FAIRY TALE for Managers!

Many years ago in a small Indian village,

A farmer had the misfortune Of owing a large sum of money to a village moneylender.

The Moneylender, who was old and ugly, fancied the farmer's beautiful Daughter. So he proposed a bargain.

He said he would forgo the farmer's debt if he could marry his Daughter. Both the farmer and his daughter were horrified by the Proposal.

So the cunning money-lender suggested that they let Providence decide the matter.

He told them that he would put a black Pebble and a white pebble into an empty money bag. Then the girl would Have to pick one pebble from the bag.

1) If she picked the black pebble, she would become his wife and her father's debt would be forgiven.


2) If she picked the white pebble she need not marry him and her father's debt would still be forgiven.


3) But if she refused to pick a pebble, her father would be thrown into Jail.


They were standing on a pebble strewn path in the farmer's field. As They talked, the moneylender bent over to pick up two pebbles. As he Picked them up, the sharp-eyed girl noticed that he had picked up two Black pebbles and put them into the bag.


He then asked the girl to pick A pebble from the bag.


Now, imagine that you were standing in the field. What would you have Done if you were the girl? If you had to advise her, what would you Have told her?

Careful analysis would produce three possibilities:


1. The girl should refuse to take a pebble.
2. The girl should show that there were two black pebbles in the bag And expose the money-lender as a cheat.

3. The girl should pick a black pebble and sacrifice herself in order To save her father from his debt and imprisonment.


Take a moment to ponder over the story. The above story is used with The hope that it will make us appreciate the difference between lateral And logical thinking.


The girl's dilemma cannot be solved with Traditional logical thinking. Think of the consequences if she chooses.The above logical answers.


What would you recommend to the Girl to do?


Well, here is what she did ....


The girl put her hand into the moneybag and drew out a pebble. Without Looking at it, she fumbled and let it fall onto the pebble-strewn path Where it immediately became lost among all the other pebbles.


"Oh, how clumsy of me," she said. "But never mind, if you look into the Bag for the one that is left, you will be able to tell which pebble I Picked."


Since the remaining pebble is black, it must be assumed that she had Picked the white one. And since the money-lender dared not admit his Dishonesty, the girl changed what seemed an impossible situation into An extremely advantageous one.


MORAL OF THE STORY:

Most complex problems do have a solution. It is only that we don't Attempt to think.

A Pillow & A Blanket

A long time ago, a young, wealthy girl was getting ready for bed. She was sayingher prayers when she heard a muffled crying coming through her window. A littlefrightened, she went over to the window and leaned out. Another girl, who seemedto be about her age and homeless was standing in the alley by the rich girlshouse. Her heart went out to the homeless girl, for it was the dead of winter,and the girl had no blanket, only old newspapers someone had thrown out.The rich girl was suddenly struck with a brilliant idea. She called to the othergirl and said, "You there, come to my front door, please."

The homeless girl was so startled she could only manage to nod.

As quick as her legs could take her, the young girl ran down the hall to hermothers closet, and picked out an old quilt and a beat up pillow. She had towalk slower down to the front door as to not trip over the quilt which washanging down, but she made it eventually. Dropping both the articles, she openedthe door. Standing there was the homeless girl, looking quite scared. The richgirl smiled warmly and handed both articles to the other girl. Her smile grewwider as she watched the true amazement and happiness alight upon the othergirl's face. She went to bed incredibly satisfied.

In mid-morning the next day a knock came to the door. The rich girl flew to thedoor hoping that it was the other little girl there. She opened the large doorand looked outside. It was the other little girl. Her face looked happy, and shesmiled. "I suppose you want these back."

The rich little girl opened her mouth to say that she could keep them whenanother idea popped into her head. "No, I want them back."

The homeless girl's face fell. This was obviously not the answer she had hopedfor. She reluctantly laid down the beat up things, and turned to leave when therich girl yelled, "Wait! Stay right there." She turned in time to see the richgirl running up the stairs and down a long corridor. Deciding whatever the richlittle girl was doing wasn't worth waiting for she started to turn around andwalk away. As her foot hit the first step, she felt someone tap her on theshoulder, turning she saw the rich little girl, thrusting a new blanket andpillow at her. "Have these." she said quietly.

