, tetapi membiarkan Vasya dan Katya memelihara anak kucing yang abu-abu.

Suatu hari, anak-anak mengajak kucing mereka bermain-main di padang rumput di depan rumah mereka, untuk bermain dengannya. Rumput tinggi itu bergoyang-goyang oleh angin dan anak kucing itu dengan senang hati memainkannya. Kemudian Vasya dan Katya melihat beberapa daun yang tampak aneh dan mulai memetiknya, sehingga melupakan anak kucing itu.

Tiba-tiba, mereka mendengar beberapa bunyi. Seseorang berteriak, "Kembalilah, kembali!" Mereka melihat seorang pemburu menunggang kuda, dan kedua anjingnya berlari ke depan ke arah anak kucing. Anjing-anjing semakin dekat, dan anak kucing, bukannya melarikan diri, tetapi mengejang dan berjongkok, siap menghadapi anjing-anjing. Badannya tampak mungil di depan anjing-anjing besar.

Katya menjerit, dan Vasya berlari ke anak kucing itu secepat yang dia bisa, dan jatuh pada anak kucing tepat ketika anjing-anjing itu hendak menerkamnya. Untungnya, pemburu itu berlari pada saat yang sama, dan mengusir anjing-anjing itu.

Anak-anak membawa anak kucing pulang dan mereka berjanji tdak pernah membawanya ke padang rumput lagi.

Short story by Leo Tolstoy.

The Cunning Fox and Smart Stork

2018-07-12T08:38:00.000+07:00

Once upon a time, there lived a very cunning and mischievous fox. He used to speak to other animals sweetly and gain their trust, before playing tricks on them.

One day the fox met a stork. He befriended the stork and acted like a very good friend. Soon, he invited the stork to have a feast with him. The stork happily accepted the invitation.

The day of the feast came, and the stork went to the fox’s house. To her surprise and disappointment, the fox said that he could not make a big feast as promised, and just offered some soup. When he brought the soup out of the kitchen, the stork saw that it was in a shallow bowl!

The poor stork could not have any soup with its long bill, but the fox easily licked the soup from the plate. As the stork just touched the soup with the tip of its bill, the fox asked her, “How is the soup? Don’t you like it?”

The hungry stork replied, “Oh it is good, but my stomach is upset, and I can’t take any more soup!”

“I’m sorry for troubling you,” said the fox.

The stork replied, “Oh dear, please don’t say sorry. I have some health problem and cannot enjoy what you offer.”

She left the place after thanking the fox, and inviting him to her house for dinner.

The day arrived and the fox reached the stork’s place. After exchanging pleasantries, the stork served soup for both of them, in a narrow jar with a long neck. She was able to have the soup very easily with her long bill, but the fox obviously could not.

After finishing hers, the stork asked the fox if he was enjoying the soup. The fox remembered the feast he himself had given the stork, and felt very ashamed. He stammered, “I…I’d better leave now. I have a tummy ache.”

Humiliated, he left the place running.

Bahasa Indonesia
Dahulu kala, hiduplah seekor rubah yang sangat licik dan nakal. Dia biasa berbicara dengan hewan lain dengan manis sehingga mendapatkan kepercayaan mereka, sebelum memperdaya mereka.

Suatu ketika si rubah bertemu dengan seekor bangau. Mereka lantas berteman dan rubah bersikap seperti teman yang sangat baik. Segera, dia mengundang bangau untuk mengadakan pesta dengannya. Bangau dengan gembira menerima undangan itu.

Tibalah hari itu. Bangau pergi ke rumah rubah. Ia terkejut dan kecewa, rubah mengatakan bahwa dia tidak dapat membuat pesta besar seperti yang dijanjikan, dan hanya menawarkan sup. Ketika dia membawa sup keluar dari dapur, bangau itu melihat bahwa sup itu ada di mangkuk lebar!

Bangau yang malang tidak bisa makan sup dengan paruh panjangnya, tetapi rubah dengan mudah menjilat sup dari piring. Saat bangau baru menyentuh sup dengan ujung paruhnyanya, rubah bertanya, “Bagaimana supnya? Apakah kamu tidak menyukainya? ”

Bangau yang masih lapar itu menjawab, “Oh enak, tapi aku lagi sakit perut, jadi tidak bisa makan sup lagi!”

"Aku minta maaf karena menyusahkanmu," kata rubah.

Bangau menjawab, “Ya ampun, tolong jangan minta maaf. Aku memiliki masalah kesehatan dan tidak dapat menikmati apa yang kamu sajikan. ”

Bangau meninggalkan tempat itu setelah berterima kasih, dan mengundangnya ke rumahnya untuk makan malam.

Hari itu tiba dan rubah tiba di tempat bangau. Setelah bertukar basa-basi, burung bangau menyajikan sup untuk mereka berdua, dalam botol sempit dengan leher panjang. Dia bisa mendapatkan sup dengan sangat mudah dengan paruhnya yang panjang, tetapi rubah tidak bisa.

Setelah menghabiskan supnya, bangau bertanya pada rubah apakah dia suka dengan sup buatannya. Rubah itu ingat pesta yang dia adakan untuk bangau, dan merasa sangat malu. Dia tergagap, "Aku ... aku sebaiknya pergi sekarang. Aku sakit perut. ”

Merasa dipermalukan, dia meninggalkan tempat itu berlari.

Goldilocks and Three Bears

2018-02-20T08:33:00.001+07:00

Once upon a time there were three bears: A father bear, a mother bear and a little bear. They lived all together in a yellow house in the middle of a big forest.

One day, Mother Bear prepared a big pot of delicious hot porridge for breakfast. It was too hot to eat, so the bears decided to go for a walk while waiting for the porridge to cool.

Near the forest lived a little girl named Goldilocks. Goldilocks was not a well-behaved little girl. That morning she was playing in the forest, throwing stones at squirrels, when she smelled the smell of the delicious porridge that Mother Bear had made.

“Oh, I’m so hungry!” thought Goldilocks. “I wonder if they will share their porridge with me?”

She knocked on the door of the house. She peeked in the window. She saw three bowls of porridge on the kitchen table — but it seemed that nobody was home. So Goldilocks entered the house. (Oh, she was naughty, this little girl!)

First, Goldilocks tasted the porridge in Father Bear's bowl. "Ow! This porridge is too hot!" she said.

Then Goldilocks tasted the porridge in the bowl of Mother Bear. "Yuck! This porridge is too cold!" she said.

Finally Goldilocks tasted the porridge in Little Bear's bowl. "Mmmmm, this porridge is perfect!" she said, and she ate the whole bowl of porridge!

Stomach full and satisfied, Goldilocks looked for a place to sit. She saw three chairs beside the fireplace. First, she sat on Father Bear's chair. "This chair is too hard!" she complained.

Then she sat on Mother Bear's chair. "This chair is too soft!" she complained.

Finally, she on Little Bear's chair. "Ahh, this chair is perfect" , she sighed. But just then the chair broke! "I must have eaten too much porridge" , Goldilocks thought to herself.

She was still tired, so she went up the stairs to go to the bedroom, where there were three beds. First, Goldilocks tried the bed of Father Bear, but she did not like it. "This bed is too hard!" she said.

Then she tried Mother Bear's bed, but she did not like it either. "This bed is too soft!" she said.

Finally, she tried Baby Bear's bed. "This bed is perfect!" she said happily, and fell into a deep sleep, dreaming of cookies and kittens.

Shortly after, the bears returned from walk, ready to have breakfast. But they were surprised to see that the spoons were already in their bowls of porridge. "Someone has eaten my porridge!" exclaimed Father Bear.

"Someone has eaten my porridge also!" exclaimed Mother Bear.

"Someone has eaten my porridge... and it's all gone!" sobbed Baby Bear, who loved porridge.

Then, the three bears saw that their chairs had been used. "Who has been sitting on my chair?" asked Father Bear.

"Who has been sitting on my chair?" asked Mother Bear.

"Who has been sitting on my chair... and broken it?!" asked Baby Bear, and he began to cry.

The three bears ran up the stairs to check their bedroom. "Someone has been sleeping in my bed!" growled Father Bear.

"And someone has been sleeping in my bed", growled Mother Bear.

"Someone has been sleeping in my bed... and she's still there!" shouted Baby Bear so loudly that Goldilocks woke up.

When she saw the three angry bears she was very frightened. She jumped out of bed, ran down the stairs, ran out the door and didn’t stop running until she reached her own house.

Inside she found her own bowl and her own chair. And that night, just before she went to sleep in her own bed, she promised to herself, "I will never eat porridge again."

Bahasa Indonesia:
Suatu ketika terdapatlah tiga ekor beruang, Ayah beruang, Ibu beruang dan Anak beruang. Mereka tinggal bersama di sebuah rumah bercat kuning di tengah hutan besar.

Suatu hari, Ibu Beruang menyiapkan sepanci besar bubur panas yang lezat untuk sarapan pagi. Karena masih panas untuk dimakan, beruang-beruang itu memutuskan untuk berjalan-jalan sambil menunggu bubur itu menjadi dingin.

Di dekat hutan tinggal seorang gadis kecil bernama Goldilocks. Goldilocks bukanlah gadis kecil yang berperilaku baik. Pagi itu dia bermain di hutan, melemparkan batu ke tupai, saat dia mencium aroma bubur lezat yang dibuat oleh Ibu Beruang.

"Oh, aku sangat lapar!" Pikir Goldilocks. "Aku ingin tahu apakah mereka akan berbagi bubur denganku?"

Dia mengetuk pintu rumah dan mengintip dari balik jendela. Dia melihat tiga mangkuk bubur di meja dapur - tapi sepertinya tidak ada orang di rumah. Jadi Goldilocks masuk rumah. (Oh, nakal sekali gadis kecil ini!)

Pertama, Goldilocks mencicipi bubur di mangkuk Ayah Beruang. "Ow! Bubur ini terlalu panas!" dia berkata.

Kemudian Goldilocks mencicipi bubur di mangkuk Ibu Beruang. "Yuck! Bubur ini terlalu dingin!" katanya.

Akhirnya Goldilocks mencicipi bubur dalam mangkuk Anak Beruang. "Mmmmm, bubur ini sempurna!" katanya, dan dia memakan seluruh bubur dalam mangkuk itu!

Setelah perutnya kenyang dan puas, Goldilocks mencari tempat duduk. Dia melihat tiga kursi di samping perapian. Pertama, dia duduk di kursi Ayah Beruang. "Kursi ini terlalu keras!" keluhnya.

Lalu dia duduk di kursi Ibu Beruang. "Kursi ini terlalu empuk!" dia mengeluh.

Akhirnya, dia di kursi Anak Beruang. "Ahh, kursi ini sempurna", dia mendesah. Tapi saat itu kursi itu patah! "Aku pasti sudah makan terlalu banyak bubur," Goldilocks berpikir dalam hati.

Dia masih lelah, jadi dia naik tangga untuk pergi ke kamar tidur, disana ada tiga tempat tidur. Pertama, Goldilocks mencoba tempat tidur Ayah Beruang, tapi dia tidak menyukainya. "Tempat tidur ini terlalu keras!" katanya.

Lalu ia mencoba tempat tidur Ibu Beruang, tapi ia juga tidak menyukainya. "Tempat tidur ini terlalu empuk!" dia berkata.

Akhirnya, dia mencoba tempat tidur Anak Beruang. "Tempat tidur ini sempurna!" katanya dengan gembira, dan tertidur lelap, memimpikan kue dan anak kucing.

Tak lama setelah itu, beruang-beruang itu kembali dari jalan-jalannya, siap untuk sarapan. Tapi mereka terkejut melihat bahwa sendok sudah ada di mangkuk bubur mereka. "Seseorang telah memakan buburku!" seru Ayah Beruang.

"Seseorang juga telah memakan buburku!" seru Ibu Beruang.

"Seseorang telah memakan buburku--dan habis!" Isak Anak Beruang karena ia sangat menyukai bubur.

Kemudian, ketiga beruang itu melihat bahwa kursi mereka telah digunakan. "Siapa yang duduk di kursiku?" tanya Ayah Beruang.

"Siapa yang duduk di kursiku?" tanya Ibu Beruang.

"Siapa yang duduk di kursiku ... dan mematahkannya?!" tanya Anak Beruang, dan dia mulai menangis.

Ketiga beruang itu berlari menaiki tangga untuk memeriksa kamar tidur mereka.

"Seseorang telah tidur di tempat tidurku!" geram Ayah Beruang.

"Dan seseorang telah tidur di tempat tidurku", geram Ibu Beruang.

"Seseorang telah tidur di tempat tidurku ... dan dia masih di sana!" teriak Anak Beruang begitu nyaring sampai Goldilocks terbangun. Saat dia melihat tiga beruang marah dia sangat ketakutan. Dia melompat dari tempat tidur, berlari menuruni tangga dan secepatnya meninggalkan rumah dan tidak berhenti berlari sampai dia sampai di rumahnya sendiri.Di dalamnya ia menemukan mangkuk dan kursinya sendiri. Dan malam itu, tepat sebelum dia tidur di tempat tidurnya sendiri, dia berjanji pada dirinya sendiri, "Aku tidak akan pernah makan bubur lagi."

picture taken from: clipartbarn.com

Golden Windows

2018-02-19T13:24:00.000+07:00

Little Molly lived in a small beautiful town. Her tiny house is constructed on the banks of a beautiful river, near the mountain. She was the only daughter for her parent. Although they weren’t very rich, they lived happily.

Her house was surrounded by huge trees and beautiful plants. It was a single bedded house, made of woods. Molly did not like her house very much. She felt that the house was too small and not very neat. Little molly was very fond of the mountain. The steep and sloppy mountain had a beautiful but abandoned castle like home with golden windows.

Yes, she liked the home on top of the mountain because of the glittering golden windows. The windows sparkled and glazed so beautifully that little Molly was completely mesmerized.

She went crazy for that the glittering golden windows and she started to hate her home more.

However, little Molly was so sweet and she understood the struggles her family undergoing. So she accepted everything silently. Still her desire went on growing.

Years passed by and she grew up quickly. She became 12 years and looked very beautifully like a golden princess. She believed that she is supposed to live in a house with golden windows, not in an old wood house.

As she grown older, her mom allowed her to move around her house. It was holidays for Molly and she requested her mom that she wanted to wander in the garden near the river. Her mom also agreed and told her not to go so far.

Molly decided to climb the mountain and peek into the house with the golden windows.

She took her bicycle and started her journey towards reaching the top of mountain. She found a narrow road in the mountain towards the abandoned home in the mountain. With so many struggles, she reached the top of the mountain.

She was so shocked to see the dirtiest house, in fact the damaged castle with dark windows. What she used to see from her home wasn’t there in the mountain. Yes, the golden windows she saw from the lap of the mountain were in fact the reflection of the dark and dirty windows.

