Songbirds offices

Songbirds offices


Long ago a great mountain began to rumble and shake . People came from far and near to see what would happen. "A great river will be born." said one. "Surely nothing less than a mighty dragon will come out." said another. "A god himself will spring form these rocks." said a third. Finally , after days of expectation a small crack appeared in the mountain. And out popped ---- a mouse. Just because someone makes a lot of fuss, it doesn't mean he is important.

Mantis catch Cicada

Mantis catch Cicada

There is a elm in the garden ,there is a cicada .Cicada is calling mournful and flaping its wings ,it is ready to suck the cool dew,but it do not know that there is a mantie is standing its back. Mantis out its two forearm ,like two machete.It wants to eat the cicada. When it is ready to catch the cicada,but it don't know there is a oriole is standing its back. Oriole out its neck and want to eat the mantis.When it is ready to eat the mantis,but it don't know there is a boy with slingshot under the elm is standing its back, he has ready to aim it. When the boy want to kill the oriole,but he does not there is a deep at front,behind there is a stump. This is performance that only think the current benifit and regardless the the harmful effect of the back.

Fox and wild boar

A wild boar was sharpening his tusks against a tree one day when a fox came by. "What are you doing that for?" asked the fox . "There are no hunters around. Everything looks very peaceful to me ." "Quite true, "said the boar, "but when the hunter does come with his dogs I shall be too busy running away to have time for this . So let me sharpen my tusks while I can." Be prepared .

Wolf and donkey

A wolf once met a donkey on the road outside the village. "I 'm going to eat you up, "said the wolf . "Certainly, " replied the donkey, thinking fast. "But please don't eat me out here on the road where everyone can see. I shall be so ashamed . Take me into the forest. Don't be afraid that I shall try to escape. Here, tie this rope round your neck and fasten it to my bridle. Then I will lead you to a quiet spot I know." The wolf thought this was a good idea so he fastened the rope round his neck and knotted it firmly to the donkey's bridle. "Now I will go wherever you say, " said the donkey. "Show me the way to your quiet spot , " ordered the wolf. "Very well," said the donkey, setting off down the road towards the village. As they came to the first houses the wolf began to suspect that he had been tricked. "This is not the way to the forest, " he said, tugging at his end of the rope. "This road goes to the village." "Don't worry," said the donkey cheerfully , "This is a short cut. " The donkey began to trot faster , then to gallop. The rope round the wolf's neck drew tight; in a very short time he was dragged right up to the donkey's door. The master, his wife and their three sons all came running out to rescue the donkey . They were so angry that they would have killed the wolf there and then. Fortunately for the wolf , however , one of the sons threw a knife at him. The knife missed , but it cut the rope round his neck. The next moment all the family could see was a cloud of dust in the road as the wolf fled to safety in the dark forest. If you keep your head you will be all right.

Bundle of twigs

A man once had four sons who never stopped quarrelling with one another. He was always telling them how much easier life would be if they worked together but they took absolutely no notice of him. One day he decided to show them what he meant. He called all the sons together and put a tightly tied bundle of sticks on the floor in front of them. "Can you break that ? " he asked the youngest son. The boy put his knee on the bundle but though he pressed and pulled with his arms he could not bend the wood. The father asked each son in turn to try to break the bundle, but none of them could do it . Then he untied the string and scattered the sticks. " Now try, " he said . The boys broke the sticks easily in their hands. "Do you see what I mean ?" asked the father. "if only you stand together no one can hurt you . If you all disagree the whole time and insist on going your separate ways, the first enemy you meet will be able to destroy you. " United we stand ; divided we fall.

Parrot and a cat

A man once bought a brilliantly-coloured parrot. Instead of locking it up in a cage or chaining it to a perch, he allowed it to fly free all over the house. The parrot was delighted at this and flapped from room to room, shrieking and screaming with happiness. At last he settled on the edge of a rich curtain. "Who on earth are you ?" said a cross voice from below. "Stop that terrible noise at once." The parrot saw a cat staring up at him from the carpet. "I 'm a parrot. I 've just arrived and I 'm to make as much noise as I can," he said. "Well, I 've lived here all my life," replied the cat ."I was born in this very house and I learned from my mother that it is best to keep quiet here." "Keep quiet then, "said the parrot cheerfully. "I don't know what you do around here, but I know my job. My master bought me for my voice and I'm going to make sure he hears it."

