Ancient Wisdom

So that lamp may give steady light it must be placed where it is protected from the wind. But if a lamp is in windy place, the light will flicker and cast strange and dark shadows. Even so uncontrolled, foolish and ill-assorted thoughts cast strange and dark shadows upon the soul of man. 

An Ass belonging to a herb-seller, who gave him too little food and too much work, made a petition to Jupiter that he would release him from his present service, and provide him with another master. Jupiter, after warning him that he would repent his request, caused him to be sold to a tile-maker. Shortly afterwards, finding that he had heavier loads to carry, and harder work in the brick-field, he petitioned for another change of master. Jupiter, telling him that it should be the last time that he could grant his request, ordained that he should be sold to a tanner. The Ass finding that he had fallen into worse hands, and nothing his master's occupation, said, groaning: "It would have been better for me to have been either starved by the one, or to have been overworked by the other of my former masters, than to have been bought by my present owner, who will even after I am dead tan my hide, and make me useful to him."

 'Matisse's painting, 'Le Bateau' was hung for 47 days at the Museum of Modern Art in 1961, when about 120,000 people saw it without realising that it was upside down. 

Though ' Khoja Nasrudin' seemed content with his married life, for the Mohammedan never speaks of his home life, but to the surprise of the neighbours the widow suddenly sued one day for a divorce, and both she and the ' Khoja ' appeared in court, the wife to plead her case and the husband to defend himself as best he could. The widow complained loudly that the ' Khoja ' had ill-treated her to such a degree that she could no longer stay with him. He had destroyed and broken all her furniture and belongings, and at the same time inflicted on her, and that without any cause, severe bodily injuries. "Yes, verily," quoted the good woman, "having first smashed all the crockery in the house with a flat-iron, he suddenly hit me over the head with a frying-pan. There's still a lump on my head as big as a duck's egg, but without the permission of the Court I cannot, of course, raise my veil in order to exhibit it." The irate lady concluded b

When the Creator created the fox and the dog, the pair did not know how to live, and the fox went to the Creator and asked him. The Creator said, "You are to eat only meat! When you see meat, or something soft and living, eat it! But tell your comrade that he is to be his master's servant, to walk after him, guard his belongings and receive food from him. His life will be your death!" The fox went to the dog, who exclaimed, "What said the Creator?" "He said that I am to seek food on the steppe and eat what I find, but you will find a master; go after him and receive what he gives you. Your life will be my death. What does this mean-that your life will be my death?" It must mean that I and my master are to kill you." "Do not lie, idle boaster! The Creator did not say it, and do not impute such words to him." "It is true; no doubt he said that we should live by killing you." "Good-for nothing! the Creator did not speak thus!