Short Stories

[Miss Jordan]

Three Kernels of Corn



Three young men were once given three kernels of corn apiece by a wise old sage, who admonished them to go out into the world, and use the corn to bring themselves good fortune. The first young man put his three kernels of corn into a bowl of hot broth and ate them.

The second thought, I can do better than that, and he planted his three kernels of corn. Within a few months, he had three stalks of corn. He took the ears of corn from the stalks, boiled them, and had enough corn for three meals.

The third man said to himself, I can do better than that!

He also planted his three kernels of corn, but when his three stalks of corn produced, he stripped one of the stalks and replanted all of the seeds in it, gave the second stalk of corn to a sweet maiden, and ate the third.

His one full stalk's worth of replanted corn kernels gave him 200 stalks of corn! And the kernels of these he continued to replant, setting aside only a bare minimum to eat. He eventually planted a hundred acres of corn. With his fortune, he not only won the hand of the sweet maiden but purchased the land owned by the sweet maiden's father.

And he never hungered again.

[Miss Jordan]

8 Lies of A Mother



The story began when I was a child; I was a son of a poor family. We did not even have enough food. When ever meal times came, mother would often give me her portion of rice. While she was removing her rice into my bowl, she would say "Eat this rice, son. I'm not hungry."

That was Mother's First Lie.

When I was growing up, my persevering mother gave her spare time to go fishing in a river near our house, she hoped that from the fish she caught, she could gave me a little bit of nutritious food for my growth. After fishing, she would cook some fresh fish soup, which raised my appetite. While I was eating the soup, mother would sit beside me and eat the rest of the fish, which was still on the bone of the fish I had eaten. My heart was touched when I saw that. I then used my chopstick and gave the other fish to her. But she immediately refused and said "Eat this fish, son. I don't really like fish."

That was Mother's Second Lie.

Then, when I was in Junior High School...... to fund my studies, mother went to an economic enterprise to bring some used-match boxes that would need to be stuck together. It gave her some money to cover our needs. As the winter came, I woke up from my sleep and looked at my mother who was still awake, supported by a little candlelight and with perseverance she would continue the work of sticking some used-match boxes. I said, "Mother, go to sleep, it's late, tomorrow morning you still have to go to work.” Mother smiled and said "Go to sleep, dear. I'm not tired."

That was Mother's Third Lie.

The final term arrived..... ..Mother asked for leave from work in order to accompany me. While the sun was starting to shine strongly, my persevering mother waited for me under the heat for several hours. As the bell rang, which indicated that the final exam had finished, mother immediately welcomed me and poured me a cup of tea that she had brought in a flask. Seeing my mother covered with perspiration, I at once gave her my cup and asked her to drink too. Mother said "Drink, son. I'm not thirsty! "

That was Mother's Fourth Lie.

After the death of my father due to illness, my poor mother had to play her role as a single parent. She had to fund our needs alone. Our family's life was more complicated. No days without suffering. Our family's condition was getting worse, a kind uncle who lived near our house assisted now and then. Our neighbors often advised my mother to marry again. But mother was stubborn and didn't take their advice; she said "I don't need love."

That was Mother's Fifth Lie.

After I had finished my studies and got a job, it was the time for my old mother to retire. But she didn't want to; she would go to the market place every morning, just to sell some vegetables to fulfill her needs. I, who worked in another city, often sent her some money to help her, in fulfilling her needs, but she would not accept the money. At times, she even sent the money back to me. She said "I have enough money."

That was Mother's Sixth Lie.

After graduating with a Bachelors Degree, I then continued to do a Masters Degree. It was funded by a company through a scholarship program. I finally worked in the company. With a good salary, I intended to bring my mother to enjoy her life in Gulf. But my lovely mother didn't want to bother her son. She said to me, "I’m not use to."

That was Mother's Seventh Lie.

In her old age, mother got stomach cancer and had to be hospitalized. I, who lived miles away, across the ocean, went home to visit my dearest mother. She lay in weakness on her bed after having an operation. Mother, who looked so old, was staring at me in deep thought. She tried to spread her smile on her face...but it was a noticeable effort. It was clear that the disease had weakened mother's body. She looked so frail and weak. I stared at my mother with tears flowing. My heart was hurt,... so hurt, seeing my mother in that condition. But mother with the little strength she had, said "Don't cry, my dear. I'm not in pain."

That was Mother's Eighth and Last Lie. After saying her eighth lie, my Dearest mother closed her eyes forever

[Miss Jordan]

Stealing Cookies



A young lady was waiting for her flight in a boarding room of a big airport. As she should need to wait many hours, she decided to buy a book to spend her time. She also bought a pack of cookies. She sat down in an armchair, in the VIP room of the airport, to rest and read in peace.

Beside the armchair where the packet of cookies lay, a man sat down in the next seat, opened his magazine and started reading. When she took out the first cookie, the man took one also. She felt irritated but said nothing. She just thought, "What the nerve! If I was in the mood, I would punch him for daring!"

