LDS Freedom Forum

Ancient tales of wisdom remind us of the traditions and moral values that have been treasured all over the world. “Old Tiger and a Greedy Traveler” is a tale about greed and how it can lead one down a dangerous and regretful path.

Old Tiger and a Greedy Traveler

Once upon a time, there lived a tiger in a forest. As the years passed, he became too old to hunt. One day, the tiger was walking along the side of a lake when suddenly he spotted a gold bangle. Quickly, he picked up the bangle and thought that he could use it as an allure to catch someone. As he was having this thought, a traveler passed on the opposite side of the lake.

The tiger instantly thought to himself, “What a delicious meal he would make!” So he planned a scheme to attract the traveler. He held the bangle in his paw, making it visible to the traveler, and said, “Would you like to take this gold bangle? I don’t need it.”

As soon as the traveler saw the bangle, he wanted it, but he hesitated to go near the tiger. He knew that it was risky, yet he wanted the gold bangle. So he was cautious and asked the tiger, “How can I believe you? I know you are a beast and you might kill me.”

The clever tiger innocently said: “Listen traveler, when I was a young tiger, I was wicked, but now I have changed. I took the advice of a saint; I have left all evil behind and now I am all alone in this world and do only good and kind deeds. I have also grown old, I have no teeth, and my claws are blunt, so there is no need to fear me.”

The traveler was taken in by this smart talk, and his love for gold soon overcame his fear of the tiger. He jumped into the lake to wade across to the tiger.

But just as the tiger had planned, the traveler got trapped in the marsh. On seeing this, the tiger consoled him and said, “Oh! You need not worry. I’ll help you.”

Gradually, the tiger came toward the traveler and seized him. As the traveler was being dragged out onto the bank, he thought to himself, “Oh! This beast’s talk of saintliness tricked me completely. A beast is always a beast. If only I had not let my greed overcome my reason, I would not be in this trouble.”

However, it was too late; the tiger ate the traveler up. This is how the traveler became a victim of greed and the tiger was successful in his evil plan.

Moral: greed never goes unpunished.

The Tale of Empathy and Wisdom by Joshua (me) (not so ancient, this parable, even if timeless)

There once lived in a small village an old man named Wisdom with a daughter named Empathy.

Wisdom was the village's healer, and Empathy helped him in his work.

Wisdom had been working on a medicine for a dangerous illness that was spreading, and he had only just found success when the illness became endemic in a neighboring village. The medicine took days to formulate, so Wisdom made enough for the neighboring village as well as a few doses as a buffer for when he returned.

Wisdom told Empathy, "I'm going away to the neighboring village overnight to make some calls. There is a dangerous and contagious illness going around, and I want you to promise me you won't open the door for anyone, no matter what." Empathy promised, so Wisdom left.

Later that day, Empathy's dear friend, Need, knocked on the door hastily and called in, "Wisdom? Empathy? Are you there? Quick, I need help!"

Empathy called through the door, "Need, I'm here but I cannot open the door to you. There is a dangerous illness going around, and I promised my father I would not open the door to anyone until he returns tomorrow."

Need replied, "Please, Empathy! I know about the illness. My family is all sick and in need of your medicine. Please open the door and let me in! My family is suffering and is desperate for help!"

Empathy, aching for her friend Need, reasoned within herself that surely Wisdom, her father, didn't know of her friend's need when he committed her to her promise, and surely he would open to her to give her medicine. His words couldn't apply here, could they?

Empathy opened the door and handed Need the buffer doses of medicine. Surely her father could easily make more.

The next day, Wisdom returned and found Empathy lying in bed with a fever, having caught the illness from her friend, and Wisdom discovered that the buffer doses were gone. Wisdom immediately began making more medicine, but Empathy died before it was ready. Then, Wisdom died soon after. With no medicine and no healer, more than half of the village also died. Need's family also died, not understanding how to administer the medicine they acquired from Empathy.

Moral: Spiritually speaking, empathy, to be desirable, must follow wisdom's path.

The Stone Cutter

“The Stone Cutter” is about a hardworking man who continually desired to be something or someone different but eventually discovered the blessing in who he was.

Once upon a time, there lived a stonecutter who went every day to a great rock in the side of a big mountain and cut out slabs for gravestones or for houses. He understood very well the kinds of stones needed for the different purposes, and as he was a careful workman, he had plenty of customers.

For a long time, he was quite happy and contented, and asked for nothing better than what he had.

Now, in the mountain lived a wise and kind god who would often help those in need. The stonecutter, however, had never seen this god and always shook his head in disbelief whenever anyone spoke of him.

One day, the stonecutter carried a gravestone to the house of a rich man and saw there all sorts of beautiful things, of which he had never even dreamed. Suddenly, his daily work seemed to grow harder and heavier, and he said to himself, “Oh, if only I were a rich man, and could sleep in a bed with silken curtains and golden tassels, how happy I should be.”

