Defeat !!

Does a leaf, when it falls from the tree in winter, feel defeated by the cold?

The tree says to the leaf:
‘That’s the cycle of life. You may think you’re going to die, but you live on in me. It’s thanks to you that I’m alive, because I can breathe. It’s also thanks to you that I have felt loved, because I was able to give shade to the weary traveller. Your sap is in my sap, we are one thing.’

Does a man who spent years preparing to climb the highest mountain in the world feel defeated on reaching that mountain and discovering that nature has cloaked the summit in storm clouds?
The man says to the mountain: ‘You don’t want me this time, but the weather will change and, one day, I will make it to the top. Meanwhile, you’ll still be here waiting for me.’

Does a young man, rejected by his first love, declare that love does not exist?
The young man says to himself: ‘I’ll find someone better able to understand what I feel. And then I will be happy for the rest of my days.’

Losing a battle or losing everything we thought we possessed will bring us moments of sadness, but when those moments pass, we will discover the hidden strength that exists in each of us, a strength that will surprise us and increase our self-respect.

Wait patiently for the right moment to act.
Do not let the next opportunity slip.

Take pride in your scars.
Scars are medals branded on the flesh, and your enemies will be frightened by them because they are proof of your long experience of battle. Often this will lead them to seek dialogue and avoid conflict.

Scars speak more loudly than the sword that caused them.

The Way of the Tiger

The man was walking through the forest when he saw a crippled fox.

“How does she feed herself?” he thought.

At that moment, a tiger approached with an animal in its jaws. It satisfied its hunger and left what remained for the fox.

“If God helps the fox then he will help me too”, he thought. He returned to his house, locked the door and waited for Heaven to send him food.

Nothing happened. When he was getting too weak to go out and work, an angel appeared.

- Why did you decide to imitate the lame fox? – asked the angel. – Get up, take your tools and follow the way of the tiger !

My Top 9 Travel Tips

I realised very early on that, for me, travelling was the best way of learning. I still have a pilgrim soul, and I thought that I would use this blog to pass on some of the lessons I have learned, in the hope that they might prove useful to other pilgrims like me.

1. Avoid museums. This might seem to be absurd advice, but let’s just think about it a little: if you are in a foreign city, isn’t it far more interesting to go in search of the present than of the past? It’s just that people feel obliged to go to museums because they learned as children that travelling was about seeking out that kind of culture. Obviously museums are important, but they require time and objectivity – you need to know what you want to see there, otherwise you will leave with a sense of having seen a few really fundamental things, except that you can’t remember what they were.

2. Hang out in bars. Bars are the places where life in the city reveals itself, not in museums. By bars I don’t mean nightclubs, but the places where ordinary people go, have a drink, ponder the weather, and are always ready for a chat. Buy a newspaper and enjoy the ebb and flow of people. If someone strikes up a conversation, however silly, join in: you cannot judge the beauty of a particular path just by looking at the gate.

3. Be open. The best tour guide is someone who lives in the place, knows everything about it, is proud of his or her city, but does not work for any agency. Go out into the street, choose the person you want to talk to, and ask them something (Where is the cathedral? Where is the post office?). If nothing comes of it, try someone else – I guarantee that at the end of the day you will have found yourself an excellent companion.

4. Try to travel alone or – if you are married – with your spouse. It will be harder work, no one will be there taking care of you, but only in this way can you truly leave your own country behind. Traveling with a group is a way of being in a foreign country while speaking your mother tongue, doing whatever the leader of the flock tells you to do, and taking more interest in group gossip than in the place you are visiting.

5. Don’t compare. Don’t compare anything – prices, standards of hygiene, quality of life, means of transport, nothing! You are not traveling in order to prove that you have a better life than other people – your aim is to find out how other people live, what they can teach you, how they deal with reality and with the extraordinary.

