The 4 Wives

There was a rich merchant who had 4 wives. He loved the 4th wife the most and adorned her with rich robes and treated her to delicacies. He took great care of her and gave her nothing but the best.

He also loved the 3rd wife very much. He's very proud of her and always wanted to show off her to his friends. However, the merchant is always in great fear that she might run away with some other men.

He too, loved his 2nd wife. She is a very considerate person, always patient and in fact is the merchant's confidante. Whenever the merchant faced some problems, he always turned to his 2nd wife and she would always help him out and tide him through difficult times.

Now, the merchant's 1st wife is a very loyal partner and has made great contributions in maintaining his wealth and business as well as taking care of the household. However, the merchant did not love the first wife and although she loved him deeply, he hardly took notice of her.

One day, the merchant fell ill. Before long, he knew that he was going to die soon. He thought of his luxurious life and told himself, "Now I have 4 wives with me. But when I die, I'll be alone. How lonely I'll be!"

Thus, he asked the 4th wife, "I loved you most, endowed you with the finest clothing and showered great care over you. Now that I'm dying, will you follow me and keep me company?" "No way!" replied the 4th wife and she walked away without another word.
The answer cut like a sharp knife right into the merchant's heart.

The sad merchant then asked the 3rd wife, "I have loved you so much for all my life. Now that I'm dying, will you follow me and keep me company?" "No!" replied the 3rd wife. "Life is so good over here! I'm going to remarry when you die!" The merchant's heart sank and turned cold.

He then asked the 2nd wife, "I always turned to you for help and you've always helped me out. Now I need your help again. When I die, will you follow me and keep me company?" "I'm sorry, I can't help you out this time!" replied the 2nd wife. "At the very most, I can only send you to your grave." The answer came like a bolt of thunder and the merchant was devastated.

Then a voice called out : "I'll leave with you. I'll follow you no matter where you go." The merchant looked up and there was his first wife. She was so skinny, almost like she suffered from malnutrition. Greatly grieved, the merchant said, "I should have taken much better care of you while I could have !"

Actually, we all have 4 wives in our lives

a. The 4th wife is our body. No matter how much time and effort we lavish in making it look good, it'll leave us when we die.

b. Our 3rd wife ? Our possessions, status and wealth. When we die, they all go to others.

c. The 2nd wife is our family and friends. No matter how close they had been there for us when we're alive, the furthest they can stay by us is up to the grave.

d. The 1st wife is in fact our soul, often neglected in our pursuit of material, wealth and sensual pleasure.

Guess what? It is actually the only thing that follows us wherever we go. Perhaps it's a good idea to cultivate and strengthen it now rather than to wait until we're on our deathbed to lament.

http://www.indianchild.com/4_wives.htm

As long as...

As long as we've got water, where the fish swims
As long as we've got land, where the deer goes to and glazes
As long as we've got jungles, where the wild animals can hide themselves
Are we safe on this earth.

When the hide place is gone and the planes are destroyed
- Where shall we be then?

Our own land, our living bread, has got smaller
Mountain waters have sunk
Rivers have dried out
The streams are singing with sorrow in their voice
The fields are getting black, the grass is withering
The birds are quiet and flying.

Things we've earned
Don't touch our hearts
The thing that was supposed to make everything so easy
Have no value.

Painfull, is walking
On hard stoneways
Silently, are mountain people crying
While the time hurries
Dilutes the blood
The language doesn't ring anymore
The water stops waving.


Poem by: Paulus Utsi (1918-1975)
Translated by: Atousa Gharvan

Find Out Whether You Are Spoiled or Not!

Check each that applies:
Do you have:

[ ] Mother
[ ] Father
[ ] Step-Mother
[ ] Step-Sister
[ ] Step-Brother
[ ] Half-Brother
[ ] Nephew
[ ] Niece
[ ] Cell phone
[ ] Own bathroom
[ ] Own room
[ ] Swimming pool
[ ] Hot tub
[ ] Guest room
[ ] Computer in a Computer Room
[ ] TV
TOTAL SO FAR: {?}