For each cookie she took, the man took one too. This was infuriating her but she didn't want to cause a scene. When only one cookie remained, she thought: "Ah... what this abusive man do now?"

Then, the man taking the last cookie, divided it into half, giving her one half.

"Ah! That's too much!" she thought. She was too much angry now! In a huff, she took her book, her things and stormed to the boarding place. When she sat down in her seat inside the plane, she looked into her purse to take her eyeglasses, and to her surprise, her packet of cookies was there, untouched... unopened.

She felt so ashamed! She realized that she was wrong... she forgotten that her cookies were kept in her purse. The man had divided his cookies with her, without feeling angered or bitter, while she had been very angry, thinking that she was dividing his cookies with him.

And now, there are no chance to explain or apologize.

[Miss Jordan]

Porcupines And The Coldest Winter Ever



It was the coldest winter ever, and many animals died because of the cold. The porcupines, realizing the situation, decided to group together. This way they covered and protected themselves; but the quills of each one wounded their closest companions even though they shared their heat with each other.

After awhile, they decided to distance themselves one from the other to stop being wounded.

As they did this, they began to die... alone and frozen. So they had to make a choice: either accept the quills of their companions or disappear from the Earth. Wisely, they decided to go back to being together. This way they learned to live with the little wounds that were caused by the close relationship with their companion, but the most important part of it, was the heat that came from the others that enabled them to survive the coldest winter ever.

[Miss Jordan]

No Time To Brag



Two geese were about to start southward on their annual migration, when they were entreated by a frog to take him with them. The geese expressed their willingness to do so if a means of conveyance could be devised.

The frog produced a long stalk of pond grass, got the geese each to grab an end with their beaks, while he clung to it by his mouth in the middle. In this way the three began their journey. Some farmers below noticed the strange sight. The men loudly expressed their admiration for the travel device and wondered who had been clever enough to discover it.

Whereupon the vainglorious frog opened his mouth to say, "It was I," lost his grip, fell to the earth, and was dashed to pieces.

[Miss Jordan]

Danger Has No Favorites



A lady brought her small son to the Mulla's school. "He is very badly behaved," she explained, "and I want you to frighten him."

The Mulla assumed a threatening posture, eyes flaming and face working. He jumped up and down, and suddenly ran out of the building. The woman fainted. When she had come to, she waited for the Mulla, who returned slowly and gravely.

"I asked you to frighten the boy, not me!"

"Dear Madam," said the Mulla, "did you not see how afraid I was of myself as well? When danger threatens, it threatens all alike."

[Miss Jordan]

What Has Gone Before



In a dark alleyway an agile pickpocket tried to snatch Mulla Nasrudin's purse. Nasrudin was too quick for him, and there was a violent struggle. Eventually Nasrudin got this man down on the ground.

At this moment a charitable woman passing by called out:

"You bully! Let that little man get up, and give him a chance."

"Madam," panted Nasrudin, "you ignore the trouble which I have had getting him down."

[Miss Jordan]

The Innocent Thief



Mulla Nasrudin's donkey was stolen from its stable one night. The next morning, whenMulla found out that he had been robbed, he began searching for the donkey, asking the neighbors whether or not they had seen his donkey.

The neighbors, who had heard the news, began to scold Mulla. One said: "Why did you leave the stable door open?"

Another said: "Why did you not keep your eyes open so the thief could not steal it?"

A third one said: "You sleep like a log. That is why you could not hear the stable door open and catch the thief."

Hearing all this, Mulla became angry and said: "Well, as you would have it, I am guilty of everything you say, and the thief is completely innocent!"

[Miss Jordan]

Why We Are Here

by Idries Shah



Walking one evening along a deserted road, Mulla Nasrudin saw a troop of horsemen coming towards him. His imagination started to work; he saw himself captured and sold as a slave, or impressed into the army.

Nasrudin bolted, climbed a wall into a graveyard, and lay down in an open tomb. Puzzled at his strange behaviour, the men - honest travelers - followed him. They found him stretched out, tense and quivering.

"What are you doing in that grave? We saw you run away. Can we help you?"

"Just because you can ask a question does not mean that there is a straightforward answer to it," said the Mulla, who now realized what had happened.

"It all depends on your viewpoint. If you must know, however: I am here because of you, and you are here because of me."

[Miss Jordan]

Upstairs Downstairs

by Houman Farzad



A beggar knocked on Mulla Nasrudin's door. Mulla opened the window from upstairs and said: "What do you want?"

"Come down here and I'll tell you," said the beggar.

Mulla came all the way down and opened the door. "Well, what do you want?"

"Can you spare me a coin?" requested teh beggar. Feeling annoyed, Mulla shut the door and went upstairs and opened the window. "Come up here."

The beggar climbed up several flights of stairs and knocked on the door. Nasrudin said, "I'm sorry, but I don't have any change to spare."

"Why didn't you tell me this downstairs so that I didn't have to climb up so many stairs?" asked the beggar.

"And why didn't you tell me," asked Mulla, "when I first asked you want you wanted?"