She was very upset and sat quietly for some time as she lost words. Her desire got vanished. Suddenly, she looked at her home. A window in her was shining like gold. She realized that the sun rays reflecting in the water makes the window glows.

The truth was she lived in her dream home, the home with beautiful golden windows. She realized it too late. What she dreamt for years just vanished away.

So understand that all glitters are not gold!

Bahasa Indonesia:
Seorang anak bernama Molly tinggal di sebuah kota kecil yang indah. Rumah mungilnya dibangun di tepi sungai yang indah, di dekat gunung. Dia anak tunggal. Meski tidak kaya, mereka hidup bahagia.

Rumahnya dikelilingi pohon-pohon besar dan tanaman yang indah dengan satu tempat tidur terbuat dari kayu. Molly sama sekali tidak menyukai rumahnya. Dia merasa rumah itu terlalu kecil dan tidak rapi. Molly sangat menyukai gunung. Gunung yang terjal dan basah yang memiliki puri indah yang sudah ditinggalkan dengan jendela emas.

Ya, dia menyukai rumah di puncak gunung karena jendela emasnya yang berkilau. Jendela-jendela itu akan berkilauan dengan begitu indah hingga Molly benar-benar terpesona.

Dia begitu tergila-gila karena kilauan jendela emas itu sehingga semakin membenci rumahnya sendiri.

Namun, Molly anak yang baik dan dia mengerti perjuangan yang dialami keluarganya. Jadi dia menerima semuanya tanpa mengeluh meskipun keinginannya itu masih terus tumbuh.

Tahun-tahun berlalu dan dia tumbuh dengan cepat. Dia berumur 12 tahun dan terlihat sangat cantik seperti putri emas. Dia percaya bahwa dia seharusnya tinggal di rumah dengan jendela emas, bukan di rumah kayu tua.

Seiring bertambahnya usia, ibunya mengizinkannya untuk bermain-main di sekitar rumah. Saat itu Molly sedang liburan dan dia meminta ibunya agar mengijinkannya bermain-main di kebun dekat sungai. Ibunya setuju dan menyuruhnya untuk tidak pergi terlalu jauh.

Molly memutuskan untuk mendaki gunung dan mengintip ke dalam rumah dengan jendela emas itu.

Dia mengambil sepedanya dan memulai perjalanannya menuju puncak gunung. Dia menemukan jalan sempit di gunung menuju rumah yang ditinggalkan. Dengan susah payah, dia sampai di puncak gunung.

Dia sangat terkejut melihat rumah itu dalam keadaan sangat kotor, bahkan kastilnya tampak rusak dengan jendela-jendela berwarna gelap. Apa yang biasa dia lihat di rumahnya tidak terdapat disini. Ya, jendela emas yang dilihatnya dari kaki gunung sebenarnya adalah bayangan jendela gelap dan kotor.

Dia sangat kesal dan duduk diam untuk beberapa saat karena kehilangan kata-kata. Keinginannya lenyap. Tiba-tiba, dia melihat ke rumahnya. Sebuah jendela disana bersinar seperti emas. Dia menyadari bahwa sinar matahari yang memantul di air membuat jendela bersinar.

Ia menyadari bahwa selama ini ia tinggal di rumah impiannya, rumah dengan jendela emas yang indah. Dia terlambat menyadari hal itu. Apa yang diimpikannya bertahun-tahun lenyap begitu saja.

Sekarang ia paham, tidak semua yang berkilau adalah emas!

Picture taken from: givemetalk.com

The Life of Three Fishes

2018-02-19T11:03:00.001+07:00

Three fishes lived together in a lake. Although the three were together, all of them are very unique. They had contrasting characters and argue over small things. Still, they were happy. The three were grownup into a bigger fishes.

The first fish always dwell in past and very lazy. The fish doesn’t believe in preparing for the future. If you can find something that is quite opposite to the phrase, ‘Prevention is better than cure’ it could be the first fish!

The second fish lives for the present. It is a little bit wise and tends to make some good decisions in the last minute.

The third fish is an intelligent one. It usually thinks a lot, make the decision wisely and always carry smart and interesting ideas, suggestions and plans to live happily and safely.

One day, as the three were playing in the lake, the third fish heard two fishermen talking about fishing. The fish called the other two fishes to hear what they speak.

The first man told, ‘I heard about this lake. It has some big fishes, Why can’t we enjoy our time here?’

The second man replied, ‘Yeah that’s a good idea. I love to cook and eat the fresh fish. We’ll make it tomorrow noon here!’

And they left.

The third fish told the other two fishes, ‘see they are planning to catch out us. We should go to some other place to live safely. I already found a route that will take us to the nearby canal and we may then reach a new lake’

The second fish told, ‘Yeah I too heard them. But they may not return or may end up fishing at a distant place. We can think about it tomorrow when we see them.’

The first fish, ‘Oh let’s just ignore it. Let us have some rest now!’

The third fish, the intelligent one, moved to the nearby lake through the secret way alone as the other two fishes denied accompanying.

Next day, the two fishermen arrived. The second fish saw them at fishing and planned for an escape. As it was caught in the fishing net, it acted dead. The fishermen threw it back into the lake and the second one was escaped.

The first fish, the lazy one had no idea about the presence of the fishermen. Very soon it was caught and before it could think about how to escape, he was put into the basket and lost the life in a few minutes.

Bahasa Indonesia:
Ada tiga ikan yang hidup bersama di sebuah danau. Meski tinggal di tempat yang sama, mereka mempunyai keunikan masing-masing. Karakter mereka berbeda dan sering berdebat tentang hal-hal kecil. Meski begitu, mereka senang. Ketiganya tumbuh menjadi ikan yang lebih besar.

Ikan yang pertama selalu mengingat masa lalu dan sangat malas. Dia tidak percaya bahwa masa depan ditentukan oleh tindakan saat ini. Jika kamu ingin tahu lawan kata dari pribahasa , 'Pencegahan lebih baik daripada mengobati' ikan inilah contohnya!

Ikan yang kedua hidup hanya untuk saat ini. Terlihat sedikit bijak dan cenderung membuat beberapa keputusan bagus di saat-saat terakhir

Ikan yang ketiga adalah ikan yang paling cerdas. Selalu banyak berpikir, membuat keputusan dengan bijak dan selalu mempunyai ide, saran, dan rencana cerdas dan menarik untuk hidup bahagia dan aman.

Suatu hari, saat ketiganya bermain di danau, ikan ketiga mendengar dua nelayan sedang membicarakan tentang cara-cara menangkap ikan. Ikan ketiga tersebut memanggil dua ikan lainnya untuk mendengar apa yang mereka bicarakan.
Orang pertama mengatakan, "Aku mendengar bahwa di danau ini banyak ikan besar. Kenapa kita tidak menangkap ikan di sini?"

Pria kedua menjawab, "Ya itu ide bagus. Aku suka memasak dan memakan ikan segar. Kita akan menangkapnya besok siang!"

Lantas mereka pergi.

Ikan ketiga mengatakan kepada dua ikan lainnya, "Dengar. Mereka berencana untuk menangkap kita. Kita harus pergi ke tempat lain untuk hidup dengan aman. Saya sudah menemukan rute yang akan membawa kita ke kanal terdekat dan kita kemudian bisa mencapai danau baru."

Ikan kedua mengatakan, "Iya aku juga mendengarnya. Tapi mereka mungkin tidak kembali atau mungkin akan memancing di tempat yang jauh. Kita bisa memikirkannya besok kalau kita melihat mereka lagi."

Ikan pertama, "Oh, ayo kita abaikan saja. Mari kita istirahat sekarang juga!"
Ikan ketiga, yang cerdas, pindah ke danau terdekat melalui jalan rahasia sendirian karena dua ikan lainnya menolak untuk mengikuti.

Keesokan harinya, kedua nelayan tersebut tiba. Ikan kedua melihat mereka memancing dan merencanakan pelarian. Dia tertangkap di jaring ikan, dan berpura-pura mati. Para nelayan melemparkannya kembali ke danau dan yang ikan kedua ini berhasil lolos.

Ikan pertama, yang malas, tidak tahu harus bagaimana menghadapi para nelayan. Segera setelah itu ia tertangkap dan sebelum bisa memikirkan bagaimana cara melepaskan diri, dia dimasukkan ke dalam keranjang dan mati beberapa menit kemudian.

The Duck Pond

2018-02-15T14:18:00.002+07:00

So little Bridget took the baby on her right arm and a jug in her left hand, and went to the farm to get the milk. On her way she went by the garden-gate of a large house that stood close to the farm, and she told the baby a story:-

“Last summer," she said,” a little girl, bigger than you, for she was just able to walk, came to stay in that house she and her father and mother. All about the road just here, the ducks and the chickens from the farm, and an old turkey, used to walk about all the day long, but the poor little ducks were very unhappy, for they had no pond to swim about in, only that narrow ditch through which the streamlet is flowing. When the little girl's father saw this, he took a spade, and worked and worked very hard, and out of the ditch and the streamlet he made a little pond for the ducks, and they swam about and were very happy all through the summer days.

Every morning I used to stand and watch, and presently the garden-gate would open, and then the father would come out, leading the little girl by the hand, and the mother brought a large plateful of bits of broken bread. The little girl used to throw the bread to the ducks, and they ran after it and ate it up quickly, while she laughed out with glee and the father and the mother laughed too just as merrily. Baby, the father had blue eyes, and a voice that you seemed to hear with your heart.

“The little girl used to feed the chickens too, and the foolish old turkey that was so fond of her it would run after her until she screamed and was afraid. The dear father and the little girl came out every morning, while the black pigs looked through the bars of the farm-yard gate and grunted at them, as if they were glad, and I think the ducks knew that the father had made the pond, for they swam round and round it proudly while he watched them, but when he went away they seemed tired and sad.

“The pond is not there now, baby, for a man came by one day and made it into a ditch again; and the chickens and the ducks from the farm are kept in another place.

“The little girl is far away in her own home, which the father made for her, and the dear father lives in his own home too in the hearts of those he loved."

That was the story that Bridget told the baby.

Indonesian:
Bridget kecil membawa bayi di lengan kanannya dan tempat minum di tangan kiri, dan pergi ke pertanian untuk mendapatkan susu. Saat ia berada di dekat pintu gerbang dekat rumah besar yang dekat pertanian, dia bercerita pada bayi itu cerita ini:

"Musim panas yang lalu," katanya, "seorang gadis kecil, yang lebih besar dari kamu, dia berjalan, datang untuk tinggal di rumah itu, dia,ayah dan ibunya. Semua yang aku ceritakan terjadi di jalan-jalan dekat sini, bebek dan ayam dari peternakan, dan kalkun tua, biasa berjalan sepanjang hari, tapi bebek -bebek kecil yang malang itu sangat tidak bahagia, karena dia tidak memiliki kolam untuk berenang, hanya selokan sempit yang dilalui arus sungai mengalir. Ayah gadis kecil melihat ini, dia mengambil sekop, bekerja dan bekerja sangat keras untuk memperbesar selokan dan aliran arusnya untuk membuat kolam kecil untuk mereka, dan bebek-bebek itu dapat berenang dan sangat senang sepanjang hari-hari musim panas.

"Setiap pagi aku biasa berdiri dan melihat, dan membuka pintu pagar taman, dan kemudian sang ayah akan keluar, memimpin tangan gadis kecil itu, dan sang ibu membawa sepiring besar roti basi. Gadis kecil itu terbiasa melempar roti itu ke bebek, dan mereka mengejar dan memakannya dengan cepat, sementara dia tertawa dengan gembira, dan ayah dan ibunya juga tertawa riang. Oh, ya, Sayangku, ayahnya memiliki mata biru, dan suara yang bisa merasuki hatimu.

"Gadis kecil itu biasa memberi makan ayam-ayam itu juga, dan kalkun tua bodoh yang sangat menyayangi gadis itu dan akan mengejarnya sampai dia menjerit ketakutan. Ayah yang baik itu dan gadis kecil itu keluar setiap pagi, sementara babi hitam itu melihat ke balik jeruji gerbang ladang pertanian dan mendengus pada mereka, seolah mereka senang, dan kurasa bebek tahu bahwa ayah itu telah membuat kolam agar mereka dapat berenang berputar-putar dengan bangga saat dia mengawasi mereka, tapi saat dia pergi mereka tampak lelah dan sedih.

"Kolam itu tidak ada sekarang, sayangku, karena seorang pria datang pada suatu hari dan menjadikannya selokan kecil seperti dahulu dan memindahkan ayam dan itik peternakan itu ke tempat lain.

"Gadis kecil itu sekarang berada jauh dari rumah yang dibuat ayahnya untuknya, dan ayah itu tinggal di rumahnya sendiri serta di dalam hati orang-orang yang dicintainya."

Itulah cerita Bridget kepada bayi itu.

pictured by Ida Waugh

Kaguya Hime

2017-09-19T15:32:00.000+07:00

Long, long ago in Japan, there lived a poor woodsman. One day, he was cutting bamboo in a grove when he came upon one stalk of bamboo glowing a bright, golden color. Finding this mysterious, he approached it for a closer look.

To his amazement, inside the bamboo was an adorable, tiny little girl. Since the old man and his wife had no children of their own, he decided to bring the child home with him, where he and his wife raised her with love and care. They decided to name her Kaguya Hime. From that time forward, whenever the woodsman went back to work in the grove, gold coins would come pouring out from the bamboo he cut. As a result, the old couple became wealthy.

Amazingly, within just three months Kaguya Hime grew into a beautiful maiden. Her beauty soon became known throughout the country, and one young man after another came forth to ask her hand in marriage. Kaguya Hime refused all of her suitors, but there were five insistent young noblemen who refused to give up. In order to dissuade them, Kaguya Hime asked for a gift from each, and promised to marry the first one to bring her the gift she had requested. But these items were not things that could be found anywhere on this earth, and so the five young noblemen soon lost heart and gave up.

In the meantime the Emperor, who had heard of Kaguya Hime's beauty, also began courting the girl to become his wife and Empress. He too was refused. When the Emperor tried to force Kaguya Hime to come to the palace, she disappeared right before his eyes. The Emperor then realized that there was something unusual about Kaguya Hime, and so he too gave up.

Three years passed and Kaguya Hime became even more beautiful. Then, one spring, Kaguya Hime began to grow melancholy on moonlit nights. She would stare at the moon with tears streaming down her face. The old woodsman, worried, asked what was wrong.

Gazing up at the sky, Kaguya Hime replied, "Actually, I come from the moon. I was sent to live on the earth by my King, but now I have been told that I must go home. I will miss everyone here on earth, and that is why I am sad."

The old man was shocked, and not wanting to let his beloved daughter go, consulted with the Emperor to devise a plan. On the night of the full moon, the Emperor's guards hid Kaguya Hime deep inside the woodsman's house and surrounded it. Suddenly, the night sky became bright. Messengers from the moon dressed in brilliant clothes came down from the sky and descended to the earth on a cloud. At this sight, the guards become petrified and lost their courage. The messengers placed Kaguya Hime onto a palanquin and dressed her in a feathered robe. Leaving the heartbroken old couple behind, Kaguya Hime took off to the moon.

