5 Short Stories That Will Change Your Attitude Towards Life

The Chihuahua and the Leopard

A lady takes her pet chihuahua with her on a safari holiday. Wandering too far one day the chihuahua gets lost in the bush, and soon encounters a very hungry looking leopard. The chihuahua realizes he's in trouble, but, noticing some fresh bones on the ground, he settles down to chew on them, with his back to the big cat. As the leopard is about to leap, the chihuahua smacks his lips and exclaims loudly, "Boy, that was one delicious leopard. I wonder if there are any more around here." 

The leopard stops mid-stride, and slinks away into the trees. 

"Phew," says the leopard, "that was close - that evil little dog nearly had me." 

A monkey nearby sees everything and thinks he'll win a favor by putting the stupid leopard straight. The chihuahua sees the monkey go after the leopard, and guesses he might be up to no good. 

When the leopard hears the monkey's story he feels angry at being made a fool, and offers the monkey a ride back to see him exact his revenge. 

The little dog sees them approaching and fears the worse.

Thinking quickly, the little dog turns his back, pretends not to notice them, and when the pair are within earshot says aloud, "Now where's that monkey got to? I sent him ages ago to bring me another leopard..." 

Potatoes, Eggs and Coffee

 

Once upon a time, a daughter complained to her father that her life was miserable and that she didn't know how she was going to make it. She was tired of fighting and struggling all the time. It seemed just as one problem was solved, another one soon followed.

 

Her father, a chef, took her to the kitchen. He filled three pots with water and placed each on a high fire. Once the three pots began to boil, he placed potatoes in one pot, eggs in the second pot, and ground coffee beans in the third pot. He then let them sit and boil, without saying a word to his daughter.

The daughter moaned and impatiently waited, wondering what he was doing. After twenty minutes, he turned off the burners. He took the potatoes out of the pot and placed them in a bowl. He pulled the eggs out and placed them in a bowl. He then ladled the coffee out and placed it in a cup.

 

Turning to her, he asked, "Daughter, what do you see?"

 

"Potatoes, eggs, and coffee," she hastily replied.

 

"Look closer," he said, "and touch the potatoes." She did and noted that they were soft.

 

He then asked her to take an egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, she observed the hard-boiled egg.

 

Finally, he asked her to sip the coffee. Its rich aroma brought a smile to her face.

 

"Father, what does this mean?" she asked.

 

He then explained that the potatoes, the eggs, and coffee beans had each faced the same adversity, the boiling water. However, each one reacted differently.

 

The potato went in strong, hard and unrelenting, but in boiling water it became soft and weak. The egg was fragile with the thin outer shell protecting its liquid interior until it was put in the boiling water. Then the inside of the egg became hard.

 

However, the ground coffee beans were unique. After they were exposed to the boiling water, they changed the water and created something new.

 

"Which are you?" he asked his daughter. "When adversity knocks on your door, how do you resopnd? Are you a potato, an egg, or a coffee bean?"

 

In life, things happen around us and things happen to us, but the only thing that truly matters is what happens within us.

Get in the Wheelbarrow

 

The story goes: upon completing a highly dangerous tightrope walk over Niagara Falls in appalling wind and rain, 'The Great Zumbrati' was met by an enthusiastic supporter, who urged him to make a return trip, this time pushing a wheelbarrow, which the spectator had thoughtfully brought along.

The Great Zumbrati was reluctant, given the terrible conditions, but the supporter pressed him, "You can do it - I know you can," he urged.

"You really believe I can do it?" asked Zumbrati.

"Yes - definitely - you can do it." the supporter gushed.

"Okay," said Zumbrati, "Get in the wheelbarrow..."

The HR Director

 

A highly successful Human Resources Manager was tragically knocked down by a bus and killed. Her soul arrived at the Pearly Gates, where St. Peter welcomed her.

"Before you get settled in," he said, "We have a little problem... you see, we've never had a Human Resources Manager make it this far before and we're not really sure what to do with you." 

"Oh, I see," said the woman. "Can't you just let me in?"

"Well, I'd like to," said St Peter, "But I have higher orders. We're instructed to let you have a day in hell and a day in heaven, and then you are to choose where you'd like to go for all eternity." 

"Actually, I think I'd prefer heaven", said the woman. 

"Sorry, we have rules..." at which St. Peter put the HR Manager into the downward bound elevator. 

As the doors opened in hell she stepped out onto a beautiful golf course. In the distance was a country club; around her were many friends - past fellow executives, all smartly dressed, happy, and cheering for her. They ran up and kissed her on both cheeks and they talked about old times. They played a perfect round of golf and afterwards went to the country club where she enjoyed a superb steak and lobster dinner. She met the Devil, who was actually rather nice, and she had a wonderful night telling jokes and dancing. Before she knew it, it was time to leave; everyone shook her hand and waved goodbye as she stepped into the elevator. The elevator went back up to heaven where St. Peter was waiting for her. 

"Now it's time to spend a day in heaven," he said. 

So she spent the next 24 hours lounging around on clouds and playing the harp and singing, which was almost as enjoyable as her day in hell. At the day's end St Peter returned.

"So," he said, "You've spent a day in hell and you've spent a day in heaven. You must choose between the two." 

The woman thought for a second and replied, "Well, heaven is certainly lovely, but I actually had a better time in hell. I choose hell." 

Accordingly, St. Peter took her to the elevator again and she went back down to hell. 

When the doors of the elevator opened she found herself standing in a desolate wasteland covered in garbage and filth. She saw her friends dressed in rags, picking up rubbish and putting it in old sacks. The Devil approached and put his arm around her. 

"I don't understand," stuttered the HR Manager, "Yesterday I was here, and there was a golf course, and a country club, and we ate lobster, and we danced and had a wonderful happy time. Now all there's just a dirty wasteland of garbage and all my friends look miserable." 

The Devil looked at her and smiled. "Yesterday we were recruiting you. Today you're staff."

The Monkey Story

 

Start with a cage containing five monkeys. 

Inside the cage, hang a banana on a string and place a set of stairs under it. 

Before long, a monkey will go to the stairs and start to climb towards the banana. 

As soon as he touches the stairs, spray all of the monkeys with cold water. 

After a while, another monkey makes an attempt with the same result - all the monkeys are sprayed with cold water. 

Pretty soon, when another monkey tries to climb the stairs, the other monkeys will try to prevent it. 

Now, turn off the cold water. 

Remove one monkey from the cage and replace it with a new one. 

The new monkey sees the banana and wants to climb the stairs. 

To his surprise and horror, all of the other monkeys attack him. 

After another attempt and attack, he knows that if he tries to climb the stairs, he will be assaulted.

Next, remove another of the original five monkeys and replace it with a new one. 

The newcomer goes to the stairs and is attacked. 

The previous newcomer takes part in the punishment with enthusiasm. 

Again, replace a third original monkey with a new one. 

The new one makes it to the stairs and is attacked as well. 

Two of the four monkeys that beat him have no idea why they were not permitted to climb the stairs, or why they are participating in the beating of the newest monkey. 

After replacing the fourth and fifth original monkeys, all the monkeys that have been sprayed with cold water have been replaced. 

Nevertheless, no monkey ever again approaches the stairs. 

Why not? 

Because as far as they know that's the way it's always been around here. 

And that's how company policy begins.