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

DOES THE SOG KNOW Once there were two classmates Pat and Tom. One day, Pat went to Tom's house to borrow a book. On the entrance, he found a dog standing. Seeing Pat, it started barking. Pat got frightened. Tom came running and held his dog. Pat was still breathing heavily. At this, Tom said, Pat, dogs who bark never bite. Pat said, you and I know this proverb, but this dog doesn't know. Both the friends laughed heartily.

WAYS TO CUT DOWN WEIGHT Joy was fed up of his increasing weight. All the time he kept thinking of the ways to reduce his weight. One day he went to a shopkeeper and said, I have come to know about a book that tells how to reduce weight. Please give me a copy of that book. The shopkeeper said, Sir, the last copy of that book got sold just a few minutes back. But I have another book that tells how to gain weight. Joy said, I don't need that. I want to reduce weight, not increase it. The shopkeeper replied, So what? Just do the reverse of what is written in the book.

In a small town in England, there lived a poor little girl. Her friend invited her to come to her birthday party. She was so excited. But her right shoe was spoilt. She needed to get it mended quickly. So, she went to see a cobbler in her little town. “Cobbler, cobbler," called the girl. “Please mend my shoe." “When do you want it done, little girl?" asked the cobbler. “Get it done by half-past two. Then I will give you half a crown," said the girl. The cobbler smiled and quickly mended her shoe. The cobbler finished repairing her shoe before half-past two. The little girl was ... read more

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