Bahasa Indonesia:
Dahulu kala, di Jepang, tinggal seorang petani hutan yang miskin. Suatu hari, dia memotong bambu di hutan saat ia menemukan satu tangkai bambu yang bersinar dengan warna emas yang cerah. Karena keajaiban ini, dia mendekatinya untuk melihat lebih jelas.

Lebih mengejutkan, di dalam bambu itu ia menemukan seorang gadis kecil yang manis dan menggemaskan. Karena orang itu dan istrinya tidak memiliki anak sendiri, dia memutuskan untuk membawa anak itu pulang bersamanya, sehingga dia dan istrinya membesarkannya dengan cinta dan perhatian. Mereka memutuskan untuk menamainya Kaguya Hime. Sejak saat itu, setiap kali si tukang kayu kembali bekerja di hutan, koin emas akan mengalir keluar dari bambu yang dipotongnya, sehingga, pasangan tua itu menjadi kaya raya.

Ajaibnya, dalam waktu tiga bulan Kaguya Hime tumbuh menjadi gadis yang cantik. Keindahannya segera diketahui di seluruh negeri, dan satu persatu pemuda berlomba-lomba mengajaknya menikah. Kaguya Hime menolak semua pelamarnya, tapi ada lima bangsawan muda yang tidak mau menyerah. Untuk mencegahnya, Kaguya Hime meminta hadiah dari mereka semua, dan berjanji untuk menikah pada yang pertama memberinya hadiah yang dimintanya. Tapi barang-barang ini bukan barang yang bisa ditemukan di manapun di bumi ini, jadi kelima bangsawan muda itu segera putus asa dan menyerah.

Sementara itu Kaisar, yang pernah mendengar tentang kecantikan Kaguya Hime, juga mulai merayu gadis itu untuk menjadi istri dan ratunya. Kaisar juga ditolak. Ketika Kaisar mencoba memaksa Kaguya Hime untuk datang ke istana, dia menghilang tepat di depan matanya. Kaisar kemudian menyadari bahwa ada sesuatu yang tidak biasa tentang Kaguya Hime, lantas dia juga menyerah.

Tiga tahun berlalu dan Kaguya Hime menjadi lebih cantik lagi. Kemudian, di saat musim semi, Kaguya Hime mulai sering murung di malam yang diterangi cahaya bulan. Dia akan menatap bulan dengan air mata mengalir di wajahnya. Tukang kayu tua itu, khawatir, bertanya apa yang salah.

Sambil menatap langit, Kaguya Hime menjawab, "Sebenarnya, aku datang dari bulan, aku dikirim untuk tinggal di bumi oleh Rajaku, tapi sekarang aku diberi tahu bahwa aku harus pulang ke rumah. Aku akan merindukan semua orang di bumi , dan karena itulah aku sedih."

Orang tua itu terkejut, dan tidak ingin membiarkan putrinya tercinta pergi, ia bekerjasama dengan Kaisar untuk menyusun sebuah rencana. Pada malam bulan purnama, penjaga Kaisar menyembunyikan Kaguya Hime jauh di dalam rumah si penebang kayu dan mengelilinginya. Tiba-tiba, langit malam menjadi cerah. Utusan-utusan bulan berpakaian cemerlang datang dari langit dan turun ke bumi di atas awan. Melihat pemandangan ini, para penjaga menjadi ketakutan dan kehilangan keberaniannya. Para utusan tersebut menempatkan Kaguya Hime ke sebuah tandu dan mengenakannya dengan jubah berbulu. Sambil meninggalkan pasangan tua yang patah hati itu, Kaguya Hime pergi ke bulan.

The Three Charms and Mountain Witch (Sanmai no Ofuda) Part 4

2017-09-19T11:31:00.002+07:00

The priest saw how arrogant the witch was and said, "Can you make yourself as tall as the ceiling?" No sooner had he said this than the witch grew to the height of the ceiling with no trouble at all. "Mmm. But I bet you can't make yourself as tall as that mountain over there," continued the priest.

"Piece of cake," replied the witch and made herself as big as the mountain.

The priest appeared to be impressed. "That's really something. You can make yourself bigger, but you can't make yourself as small as a bean, can you?" he said.

The witch became piqued. "That's easy. Just watch." Now she shrank to a size no bigger than the end of the priest's finger.

"Very impressive! So now it's my turn," said the priest. He then suddenly picked up the bean-sized witch and stuffed her in the rice cake he had been toasting and gulped it down in one mouthful.

From then on, the witch was never seen again in the mountains, and the mischievous young apprentice became a very good boy, listening attentively to everything the priest said.

Bahasa Indonesia:
Pendeta itu melihat betapa sombongnya penyihir itu dan berkata, "Dapatkah kamu membuatmu setinggi langit-langit?"

Tidak lama setelah dia mengatakan itu, penyihir itu berubah menjadi setinggi langit-langit tanpa masalah sama sekali.

"Mmm, tapi aku yakin kamu tidak bisa membuat dirimu setinggi gunung itu di sana," lanjut pendeta tersebut.

"Terlalu mudah buatku," jawab sang penyihir dan membuat dirinya sebesar gunung itu.

Pendeta itu tampak terkesan. "Benar-benar mengesankan, kamu bisa membuat dirimu lebih besar, tapi kamu tidak bisa membuat dirimu sekecil kacang, bukan?" dia berkata.

Penyihir itu menjadi gusar. "Itu mudah, lihatlah." Sekarang dia menyusut ke ukuran yang tidak lebih besar dari ujung jari Pendeta itu.

"Sangat mengesankan! Jadi sekarang giliranku," kata pendeta. Dia kemudian tiba-tiba memindahkan penyihir berukuran kacang itu dan memasukkannya ke dalam kue beras yang telah dipanggangnya dan memakannya dalam sekali kunyah.

Sejak saat itu, penyihir itu tidak pernah terlihat lagi di pegunungan, dan murid muda nakal itu menjadi anak yang sangat baik, mendengarkan dengan penuh perhatian pada semua yang dikatakan Pendeta tersebut.

Before: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3

Sumber gambar: japanese-painting.com

The Three Charms and Mountain Witch (Sanmai no Ofuda) Part 3

2017-09-19T11:11:00.000+07:00

"I'm finished! She's going to catch me now," thought the boy as he ran for his life. But he scampered quickly enough to reach the temple just before the witch. "Master, please help me! The mountain witch is chasing me. She's right outside!"

"Ah, so you met her, did you? Have you learned your lesson?"

The boy thought about what had happened and asked the priest to forgive him. "I'm sorry, Master. From now on I'll be better behaved." Then he hurriedly hid inside a large jar.

No sooner had the boy hidden himself than the witch kicked down the temple door and barged inside.

"Hey, priest! Where's the boy who ran in here? Bring him out at once!"

The priest pretended not to know anything: "What? What are you talking about? I've been sitting here eating rice cakes. I haven't seen any boy." This just made the witch even angrier.

"You can pretend you don't know. That makes no difference to me, since I'll eat you instead if you won't give me the boy," said the witch, now very agitated.

"All right, but first let's see which one of us is better at turning ourselves into different shapes," challenged the priest. "If you win, you can do as you like. Now, can you change into whatever I say?"

"Don't make me laugh," replied the witch with great confidence. "I can change myself into any form. Go ahead and say anything you like."

Bahasa Indonesia:
"Tamatlah riwayatku! Dia akan menangkapku sekarang," pikir anak laki-laki itu saat berlari untuk menyelamatkan hidupnya. Tapi dia berlari cukup kencang dan tiba di kuil sebelum penyihir menangkapnya.

"Guru, tolong aku, penyihir gunung mengejarku Dia ada diluar!"

"Ah, jadi kamu sudah bertemu dengannya, bukan? Apakah kamu tidak belajar dari pelajaran yang sudah kamu dapatkan?"

Anak laki-laki itu memikirkan apa yang telah terjadi dan meminta Guru untuk memaafkannya. "Maafkan aku, Guru, mulai sekarang aku akan berperilaku lebih baik." Lalu dia buru-buru bersembunyi di dalam toples besar. Tidak lama setelah bocah itu menyembunyikan dirinya, penyihir menendang pintu kuil dan menerobos masuk
.
"Hei, Pendeta, dimana anak laki-laki yang lari ke sini? Bawa dia keluar sekarang!"

Pendeta itu berpura-pura tidak tahu apa-apa: "Apa yang sedang kamu bicarakan? Aku sedang duduk di sini makan kue beras. Aku belum pernah bertemu dengan seorang anak laki-laki." Penyihir itu bertambah marah.

"Silakan saja kamu berpura-pura tidak tahu, itu tidak ada bedanya bagiku, karena aku akan memakanmu, jika kamu tidak memberitahu aku dimana bocah itu," kata si penyihir, yang sekarang sangat gelisah.

"Baiklah, tapi pertama-tama mari kita lihat mana yang lebih jago mengubah diri kita menjadi bentuk yang lain," tantang pendeta tersebut. "Jika kamu menang, kamu bisa melakukan apa yang kamu suka. Sekarang, bisakah kamu berubah menjadi apapun yang aku katakan?"

"Jangan membuatku tertawa," jawab si penyihir dengan sangat percaya diri. "Aku bisa mengubah diriku ke dalam bentuk apapun. Ayo katakan apapun yang kamu sukai."

be Continued to Part 4

Sumber gambar: japanese-painting.com

The Three Charms and Mountain Witch (Sanmai no Ofuda) Part 2

2017-09-19T10:39:00.002+07:00

"You saw me, didn't you, boy? That's right, I'm a mountain witch. And now I'm going to eat you." As she said this, the witch tried to grab the youth.

Panicking, he said, "Uh . . . OK. But first let me go to the toilet. I'm going to wet myself if I don't go."

"Well, all right, I suppose. But I'm going to tie you up with rope and go with you so you can't escape."

The boy entered the toilet tied up with rope. The witch stood guard outside the door.

"Aren't you finished yet?"

"Just a little more. Wait a minute!" answered the boy, but he knew he couldn't keep this up forever. "What shall I do? Ah! Of course! I can use the paper charm the priest gave me to escape!" he thought. The boy attached one of the charms to the wall of the toilet and asked it to help him: "Oh lucky charm, please pretend to be me and answer the witch."

He snuck out of the toilet window and fled as fast as he could toward the temple.

"Boy! Haven't you finished? You're very slow!" the witch continued to shout, thinking the boy was still inside.

"Just a little more. Wait a minute!" answered the charm in the boy's voice.

The witch began to get suspicious since every time she asked the boy to hurry up, the same answer would come back. Finally, she couldn't wait any longer and peered inside. The boy was gone.

"That rascal! He cheated me! He'll regret this!" fumed the angry witch and began to chase after the boy.

"Woah, that was close," said the boy to himself as he ran, calming down a little. Then he looked back.

"Stop where you are, boy! I'm going to eat you now!" The witch looked even more scary now that she was angry and was chasing him very fast.

"Oh no! If she catches me I'm dead! Lucky charm, please make a river appear behind me." As he made this wish to the second charm, suddenly a big river appeared, and the witch was swallowed up in its current.

"The witch will surely drown in that," sighed the boy in relief. But as soon as he thought this, the witch used her magic powers to swallow all the water in the river and started chasing him again.

"Oh no! This time make me a sea of fire," asked the boy to his last paper charm. Suddenly, a sea of fire appeared behind him and enveloped the witch. But the witch blew out all the water she had just swallowed, putting out the fire, and once again ran after him.

Bahasa Indonesia:
"Kamu melihat aku, kan, Nak? Benar, aku penyihir gunung. Dan sekarang aku akan memakanmu." Saat dia mengatakan itu, sang penyihir mencoba menarik pemuda itu.

Panik, dia berkata, "Uh ... baiklah, tapi pertama-tama izinkan saya pergi ke toilet, aku akan membasahi diri dulu."

"Baiklah, tapi aku akan mengikatmu dengan tali dan pergi bersamamu sehingga kamu tidak bisa melarikan diri."

Anak laki-laki itu memasuki toilet dalam keadaan diikat dengan tali. Si penyihir berjaga di luar pintu.

"Kamu belum selesai?"

"Sedikit lagi tunggu sebentar!" jawab anak itu, tapi dia tahu dia tidak bisa terus-terusan seperti ini. "Apa yang harus aku lakukan? Ah Tentu saja aku bisa menggunakan kertas sihir yang diberikan Guru kepadaku untuk melarikan diri!" pikirnya. Anak laki-laki itu menempelkan salah satu kertas mantra ke dinding toilet dan memintanya untuk membantunya: "Oh sihir keberuntungan, tolong berpura-puralah menjadi aku dan jawab si penyihir."

Dia menyelinap keluar dari jendela toilet dan melarikan diri secepat mungkin menuju kuil.

"Nak, apa kamu belum selesai? Kamu lamban sekali!" Penyihir terus berteriak, mengira anak laki-laki itu masih di dalam.

"Sedikit lagi tunggu sebentar!" jawab kertas sihir dengan suara anak laki-laki itu.

Penyihir mulai curiga karena setiap kali dia meminta anak laki-laki itu cepat-cepat, jawabannya selalu sama. Akhirnya, dia tidak bisa menunggu lebih lama dan mengintip ke dalam. Dan sadar anak laki-laki itu pergi.

"Kurang ajar anak itu. Dia menipu aku. Dia akan menyesalinya!" menggerutu, penyihir marah dan mulai mengejar anak laki-laki itu.

"Woah, sudah dekat," kata anak itu pada dirinya sendiri saat berlari, sedikit menenangkan diri. Lalu dia menengok ke belakang.

"Berhenti di tempatmu, Nak, aku akan memakanmu sekarang!" Penyihir itu tampak semakin menakutkan sekarang karena dia marah dan mengejarnya dengan sangat cepat.

"Oh tidak, jika dia menangkapku, aku pasti mati! Kertas keberuntungan, tolong buat sungai muncul di belakangku." Selesai mengucapkan permintaannya, tiba-tiba sebuah sungai besar muncul, dan penyihir ditelan oleh arusnya.

"Penyihir pasti akan mati tenggelam kali ini," desah anak itu lega. Tapi baru saja selesai memikirkan itu, penyihir itu menggunakan kekuatan sihirnya untuk menelan semua air di sungai dan mulai mengejarnya lagi.