6. Understand that everyone understands you. Even if you don’t speak the language, don’t be afraid: I’ve been in lots of places where I could not communicate with words at all, and I always found support, guidance, useful advice, and even girlfriends. Some people think that if they travel alone, they will set off down the street and be lost for ever. Just make sure you have the hotel card in your pocket and – if the worst comes to the worst – flag down a taxi and show the card to the driver.

7. Don’t buy too much. Spend your money on things you won’t need to carry: tickets to a good play, restaurants, trips. Nowadays, with the global economy and the Internet, you can buy anything you want without having to pay excess baggage.

8. Don’t try to see the world in a month. It is far better to stay in a city for four or five days than to visit five cities in a week. A city is like a capricious woman: she takes time to be seduced and to reveal herself completely.

9. A journey is an adventure. Henry Miller used to say that it is far more important to discover a church that no one else has ever heard of than to go to Rome and feel obliged to visit the Sistine Chapel with two hundred thousand other tourists bellowing in your ear. By all means go to the Sistine Chapel, but wander the streets too, explore alleyways, experience the freedom of looking for something – quite what you don’t know – but which, if you find it, will – you can be sure – change your life.

What is written ?

A blind man was begging on the road to Mecca, when a pious Moslem came over and asked whether the people were giving generously – as the Koran commands. The man showed him his little tin, which was almost empty. The traveler said:

- Let me write something on the card around your neck.

Hours later, the traveler returned. The beggar was surprised, for he had received a large amount of money.

- What did you write on the card? – he asked.

- All I wrote was:
“Today is a beautiful spring day, the sun is shining, and I am blind.”

Joy is like Sex

“I’m going in search of the adventure of being alive.

And it’s complicated: why am I not looking for happiness when everyone has taught me that happiness is the only goal worth pursuing?

Why am i going to risk taking a path that no one else is taking?
After all, what is happiness?

Love, they tell me. But love doesn’t bring and never has brought happiness.

On the contrary, its a constant state of anxiety, a battlefield; its sleepless nights, asking ourselves all the time if we’re doing the right thing. Real love is composed of ecstacy and agony.All right then, peace.

Peace? If we look Nature, there is no peace.
The winter does battle with the summer, the sun and d moon never meet, the tiger chases the man, who’s afraid of the dog, who chases the cat, who chases the mouse, who frightens the man.

Money brings happiness. Fine.
In that case, everyone who earns enough to have a high standard of living would be able to stop work.
But then they’re more troubled than ever, as if they were afraid of losing everything.
Money attracts money, that’s true. Poverty might bring unhappiness, but money wont necessarily bring happiness.I spent a lot of my life looking for happiness, now what i want is joy.

Joy is like sex – it begins and ends. I want pleasure. I want to be contended, but happiness?
I no longer fall into that trap.”

Just Like Marriage :)

Nadia spent the whole autumn sowing and preparing his garden. In the spring, the flowers opened, and Nadia noticed a few dandelions that he had not planted.

Nadia pulled them up. But the seeds had already spread, and others grew. He tried to find a poison that would kill only dandelions. An expert told him that any poison would end up killing all the other flowers too. In despair, Nadia sought help from a gardener.

‘It’s just like marriage,’ said the gardener. ‘Along with the good things, there are always a few inconveniences.’

‘What should I do, then?

‘Nothing. They may not be the flowers you intended to have, but they are still part of the garden.’

The Imperfect Attract Us !!

Beauty exists not in sameness but in difference.

Who could imagine a giraffe without its long neck or a cactus without its spines?

The irregularity of the mountain peaks that surround us is what makes them so imposing. If we tried to make them all the same, they would no longer command our respect.

It is the imperfect that astonishes and attracts us.

When we look at a cedar tree, we don’t think: ‘The branches should be all the same length.’
We think: ‘How strong it is.’

When we see a snake, we never say: ‘He is crawling along the ground, while I am walking with head erect.’
We think: ‘He might be small, but his skin is colourful, his movements elegant, and he is more powerful than me.’

