Written by Guy de Maupassant With the first day of spring, when the awakening earth puts on its garment of green, and the warm, fragrant air fans our faces and fills our lungs and appears even to penetrate to our hearts, we experience a vague, undefined longing for freedom, for happiness, a desire to run, to wander aimlessly, to breathe in the spring. The previous winter having been unusually severe, this spring feeling was like a form of intoxication in May, as if there were an overabundant supply of sap. One morning on waking I saw from my window the blue sky glowing in the sun above t ... read more

There was a grocery shop in a town. Plenty of mice lived in that grocery shop. Food was in plenty for them. They ate everything and spoiled all the bags. They also wasted the bread, biscuits and fruits of the shop. The grocer got really worried. So, he thought "I should buy a cat and let it stay at the grocery. Only then I can save my things." He bought a nice, big fat cat and let him stay there. The cat had a nice time hunting the mice and killing them. The mice could not move freely now. They were afraid that anytime the cat would eat them up. The mice wanted to do something. The ... read more

AN UNFAIR WORLD One day, a man while walking towards his office saw a beggar coming to him. The beggar was in a very bad condition. He was barefoot and his clothes were torn. When the beggar asked for money, the man said, Why don't you work? Don't you feel ashamed asking people for money? At this the beggar replied, I do feel ashamed asking for money. But once when I took money without asking, the police took me to jail. The man had no answer to this. He went on his way to the office.

Emperor Akbar was in the habit of putting riddles and puzzles to his courtiers. He often asked questions which were strange and witty. It took much wisdom to answer these questions. Once he asked a very strange question. The courtiers were dumb folded by his question. Akbar glanced at his courtiers. As he looked, one by one the heads began to hang low in search of an answer. It was at this moment that Birbal entered the courtyard. Birbal who knew the nature of the emperor quickly grasped the situation and asked, "May I know the question so that I can try for an answer". Akbar said, ... read more

TO THE CITY IN A MINUTE Once, a cat thought of going to the city to see its lifestyle. But first she wanted to know how much time it will take to reach the city. She thought of calling the elephant as only he could tell that how long it will take to reach the city as he often goes there. She called the elephant and started enquiring. Just then the elephant received a call on another line. The elephant said to the cat, Just a minute. The cat put down the receiver and thought that it would take a minute to reach the city.