"Oh tidak! Kali ini buatlah lautan api," pinta bocah itu pada kertas sihirnya yang terakhir. Tiba-tiba, lautan api muncul di belakangnya dan menyelimuti si penyihir. Tapi penyihir itu memuntahkan semua air yang baru saja ditelannya untuk memadamkan api, dan sekali lagi mengejarnya.

be Contunued to Part 3, Part 4

Sumber gambar: japanese-painting.com

The Three Charms and Mountain Witch (Sanmai no Ofuda) Part 1

2017-09-19T10:06:00.002+07:00

When he reached the mountain the boy found many ripe chestnuts, just as he had thought. He became so absorbed in gathering them that he completely forgot about the time. He didn't notice the sun going down, and before he knew it, it had become pitch dark.

"It feels a bit spooky when it's this dark. What will I do if the mountain witch really came out?" Just as he was thinking this, he suddenly heard a voice behind him.

"Well, well. Hello there, young boy."

Still thinking about the witch, the apprentice jumped with fright, but when he turned round he saw a gentle-looking old woman.

"Have you come to pick chestnuts? Why don't you come to my house? I'll cook them for you to eat."

The boy was very hungry and happily followed the old woman home. He ate chestnuts until he was so full that he grew sleepy and dozed off. He woke up in the middle of the night, not knowing how long he'd been asleep, and found that the old woman was not there. He heard a strange noise coming from the next room. Puzzled, he peeped into the room and saw the frightful-looking mountain witch sharpening a knife.

"Aaaaah!" he screamed, horrified. The witch looked up and glared at him.

Bahasa Indonesia:
Setibanya diatas gunung, anak laki-laki itu menemukan banyak kastanya matang, seperti yang diduganya. Dia terlalu asyik mengumpulkan buah-buah itu sampai lupa waktu. Dia tidak menyadari sinar matahari telah tenggelam, dan keadaan telah gelap gulita.

"Rasanya agak seram saat gelap disni. Apa yang akan aku lakukan jika penyihir gunung benar-benar keluar?" Baru saja ia memikirkannya, tiba-tiba terdengar suara di belakangnya.

"Apa kabar, anak muda."

Menduga bahwa itu adalah penyihir, pemuda pelajar itu melompat ketakutan, tapi ketika dia berbalik dia melihat seorang wanita tua yang tampak lembut.

"Apakah kamu datang untuk mengambil kacang kastanya? Mengapa kamu tidak ke rumahku saja? Aku akan memasaknya untukmu."

Karena anak itu sangat lapar maka dengan senang hati ia mengikuti wanita tua itu ke rumah. Dia makan kastanya sampai kenyang kemudian mengantuk dan tertidur. Dia terbangun di tengah malam, tidak tahu sudah berapa lama dia tertidur, dan mendapati wanita tua itu tidak ada di sana. Dia mendengar suara aneh yang datang dari kamar sebelah. Bingung, dia mengintip ke dalam ruangan dan melihat penyihir gunung yang mengerikan itu menajamkan pisau.

"Aaaaah!" teriaknya, ngeri. Penyihir itu mendongak dan melotot padanya.

be Continued to Part 2, Part 3, Part 4

Sumber gambar: japanese-painting.com

A Generous Man and His Gatekeeper

2017-09-15T09:41:00.000+07:00

There was a beautiful town. The town was led by a friendly and generous man, who is the richest person in the town. He was so generous that he always helped people and fulfilled their needs.

The rich man was happy that he was gifted with a son. He was married before 10 years and did not have a child for so many years. In order to celebrate the birth of his child, he arranged for a massive feast to all the people in the town.

He appointed famous cooks from various parts of the country and ordered them to serve more than 100 varieties of foods to the villagers.

The cooks and their assistants started cooking the feast. While they managed to have majority of foods, they weren’t able to get fish, a special delicacy.

The rich man, on knowing this, announced to the people that he would reward enormously to the person who brings him the fish to complete the feast.

The announcement was made all over the town and many villagers tried hard to get fish. While most of them failed, a middle aged man got a huge fish and rushed to the rich man.

While he was about to enter into his palace, he was stopped by the gate-keeper. The middle aged man promise to give half the reward he earn if the gatekeeper allow let him inside.

The greedy gatekeeper considering the announcement of lump sum reward from his employer, let the man go inside with the fish.

The rich man was happy getting the fish and ordered his cooks to complete the feast. And he said, ‘I’m so happy that you got me the fish here. Tell me what you want? I can reward you anything. You need a bag of gold coins? Jewelries? A home or a land?’

The man who brought the fish said, ‘I want 100 lashes on my back!’

Everyone was stunned to hear this! Still, as promised, the rich man decided to reward him as he wish.

Before the servants were prepared to lash him, he requested the rich man to call the gate-keeper inside.

All are surprised about the connection between the two.

The middle aged man pointing at the gate keeper told, ‘he is my business partner. He did not allow me take the fish inside and I promised him to reward 50 percent of what I receive, then he permitted me. So please, he deserves half the reward you are giving me!’

The rich man understood the reason behind the demand of 100 lashes. He asked the gatekeeper, ‘I want to reward you fully that is asked by the man who brought the fish!’

The greedy gate-keeper had a big smile and said yes. The servant lashed him 100 times on his back and he was terribly shocked! The middle aged man was rewarded with gold coins.

Bahasa Indonesia:
Suatu ketika terdapatlah sebuah kota yang indah. Kota ini dipimpin oleh seorang pria yang ramah, murah hati, dan orang terkaya di kota ini. Dia sangat murah hati sehingga selalu membantu orang dan memenuhi kebutuhan mereka.

Orang kaya itu senang karena dia dikaruniai seorang anak laki-laki. Dia sudah menikah selama10 tahun dan tidak memiliki anak selama bertahun-tahun. Untuk merayakan kelahiran anaknya, dia mengadakan pesta besar-besaran untuk semua orang di kota itu.

Dia menyewa juru masak terkenal dari berbagai penjuru negeri dan memerintahkan mereka untuk membuat makanan sampai 100 jenis untuk penduduk desa.

Para juru masak dan asisten mulai memasak. Mereka berhasil membuat sebagian besar makanan, tetapi ada satu sajian lezat yang tidak bisa mereka buat karena tidak mendapatkan ikan yang dimaksud.

Orang kaya itu mengetahui hal ini, lantas mengumumkan kepada orang-orang bahwa dia akan memberi banyak hadiah kepada orang yang dapat membawa ikan yang dimaksud agar juru masak segera menyelesaikan masakannya.

Pengumuman dibuat di seluruh kota dan banyak penduduk desa berusaha keras mendapatkan ikan itu. Banyak dari mereka yang gagal, tetapi seorang pria paruh baya mendapat ikan besar itu dan bergegas ke tempat orang kaya itu.

Saat dia hendak masuk ke istananya, dia dihentikan oleh penjaga gerbang. Pria paruh baya itu berjanji untuk memberikan setengah dari imbalan yang dia dapatkan jika penjaga pintu membiarkannya masuk.

Penjaga yang serakah itu mengingat-ngingat besarnya hadiah yang diperoleh dari pengumuman yang didengarnya dari tuannya, dan membiarkan pria tua itu masuk ke dalam dengan ikan itu.

Orang kaya itu senang mendapatkan ikan itu dan memerintahkan para juru masak untuk segera membuat hidangan darinya. Dan dia berkata,"Aku sangat senang karena kamu membawa ikan itu kemari. Katakan apa yang kamu inginkan? Aku bisa memberimu apa saja. Kamu ingin sekantong koin emas? Perhiasan? Rumah atau tanah?"

Orang yang membawa ikan itu berkata, "Saya ingin 100 cambukan di punggung saya!"

Semua orang tertegun mendengar ini! Meski begitu, seperti yang dijanjikan, orang kaya itu memutuskan untuk mengabulkan permintaannya.

Sebelum para pelayan bersiap untuk mencambuk, dia meminta orang kaya itu memanggil penjaga gerbang agar masuk.

Semua terkejut tentang hubungan diantara keduanya.

Pria paruh baya menunjuk penjaga gerbang dan berkata, "Dia adalah rekan kerja saya. Dia tidak mengizinkan saya membawa ikan itu ke dalam dan saya berjanji kepadanya untuk membagi 50 persen dari apa yang saya terima, lalu dia mengizinkan saya. Jadi tolong, beri dia setengah dari hadiah yang Anda berikan pada saya!"

Orang kaya itu mengerti alasan di balik permintaan 100 cambukan. Dia bertanya kepada penjaga gerbang, "Aku ingin memberimu semua jumlah hadiah yang diminta oleh orang yang membawa ikan itu!"

Penjaga pintu serakah itu tersenyum lebar dan berkata iya. Pelayan itu mencambuknya 100 kali di punggungnya dan dia sangat terkejut! Sedangkan pria paruh tua itu diberi koin emas.

Sumber gambar: 1001freedownloads.com

A Donkey and His Owner

2017-09-14T13:43:00.000+07:00

Bill a 40 year old man was a cloth vendor. He used to sell different types of clothes in the nearby towns and villages. He used to carry the cloth bags on top of his donkey.

He took his 15 years old son along with him to a nearby town. The donkey carried two bags and all the clothes were sold. Both father and son were happy. After having a huge business and lump sum profit, Bill was happily returning home with his son and his donkey.

They were very tired and find it too hard to reach their place. All the three walked slowly on their way back to home.

Two men saw them very tired. They spoke to themselves, ‘See they are very tired and exhausted it seems. They have a donkey, why not any one of them can sit in that donkey? Fools, they find it difficult to walk and still don’t use the donkey!’

The father and son heard the two men having a conversation about them and son asked his father to sit on the donkey.

He agreed and sat on the donkey. After a few minutes, an old man saw Bill on top of the donkey and yelled at him, ‘Hey look at your boy. He is so tired and why are you sitting on the donkey. Let him sit on the donkey and you walk!’

Bill made his son sit on the donkey and they contained their journey for a while. Another stranger shouted at Bill’s son, ‘Hey you are too young, can’t you walk? You made your father walk behind you? Get down now!’

Bill and his son was confused and did not know what to do. They both decided to sit on the donkey. The donkey was unable to walk carrying heavy weight on his back.

Another man saw them at a distance and rushed towards them. He shouted at Bill and his son, ‘Are you mad? How the donkey can carry you both? Can’t you walk? Why are you hurting this animal?’

Bill and the boy were stunned and remained speechless for a while.
Bahasa Indoensia:
Bill adalah pria berusia 40 tahun yang bekerja sebagai penjual kain. Ia biasa menjual berbagai jenis kain di kota dan desa terdekat. Dia biasa membawa tas kain di atas keledainya.

Dia membawa anak laki-lakinya yang berusia 15 tahun itu bersamanya ke kota terdekat. Keledai membawa dua tas dan semua kain terjual. Baik ayah dan anak senang. Setelah mendapatkan keuntungan bisnis yang besar, Bill dengan senang kembali pulang dengan anaknya dan keledainya.

Mereka berdua sangat lelah sehingga merasa terlalu sulit untuk pulang ke rumah. Ketiganya berjalan pelan ketika dalam perjalanan pulang ke rumah.

Dua pria melihat kelelahan mereka. Mereka berbicara satu sama laini, "Lihatlah mereka sangat lelah dan kehabisan tenaga sepertinya. Mereka punya keledai, mengapa tidak ada yang duduk di keledai itu? Bodoh, sudah tahu lelah tetapi tidak menggunakan keledainya!"

Ayah dan anak mendengar kedua pria itu sedang membicarakan mereka dan si anak meminta ayahnya untuk duduk di atas keledai itu.

Si Ayah setuju dan duduk di atas keledai itu. Setelah beberapa menit, seorang pria tua melihat Bill di atas keledai dan meneriakinya, "Hei lihat anakmu. Dia sangat lelah dan mengapa justru kamu yang duduk di keledai. Biarkan dia duduk di keledai dan kamu yang jalan!"

Bill menyuruh anaknya duduk di keledai dan mereka menempuh perjalanan mereka untuk sementara waktu. Orang asing lain meneriaki putra Bill, "Hei kamu masih muda, tidak bisakah kamu jalan? Kamu membuat ayahmu berjalan di belakangmu? Turun sekarang juga!"

Bill dan anaknya bingung dan tidak tahu harus berbuat apa. Mereka berdua memutuskan untuk duduk di keledai itu bersama-sama. Keledai itu tak mampu berjalan karena beban berat di punggungnya.

Seorang pria lain melihat mereka dari kejauhan dan bergegas menuju mereka. Dia berteriak pada Bill dan anaknya, "Apakah kalian gila? Bagaimana keledai itu bisa membawa kalian berdua? Tidak bisakah kalian berjalan Kenapa kamu menyakiti binatang ini?"'

Bill dan anaknya tercengang dan terdiam beberapa saat.

Sumber gambar: clipart-library.com

A Rope for Elephant

2017-09-13T09:46:00.000+07:00

Suri was a sweet boy and a wildlife lover. He was fond of elephants, the mammoth animals. In fact he was very crazy about elephants. However, he never had a chance to see real elephants. All he saw those mammoth creatures were only in television and computers. He lived in a small town. The place he lived didn’t provide him a chance to visit the elephants. All his only desire was to see and touch at least an elephant before he die. Fortunately, when he was 25 years he got a chance to join a crew of wildlife lovers.

He enquired them about their plans and with eagerness, he asked whether they would take him to see the elephants. And they said yes.

The journey happily began and they visited various places. Suri was so happy and enjoyed the tour to the core. He was waiting for years to visit the elephants in real life and the day came.

As they passed through the forests, they walked past a beautiful village. One from the team said that the village had more than 100 elephants and Suri could enjoy the entire day in that village. There was nothing in the world that could measure Suri’s happiness hearing those words.

Finally he saw those elephants for the first time in his life. He was amazed to see the elephants and screamed happily.

After spending two to three hours just seeing the elephants, he was shocked to see those elephants tied to a frail fence. It was a thin rope, not even a chain and there was no cage or any kind of shelter where the elephants lived. Instead, there were simple sheds without any doors.

Suri was surprised as he knew the strength of elephants and saw them tied to strong chains in the television. He enquired one of the countrymen about why they were left freely without any protection and also asked ‘won’t they easily break the rope?’

The trainer answered Suri, ‘They won’t’

Suri was surprised and asked how?

The trainer replied, ‘They were trained here since their childhood. When they were babies we used to tie them with a strong rope and the kid elephants weren’t able to break them. The rope or chain we used to tie them when they were small. It was strong enough to hold them. A few elephants would try to break the rope or chain, but could not set them free. So as they grew, they developed a false belief that the small and thin ropes were too strong for them to break and they continued to get tied by their belief!’

Suri was amazed as well as shocked. The powerful mammoth wasn’t strong enough mentally to get them free from a thin rope.

However, he left the place as he was happy to see the elephants.

Bahasa Indonesia:
Suri adalah anak laki-laki yang baik dan pecinta binatang liar. Dia senang pada gajah, binatang besar itu. Lebih tepatnya dia sangat tergila-gila pada gajah. Namun, dia belum pernah melihat gajah yang sebenarnya. Semua makhluk mammoth itu hanya dilihatnya di televisi dan komputer. Dia tinggal di sebuah kota kecil. Tempat tinggalnya tidak memberinya kesempatan untuk mengunjungi gajah. Satu-satunya keinginannya adalah melihat dan menyentuh setidaknya seekor gajah sebelum dia mati. Untungnya, saat berusia 25 tahun ia mendapat kesempatan untuk bergabung dengan kru pecinta satwa liar.

