shake it off and step up!” He Reading repeated to encourage himself. No matter how painful the blows, or how distressing the situation seemed, the old mule fought panic and just kept right on SHAKING IT OFF AND STEPPING UP! It wasn’t long before the old mule, battered and exhausted, stepped triumphantly over the wall of that well! What seemed like it would bury him actually helped him … all because of the manner in which he handled his adversity.
THAT’S LIFE! If we face our problems and respond to them positively, and refuse to give in to panic, bitterness, or self-pity, life becomes meaningful. Selflessness Once upon a time, there lived a big mango tree. A little boy loved to come and play around it every day.
He climbed to the tree top, ate the mangoes, and took a nap under the shade. He loved the tree and the tree loved to play with him. Time went by… The little boy grew, and he no longer played around the tree. One day, the boy came back to the tree with a sad look on his face.
“Come and play with me,” the tree asked the boy. “I am no longer a kid; I don’t play around trees anymore.” The boy replied, “I want toys. I need money to buy them.” “Sorry, I don’t have money, but you can pick all my mangoes and sell them so you will have money.” 12th Communicative English Book.indb Page In Harmony with the World The boy was so excited. He picked all the mangoes on the tree and left happily.
The boy didn’t come back. The tree was sad. One day, the boy, now a grown man, returned. The tree was so excited.
“Come and play with me,” the tree said. “I don’t have time to play. I have to work for my family. We need a house for shelter.
Can you help me?” “Sorry, I don’t have a house, but you can chop off my branches to build your house.” So the man cut all the branches off the tree