These were her own personal belonging made of silk and down feathers.

As the two grew older they didn't see each other much, but they were never farfrom each other's minds. One day, the Rich girl, who was now a Rich woman got atelephone call from someone. A lawyer, saying that she was requested to see him.When she arrived at the office, he told her what had happened. Forty years ago,when she was nine years old, she had helped a little girl in need. That grewinto a middle-class woman with a husband and two children. She had recently diedand left something for her in her will. "Though," the lawyer said, "it's themost peculiar thing. She left you a pillow and a blanket."

THINGS TO KNOW IN OUR WORLD

(1).The time spent deleting SPAM costs United States businesses $21.6 billion annually.

(2) 60.7 percent of eligible voters participated in the 2004 presidential election, the highest percentage in 36 years. However, more than 78 million did not vote. This means President Bush won re-election by receiving votes from less than 31% of all eligible voters in the United States.

(3) John Quincy Adams, sixth president of the United States, loved to skinny dip in the Potomac River.

(4) La Paz, Bolivia has an average annual temperature below 50 degrees Fahrenheit. However, it has never recorded a zero-degree temperature. Same for Stanley, Falkland Islands and Punta Arenas, Chile.

(5) 41% of Chinese people eat at least once a week at a fast food restaurant. 35% of Americans do.

(6) A Wisconsin forklift operator for a Miller beer distributor was fired when a picture was published in a newspaper showing him drinking a Bud Light.

(7) G-rated family films earn more money than any other rating. Yet only 3% of Hollywood's output is G-rated.

(8) Richard Hatch, winner of the first "Survivor" reality series, has been charged with tax evasion for failing to report his $1,000,000 prize.

(9) The entire fleet of Unicoi County Tennessee's salt trucks was rendered out of commission in one accident. All three trucks were badly damaged when one of them began skidding down a road, causing a chain reaction accident. Officials blamed road conditions.

(10) More people study English in China than speak it in the United States of America (300 million).

(11) Fast food provider Hardee's has recently introduced the Monster Thickburger. It has 1,420 calories and 107 grams of fat.

(12) More than 2,500 left-handed people are killed each year from using products that are made for right-handed people.

(13) For every person on earth, there are an estimated 200 million insects.

(14) There are 2,000,000 millionaires in the United States.

(15) 1.5 million Americans are charged with drunk driving each year.

(16) A Georgia company will mix your loved one's ashes with cement and drop it into the ocean to form an artificial reef.

(17) The Washington Times newspaper is owned by the Rev. Sun Myung Moon.

(18) The busiest shopping hour of the holiday season is between 3:00 PM and 4:00 PM on Christmas Eve.

(19) In 2002, women earned 742,000 bachelor's degrees. Men earned only 550,000 during the same year. The difference is growing so large that many colleges now practice (quietly) affirmative action for male applicants.

(20) Most of the deck chairs on the Queen Mary 2 have had to be replaced because overweight Americans were breaking them.

(21) Actor Bill Murray doesn't have a publicist or an agent.

(22) The day after President George W. Bush was reelected, Canada's main immigration website had 115,000 visitors. Before Bush's re-election, this site averaged about 20,000 visitors each day.

(23) Only 30% of stolen artwork worth more than $1,000,000 each is recovered.

(24) The typical American child receives 70 new toys a year, most of them during the holiday season.

(25) 90% of Canada's 31,000,000 citizens live within 100 miles of the U.S. border.

My mom only had one eye

My mom only had one eye. I hated her... She was such an embarrassment.
She cooked for students and teaches to support the family.
There was this one day during elementary school where my mom came to say hello to me. I was so embarrassed.

How could she do this to me? I ignored her, threw her a hateful look and ran out.
The next day at school one of my classmates said, "EEEE, your mom only has one eye!"

I wanted to bury myself. I also wanted my mom to just disappear.
I confronted her that day and said, " If you're only gonna make me a laughing stock, why don't you just die?"

My mom did not respond... I didn't even stop to think for a second about what I had said, because I was full of anger. I was oblivious to her feelings.

I wanted out of that house, and have nothing to do with her. So I studied real hard, got a chance to go abroad to study.

Then, I got married. I bought a house of my own. I had kids of my own.
I was happy with my life, my kids and the comforts. Then one day, my Mother came to visit me. She hadn't seen me in years and she didn't even meet her grandchildren.