Dia ingin tahu rencana mereka dan dengan penuh semangat bertanya apakah mereka akan mengajaknya melihat gajah. Dan mereka bilang iya.

Perjalanan meyenangkan dimulai dan mereka mengunjungi berbagai tempat. Suri sangat senang dan menikmati tur itu. Dia sudah menunggu bertahun-tahun untuk melihat gajah secara langsung dan hari itu telah tiba.

Saat melewati hutan, mereka melewati sebuah desa yang indah. Salah satu dari mereka mengatakan bahwa desa tersebut memiliki lebih dari 100 gajah dan Suri dapat menikmati sepanjang hari di desa tersebut. Tidak ada sesuatu di dunia ini yang bisa mengukur kebahagiaan Suri mendengarkan penjelasan itu.

Akhirnya untuk pertama kalinya dia melihat gajah dalam hidupnya. Dia takjub melihat gajah dan menjerit demgam gembira.

Setelah menghabiskan dua-tiga jam hanya untuk melihat gajah, dia terkejut melihat gajah-gajah itu terikat pada pagar yang rapuh dengan tali kecil, bukan rantai besi, bahkan tidak ada kandang atau tempat berlindung bagi gajah itu. Sebagai gantinya, ada gudang sederhana tanpa pintu apapun.

Suri terkejut karena mengetahui kekuatan gajah dan gajah-gajah yang dilihatnya di televisi terikat pada rantai kuat. Dia bertanya kepada salah seorang penduduk desa tentang mengapa mereka dibiarkan bebas tanpa perlindungan dan juga bertanya 'tidakkah mereka akan dengan mudah memutuskan tali?'

Pelatih menjawab Suri, "Mereka tidak akan bisa."

Suri terkejut dan bertanya bagaimana bisa begitu?

Pelatih menjawab, "Mereka dilatih di sini sejak kecil. Ketika mereka masih bayi, kami biasa mengikat mereka dengan tali yang kuat dan anak-anak gajah itu tidak bisa memutuskannya. Tali atau rantai yang kami gunakan sekarang adalah tali yang kami gunakan untuk mengikatnya saat kecil. Saat mereka kecil tali itu cukup kuat untuk menahan mereka. Beberapa gajah akan mencoba memutuskan tali atau rantai itu, tapi tidak bisa membebaskan mereka. Jadi saat mereka dewasa, mereka mempunyai keyakinan bahwa tali kecil dan tipis itu terlalu kuat untuk diputuskan dan mereka terus terikat oleh kepercayaan mereka!"

Suri kagum sekaligus kaget. Mamot yang kuat tidak cukup kuat secara mental untuk membebaskan mereka dari tali kecil itu.

A Bundle of Sticks

2017-09-13T08:54:00.001+07:00

Once upon a time, an old man lived with his three sons in a village. The three sons were hard workers. Still, they quarrelled all the time. The old man tried a lot to unite them but he failed. Though the villagers appreciated their hard work and efforts, they made fun of them on their fights.

Months passed by and the old man fell sick. He told his sons to stay united, but they didn’t listen to him. So, he decided to teach them a practical lesson so that they would forget their differences and stay united.

The old man called his sons. He told them, “I will give you a bundle of sticks. Separate each stick and you will have to break each stick into two. The one who breaks the sticks quickly will be rewarded more.”

The sons agreed.

The old man gave a bundle of 10 sticks to each of them and asked them to break each stick into pieces. They broke the sticks into pieces in minutes.

And again they started to quarrel among themselves as to who came first.

The old man said, “Dear sons, the game is not over. Now I will give another bundle of sticks to each of you. You will have to break the sticks as a bundle, not as separate sticks.”

The sons agreed and tried to break the bundle of sticks. Though they tried their best, they could not break the bundle. They failed to complete the task.

The three sons reported their failure to their father.

The old man replied, “Dear sons, See! You could easily break the single sticks into pieces, but you were not able to break the bundle! So, if you stay united, nobody can do any harm to you. If you quarrel every time with your brothers, anyone can easily defeat you. I request you to stay united.”

The three sons understood the power of unity and promised their father that whatever be the situation, they would all stay together.

Bahasa Indonesia:
Pada suatu ketika, ada orang tua yang tinggal bersama ketiga anaknya di sebuah desa. Ketiga anak laki-lakinya adalah pekerja keras. Tetapi, mereka selalu bertengkar. Orang tua itu mencoba berkali-kali untuk menyatukan mereka tapi gagal. Meskipun penduduk desa menghargai kerja keras dan usaha anak-anak itu, tetapi mereka mengolok-olok mereka karena sering terlibat dalam persengketaan.

Beberapa bulan kemudian orang tua itu jatuh sakit. Dia menyuruh anak-anaknya untuk tetap bersatu, tapi mereka tidak mendengarkannya. Dia lantas memutuskan untuk mengajari mereka pelajaran praktis agar mereka bisa melupakan perbedaan dan tetap bersatu.

Orang tua itu memanggil anak-anaknya. Dia mengatakan kepada mereka, "Aku akan memberi kalian seikat lidi. Pisahkan masing-masing lidi dan kalian harus mematahkan lidi-lidi tadi menjadi dua. Siapa yang mematahkan lidi dengan cepat akan aku beri imbalan lebih banyak."

Anak-anaknya setuju.

Orang tua itu membawa seikat lidi yang berisi 10 lidi dan meminta mereka mematahkan masing-masing lidi itu. Mereka memecahkan masing-masing lidi itu dalam beberapa menit.

Dan seperti yang sudah-sudah mereka mulai bertengkar di antara mereka sendiri siapa yang datang lebih dulu.

Orang tua itu berkata, "Anak-anakku terkasih, permainannya belum usai. Sekarang aku akan memberikan setumpuk lidi lagi untuk kalian. Kalian harus mematahkan semua lidi sekaligus, bukan satu persatu seperti tadi."

Anak-anaknya setuju dan mencoba mematahkan seikat lidi. Namun demikian, meskipun mereka mencoba sekerasa apapun, mereka tidak bisa mematahkan seikat lidi itu. Mereka gagal menyelesaikan tugasnya.

Mereka memberitahukan kegagalan mereka pada ayah mereka.

Orang tua itu menjawab, "Anak-anak terkasih, lihat! Kalian bisa dengan mudah mematahkan sebuah lidi menjadi beberapa bagian, tapi kalian tidak bisa mematahkan seikat lidi sekaligus! Jadi, jika kalian tetap bersatu, tidak ada yang bisa mengalahkan kalian. Jika kalian sering bertengkar, siapapun dapat dengan mudah mengalahkan kalian. Aku meminta kalian untuk tetap bersatu."

Anak-anaknya memahami kekuatan persatuan dan berjanji kepada ayah mereka bahwa apapun situasinya, mereka semua akan tetap bersama.

The Proud Boy

2017-09-08T10:00:00.002+07:00

There was once a very proud boy. He always walked through the village with his eyes turned down and his hands in his pockets. The boys used to stare at him, and say nothing; and when he was out of sight, they breathed freely. So the proud boy was lonely, and would have had no friends out of doors if it had not been for two stray dogs, the green trees, and a flock of geese upon the common.

One day, just by the weaver's cottage, he met the tailor's son. Now the tailor's son made more noise than any other boy in the village, and when he had done anything wrong he stuck to it, and said he didn't care; so the neighbours thought that he was very brave, and would do wonders when he came to be a man, and some of them hoped he would be a great traveller, and stay long in distant lands.

When the tailor's son saw the proud boy he danced in front of him, and made faces, and provoked him sorely, until, at last, the proud boy turned round and suddenly boxed the ears of the tailor's son, and threw his hat into the road. The tailor's son was surprised, and, without waiting to pick up his hat, ran away, and sitting down in the carpenter's yard, cried bitterly. After a few minutes, the proud boy came to him and returned him his hat, saying politely.

"There is no dust on it ; you deserved to have your ears boxed, but I am sorry I was so rude as to throw your hat on to the road."

"I thought you were proud," said the tailor's son, astonished; "I didn't think you'd say that I wouldn't."

"Perhaps you are not proud?”

"No, I am not."

"Ah, that makes a difference," said the proud boy, still more politely. "When you are proud, and have done a foolish thing, you make a point of owning it."

“But it takes a lot of courage," said the tailor's son.

"Oh, dear, no," answered the proud boy; "it only takes a lot of cowardice not to;” and then turning his eyes down again, he softly walked away.

Bahasa Indonesia:
Suatu ketika ada seorang anak laki-laki yang sangat angkuh. Dia selalu berjalan melalui desa dengan mata tertunduk dengan tangan di saku. Anak laki-laki lainnya biasa menatapnya, dan tidak mengatakan apa-apa; dan saat dia tidak terlihat, mereka bernafas lega. Jadi anak laki-laki yang sombong itu kesepian, dan tidak mempunyai teman di luar sana kecuali dua anjing liar, pohon hijau, dan sekawanan angsa yang biasanya memang berada disana.

Suatu hari, di dekat pondok penenun, dia bertemu dengan anak penjahit itu. Anak penjahit itu lebih gaduh daripada anak laki-laki lain di desa tersebut, dan ketika dia melakukan kesalahan, dia tidak merasa bersalah, dan berkata bahwa dia tidak peduli; sehingga para tetangga berpikir bahwa dia sangat berani, dan akan melakukan hal-hal hebat saat dia menjadi seorang laki-laki dewasa, dan beberapa dari mereka berharap dia akan menjadi petualang besar, dan tinggal lama di negeri yang jauh.

Ketika anak laki-laki penjahit itu melihat anak laki-laki yang sombong itu dia menari di depannya, dan mengejeknya, dan memancingnya agar marah dengan sungguh-sungguh, sampai akhirnya anak laki-laki yang sombong itu berbalik dan tiba-tiba menempeleng kepala anak penjahit itu, dan membuang topinya ke jalan. Anak penjahit itu terkejut, dan, tanpa mengambil topinya, lari, dan duduk di halaman tukang kayu, menangis dengan getir. Setelah beberapa menit, anak laki-laki yang sombong itu mendatanginya dan mengembalikan topinya, katanya dengan sopan.

"Tidak kotor, kok, Kamu pantas ditampar, tapi maaf aku sangat kasar karena melempar topimu ke jalan."

"Kupikir kamu sombong," kata anak penjahit itu, tercengang; "Aku tidak sangka kamu mengatakan sesuatu yang tidak mungkin aku lakukan."

"Mungkin kamu tidak sombong?"

"Jelas tidak."

"Ah, itu membuat perbedaan," kata anak yang sombong itu dengan lebih sopan. "Bila kamu sombong, dan telah melakukan hal yang bodoh, kamu harus mempertahankannya."

"Tapi butuh banyak keberanian," kata anak penjahit itu.

"Oh, aku rasa tidak tidak," jawab anak laki-laki yang sombong itu; "Hilangkan saja rasa pengecutmu untuk bisa melakukannya;" dan kemudian anak sombong itu menundukkan kepalanya lagi ketika dengan lembut melangkah pergi.

sumber gambar: https://png.pngtree.com

Gold Coins

2017-09-08T08:42:00.003+07:00

Sam was a greedy and selfish man. He always desired to have lots and lots of money and never hesitated to cheat others to make money. Also, he never wished to share anything with others. He paid very low wages to his servants.

However, one day, he learned a lesson that changed his life forever.

It so happened that one day, a small bag that belonged to Sam was missing. The bag had 50 gold coins in it. Sam searched high and low for the bag, but could not find it. Sam’s friends and neighbours also joined in the search, but all their efforts were in vain.

After a couple of days, the ten year old daughter of a man working for Sam found the bag. She told her father about it. Her father identified the bag as the one that was missing, and immediately decided to take it to his master.

He gave the bag back to his master Sam, and asked him to check whether the bag had 50 gold coins. Sam was exultant to get the coins back, but he decided to play a trick. He shouted at his worker, “there were 75 gold coins in this bag but you gave me only 50! Where are the other coins? You have stolen them!”

The worker was shocked to hear this and pleaded his innocence. Selfish and greedy, Sam did not accept the worker’s story, and decided to take the issue to court.

The judge heard both the sides. He questioned the daughter and the worker about the number of coins they had found in the bag, and they assured it was only 50.

He cross-examined Sam and Sam replied, “Yes my lord, I had 75 gold coins in my bag, and they gave me only 50. Hence, it is quite obvious that they have stolen 25 coins!”

The judge then asked, “Are you sure that your bag had 75 coins?”

Sam nodded vigorously.

The judge then made his judgment.

“Since Sam lost a bag of 75 gold coins and the bag found by the girl had only 50 coins, it is obvious that the bag that was found does not belong to Sam. It was lost by someone else. If anyone finds a bag of 75 gold coins, I will declare that it belongs to Sam. As there are no complaints about the loss of 50 coins, I order the girl and his father to take those 50 coins as a token of appreciation for their honesty!”

Bahasa Indonesia:
Sam adalah pria yang rakus dan egois. Dia selalu ingin memiliki banyak uang dan tidak pernah ragu untuk menipu orang lain untuk menghasilkan uang. Juga, dia tidak pernah mau berbagi apapun dengan orang lain. Dia membayar upah yang sangat rendah kepada pelayannya.

Namun, suatu hari, dia belajar sebuah pelajaran yang mengubah hidupnya selamanya.

Kebetulan suatu hari, tas kecil milik Sam hilang. Tas itu memiliki 50 koin emas di dalamnya. Sam mencarinya kemana-mana, tapi masih belum menemukannya. Teman dan tetangga Sam juga ikut dalam pencarian, namun usaha mereka sia-sia.

Setelah beberapa hari, anak perempuan salah satu pekerja Sam yang berusia sepuluh tahun menemukan tas itu. Dia mengatakannya pada ayahnya tentang hal itu. Ayahnya mengetahui bahwa tas itu adalah tas yang hilang, dan memutuskan untuk membawanya ke tuannya.

Dia mengembalikan tas itu ke Sam, dan memintanya untuk memeriksa apakah tas itu memiliki 50 koin emas. Sam sangat gembira bisa mendapatkan kembali uang logam itu, tapi ia memutuskan untuk menipu pekerjanya. Dia berteriak pada pekerjanya, "Ada 75 koin emas di tas ini tapi kamu hanya memberi saya 50! Dimana koin lainnya? Kamu telah mencurinya!"

Pekerja itu terkejut mendengarnya dan menyatakan tidak tahu menahu. Egois dan serakah, Sam tidak menerima cerita pekerja tersebut, dan memutuskan untuk membawa masalah ini ke pengadilan.