When the camel crosses the desert and takes us to the place we want to reach, we never say: ‘He’s humpbacked and has ugly teeth.’
We think: ‘He deserves my love for his loyalty and help. Without him, I would never be able to explore the world.’

A sunset is always more beautiful when it is covered with irregularly shaped clouds, because only then can it reflect the many colours out of which dreams and poetry are made. 

Pity those who think: ‘I am not beautiful. That’s why Love has not knocked at my door.’
In fact, Love did knock, but when they opened the door, they weren’t prepared to welcome Love in.

They were too busy trying to make themselves beautiful first, when, in fact, they were fine as they were.

They were trying to imitate others, when Love was looking for something original.

They were trying to reflect what came from outside, forgetting that the brightest light comes from within.

Grilled Red Wine Marinated Sausages With Vegetables

Serves : 4 Person

Preparation Time : 15 min.

Cook Time : 20 min. 

This is a very easy yet delicious complete meal that you cook entirely on the grill, making it perfect for those warm summer days when you do not want to step foot in the kitchen. The sausages are first marinated in red wine which gives them a more complex flavor when grilled, and although no one will be able to tell what is different about the sausages unless you tell them, it really does give them a unique flavor. As with any dish, use the best quality sausages you can find, or better yet, make your own.

The vegetables can be any that you enjoy that work well on the grill. I chose zucchini, peppers, summer squash, radicchio, and red onions, although asparagus, mushrooms, eggplant, or even slices of butternut squash would work well also. One other item that we slice and grill that really pops up the flavor of the sausages are lemons. I used Meyer lemons in my dish for the photos, but any lemons would work well. Once grilled, the lemon’s sharpness mellows out, and they are really delicious eaten with the sausage. I am posting this recipe for four servings, but it can easily be adapted to any number. Simply allow two sausages per person, as well as a slice or two of each of your chosen vegetables.

Sausages are delicious served with grilled vegetables and lemon slices.

Ingredients:

• 8 Italian Sausage Links
• 2 Cups Dry Red Wine
• 2 Red Sweet Peppers
• 1 Orange Sweet Pepper
• 2 Medium Zucchini
• 2 Medium Summer Squash
• 2 Small Red Onions
• 1 Head Radicchio
• 1/2 Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 Teaspoon Dried Oregano
• Salt & Pepper
• 3 Teaspoons Finely Chopped Fresh Basil
• 2 Medium Lemons

Directions:

Place the sausages in a casserole dish and pour the red wine over them.
Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours, or up the 12 hours, then drain and set aside.
Core the peppers and remove the membranes and seeds, slicing the peppers into 6 strips each.

Trim the ends on the zucchini and summer squash, and slice lengthwise into 1/4 inch slices.
Peel the onions, and cut into quarters.

Cut the head of radicchio into 4 wedges. In a large bowl, add the oil, oregano, salt, pepper, and chopped basil. add the trimmed vegetables and toss to coat.

Slice the lemons into 1/4 inch slices.
Fire up the grill, and once it has reached the desired temperature, cook all the vegetables and lemon slices until they are fork tender.

Arrange the vegetables on a platter, and grill the sausages about 15 to 20 minutes or until cooked through.

Arrange the sausages on the platter and serve.

Source By : www.facebook.com/shaadikeladdu

Live the life you always wanted to live

Even if you were to study your own life in detail and relive each moment that you suffered, sweated and smiled beneath the sun, you would still never know exactly when you had been useful to someone else. A life is never useless. Each soul that came down to Earth is here for a reason. The people who really help others are not trying to be useful, but are simply leading a useful life. They rarely give advice, but serve as an example. Do one thing: live the life you always wanted to live. Avoid criticizing others and concentrate on fulfilling your dreams. This may not seem very important to you, but God, who sees all, knows that the example you give is helping Him to improve the world. And each day, He will bestow more blessings upon it. And when the Unwanted Visitor arrives, you will hear it say: ‘It is fair to ask: “Father, Father, why hast thou forsaken me?” ‘But now, in this final second of your life on Earth, I am going to tell you what I saw: I found the house clean, the table laid, the fields ploughed, the flowers smiling. I found each thing in its proper place, precisely as it should be. You understood that small things are responsible for great changes. ‘And for that reason, I will carry you up to Paradise.’