Different people are valued for different things.

Boys and nettle

A man once bought a brilliantly-coloured parrot. Instead of locking it up in a cage or chaining it to a perch, he allowed it to fly free all over the house. The parrot was delighted at this and flapped from room to room, shrieking and screaming with happiness. At last he settled on the edge of a rich curtain. "Who on earth are you ?" said a cross voice from below. "Stop that terrible noise at once." The parrot saw a cat staring up at him from the carpet. "I 'm a parrot. I 've just arrived and I 'm to make as much noise as I can," he said. "Well, I 've lived here all my life," replied the cat ."I was born in this very house and I learned from my mother that it is best to keep quiet here." "Keep quiet then, "said the parrot cheerfully. "I don't know what you do around here, but I know my job. My master bought me for my voice and I'm going to make sure he hears it." Different people are valued for different things.

Rats and Bulls

A mouse once took a bite out of a bull's tail as he lay dozing. The bull jumped up in a rage and, with his head low to the ground, chased the mouse right across the yard. The mouse was too quick for him, however, and slipped easily into a hole in the wall. The bull charged the wall furiously again and again, but although he bruised his head and chipped his horns, the mouse stayed safely inside his hole. After a time the bull gave up and sank down to rest again. As soon as the bull was asleep, the little mouse crept to the mouth of the hole, pattered across the yard, bit the bull again -- this time on the nose -- and rushed back to safety. As the bull roared helplessly the mouse squeaked: "It's not always the big people who come off best. Sometimes the small ones win, you know."

Kuok's Market

Kuok's Market

On a vacation trip, Duke Huan of the state of Qi came to the ruin of the capital of Guo Shi , which perished long ago. Seeing the desolate and bleak prospects of broken tiles, collapsed walls, and clusters of weeds, he could not help asking the local people about the reason of the ruin of Guo Shi. They replied,"Guo Shi was fond of doing good deeds, and averse to evildoing, which led to the perdition." When the Duke could not understand the answer, people explained ," Though he liked doing good, he had never been able to do so; though he hated evildoing, never could he help not participating. That caused the ruin of his capital."

Snake-like Reflection of a Bow in the Cup

Snakelike Reflectionof a Bow in the Cup

Nearly 2,000 years ago, during the Han Dynasty, there was a county magistrate called Ying Chen. One summer day, he invited his secretary Du Xuan to his house and treated him with wine. On the north wall of the room hung a red bow. It was reflected in Du Xuan's cup. Du Xuan took the reflection for a squirming snake. He was very frightened but he dared not turn down Ying Chen's offer because Ying was his superior. He had to swallow the wine with his eyes closed. 　　When he was back at home he felt so painful in his chest and stomach that he could hardly eat and drink any more. He sent for the doctor and took some medicine, but nothing could cure him. When Ying Chen asked Du Xuan how he got so seriously ill, Du told him he drank the wine with a snake in his cup the other day. Ying Chen found something strange about that. He returned home , thought hard, but he could not find an answer. Suddenly the shadow thrown by the bow on the wall caught his eye. "That's it!" he shouted. He immediately sent his man to fetch Du Xuan. He seated him where he sat before and offered him a cup of wine. Du Xuan saw the snake-like shadow again. Before Du was scared out of his wits again, Ying Chen said , pointing at the shadow, "The 'snake' in the cup is nothing but a reflection of the bow on the wall!" Now that Do Xuan knew what it was, he felt much easier. And strange enough, his illness disappeared the next moment.　　This story was later contracted into the idiom "Bei Gong She Ying'. It is used to describe someone who is very suspicious. It is like saying someone is afraid of his own shadow.