Hakim mendengar pernyataan dari kedua belah pihak. Dia menanyai anak perempuan dan pekerja itu tentang jumlah koin yang mereka temukan di tas, dan mereka yakin bahwa jumlahnya hanya 50 koin.

Hakim kemudian bertanya, "Anda yakin tas Anda memiliki 75 koin?"

Sam mengangguk dengan penuh semangat.

Hakim kemudian membuat keputusannya.

"Karena Sam kehilangan sekantong 75 koin emas dan tas yang ditemukan gadis itu hanya memiliki 50 koin, maka tas yang ditemukan itu bukan milik Sam. Itu punya orang lain. Jika ada yang menemukan sekantong 75 koin emas, saya akan menyatakan bahwa itu milik Sam. Karena tidak ada pengaduan tentang hilangnya 50 koin, saya memerintahkan gadis itu dan ayahnya untuk mengambil 50 koin itu sebagai tanda penghargaan atas kejujuran mereka!"

sumber gambar: diysolarpanelsv.com

A Bowl of Noodles

2017-02-02T08:45:00.000+07:00

Stephen, a 14 year old boy was seen alone in the mid of the road. It was almost 10 pm; he was walking alone on the streets on a breezy night.

He recalled the incident that made him fight with his mother and he moved out of the house like a storm. His eyes were filled with tears.

He had a fight with his mother from morning. His mom inquired about his low grades in the recent exam. Stephen had a careless attitude and did not reply her well. She scolded him in the evening for being so careless. He quarreled with his mother and argued without understanding he was also in fault. The fight ended up so badly that Stephen left his home.

He walked for almost more than 2 hours. He smelled a nice flavor from a shop and was attracted by the sweet smell. He couldn’t resist the smell of that nice flavor and he felt very hungry.

It was a small noodles shop and he stopped by the shop. Suddenly he realized there’s not even a single penny in his pocket. With sad face, he stood there for a minute and decided to leave the place. The shop owner saw him and asked him to have some food.

Stephen told he has no money to pay for the food. The shop owner smiled, said, ‘It’s ok. I don’t ask you any money’ and asked him to eat some food as he looked very tired.

The shop owner prepared a hot bowl of sweet and delicious noodles. Stephen ate the noodles and thanked the shop owner from his heart. He felt that he owes something to the shop owner and promised him that he would return his favor.

Stephen was in tears when he ate the noodles.

The shop owner asked what happened to him and why he cried when he was eating the noodles. Stephen narrated the incident to him, the quarrel with his mother and felt that his mother did not understand him.

The shop owner asked Stephen, ‘Do you feel you owe me something right?’

Stephen said, ‘Yes. Definitely! This is a great help you did for me. I was very hungry as I ate nothing from the noon!’

The shop owner smiled, ‘Good my dear young man! Now think about your mom. She was there with you from the moment you born. In fact she carried you in her. She cooked for you. She played with you. She helped you and consoled you with all her heart in your difficult times. She was there for you when you needed her. Even now, she had fight with you for your goodness. What did she expect? Nothing! Don’t you feel indebted to her?’

Stephen realized his mistake, thanked the shop owner, rushed to his home. He saw his mother standing with tears on their street.

His mother said, ‘where did you go? I was searching for you everywhere I cooked your favorite meal. Come and have it now. You must be so hungry!’

He hugged her and pleaded to forgive him.Steph

Indonesian:
Stephen adalah seorang anak berumur 14 tahun, terlihat sendirian di tengah-tengah jalan. Saat itu hampir pukul 10 malam; dia sedang berjalan sendirian di malam yang berangin lembut.

Dia mengingat kembali peristiwa yang menyebabkan dirinya bertengkar dengan ibunya dan memutuskan pergi dari rumah seketika. Matanya dipenuhi air mata.

Dia bertengkar dengan ibunya semenjak pagi. Ibunya bertanya kenapa dirinya mendapat nilai buruk pada ujian terakhir. Stephen mempunyai perilaku gegabah dan tidak menaruh perhatian pada perkataan ibunya. Dia memarahinya pada suatu malam karena sangat ceroboh. Dia bertengkat dengan ibunya dan membantah tanpa menyadari kesalahannya. Pertengkaran saat itu demikian hebat sampai Stephen meninggalkan rumah.

Dia berjalan hampir 2 jam lebih. Dia mencium bau sedap dari sebuah warung dan tertarik olehnya. Tak tahan baunya, dia merasa sangat lapar.

Bangunan itu adalah warung mie kecil. Ia berhenti di dekatnya. TIba-tiba dia sadar, tak ada uang sepeser pun di kantongnya. Dengan muka sedih, dia berdiri disana sebentar dan memutuskan untuk meninggalkan tempat itu. Pemilik warung melihatnya dan memintanya untuk makan.

Stephen mengatakan bahwa dia tidak mempunyai uang. Pemilik warung tersenyum, said, ‘Tidak masalah. Aku tidak memintamu membayarnya." Dan memintanya untuk makan sebab dia kelihatan lelah.

Pemilik warung menyiapkan semangkuk mie panas yang lezat. Stephen makan mie itu dan berterima kasih kepada pemilik warung atas kebaikan hatinya. Dia merasa berhutang budi padanya dan berjanji akan membalasnya.

Stephen makan mie itu dengan air mata yang mengalir.

Pemilik warung bertanya apa yang terjadi padanya sehingga dia menangis saat menyantap mie. Stephen menceritakan kejadian yang dialaminya, pertengkaran dengan ibunya dan perasaannya bahwa ibunya tidak memahaminya.

Pemilik warung bertanya pada Stephen, "Apakah kamu berhutang budi padaku?"

Stephen menjawab, "Tentu saja! Bantuan ini sangat berarti bagiku. Saya sangat lapar karena belum makan sejak siang!"

Pemilik warung tersenyum, "Begini anak muda! Marilah berpikir tentang ibumu. Dia selalu ada untukmu mulai dari kamu lahir. Bahkan dialah yang mengandungmu. Dia memasak untukmu. Dia bermain bersamamu. Dia membantumu dan menghiburmu dengan tulus di saat-saat tersulitmu. Dia ada saat kamu membutuhkannya. Bahkan saat ini dia bertengkar denganmu demi kebaikanmu. Apa yang dia dapat? Tidak ada! Tidakkah kamu merasa berhutang budi padanya?"

Stephen menyadari kesalahannya, setelah berterima kasih pada pemilik warung, bergegaslah ia pulang. Dia melihat ibunya berdiri di jalan sambil menangis.

Ibunya berkata, "Kemana kamu pergi? Aku mencarimu kemana-mana. Aku memasak makanan kesukaanmu. Ayo masuk dan makanlah. Kamu pasti lapar!"

Dia memeluknya dan meminta ibunya memaafkannya.

Sumber gambar: holleyexley.com

A Glass Of Milk

2017-02-01T13:07:00.001+07:00

Once, there was a poor boy who made a living by selling various objects from door to door. This was the way he earned money to pay for his school.

One day, as he was walking from house to house as usual, he felt very hungry and weak. He felt that he couldn’t walk even a few steps. He decided to ask for food at a house. He knocked on the door and was stunned to see a beautiful young girl open the door. With much hesitation, he asked the girl for a glass of water.

The young girl understood his condition and offered him a huge glass of milk. With an astonished look, the boy drank the milk very slowly.

“How much do I owe you for this milk?” he asked her.

The girl replied, “I do not want any money for this.”

The boy thanked the girl from the bottom of his heart and left the place.

Years passed by. The young girl grew up. In her youth, unfortunately, she fell ill and was diagnosed with the rarest kind of nervous disorder. Many experienced doctors were baffled at her condition, and she was admitted in the city hospital with the most advanced facilities.

Dr. Kevin, a renowned neuro specialist was called in by the hospital to examine her. Even with his extraordinary expertise, Dr. Kevin found the girl’s illness very hard to cure. However, with perseverance and hard work that lasted months, he was finally able to get the disease under control. With careful medication and monitoring, the girl was completely cured in the end.

Everyone praised the doctor, but the girl was quite worried about how much the hospital bill would come to. Her family had just a little money kept away in the bank, which was by no means enough to pay for such a long treatment in that reputed hospital.

The girl was given the hospital bill finally. With trembling hands, she opened it. She was stunned to see that the bill had been crossed out and cancelled, and there was a note underneath signed by Dr. Kevin.

“Bill paid years ago with a glass of milk!”

Indonesian:
Suatu ketika, ada seorang bocah miskin yang menghidupi dirinya dengan berjualan barang-barang dari pintu ke pintu. Dengan cara ini juga ia mendapatkan uang untuk membayar biaya sekolah.

Suatu hari, saat berjalan dari rumah ke rumah seperti biasanya, dia merasa lapar dan lemah. Dia tidak sanggup lagi melangkahkan kakinya. Ia bermaksud untuk meminta makanan pada rumah yang akan didatanginya. Bocah itu mengetuk pintu dan terpesona karena melihat gadis cantik yang membuka pintu. Dengan penuh keraguan, dia memohon segelas air pada gadis itu.

Gadis itu memahami keadaan bocah itu dan menawarkan segelas besar susu. Dengan wajah keheranan, anak laki-laki itu meminum susunya perlahan-lahan.

“Berapakah hutangku untuk susu ini?” dia bertanya pada gadis itu.

Gadis itu menjawab, “Gratis.”

Bocah itu berterima kasih pada gadis itu dan meninggalkan tempat.

Tahun berganti tahun. Gadis itu tumbuh dewasa. Dalam masa itu, sayangnya dia menderita penyakit gangguan syaraf yang langka. Banyak dokter ahli bingung dengan kondisinya padahal dia dirawat di rumah sakit kota dengan fasilitas canggih.

Dr. Kevin, seorang spesialis syaraf terkenal, didatangkan oleh pihak rumah sakit untuk menyembuhkan gadis itu. Bahkan dengan keahliannya yang luar biasa, Dr. Kevin merasa sulit untuk mengobatinya. Namun, dengan ketekunan dan kerja keras selama berbulan-bulan, dia berhasil menyembuhkan penyakitnya. Dengan pengobatan dan pemeriksaan yang cermat, si gadis sembuh total.

Setiap orang memuji-muji dokter itu, namun gadis itu lebih kuatir mengenai biaya yang harus dibayarnya. Keluarganya hanya mempunyai sedikit simpanan di bank, sama sekali tidak cukup untuk segala biaya perawatan pada rumah sakit terkenal ini.

Akhirnya tagihan datang pada gadis itu. Dengan tangan gemetar ia membukanya. Dia tertegun melihat kertas tagihan dicoret dan dibatalkan, dan ada sebuah catatan dibawahnya dengan tanda tangan Dr. Kevin.

“Tagihan ini telah dibayar bertahun-tahun yang lalu dengan segelas susu!”

The Secret of Happiness

2017-02-01T11:42:00.000+07:00

Once upon a time, there were three brothers named Samuel, Timothy and Xander, who lived in a cottage by the woods. They were honest and hardworking. Every day, they would venture into the forest to fell wood. Later, they would sell it in the market where it would fetch a decent price. Thus, their life continued in this manner.

However, the brothers were always sad and morose. Even though they lived a good life, they were unhappy. Each one hankered for something or the other and would pine for it.

One day, while Samuel, Timothy and Xander were returning home from the woods carrying their bundle of logs, they saw an old haggard woman bent low with a sack on her back. As they were kind and compassionate, the brothers immediately approached the poor woman and offered to carry the sack all the way to her home. She smiled and expressed her gratefulness, while replying that the sack actually contained apples that she had collected in the forest. Samuel, Timothy and Xander took turns in carrying the sack, and at last, when they reached the woman’s home, they were very tired indeed.

Now, this old woman was no ordinary person and had magical powers. Pleased with the brothers’ kind and selfless nature, she asked them whether there was anything she could help them with, as a reward.

“We are not happy, and that has become our greatest cause of concern,” replied Samuel. The woman asked what would make them happy. Each brother spoke of a different thing that would please him.

“A splendid mansion with plenty of servants would make me happy. There is nothing more that I would want,” said Samuel.

“A big farm with lots of harvest would make me happy. Then I could be rich without having to worry,” said Timothy.

“A beautiful wife would make me happy. Every day, after returning home, her sweet little face would light me up and make me forget my sorrows,” said Xander.

“That is fine,” said the old woman, “If these things will give you happiness, you deserve them in every respect for helping a poor helpless person like me. Go home, and each of you shall find exactly what you have wished for.”

This took the brothers by surprise as they did not know about the woman’s powers. Nevertheless, they took leave and returned home. But lo behold, beside their cottage, there was a huge mansion with a doorman and other servants waiting outside! They greeted Samuel and ushered him in. At some distance, a yellow farmland showed itself. A ploughman came and announced that it belonged to Timothy. Timothy gasped. Just at that moment, a beautiful maiden approached Xander and coyly said that she was his wife. The brothers were beside themselves with joy at this new turn of events. They thanked their lucky stars and adapted to their new lifestyles.

The days passed and soon a year was over. The situation was however, now different for Samuel, Timothy and Xander. Samuel had grown tired of owning the mansion. He became lazy and did not supervise his servants into taking proper care of the mansion. Timothy, who had built a decent house next to his farmland, found it burdensome to plough the fields and sow seeds from time to time. Xander too, grew used to his beautiful wife and no longer found any joy in keeping her company. In short, all of them were unhappy again.

One day, the three of them met up and decided to visit the old woman at her home. “That woman has magical powers which turned our dreams into reality. However, since we are no longer happy, we must go and seek her help now. It is she who will be able to tell us the secret to attaining happiness,” said Samuel.

When they came to the old woman, she was cooking stew in a pot. Greeting her, each of the brothers recounted how he had turned unhappy again. “Please tell us how we can once more be happy,” said Timothy.

Old Woman“Well,” replied the old woman. “It is all in your own hands. See, when each of you made his wish and it was granted, you were happy. However, happiness never lasts without a very important thing – content. Earlier, since you were happy but never really content or satisfied, boredom and misery overcame you and you became sad again. Only if you learn to be content, can you truly enjoy the bliss of happiness.”

Samuel, Timothy and Xander realized their mistake and went back home. They saw how lucky they were to have the gifts for which they had once craved. Samuel felt grateful for being the owner of a mansion and began taking good care of it. Timothy began to plough his land diligently so as to have a good harvest in time. Xander too learnt to appreciate his pretty wife’s chores in the house and her devotion towards him. Remembering that happiness and content went side by side, never again did the brothers take their blessings for granted. And thus, they lived happily ever after.

Indonesian:
Suatu ketika, ada tiga laki-laki bersaudara bernama Samuel, Timothy dan Xander, yang hidup di gubuk dekat hutan. Mereka jujur dan pekerja keras. Setiap hari mereka menjelajahi hutan dan menebang kayu. Kemudian, mereka menjualnya di pasar dengan harga yang pantas. Begitulah kehidupan mereka setiap harinya.