[ ] Fullsize or bigger bed
[ ] More than 8 pairs of shoes
[ ] Sunglasses
[ ] Watch
[ ] MP3 Player/iPod
[ ] PS2
[ ] Xbox
[ ] Nintendo DS or PSP
[ ] Gameboy/ Advance
[ ] Gamecube
TOTAL SO FAR: {?}

[ ] Basketball hoop
[ ] Air hockey table
[ ] Pool table
[ ] Ping pong table
[ ] Fooseball table
[ ] Trampoline
TOTAL SO FAR: {?}

[ ] Nightstand
[ ] Stereo in bedroom
[ ] DVD player
[ ] Have something from Abercrombie and Fitch or Hollister
[ ] Parents give you credit card
TOTAL SO FAR: {?}

[ ] Job
[ ] Goes shopping at least once a week
[ ] Expensive cologne/perfume
[ ] AIM/MSN
[ ] Camera or phone
TOTAL SO FAR: {?}

[ ] Electric or gas scooter/motorcycle/car
[ ] Guitar/Drums/Bass guitar
[ ] Piano/Keyboard
[ ] Any other instrument
[ ] Been on a cruise
[ ] Travelled out of the province
[ ] Had a personal trainer
[ ] Expensive jewellery
[ ] Met a celebrity
TOTAL SO FAR: {?}

[ ] Straightener/curling iron
[ ] Have been to a batting cage
[ ] Have $100 on you right now (in mixed currency)
[ ] Credit card or bank card
[ ] Been to Europe
[ ] Been to Hawaii
[ ] Been to NYC
[ ] Been to LA
[ ] Been to Florida
[ ] Been to Las Vegas
[ ] Been to the Bahamas
[ ] Been to South America
TOTAL SO FAR: {?}

[ ] Parents have a car
[ ] Jet Ski/boat
[ ] Camper
[ ] Been to 5+ countries in the Europe
[ ] 100+ buddies on your cellphone
[ ] More than one house (appartment is same as house, as long as it's home)
TOTAL: {?}

[ ] Home cooked meal almost every day
[ ] Been in a limo
[ ] Been in a helicopter
[ ] Own a camcorder
[ ] Own a laptop computer
TOTAL: {?}

1 - 22 = Ghetto
23 - 33 = Average
34 - 44 = Spoiled
45+ = Upper Class/R


Source: Unknown

The Relation Between The Way of Sleeping And The Personality

People who curve their body like an infant while sleeping, are tough but at the same time, very soft and kind in the inside. They might seem a little shy when they first meet some one they don't know, but that shyness will soon be over and they will be ralxed.

People who sleep on the sides with their hands down and parallel to their body, are very social and good at communicating. They trust strangers easily and they like to participate in big meetings. They would also be cheated faster and easier than others.

Some people who sleep on the sides, keep their hands outward. These peopple are playful, but still sceptical, grumbling, and caviller. they might hesitate in making decisions, but once they've made up their mind for doing something, nothing can stop them.

Those who sleep on their back, with their hands parallel to their body, are usually quiet and self-possessed.


