There is a story about a maid. After working several years, the maid went to her mistress and announced her decision to quit. The mistress enquired "Are the wages not enough? Don't you get the right treatment? Is there anything wrong with the food you get?" The maid replied, "Madam, it is not the wages, treatment or food. These are excellent and I have no complaints. But it is just that I am fed up of cleaning the same furniture every day."

A young girl, when asked by a young suitor, what sort of man she would find acceptable as a husband, replied, "He should be rich, handsome, tall, well-dressed, ambitious, clever, polite, witty and faithful. His family should be aristocratic and well-connected." The young suitor listened attentively and then asked "If you can find such a man, what will you offer this man in return?" The girl had no reply to offer.

Too many of us are like this young lady. We expect the world on a platter with little or no thought about what we can offer in return.

Wife : 'How is the tea ? Is it sweet enough?' 
Husband : 'No, but it will become sweet, if you stir it with your fingers.'

The Leader In You - An Anecdote

In an urban school, Ramesh was the naughtiest boy and a self-styled hero. He would harass any new teacher and go to any extent to win the acclaim of his other classmates. He would throw paper arrows and pieces of chalk at teachers and draw cartoons on the class blackboard. Teacher after teacher tried to correct him by punishment. But every such effort resulted in the teacher herself being made to leave the job, since Ramesh was the son of an influential member of the school board. Then came Miss Joan, a very smart and clever teacher who knew a little about human behaviour. She was warned by the Principal about Ramesh. So, on the very first day she called Ramesh and told him, "I have heard that the boys in your class don't behave very well and I want you to help me. I am going to appoint you the monitor of the class to help me discipline the boys". Well you can guess what happened next !

A fat lady, sweating profusely, went to a butcher's shop to buy chicken. On being shown a number of chickens, she smelt each one of them under their arms and legs and rejected them one by one. She then told the butcher, "I am sorry I do not like any of the chickens because they stink." The butcher replied. "Lady, could you pass this test yourself ?" 

There was an old snake in a village. He was a terror and would bite anyone coming near him. Everybody in the village was scared of him.

One day, a Swamiji (holy saint) visited the village. All the villagers got together, complained to the Swamiji and requested him to help them solve the problem with this snake. The Swamiji talked to the snake and advised him to become gentle. The snake bowed to the Swamiji and promised to obey him.

After several days, while returning from a pilgrimage, the Swamiji passed through the same village again. He went to meet the snake and found him badly bruised, bleeding and helplessly lying in a corner. The Swamiji asked the snake what had happened.

The snake replied that every one was scared of him earlier, but after he followed the latter's advice and turned docile, the naughty village boys started troubling him and throwing stones at him.

The Swamiji said 'My dear snake, I meant to advise you to stop biting but not to give up hissing.'

A boss was about to dismiss an employee. He said, "Son, I don't know how we are ever going to get along without you, but, starting Monday next, we are sure going to try. Best of luck to you." 

A glamorous Hollywood star had her picture taken and fumed at the results "I can't understand it," she said, "the last time I posed for you, the photographs were heavenly." "Ah yes," the cameraman sighed, "but you must remember, Madam, that I was eight years younger then."

After working honestly, a poor priest was granted a boon and six big jars with diamonds and pearls suddenly appeared in his house. The priest was overjoyed. He invited his wife to share his joy. The wife examined each of the jars and while she found five of them full to the brim with precious diamonds and pearls, the sixth one was half empty. The wife started crying in despair. She was very upset and persuaded her husband to sell all their meagre belongings to buy more diamonds from the market to fill the sixth jar. The priest worked harder than ever before and used all his earnings to buy diamonds. The couple would even forgo meals and go hungry most nights. Years passed, but the sixth jar was still not full. The couple aged and died miserably, uncared for, leaving behind all the diamonds and jewels.

It is said that soon after marriage, the husband speaks and the wife listens. Months later, the wife speaks and the husband listens. But after a few years, both speak and neighbours listen.