Namun demikian, kakak beradik itu selalu sedih dan murung. Meskipun mereka berkecukupan, mereka tidak bahagia. Masing-masing dari mereka menginginkan sesuatu dan tak akan bahagia sampai mendapatkannya.

Suatu hari, saat Samuel, Timothy dan Xander sedang dalam perjalanan pulang ke rumah dan membawa gelondongan kayu, mereka melihat wanita tua kurus kering yang berjalan terbungkuk-bungkuk karena karung yang dipanggulnya. Karena kakak beradik itu orang baik dan merasa kasihan, mereka dengan segera mendekati wanita miskin itu dan menawarkan diri membawakan karung itu sampai rumahnya. Wanita itu tersenyum dan sangat berterima kasih pada mereka karena membawakan karungnya yang berisi apel yang ia kumpulkan dari hutan. Samuel, Timothy dan Xander mengambil alih karung dan mulai membawanya, dan akhirnya mereka sampai pad rumah wanita itu. Mereka sangat kelelahan.

Rupanya wanita itu bukan wanita biasa karena memiliki kekuatan magis. Ia senang akan kebaikan kakak beradik itu dan sifatnya yang tidak egois. Ia menyuruh mereka mengajukan permintaan yang nantinya akan dikabulkan oleh wanita itu.

“Kami tidakbahagia, dan hal itu menjadi perhatian utama kami,” jawab Samuel. Perkataan wanita itu membuat mereka bahagia. Segera masing-masing dari mereka berbicara tentang apa yang membuat mereka bahagia.

“Rumah besar mewah dengan banyak pelayan akan membuatku bahagia. Hanya itulah keinginanku,” ujar Samuel.

“Tanah pertanian yang besar dengan panenan yang banyak akan membuatku bahagia. Karenanya aku bisa menjadi kaya tanpa perlu kuatir,” timpal Timothy.

“Istri yang cantik akan membuat aku bahagia. Setiap hari, sesudah pulang bekerja, senyumnya akan membuatku senang dan melupakan penderitaanku,” sahut Xander.

“Baiklah,” kata wanita tua itu, “Kalau hal-hal itu bisa membuat kalian bahagia, kalian pantas mendapatkannya karena sudah membantu orang miskin seperti aku. Pulanglah, dan masing-masing dari kamu akan mendapatkan apa yang kalian minta.”

Perkataan wanita itu membuat kakak beradik itu terkejut karena tidak mengetahui kekuatan magis wanita itu sebelumnya.Namun demikian, mereka tetap pergi dan pulang ke rumah. Tapi mereka terhenti sejenak, disamping gubuk mereka, ada sebuah rumah besar mewah dengan penjaga pintu dan pelayan-pelayan menunggu diluar! Mereka menyambut Samuel dan membimbingnya ke dalam. Tidak jauh dari situ, sebuah tanah pertanian kekuning-kuningan menampakkan diri. Seorang pembajak tanah datang dan mengatakan bahwa tanah pertanian ini milik Timothy. Timothy kesulitan menarik nafas. Tepat pada saat itu, seorang perempuan cantik mendekati Xander dan dengan malu-malu berkata bahwa dia adalah istrinya. Mereka berbahagia dengan nasib mereka yang baru. Mereka berterima kasih atas keberuntungan ini dan mulai menyesuaikan diri mereka masing-masing pada keadaan baru mereka.

Hari berganti hari, satu tahun telah terlewati. SItuasinya menjadi berbeda bagi Samuel, Timothy dan Xander. Samuel lelah memiliki rumah mewah. Dia menjadi malas dan tidak mengawasi pelayan-pelayannya saat mengurus rumah. Timothy, yang mendirikan rumah yang layak untuknya berada disamping tanah pertaniannya, menyadari bahwa membajak sawah dan menaburkan benih dari waktu ke waktu terlalu memberatkan. Xander juga, meskipun hidup bersama dengan istrinya yang cantik, ia tidak lagi menemukan kegembiraan karena kehadirannya. Singkatnya, mereka mulai tidak bahagia lagi.

Suatu hari, mereka bertemu dan memutuskan untuk mengunjungi wanita tua itu di rumahnya. “Wanita itu memiliki kekuatan magis yang mengubah mimpi kita menjadi kenyataan. Dengan demikian, karena kita tidak bahagia lagi, kita harus meminta tolong dia lagi. Hanya dia yang dapat menceritakan pada kita rahasia mendapatkan kebahagiaan,” kata Samuel.

Saat mereka mendatangi, wanita tua itu sedang merebuat sesuatu di panci. Setelah mengucapkan salam, masing-masing dari mereka menceritakan kembali bagaimana mereka sekarang merasa tidak berbahagia lagi. “Bantulah kami, bagaimana caranya agar kami dapat berbahagia kembali,” kata Timothy.

“Begini,” jawab wanita tua itu. “Semuanya terserah kalian sendiri, saat kalian memiliki keinginan dan mencapainya, kamu bahagia. Tetapi kebahagiaan tidak akan berlangsung lama tanpa satu hal yang penting ini – kepuasan. Dulu kalian bahagia tetapi tidak pernah puas atau lega, bosan dan kesengsaraan mendatangimu sehingga kamu sedih lagi. Hanya jika kamu belajar untuk puas, maka kamu dapat merasakan kebahagiaan yang sesungguhnya.”

Samuel, Timothy dan Xander menyadari kesalahannya dan pulang ke rumah mereka. Mereka melihat bahwa betapa beruntungnya mereka karena telah memiliki apa yang mereka inginkan. Samuel bersyukur karena menjadi pemilik rumah mewah dan mulai merawatnya dengan baik. Timothy mulai membajak tanahnya dengan cermat sehingga mendapat hasil panen pada waktunya. Xander juga belajar untuk menghargai pekerjaan rumah tangga istrinya yang cantik dan pengabdiannya pada dirinya. Mengingat bahwa kebahagiaan dan kepuasaan berjalan berdampingan, mereka tidak pernah meminta anugerah apa-apa lagi. Dengan demikian, mereka berbahagia selama-lamanya.

Gambar dari: tuuliky.deviantart.com
Cerita oleh: Ananya Sarkar

Unconditional Love

2017-01-31T11:41:00.001+07:00

Rishi was a 10 years old boy. Just like any other boy of his age, he had the usual tantrums with his mother. Sometimes he obeyed what she said and what his father said, and sometimes he would completely ignore them. Since this was very common in kids, Rishi’s mom did not worry a lot.

It was an unexpected holiday announced by the school of Rishi and he had 5 holidays. He spent a good time with his mother. She took him for outings, they went to beach and amusement parks, had delicious dining, she cooked his favourite foods and played with him. Three days were left and Rishi’s mother wanted to clean the house and she wanted to involve Rishi in cleaning.

She asked him to help her and as a surprise, he also accepted.

Everything was done to perfection. Rishi’s mummy was surprised with his act. While she was cooking the dinner meal, Rishi gave her a piece of paper, written by him. Since his mom was busy cooking, she asked him to place the paper on the dining table.

After cooking the meals, she took the paper left by his son and was shocked to see what he wrote!

The piece of paper contained this list:

For cutting grass in the garden – Rs. 300
For Cleaning my Room – Rs. 250
For helping you in the kitchen – Rs. 200
For buying milk and fruits for you – Rs. 50
For taking care of my sister when you were shopping – Rs. 250
For removing the garbage – Rs. 100
Total you owe - Rs. 1150 /-

She was literally shocked!

She didn’t speak a word and wrote in a paper and gave it to her son.

She wrote:

For carrying you nine months – No Charge
For getting severely sick when you were growing inside me – No Charge
For sleepless nights taking care of you for several months – No Charge
For soothing you without getting annoyed whenever you troubled – No Charge
For heartfelt prayers and passing through those dreadful days when you met with an accident when you were 3 years – No Charge
Innumerable days spent without calmness and peace of mind thinking about your present and future – No Charge
For taking care of you like a precious gift I never had in my life – No Charge
You Owe: -------------------------------

The boy was in tears and rushed to his mom and gave a tight hug that he had never done before.

Rishi, unable to look at her, told, ‘Mom I love you! I’m sorry for everything!’

She kissed on his forehead. Rishi crushed the paper he wrote and threw into dustbin.

Indonesian:
Rishi adalah anak laki-laki berumur sepuluh tahun.Seperti anak laki-laki seumurannya, dia biasa marah pada ibunya. Kadangkala ia mematuhi ibu dan ayahnya dan kadang benar-benar tidak menghiraukan mereka. Karena hal seperti ini sudah biasa dilakukan anak-anak, ibu Rishi tidak terlalu mempermasalahkan.

Suatu ketika, sekolah Rishi mengumumkan lima hari liburan yang tak terduga. Dia menghabiskan waktu dengan ibunya. Ibunya mengajaknya bertamasya, mereka pergi ke pantai dan taman hiburan, memasak makanan kesukaannya waktu makan malam dan bermain-main dengannya. Tiga hari telah lewat dan ibu Rishi mengajak Rishi membersihkan rumah.

Dia meminta Rishi membantunya dan terkejut karena anak itu langsung menyanggupinya.

Segalanya dikerjakannya dengan baik. Ibu Rishi terkejut dengan apa yang ia lakukan. Saat ibunya memasak makan malam, Rishi memberinya secarik kertas yang ditulis olehnya. Karena ibunya masih sibuk memasak makanan, ia meminta Rishi meletakkannya di meja makan.

Sesudah masak, ia mengambil kertas tadi dan terkejut dengan apa yang tertulis disana.

Kertas itu bertuliskan daftar ini:

Biaya memotong rumput taman – Rp. 300
Biaya membersihkan ruanganku – Rp. 250
Biaya membantu ibu di dapur – Rp. 200
Biaya membeli susu dan buah untuk ibu – Rp. 50
Biaya menjaga adik ketika ibu berbelanja – Rp. 250
Biaya membuang sampah – Rp. 100
Total Biaya - Rp. 1150

Dia benar-benar terkejut!

Ibunya tidak berkata apa-apa dan menulis sesuatu di kertas, kemudian memberikannya pada Rishi.

Dia menulis:

Biaya mengandungmu 9 bulan – Gratis
Biaya sakit karena membesarkanmu dalam kandungan – Gratis
Biaya kurang tidur karena merawatmu selama beberapa bulan – Gratis
Biaya menenangkanmu dan tak mengeluh selama kamu mendapat masalah – Gratis
Biaya mendoakanmu dengan dengan tulus dan merasa kuatir karena kecelakaan yang kamu alami saat berumur 3 tahun– Gratis
Biaya memikirkan masa depanmu dan saat ini – Gratis
Biaya memperlakukanmu seperti hadiah terindah dalam hidupku – Gratis
Total Biaya: 0

Anak itu menangis dan berlari untuk memeluk ibunya dengan lebih erat dari sebelumnya.

Rishi tidak sanggup melihat ibunya dan berkata, "Ma, aku mencintaimu! Maafkan kesalahanku!"

Ia mencium keningnya. Rishi menyobek kertasnya dan membuangnya ke tong sampah.

Sumber gambar: Lukisan Mira Shadfar (pelukis Iran)

The Bad Girl

2017-01-04T12:15:00.000+07:00

She was always called the bad girl, for she had once, when she was very little, put out her tongue at the postman. She lived alone with her grandmother and her three brothers in the cottage beyond the field, and the girls in the village took no notice of her. The bad girl did not mind this, for she was always thinking of the cuckoo clock. The clock stood in one corner of the cottage, and every hour a door opened at the top of its face, and a little cuckoo came out and called its name just the same number of times that the clock ought to have struck, and called it so loudly and in so much haste that the clock was afraid to strike at all. The bad girl was always wondering whether it was worse for the clock to have a cupboard in its forehead, and a bird that was always hopping in and out, or for the poor cuckoo to spend so much time in a dark little prison. "If it could only get away to the woods," she said to herself, " who knows but its voice might grow sweet, and even life itself might come to it!"

She thought of the clock so much that her grandmother used to say, "Ah, lassie, if you would only think of me sometimes! "

But the bad girl would answer,"You are not in prison, granny dear, and you have not even a bee in your bonnet, let alone a bird in your head. Why should I think of you?”

One day, close by the farm, she saw the big girls from the school gathering flowers.

“Give me one," she said; "perhaps the cuckoo would like it." But they all cried, "No, no!" and tried to frighten her away. "They are for the little one's birthday. To-morrow she will be seven years old," they said,” and she is to have a crown of flowers and a cake, and all the afternoon we shall play merry games with her."

“Is she unhappy, that you are taking so much trouble for her?“ asked the bad girl.

"Oh, no; she is very happy: but it will be her birthday, and we want to make her happier.”

"Why?"

“Because we love her," said one;

“Because she is so little," said another;

“Because she is alive," said a third.

“Are all things that live to be loved and cared for? " the bad girl asked, but they were too busy to listen, so she went on her way thinking; and it seemed as if all things round the birds, and bees, and the rustling leave*, and the little tender wild flowers, half hidden in the grass answered, as she went along

"Yes, they are all to be cared for and made happier, if it be possible."

“The cuckoo clock is not alive," she thought.

"Oh, no; it is not alive," the trees answered; "but many things that do not live have voices, and many others are just sign-posts, pointing the way."

“The way ! The way to what, and where?”

“We find out for ourselves; we must all find out for ourselves," the trees sighed and whispered to each other.

As the bad girl entered the cottage, the cuckoo called out its name eleven times, but she did not even look up. She walked straight across to the chair by the fireside, and kneeling down, kissed her granny's hands.

Indonesian:
Dia selalu dipanggil gadis nakal, itu semua karena kejadian di masa kecilnya, saat masih kecil, ia menjulurkan lidah pada tukang pos. Dia tinggal sendirian dengan neneknya dan tiga saudara laki-lakinya berada di pemondokan diseberang ladang, dan gadis-gadis di desa itu tidak menaruh perhatian padanya. Gadis nakal itu tidak perduli, karena ia lebih suka berpikir tentang jam kukok. Benda itu terletak di sudut rumah, dan setiap jam pintunya terbuka diatas mukanya, seekor burung kecil datang serta memanggil namanya sesuai dengan jam saat itu. Suaranya yang keras dan tampak terburu-buru seperti takut keluar. Gadis nakal itu selalu berpikir bahwa adalah hal buruk bagi jam itu memiliki kotak di dahinya dan seekor burung berusaha keluar-masuk, atau sangat disayangkan bahwa ada burung menghabiskan waktunya di penjaran kecil yang gelap. "Anda dia dibiarkan keluar ke hutan," dia berkata pada dirinya sendiri, "siapa tahu suaranya lebih merdu dan mungkin saja ia beranak."