When she stood by the door, my children laughed at her,
and I yelled at her for coming over uninvited..
I screamed at her, "How dare you come to my house and scare my children!
" GET OUT OF HERE! NOW!!!"

And to this, my mother quietly answered, "Oh, I'm so sorry.
I may have gotten the wrong address," and she disappeared out of sight.

One day, a letter regarding a school reunion came to my house.
So I lied to my wife that I was going on a business trip. After the reunion,
I went to the old shack just out of curiosity.

My neighbors said that she died. I did not shed a single tear.
They handed me a letter that she had wanted me to have.

"My dearest son,

I think of you all the time. I'm sorry that I came to your house and
scared your children.

I was so glad when I heard you were coming for the reunion.
But I may not be able to even get out of bed to see you.
I'm sorry that I was a constant embarrassment to you when
you were growing up.

You see........when you were very little, you got into an accident, and lost your eye.
As a mother, I couldn't stand watching you having to grow up with one eye.
So I gave you mine.

I was so proud of my son who was seeing a whole new world for me, in my place, with that eye.
With all my love to you,
Your mother.


Always tell someone that you love them because you never
know what day will be their last, or your own.

The Power of Giving

It was a really hot summer’s day many years ago. I was on my way to pick up two items at the grocery store. In those days, I was a frequent visitor to the supermarket because there never seemed to be enough money for a whole week’s food-shopping at once.

You see, m y young wife, after a tragic battle with cancer, had died just a few months earlier. There was no insurance -- just many expenses and a mountain of bills. I held a part-time job, which barely generated enough money to feed my two young children.

Things were bad -- really bad.

And so it was that day, with a heavy heart and four dollars in my pocket, I was on my way to the supermarket to purchase a gallon of milk and a loaf of bread. The children were hungry and I had to get them something to eat. As I came to a red traffic light, I noticed on my right a young man, a young woman and a child on the grass next to the road. The blistering noonday sun beat down on them without mercy.

The man held up a cardboard sign which read, "Will Work for Food." The woman stood next to him. She just stared at the cars stopped at the red light. The child, probably about two years old, sat on the grass holding a one-armed doll. I noticed all this in the thirty seconds it took for the traffic light to change to green.

I wanted so desperately to give them a few dollars, but if I did that, there wouldn’t be enough left to buy the milk and bread. Four dollars will only go so far. As the light changed, I took one last glance at the three of them and sped off feeling both guilty (for not helping them) and sad (because I didn’t have enough money to share with them).

As 20I kept driving, I couldn’t get the picture of the three of them out of my mind. The sad, haunting eyes of the young man and his family stayed with me for about a mile. I could take it no longer. I felt their pain and had to do something about it. I turned around and drove back to where I had last seen them.

I pulled up close to them and handed the man two of myfour dollars. There were tears in his eyes as he thanked me. I smiled and drove on to the supermarket. Perhaps both milk and bread would be on sale, I thought. And what if I only got milk alone, or just the bread? Well, it would have to do.

I pulled into the parking lot, still thinking about the whole incident,=2 0yet feeling good about what I had done. As I stepped out of the car, my foot slid on something on the pavement. There by my feet was a twenty-dollar bill. I just couldn’t believe it. I looked all around, picked it up with awe, went into the store and purchased not only bread and milk, but several other items I desperately needed.

I never forgot that incident. It reminded me that theuniverse was strange and mysterious. It confirmed my belief that you could never out give the universe. I gave away two dollars and got twenty in return. On my way back from the supermarket, I drove by the hungry family and shared five additional dollars with them. This incident is only one of many that have 20occurred in my life. It seems that the more we give, the more we get. It is, perhaps, one of those universal laws that say, "If you want to receive, you must first give."

Tounge Twisters.... ( Have a Try )

1. If you understand, say "understand". If you don't understand, say "don't understand". But if you understand and say "don't understand".How do I understand that you understand? Understand!

2. I wish to wish the wish you wish to wish, but if you wish the wish the witch wishes, I won't wish the wish you wish to wish.
3. Sounding by sound is a sound method of sounding sounds.