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He hasn't proposed & he’s not Commitment phobic !

Clinical Psychologist Prachi S Vaish lists five very credible reasons for why he may not be going down on his knees, despite not being commitment phobic.

1.    The proposal jitters
There’s not a single man who isn’t afraid of being turned down for marriage, no matter how long you’ve been a couple. So they all get tongue tied when they imagine you saying ‘no’. To top that, they have to plan for the perfect moment to propose. So if he hasn’t said anything yet, maybe he’s gathering courage and waiting for the right time. 
Get it going: Next time you watch a romantic movie together, hint at how you’re so ready to settle down and how do you picture your proposal. You’ll be doing him a big favour!

2.    The lone star
Is he the only guy in his gang to have gone steady for a long time? Then maybe it’s the cold feet that are keeping him from getting ready for the vows. It doesn’t mean that he’s commitment phobic. It’s just that he does not have a precedent in his buddy group who can show him how wonderful marriage can be!
Get it going: If you have some married friends, plan a double date with a couple with similar interests. Bonding with a married guy may speed things up for him!

3.    The Wedding Affair
He’s heard you plan your friend’s wedding, has seen your ‘wedding plan book’ with pages after pages of flower arrangements, dresses, venues etc. to choose from, and has even seen your friends turning into Bridezillas. Don’t you think that’s enough to make him cringe? When a guy wants to get married, he just wants to get married. He’s not interested in a whole theatrical performance!
Get it going: Stop talking about the wedding plans in super detail. A wedding will eventually happen, and you know you’ll get your way in the end, but why scare the guy off!

4.    The eternal change story 
Everyone who’s married – man or woman - is always talking about how the person they are married to isn’t the same they fell in love with. Maybe that apprehension that you too will turn into someone else the moment he proposes is what’s keeping him on the other side of the ‘will you’ line. 
Get it going: Whenever you two have a conversation about post-marriage life, try to highlight the good things that come with the change in life. Don’t try to convince him that it’ll always be the same, because it won’t. But that doesn’t mean the love will go away. 

5.    Too comfy
If you two have been living together a long time, may be he’s gotten too comfortable with the arrangement and does not see the need to propose. It’s not callous, just simple. He’s happy and can’t see how marriage will make things any better. 
Get it going: Move out for a few days on the pretext of giving a girlfriend company or a work excuse and watch him pining for you and a wedding!

What's the right thing to do in a rape case ?

Women’s rights activist Krishna Mira Roy gives valuable suggestions on what to do in case of a rape

• If at the police station, the cops refuse to take down your complaint, or don’t take you seriously, your best recourse is to go to a higher police authority, like the deputy commissioner (DC) or the deputy commissioner, Detective Department (DC, DD). If there is no help forthcoming, approach someone even more senior in the hierarchy, like the police commissioner.

Alternately, you can go to a court, armed with Section 156 (Clause 3), which enables you to approach the magistrate with your complaint. Once the court instructs the police station, it has to follow the order.

• It is best to approach the police with some evidence. In cases of rape, one should keep all the garments unwashed to carry as vital proof. Ideally, the victim should not wash herself before going to the police. In case that isn’t feasible, a close relative can approach the police station, ideally within 24 hours.

• After a complaint has been lodged, you need to fight the case in court. You can avail of free legal aid granted by the District Legal Aid Service Authority in the district courts of your area, as it wields a lot of power. You can appeal to the secretary, chairperson or the district judge for legal support. 