Dia terlalu memikirkan jam kukok itu sampai neneknya pernah berkata, "Ah, lassie, kalau saja kamu memikirkan nenek sekali-kali! "

Tapi gadis nakal itu akan menjawab,"Kamu tidak di penjara, nenekku sayang, bahkan tak seekor lebah di tudung topimu, atau membiarkan burung sendirian di kepalamu. Kenapa aku harus memikirkanmu?”

Suatu hari, dekat ladang, dia melihat gadis berbadan besar dari sebuah sekolah sedang mengumpulkan bunga..

“Aku minta satu," dia berkata, "mungkin kukok akan suka."

Tapi mereka semua berteriak, "Tidak, tidak!" dan berusaha mengusirnya. "Bunga-bunga ini untuk ulang tahun si Kecil. Besok dia berumur 7 tahun," mereka berkata, ”dan dia akan punya mahkota bunga dan kue, dan sepanjang sore kita akan bermain dengannya."

“Apakah dia tidak bahagia, sehingga kalian harus berusaha seperti itu?“ tanya gadis nakal itu.

"Oh, tidak; dia sangat bahagia, tapi ini adalah ulang tahunnya, dan kami ingin membuatnya lebih bahagia.”

"Kenapa?"

“Karena kami sayang padanya," sahut salah satu dari mereka.

“Karena dia masih kecil," sahut yang lain.

“Karena dia makhluk hidup," kata yang ketiga.

“Apakah segala yang hidup harus dicintai dan diperhatikan?" tanya gadis nakal itu, tapi mereka terlalu sibuk dengan diri mereka sendiri, lantas ia terpekur dengan dirinya sendiri dan sepertinya segala yang dilewatinya membantunya menjawab pertanyaannya sendiri.

"Ya, mereka harus diperhatikan dan dibahagiakan, dengan sekuat tenaga."

“Jam kukok tidak hidup," pikirnya.

"Oh, tidak; tentu saja tidak hidup," pohon-pohon menjawab,"tapi banyak benda mati mempunyai suara, dan beberapa diantaranya hanya sekedar tanda, mau menuju kemana."

“Jalannya! Jalan apa, dan kemana?”

“Kita harus menemukannya sendiri; kita harus menemukannya sendiri," pohon-pohon mendesah dan berbisik satu sama lain.

Saat gadis nakal itu memasuki pondok, burung kukok berkikuk sebanyak sebelas kali, tapi ia tidak memperhatikan. Dia berjalan ke arah kursi dekat perapian, dan berlutut untuk mencium tangan neneknya.

*gambar dari: houseofmaria.com

The Bicycle

2016-12-23T09:21:00.000+07:00

Mike was an 11 years old boy. He was the only son to his parent. His father worked as a carpenter and his mother was a home maker. Although Mike’s family wasn’t a rich one, they lead a happy life.

Mike’s school was located a mile away from his home. Mike’s birthday was coming up in a week. He requested his father to buy him a bicycle, so that he can go to school in cycle and not by walk and depend on his father to drop him at school. His father also promised him to buy a bicycle so that he need not walk to school anymore. Mike felt so happy.

The birthday boy woke up happily with his mother and father wishing him with all smiles on his birthday. Mike was feeling very happy and expects that his father would gift him the bicycle. He had a beautiful gift wrapped nicely in his father’s hand and surprised.

The father gifted him the parcel and Mike saw a set of books as the birthday gift from his father. Although he was a little unhappy as he did not receive the bicycle, he thanked his father.

Mike’s father was depressed as he did not have enough money to buy a cycle. He promised to his son that he would soon buy him a cycle.

After a week, when he was walking on his way to his home back from school, he saw a boy riding a cycle. Mike felt that the cycle was too small for the big boy. Suddenly, the boy crashed into a post and skidded in the street. Mike rushed to him and recognized him. He was his school mate, named Sam.

Sam was injured badly and there was no one near to help him except Mike. Mike helped him stand up and provided him water. Since Sam was riding the cycle faster, his left leg and hands were severely injured. He asked him to sit in a corner and took the cycle and rushed to a nearby hospital to get help.

An ambulance came and carried Sam to the hospital. He then rushed to Sam’s home and informed about the accident to his parent.

Sam and his parent thanked Mike for the timely help. Mike in turn thanked, ‘It was all possible just I had Sam’s cycle.’ Mike also told Sam’s parent, ‘cycle is too small for Sam to ride and that’s why he was injured.’ Sam and Mike became close friends. Mike met Sam every day in hospital until he was discharged.

Sam got a new cycle and he came to know that Mike doesn’t own a cycle. He gave his old cycle to Mike and with Mike’s parent permission, Mike accepted the gift from Sam.

Indonesian:
Mike adalah anak laki-laki berumur 11 tahun. Anak tunggal. Ayahnya bekerja sebagai tukang kayu dan ibunya adalah ibu rumah tangga. Meskipun keluraga Mike tidak kaya, mereka hidup bahagia.

Sekolah Mike berjarak satu mil dari rumah. Ulang tahun Mike tinggal seminggu lagi. Ia meminta ayahnya agar membelikannya sepeda, sehingga dia bisa pergi sekolah naik sepeda dan tidak berjalan kaki atau tergantung ayahnya yang mengantar. Ayahnya berjanji akan membelikannya sepeda sehingga tidak perlu berjalan kaki lagi ke sekolah. Mike merasa senang.

Di hari ulang tahun, anak itu bangun dengan gembira karena ayah ibunya mengucapkan selamat ulang tahun dengan sebuah senyuman. Mike merasa sangat bahagia dan berharap ayahnya memberikan sepeda sebagai hadiah. Dia melihat sebuah hadiah terbungkus dengan rapi di tangan ayahnya dan terkejut.

Ayahnya memberi hadiah parsel dan Mike melihat buku seri sebagai hadiah dari ayahnya. Meskipun dia agak tidak senang karena bukan hadiahnya bukan sepeda, dia berterima kasih pada ayahnya.

Ayah Mike merasa bersalah tidak dapat memberikan hadiah sepeda untuk puteranya karena uangnya tidak cukup. Dia berjanji pada anaknya untuk membelikannya sepeda.

Seminggu kemudian, ia melihat seorang anak pulang ke rumah dari sekolahnya memakai sepeda. Mike merasa sepeda itu terlalu kecil untuk anak sebesar itu. Tiba-tiba anak itu kecelakaan karena menabrak tiang dan tergelincir di jalan. Mike menghambur ke arahnya dan mengenali anak itu sebagai teman sekolahnya, Sam.

Sam terluka parah dan tidak seorang pun di di dekatnya untuk menolong kecuali Mike. Mike membantunya berdiri dan memberikan air minum padanya. Akibat mengendarai sepeda terlalu cepat, kaki kirinya dan tangannya luka-luka. Dia meminta Sam untuk duduk di tepi jalan lantas ia sendiri bersepeda menuju rumah sakit terdekat untuk mendapatkan pertolongan.

Mobil ambulan datang dan membawa Sam ke rumah sakit. Dia bergegas ke rumah Sam dan memberitahu orangtuanya.

Sam dan keluarganya berterima kasih padanya. Mike menjawab, ‘Itu semua dapat saya lakukan karena bantuan sepeda Sam sendiri.’ Mike juga mengatakan pada orangtua Sam, ‘Sepedanya terlalu kecil untuk Sam, oleh karena itu dia mengalami luka-luka.’ Sam dan Mike menjadi teman akrab. Mike mengunjungi Sam setiap hari di rumah sakit sampai dia keluar dari rumah sakit.

Sam mendapat sepeda baru dan ia tahu kalau Mike tidak punya sepeda sendiri. Dia memberikan sepeda tuanya untuk Mike. Dan atas ijin orangtuanya sendiri, Mike menerimanya.

The Light on The Hills

2016-12-20T15:39:00.000+07:00

"I want to work at my picture," he said, and went into the field. The little sister went too, and stood by him watching while he painted.

"The trees are not quite straight," she said, presently, "and oh, dear brother, the sky is not blue enough."

"It- will all come right soon," he answered. "Will it be of any good?"

"Oh yes," she said, wondering that he should even ask, "it will make people happy to look at it. They will feel as if they were in the field."

"If I do it badly, will it make them unhappy?"

“Not if you do your very best," she answered; "for they will know how hard you have tried. Look up," she said suddenly, "look up at the light upon the hills," and they stood together looking at all he was trying to paint, at the trees and the field, at the deep shadows and the hills beyond, and the light that rested upon them. "It is a beautiful world," the girl said." It is a great honour to make things for it."

"It is a beautiful world," the boy echoed sadly." It is a sin to disgrace it with things that are badly done."

“But you will do things well?”

"I get so tired," he said, "and long to leave off so much. What do you do when you want to do your best, - your very, very best?" he asked, suddenly."

I think that I am doing it for the people I love," she answered. “It makes you very strong if you think of them; you can bear pain, and walk far, and do all manner of things, and you don't get tired so soon."

He thought for a moment. “Then I shall paint my picture for you," he said;" I shall think of you all the time I am doing it."

Once more they looked at the hills that seemed to rise up out of the deep shadows into the light, and then together they went home.

Soon afterwards a great sorrow came to the boy. While the little sister slept, she wandered into another world, and journeyed on so far that she lost the clue to earth, and came back no more. The boy painted many pictures before he saw the field again, but in the long hours, as he sat and worked, there came to him a strange power that answered more and more truly to the longing in his heart the longing to put into the world something of which he was not ashamed, something which should make it, if only in the person of its meanest, humblest citizen, a little happier or better.

At last, when he knew that his eye was true and his touch sure, he took up the picture he had promised to paint for the dear sister, and worked at it until he was finished.

"This is better than all he has done before," the beholders said. "It is surely beautiful, for it makes one happy to look at it."

"And yet my heart ached as I did it," the boy said, as he went back to the field." I thought of her all the time I worked, it was sorrow that gave me power." It seemed as if a soft voice, that spoke only to his heart, answered back

“Not sorrow but love, and perfect love has all things in its gift, and of it are all things born save happiness, and though that may be born too”

“How does one find happiness?" interrupted the boy.

"It is a strange chase," the answer seemed to be; "to find it for one's own self, one must seek it for others. We all throw the ball for each other."

“But it is so difficult to seize."

"Perfect love helps one to live without happiness," his own heart answered to himself;" and above all things it helps one to work and to wait."

"But if it gives one happiness too?" he asked eagerly.

"Ah, then it is called Heaven.”

Indonesian:

"Aku ingin menggambar," dia berkata, dan pergi ke lapangan. Adik perempuannya pergi juga, dan berdiri di sampingnya, melihat kakaknya melukis.

"Pohonnya tidak terlalu lurus," dia berkata saat itu, "dan oh, Kak, langitnya kurang biru."

"Aku akan segera mengubahnya," kakaknya mejawab. "Apa bisa, ya?"

"Tentu saja," sahut adiknya sambil bertanya-tanya dalam hati kenapa kakaknya bertanya tentang hal itu, "mereka akan menyukai gambaranmu saat melihat. Mereka akan merasa seakan-akan ada di tanah lapang."

"Kalau gambarku jelek apa mereka tidak suka?"

“Tidak kalau kamu berusaha sebaik mungkin," jawabnya, "karena mereka tahu seberapa keras kamu berusaha. Lihat disana," dia berkata tiba-tiba, "lihat cahaya diatas bukit itu," dan mereka berdiri bersama melihat hasil usahanya melukis, mereka melihat pepohonan dan tanah lapang, pada kedalaman bayangan dan seberang bukit seberangnya, dan cahaya yang bersemayam diatasnya. "Dunia yang indah," katanya, " Adalah suatu kehormatan bisa melakukan sesuatu untuknya."

"Dunia yang indah," gaung anak laki-laki itu sedih, "Adalah dosa jika mempermalukannya dengan perlakuan yang buruk."

“Tapi kamu akan mengerjakan dengan baik, kan?”

"Aku lelah," katanya, "dan sudah lama tidak melakukannya. Apa yang kamu lakukan ketika kamu ingin mengerjakan segala sesuatunya sebaik-baiknya?" dia bertanya, tiba-tiba.

"Aku rasa aku akan mengerjakannya untuk orang yang aku sayangi," dia menjawab. “Kamu pasti akan berusaha sebaik-baiknya jika kamu kerjakan untuk mereka; kamu sanggup menahan perih, dan akan berjalan sejauh mungkin, dan rela melakukan apa saja, dan kamu tidak akan cepat lelah."

Anak laki-laki itu berpikir sesaat. “Kalau begitu aku akan menggambar buat kamu," dia mengatakan;" aku akan memikirkanmu sepanjang aku mengerjakannya."

Sekali lagi mereka melihat ke arah bukit yang tampakya menenggelamkan bayangan ke dalam cahaya, dan mereka pulang bersama-sama.

Segera setelah itu kemalangan menghampiri anak laki-laki itu. Saat adik perempuannya tidur, ia mengembara ke dunia lain, dan perjalanannya demikian jauh sampai ia lupa jalan pulang ke bumi, dan tidak pernah kembali. Kakaknya melukis banyak gambar sebelum dirinya melihat tanah lapang lagi, namun setelah sekian lama, saat dia duduk dan bekerja, ada sesuatu mendatanginya dengan kekuatan yang aneh yang merupakan jawaban yang lebih baik daripada rasa kehilangan dalam hatinya yang membuatnya tidak malu-malu lagi, sesuatu yang harus dibuatnya, tak perduli apakah ia orang yang jahat, sederhana, sedikit bahagia, atau lebih dari itu.

Akhirnya , setelah yakin dengan dirinya sendiri, ia mengambil gambar yang ia janjikam untuk saudara perempuannya yang sangat disayanginya,dan bekerja sampai selesai.

"Ini lebih baik dari yang sudah-sudah," pengamat berkata. "Sangat indah, karena orang akan bahagia hanya dengan melihatnya."

"Dan saya sedang berduka ketika mengerjakannya," anak laki-laki itu berkata, ketika ia kembali mengunjungi tanah lapang. "Aku selalu memikirkannya saat aku mengerjakannya. Adalah rasa kehilangan yang membuatku kuat."

Ada sebuah suara lembut berbicara dari dalam hatinya, menjawabnya.“Bukan duka tapi cinta, dan cinta sempurna akan membuat orang memiliki segalanya, and kesemuanya menciptakan kebahagiaan, dan dengan demikian akan berbuah juga.”

“Bagaimana cara seseorang menemukan kebahagiaan?" sergah anak laki-laki itu.

"Caranya aneh untuk mendapatkannya," suara itu berkata; "untuk mendapatkannya, orang harus mencarinya pada orang lain. Kita saling melempar bola satu sama lain."

“Tapi itu susah diperoleh."

"Cinta sempurna akan membantu seseorang hidup tanpa kebahagiaan," hatinya sendiri menjawab, "dan yang terpenting dari semua itu itu akan membantu seseorang bekerja dan menunggu."

"Apakah itu memberikan orang kebahagiaan juga?" dia bertanya dengan tidak sabar.

"Ah, jika demikian itu disebut Surga.”