4. A sailor went to sea to see, what he could see. And all he could see was sea, sea, sea.

5. Purple Paper People, Purple Paper People, Purple Paper People

6. If two witches were watching two watches, which witch would watch which watch?

7. I thought a thought.But the thought I thought wasn't the thought I thought I thought. If the thought I thought I thought had been the thought I thought, I wouldn't have thought so much.

8. Once a fellow met a fellow In a field of beans. Said a fellow to a fellow, "If a fellow asks a fellow, Can a fellow tell a fellow What a fellow means?"

9. Mr Inside went over to see Mr Outside. Mr Inside stood outside and called to MrOutside inside. Mr Outside answered Mr Inside from inside and Told Mr Inside to come inside. Mr Inside said "NO", and told Mr Outside to come outside. MrOutside and Mr Inside argued from inside and outside about going outside or coming inside. Finally, Mr Outside coaxed Mr Inside to come inside, then both Mr Outside and Mr Inside went outside to the riverside.


10. SHE SELLS SEA SHELLS ON THE SEA SHORE , BUT THE SEA SHELLS THAT SHE SELLS, ON THE SEA SHORE ARE NOT THE REAL ONES

11. The owner of the inside inn was inside his inside inn with his inside outside his inside inn.

12. If one doctor doctors another doctor does the doctor who doctors the doctor doctor the doctor the way the doctor he is doctoring doctors? Or does the doctor doctor the way the doctor who doctors doctors? "When a doctor falls ill another doctor doctor's the doctor. Does the doctor doctoring the doctor doctor the doctor in his own way or does the doctor doctoring the doctor doctors the doctor in the doctor's way"

13. We surely shall see the sun shine shortly. Whether the weather be fine, Or whether the weather be not, Whether the weather be cold Or whether the weather be hot, We'll weather the weather Whatever the weather, Whether we like it or not. watch? Whether the weather is hot. Whether the weather is cold. Whether the weather is either or not. It is whether we like it or not.

14. Nine nice night nurses nursing nicely.

15. A flea and a fly in a flue Said the fly "Oh what should we do" Said the flea" Let us fly Said the fly"Let us flee" So they flew through a flaw in the flue

16. If you tell Tom to tell a tongue-twister his tongue will be twisted as tongue-twister twists tongues.

17. Mr. See owned a saw.And Mr. Soar owned a seesaw. Now See's saw sawed Soar's seesaw Before Soar saw See, Which made Soar sore.Had Soar seen See's saw Before See sawed Soar's seesaw, See's saw would not have sawed Soar's seesaw. So See's saw sawed Soar's seesaw.But it was sad to see Soar so sore Just because See's saw sawed Soar's seesaw

PREOVERB CONNECTION AT SIX

A first grade teacher had twenty-five students in her class and she
presented each child the first half of a well known proverb and asked them to come up
with the remainder of the proverb.

It's hard to believe these were actually done by first graders. Their
insight may surprise you. While reading these keep in mind that these are first
graders, 6-year-olds, because the last one is classic!

1. Don't change horses..................until they stop running.

2. Strike while the.........................bug is close.

3. It's always darkest before.........Daylight Saving Time.

4. Never underestimate the power of ....... termites.

5. You can lead a horse to water but....... .. how?

6. Don't bite the hand that ........... looks dirty.

7. No news is............impossible.

8. A miss is as good as a ............. Mr.

9. You can't teach an old dog new ........ math.

10. If you lie down with dogs, you'll ..........stink in the morning.

11. Love all, trust ........... me.

12. The pen is mightier than the ............. pigs.

13. An idle mind is.......................the best way to relax.

14. Where there's smoke there's .............. pollution.

15. Happy the bride who.....................gets all the presents.

16. A penny saved is .........! .........not much.

17. Two's company, three's ................. the Musketeers.

18. Don't put off till tomorrow what .................. you put on to go to
bed.!

19. Laugh and the whole world laughs with you, cry....... and you have to
blow your nose.

20. There are none so blind as .......Stevie Wonder.

21. Children should be seen and not ......spanked or grounded.

22. If at first you don't succeed ............... get new batteries.

23. You get out of something only what you .............. see in the picture
on the box.

24. When the blind lead the blind .................... get out of the way.

And the WINNER and last one!

25. Better late than ..............pregnant.