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In ancient times, there lived a learned man. One day, he noticed that his shoes were worn out. The minute he returned home, he immediately surrounded himself with the books of the wise men he admired and began searching an answer to the question: what should a man do when his shoes have become tattered? … Read more
A scientist once decided to prove that the ears of the cockroach are located in its legs. So, he started conducting experiments. He put a cockroach on a table and loudly clapped his hands. The cockroach ran away. Then the scientist tore one of the cockroach’s legs and clapped his hands again. The cockroach ran … Read more
An old man died and left everything he had to his three sons. The oldest one got the house, the middle one – the cow, and the youngest one – an axe and gloves. The oldest son settled in the house, the middle one – started trading milk, and the youngest one – started earning … Read more
A prince inherited a kingdom. And, like all kings, he had everything in abundance. But suddenly the troubles began. The drought killed many, the diseases even more. And then, an enemy state stormed the kingdom and killed the ones who survived. The king somehow managed to escape. He went to his childhood friend, who ruled … Read more
One day a preacher entered a sermon hall to address his believers. But, this time, the room was empty, except for a young stable boy who was sitting in the front row. – Do you want me to speak for you alone or just skip today’s sermon? – Sir, I’m a simple person and I … Read more
In ancient times, there lived a man called Zhu. He heard that there was an old hunter called Ma Tan who knew how to kill dragons. So, Zhu went to him and asked to teach him how to kill dragons. – It’s a difficult art – replied Ma Tan. – Are you ready to study … Read more
One day a farmer’s tractor stopped working. His attempts to repair the tractor were not successful. So, he finally called a specialist. The specialist examined the tractor, lifted the hood and checked everything carefully. Then he took a hammer, hit the motor once and – suddenly – it started working. The motor began to hum, … Read more
One rooster rummaged in a pile of garbage from morning till night. – What are you looking for, rooster? – the other ones asked him. – A grain of corn – answered the Rooster. – But there are corn grains scattered all over the ground! – Ha! On the ground, even a fool can find … Read more
A certain sage brought a glass of living water to an emperor and said: – “If you drink this water – you will become immortal. If you don’t – you will eventually end up in the country of the dead. Just like everybody else.” The emperor thought a while about the offer, but couldn’t decide … Read more
One day, a poor man appeared at the door of a royal palace. No one dared to stop him when he headed straight for the throne on which a king was seated. – What do you need? – asked the king. – A place in the caravan, to spend the night. – This is not … Read more
Once upon a time, there lived one merchant. And like all merchants, he bought goods from one place, and travelled to sell them in another. From time to time, he would stop his caravan, and after resting a while, he would move on forward. But, once, after making few stops, he discovered that he had … Read more
Before the judge stood a man convicted of bribes. The judge offered the accused to choose between one of three possible punishments: either to pay 100 gold coins, to be hit 50 times with a stick, or to eat 3 pounds of raw onions. Being greedy, so he decided that the best punishment is also … Read more
There lived once two men. One of them was rich, and the other one was poor. There were many feasts in the house of the rich man. Meanwhile, the poor man had nothing to eat. A wise old man once came to the door of the rich man and asked him to sleep for the … Read more
A long time ago, in a kingdom far away, there lived two knights who befriended each other. The first one was smart, and the second one stupid. Nevertheless, they gave each other a promise of loyalty – that neither of them will leave the other in good times or in need, and that they will … Read more
The Fox and the Crane became friends. After a while, the Fox invited the Crane over for dinner. The Crane accepted the invitation and went to the Fox’s house. The Fox had some soup prepared and served it on a flat plate. The Crane tried peck-peck-pecking on the plate, but couldn’t get anything in his … Read more
One day, the little Raccoon went into the woods to pick some sweet sedge for dinner. When he arrived in the woods, however, a monkey decided to have some fun with him. So, he asked him: – Are you not afraid the ONE WHO is living in the pond? He’s so evil and scary. It … Read more
One cold winter day, a little bird was sitting frozen in the middle of the road. To make matters worse, a cow came along and, lifting its tail, slapped a pile of dung on the bird. But the dung warmed the little bird and brought it back to life. Delighted, the bird started to chirp … Read more
A believer once went to the Prophet and asked to see heaven and hell. The Prophet took his hand and led him to a palace. When they entered one room, he saw multitudes of people. In the middle of the room, there was a long table with a pot full of soup, spreading a pleasant … Read more
A small clay water jug stood on the stove. And in the corner of the room, a sick man lay on the bed. He was tormented by extreme thirst. “Just a sip, just a sip,” he groaned. But there was no one in the room. His pleas were so heartbreaking that the jug could not … Read more