3 Arguments that can break your Relationship

While it’s easy to brush off the fights you have as something that happens to all couples, some are so nasty that they make people rethink and redefine their roles in the relationship. Thankfully, there are ways to identify a destructive pattern and break free. Researchers at the US-based Gottman Relationship Institute have identified some potentially relationship-threatening ways of arguing. According to them, couples who row in this manner are definitely endangering their ‘together forever’ relationship status.

1. Are you a defence expert?
Defensiveness is also a relationship problem, be it about your personal attributes or regarding your family. “I am a feminist, so there have been times when I have jumped into an argument with boyfriends if I feel like they’re attacking women with statements like ‘You girls just can’t drive or park’,” says writer Sonali Mahajan, 37. Sonali didn’t mind the break-ups that ensued because she felt that if her partner couldn’t accept that she’s passionate about gender equality, then he wasn’t right for her.

Resolve it: “If you genuinely feel your value systems don’t match, then it’s better to part,” says Dr Uttam Dave. “But it’s important to check and see if there has been a pattern of dysfunctional relationships and break-ups over trivial matters. People get defensive when their egos are fragile or they love themselves too much or too little, that criticism affects them adversely.” Dr Dave advises such women to work on their self-esteem.

2. Been a relationship critic lately?
“I tend to criticise people,” says artist Rashi Jain, 26. “I am not too mean, but just a little. Space is important to me in a relationship, and I don’t like to be a part of every little thing my partner does. So whenever we have an argument, I get critical of his lack of supportiveness and understanding when it comes to my interests. But I don’t feel guilty when I criticise; he should know what his faults are.”

Resolve it: Psychotherapist Neeta Shetty says being critical is all right as long as you’re not going over board and unreasonably so. You must learn to question the motive behind your criticism. “If you want to bring something to your partner’s notice, there are constructive ways to do it,” says Neeta. “You could make positive statements that you believe to be true and then talk about the negative aspects. Don’t use phrases like ‘You will never change’ and ‘I don’t expect any better from you’. Your approach should be positive.”

3. Who’s a poor little victim?
If you’re constantly projecting yourself as a victim in the relationship, and your partner as an aggressor, then you need to dig deep to understand why. “I can say for sure that at least one of my relationships has ended because I made the other person feel like a lousy bully,” says graphic designer Hema Panchal, 30. “It’s because I was a drama queen during college. I would break down and tell not just him but also my close friends that he was cruel and mean. That this was a problem was not so obvious to me at the time, but I realised it in hindsight.”

Resolve it: “If you feel like a victim when there’s no abuse or other obvious signs of manipulation, you’re probably also making the other person feel very guilty,” says Hema. Dr Dave has an interesting tip. “The easiest thing would be to record an argument and listen to it. This helps you realise who’s the victim and who’s the real aggressor. Once the ‘victim’ realises what she’s doing wrong, it’s a relatively easy issue to solve.”

Hanging Monastery

'Destination Discovery'

Hanging Temple or Hanging Monastery in China is a temple built into a cliff. It is one of the main tourist attractions and historical sites in the Datong area. Built more than 1,500 years ago, this temple is notable not only for its location on a sheer precipice but also because it includes Buddhist, Taoist, and Confucian elements. On your next trip to China don't miss to explore this rare piece of architecture.

"Give Your Best To Relationships"

A boy and a girl were playing together. The boy had a collection of marbles. The girl had some sweets with her.

The boy told the girl that he will give her all his marbles in exchange for her sweets. The girl agreed. The boy kept the biggest and the most beautiful marble aside and gave the rest to the girl. The girl gave him all her sweets as she had promised.

That night, the girl slept peacefully. But the boy couldn’t sleep as he kept wondering if the girl had hidden some sweets from him the way he had hidden his best marble.

Moral of the story:
If you don’t give your hundred percent in a relationship, you’ll always keep doubting if the other person has given his/her hundred percent..

This is applicable for any relationship like love, employer-employee relationship etc., Give your hundred percent to everything you do and sleep peacefully.

