Stories For Life | Food For Thought

  The Fate Of Icarus, The Son Of Daedalus   Daedalus was a clever craftsman who lived in the island of  Crete  : the largest and most populous island of Greece, during the reign of King Minos . Daedalus and the king were good friends. Daedalus was known for his ingenious inventions at that time. He made a lot of wonderful things for the king. Therefore the king liked him very much.  Daedalus helped the Athenian hero Theseus escape the labyrinth after Theseus killed Minotaur ( mythical creature with the head and tail of a bull and human body ) . Therefore the King Minos fell out with him.   One day, the king put Daedalus and his son in prison. Though Daedalus planned to escape, it was no easy task. The king had well guarded the prison as he knew well of Daedalus. The soldiers always kept an eye on the two prisoners.  One day, it occurred to Daedalus "The king may rule land and sea, but not the sky. I must try to escape by air." From that moment Dae...

  The Hungry Beggar One day a hungry beggar went to a farmer's house to beg for something to eat. By the time the beggar went there the farmer's wife had already prepared lunch and was waiting for her husband to come home. The farmer's little children were playing in front of the house. The farmer arrived and his little children hugged him. The farmer's wife greeted him with a bountiful of smile.  The beggar on his way back home with the parcel of food the farmer's wife offered him thought , "Is this life? The farmer leads a happy life with his children and wife. He has a beautiful house. He has a plenty of food to eat. He must be the happiest person in this village."   Meanwhile, the farmer while having his lunch told his wife," We cannot manage our fields unless we have some more money. The cost of labour is very high. I'll go to the village headman's house and ask him if he could lend me some money."  That evening the farmer visited th...

  A King's Last Joke   Once there lived a king by the name Yasalalaka Thissa in the ancient capital of Anuradhapura in Sri Lanka. He had a gate-keeper whose name was Subha. The king and his gate-keeper were alike in appearance.  King Yasalalaka Thissa was very fond of playing practical jokes on others. One morning, the king called Subha to his chamber before the courtiers came. The king told Subha, " Let's exchange our clothes. You wear my royal clothes and sit on the throne. I'll stand at the gate in your uniform." Subha could not refuse the king's suggestion.  The king and the gate-keeper quickly exchanged their clothes before the courtiers came to report for duty. After exchanging the clothes, the king went to the gate for his duty while Subha went to council room and sat on the throne.  The courtiers started coming in ones and twos. Just before they took their seats, they walked up to the king and paid him due respect as usual. Subha sat proudly on the ...