Source: Unknown
Translated by: Atousa Gharvan

The Ant-Eater

Some wealthy folks from U.S.A,
Who lived near San Francisco Bay,
Possessed an only child called Roy,
A plump and unattractive boy –
Half-baked, half-witted and half-boiled,
But worst of all, most dreadfully spoiled.
Whatever Roy desired each day,
His father bought him right away –
Toy motorcars, electric trains,
The latest models aeroplanes,
A colour television-set,
A saxophone, a clarinet,
Expensive teddy-bears that talked,
And animals that walked and squawked.
That house contained sufficient toys
To thrill a half a million boys.
(As well as this young Roy would choose,
Two pairs a week of brand new shoes.)
And now he stood there shouting, "What
On earth is there I haven't got?
How hard to think of something new!
The choices are extremely few!"
Then added, as he scratched his ear,
"Hold it! I've got a good idea!
I think the next thing I must get
Should be a most peculiar pet –
The kind that no one else has got –
A giant ANT-EATER! Why not?"
As soon as father heard the news,
He quickly wrote to all the zoos,
"Dear Sirs," he said "My dear keepers,
Do any of you have ant-eaters?"
They answered by return of mail.
"Our ant-eaters are not for sale."
Undaunted, Roy's fond parent hurled
More messages across the world.
At last he found an Indian gent
(He lived near Delhi, in a tent),
Who said that he would sacrifice
His pet for an enormous price
(The price demanded if you please,
Was fifty thousand gold rupees).
The ant-eater arrived half-dead.
It looked at Roy and softly said,
"I'm famished. Do you think you could
Please give me just a little food?
A crust of bread, a bit of meat?
I haven't had a thing to eat
In all the time I was at sea,
For nobody looked after me."
Roy shouted, "No! No bread or meat!
Go and find some ants! They're what you eat!"
The starving creature crawled away.
It searched the garden night and day,
It hunted every inch of ground,
But not single and it found.
"Please give me food!" The creature cried,
"Go and find an ant!" The boy replied.
By chance, upon that very day,
Roy's father's sister came to stay –
A foul old hag of eighty-three
Whose name, it seems, was Dorothy.
She said to Roy come let us sit
Out in the sun and talk a bit."
Roy said, "I don't believe you've met
My new and most unusual pet?"
He pointed down among the stones
Where something lay, all skin and bones.
"Ant-eater!" He yelled. "Don't lie there Yawning!
This is my ant! Come say good-morning!"
(Some people in the U.S.A.
Have troubles with the words they say.
However hard they try, they can't
Pronounce a simple word like AUNT.
Instead of AUNT, they call it ANT,
Instead of CAN'T, they call it KANT.)
Roy yelled, "Come here you so-and-so!
My ant would like to say hello!"
Slowly, the creature raised its head.
D'you mean that that's an ant?" it said.
"Of course!" Cried Roy. "Ant Dorothy!
This ant is over eighty-three."
The creature smiled. Its tummy rumbled.
It licked its starving lips and mumbled,
"A giant ant! By Gosh, a winner!
At last I'll get a decent dinner!
No matter if it's eighty-three
If that's an ant, then it's for me!"
Then, taking very careful aim,
It pounced upon the startled dame.
It grabbed her firmly by the hair
And ate her up right then and there,
Murmuring as it chewed the feet,
"The largest ant I'll ever eat."
Meanwhile our hero Roy had sped
In terror to the pudding-shed.
And tried to make himself obscure
Behind a pile of horse-manure.
But ant-eater came sneaking in
(Already it was much less thin)
And said to Roy, "You little squirt,
I think I'll have you for dessert."

By: Rolad Dahl

Why Should There Be Copyright?

In my opinion copyright is a very good law that prevents people to abuse an artistic work such as a film or a book.
Having copyright, a writer or a film maker can be sure that his/her work will be presented to people without any changes in the quality or in the content. Nowadays all around the world, in many countries, this law is being obeyed and it can be a good help to the society of arts.
When some profiteers break this rule and copy someone's work illegally, they hurt the economical and mental situation of its owner. It also disappoints him/her a lot for doing the future works. But if everybody obeys this rule, the rights of the artistic work's owner will be reserved and every thing will be as it is predicted.
Another point that I can make is that this law will result in products with higher qualities and without any changes. So both the producers and the ones who buy them are satisfied with it.
Totally, it is very good to have this law in a country and check every body to obey it. So there will be more films, books, etc. and we can be sure of the products presented to us.

An Unforgettable Day

I was only a few hours away, sitting in the car, thinking about how it would be to meet him for the first time. I had never been this much stressed for meeting someone. He had been living in Austria for the last 37 years. I was curious. I wanted to know how he looked like and how he behaved. Would he be like me? Would he like me? Did he look forward to meet me? Of course not! Silly me! He didn't even know that I was going to be there. It was supposed to be a surprise. A big one if you ask me. I was so lost in my thoughts that I didn't understand the passing of time. Suddenly I heard my mom telling me to get out of the car. I didn't want to be the first one to get in the house, so I stood behind my mom and told her to knock. It was my cousin who opened the door; it was his house after all. I went in right after my mom, kissing and hugging my aunts and cousins and their kids. I couldn't believe that they had become this big. I turned around to enter the sitting room and there he was, standing in front of me. Even though I had never seen him before, but he seemed so familiar. It was like looking at my father, only that he was smaller than my father. We stood there staring at each other for a few seconds. Then one of my aunts came and said "Mr. Gh, I present you Atousa, your niece."