"10 Principles for Peace of Mind"

1. Do Not Interfere In Others’ Business Unless Asked:

Most of us create our own problems by interfering too often in others’ affairs. We do so because somehow we have convinced ourselves that our way is the best way, our logic is the perfect logic and those who do not conform to our thinking must be criticized and steered to the right direction, our direction. This thinking denies the existence of individuality and consequently the existence of God.. God has created each one of us in a unique way. No two human beings can think or act in exactly the same way. All men or women act the way they do because God within them prompts them that way. Mind your own business and you will keep your peace.


2. Forgive And Forget:

This is the most powerful aid to peace of mind. We often develop ill feelings inside our heart for the person who insults us or harms us. We nurture grievances. This in turn results in loss of sleep, development of stomach ulcers, and high blood pressure. This insult or injury was done once, but nourishing of grievance goes on forever by constantly remembering it. Get over this bad habit. Life is too short to waste in such trifles. Forgive,20Forget, and march on. Love flourishes in giving and forgiving.


3. Do Not Crave For Recognition:

This world is full of selfish people. They seldom praise anybody without selfish motives. They may praise you today because you are in power, but no sooner than you are powerless, they will forget your achievement and will start finding faults in you. Why do you wish to kill yours if in striving for their recognition? Their recognition is not worth the aggravation. Do your duties ethically and sincerely.


4. Do Not Be Jealous:

We all have experienced how jealousy can disturb our peace of mind. You know that you work harder than your colleagues in the office, but sometimes they get promotions; you do not. You started a business several years ago, but you are not as successful as your neighbor whose business is only one year old. There are several examples like these in everyday life. Should you be jealous? No. Remember everybody’s life is shaped by his/her destiny, which has now become his/her reality. If you are destined to be rich, nothing in the world can stop you. If you are not so destined, no one can help you either. Nothing will be gained by blaming others for your misfortune. Jealousy will not get you anywhere; it will only take away your peace of mind.


5. Change Yourself According To The Environment:

If you try to change the environment single-handedly, the chances are you will fail. Instead, change yourself to suit your environment. As you do this, even the environment, which has been unfriendly to you, will mysteriously change and seem congenial and harmonious.


6. Endure What Cannot Be Cured:

This is the best way to turn a disadvantage into an advantage. Every day we face numerous inconveniences, ailments, irritations, and accidents that are beyond our control. If we cannot control them or change them, we must learn to put up with these things. We must learn to endure them cheerfully. Believe in yourself and you will gain in terms of patience, inner strength and will power.


7. Do Not Bite Off More Than You Can Chew:

This maxim needs to be remembered constantly. We often tend to take more responsibilities than we are capable of carrying out. This is done to satisfy our ego. Know your limitations. . Why take on additional loads that may create more worries? You cannot gain peace of mind by expanding your external activities. Reduce your material engagements and spend time in prayer, introspection and meditation. This will reduce those thoughts in your mind that make you restless. Uncluttered mind will produce greater peace of mind.


8. Meditate Regularly:

Meditation calms the mind and gets rid of disturbing thoughts. This is the highest state of peace of mind. Try and experience it yourself. If you meditate earnestly for half an hour everyday, your mind will tend to become peaceful during the remaining twenty-three and half-hours. Your mind will not be easily disturbed as it was before. You would benefit by gradually increasing the period of daily meditation. You may think that this will interfere with your daily work. On the contrary, this will increase your efficiency and you will be able to produce better results in less time.


9. Never Leave The Mind Vacant:

An empty mind is the devil’s workshop. All evil actions start in the vacant mind. Keep your mind occupied in something positive, something worthwhile. Actively follow a hobby. Do something that holds your interest. You must decide what you value more: money or peace of mind. Your hobby, like social work or religious work, may not always earn you more money, but you will have a sense of fulfillment and achievement. Even when you are resting physically, occupy yourself in healthy reading or mental chanting of God’s name.


10. Do Not Procrastinate And Never Regret:

Do not waste time in protracted wondering ” Should I or shouldn’t I?” Days, weeks, months, and years may be wasted in that futile mental debating. You can never plan enough because you can never anticipate all future happenings. Value your time and do the things that need to be done. It does not matter if you fail the first time. You can learn from your mistakes and succeed the next time. Sitting back and worrying will lead to nothing. Learn from your mistakes, but do not brood over the past. DO NOT REGRET. Whatever happened was destined to happen only that way. Why cry over split milk?

Destroying and Rebuilding...

I am invited to go to Guncan-Gima, the site of a Zen Buddhist temple. When I get there, I am surprised to see that the extraordinarily beautiful building, which is situated in the middle of a vast forest, is right next to a huge piece of waste ground.
 
I ask what the waste ground is for and the man in charge explains (I can’t verify if it is true, but it must be):
 
‘That is where we will build the next temple.
‘Every twenty years, we destroy the temple you see before you now and rebuild it again on the site next to it.
‘This means that the monks who have trained as carpenters, stonemasons and architects are always using their practical skills and passing them on to their apprentices.
‘ It also shows them that nothing in this life is eternal and that even temples are in need of constant improvement.’

How useful you are ?

Ask a flower in the field: ‘Do you feel useful? After all, you do nothing but produce the same flowers over and over?’
And the flower will answer: ‘I am beautiful, and beauty is my reason for living.’
Ask the river: ‘Do you feel useful, giv

en that all you do is to keep flowing in the same direction?’
And the river will answer: ‘I’m not trying to be useful, I’m trying to be a river.’
Don’t try to be useful. Try to be yourself: that is enough, and that makes all the difference.
Walk neither faster nor slower than your own soul. Because it is your soul that will teach you the usefulness of each step you take.
Sometimes taking part in a great battle, 

But sometimes you can do that simply by smiling, for no reason, at someone you happen to pass in the street.

Without intending to, you might have saved the life of a complete stranger, who also thought he was useless and might have been ready to kill himself, until a smile gave him new hope and confidence.

Paying for same thing three times ...

There is a legend in the region of Punjab, about a thief who broke into a farm and stole two hundred onions. But before he could make his escape, he was caught by the farmer and led before the judge.

The magistrate past sentence: the payment of ten gold pieces.
But the man alleged that the fine was too high, so the judge offered him two alternatives: to be whipped twenty times, or eat the two hundred onions.

The thief chose to eat the two hundred onions.
When he had eaten twenty-five, his eyes were already filled with tears, and his stomach was burning up like the fires of hell.
Since there were still 175 to go, and he knew he would never bear this punishment, he begged to be thrashed twenty times.

The judge agreed. But when the whip tore into his back for the tenth time, he implored for the punishment to be stopped, for he could not stand the pain.
His wish was granted, but the thief still had to pay the ten pieces of gold.

- If you had accepted the fine, you would have avoided eating the onions and wouldn’t have suffered with whip – said the judge.

- But you preferred the more difficult path, not understanding that, when you have done wrong, it is better to pay up quickly and forget the matter.

The Boy & the Devil

The boy was walking to buy bread when the mayor of the city crossed the street.

‘The reason he is so powerful, is because, he’s made a pact with the devil,’ a very devout woman in the street told the boy.

Some time later, when travelling to another town, the boy saw a beautiful corn field. He asked who the owner was.
‘All this land belongs to the same man. I’d say the Devil had a hand in that.’ – answered one of the villagers.

At this very moment, a beautiful woman walked past the boy. A priest also saw her and said aloud:
‘That woman is in the services of Satan!’

From then on, the boy decided to seek the Devil out. One day he managed to see him face to face.

‘They say you can make people powerful, rich, and beautiful.’

‘To be totally honest, this is not true’ replied the Devil.
‘You have just been listening to the views of those who are trying to promote me.’