And a voice answered him, “Your wish is heard; a rich man you shall be.”

At the sound of the voice, the stonecutter looked around, but could see nobody. He thought it was all in his head; and so he picked up his tools and went home, for he did not feel inclined to do any more work that day.

When he reached the little house where he lived, he stood still with amazement, for instead of his wooden hut was a stately palace filled with splendid furniture. And most splendid of all was the bed, in every respect like the one he had envied. He was nearly beside himself with joy, and in his new life the old one was soon forgotten.

It was now the beginning of summer, and each day, the sun blazed more fiercely. One morning, the heat was so great that the stonecutter could hardly breathe, and he decided he would stop at home ‘till the evening. He started to get bored, for he had never learned to entertain himself.

That day, as he was peeping through the closed blinds to see what was going on in the street, he saw a carriage drawn by servants dressed in blue and silver pass by. In the carriage sat a prince, and over his head a golden umbrella was held to protect him from the sun’s rays. And the stonecutter said to himself as the carriage disappeared around the corner, “Oh, if I were only a prince, and could go in such a carriage and have a golden umbrella held over me, how happy I should be.”

In a blink of an eye, the stonecutter was a prince. Before him was his carriage drawn by servants dressed in scarlet and gold; a big umbrella was held over his head. Everything his heart could desire was his, but yet it was not enough.

He looked around still for something to wish for; and when he saw that in spite of the water he poured on the grass, the rays of the sun still scorched it, and that in spite of the umbrella held over his head, each day his face grew browner and browner, he cried in his anger, “The sun is mightier than I; oh, if I were only the sun!”

And the mountain god answered, “Your wish is heard, the sun you shall be.” And the sun he became, glowing in his supremacy. He shot his beams above and below, on earth and in heaven; he burnt up the grass in the fields and scorched the faces of princes as well as the poorer folk.

But in a short time, he began to grow tired of his might, for there seemed nothing left for him to do. Discontentment once more filled his soul, and when a cloud covered his face and hid the earth from him, he cried in his anger, “Does the cloud hold captive my rays, and is it mightier than I? Oh, if I were a cloud and mightier than any!”

And the mountain god answered, “Your wish is heard; a cloud you shall be.” And a cloud he became, and he hovered between the sun and the earth. He caught the sun’s beams and held them, and to his joy, the earth grew green again and flowers blossomed.

But that was not enough for him, and for days and weeks he poured forth rain till the rivers overflowed their banks and the crops of rice stood in water. Towns and villages were destroyed by the power of the rain; only the great rock on the mountainside remained unmoved. The cloud was amazed at the sight, and cried in wonder, “Is the simple rock then mightier than I? Oh, if I were only a rock!”

And the mountain god answered, “Your wish is heard; the rock you shall be.” And the rock he became, unyielding in his unshakable power. Standing proudly, neither the heat of the sun nor the force of the rain could move him. “This is better than all!” he said to himself.

But one day, he heard a strange noise at his feet, and when he looked down to see what it could be, he saw a stonecutter driving tools into his hard surface. Even while he looked, a trembling feeling ran through him, and a great block broke off and fell upon the ground. Then he cried in his wrath, “Is a mere child of earth mightier than a rock? Oh, if I were only a man!”

“Your wish is heard. A man once more you shall be!”

And a man he became, and with sweat on his brow he toiled again at his trade of stonecutting. His bed was hard and his food little, but he had learned to be grateful for it, and did not long to be something or somebody else. And as he never asked for things he did not have, nor desired to be greater and mightier than other people, he was happy at last, and he never again heard the voice of the mountain god.

The Stone in the Road

“The Stone in the Road” is a short tale that tells of the eventual rewards that come to those who work hard and who genuinely care about others.

There was once a very rich man who lived in a beautiful castle near a village. He loved the people who lived in the village, and he tried to help them. He planted beautiful trees near their houses, and made picnics for their children, and every Christmas he gave them a Christmas tree. But the people did not love to work. They were very unhappy, because they too could not be rich—like their friend in the castle.

One day, the rich man got up very early in the morning and placed a large stone in the road that led past his house. Then he hid himself behind the hedge and waited to see what would happen.

By and by, a poor man came along driving a cow. He cursed because the stone lay in his path, but he walked around it, and went on his way. Then a farmer came, on his way to the mill. He too complained because the stone was there; but he too drove around it and went on his way. So the day passed. Everyone who came by complained because the stone lay in the road, but no one touched it.

At last, just at nightfall, the miller’s boy came past. He was a hardworking fellow, and was very tired, because he had been busy since early morning at the mill. But he said to himself, “It is almost dark; somebody may fall over this stone in the night, and perhaps be badly hurt. I will move it out of the way.”

So he tugged at the heavy stone. It was hard to move, but he pulled, and pushed, and lifted until at last he moved it from its place. To his surprise, he found a bag lying underneath. He lifted the bag. It was heavy, for it was filled with gold. Upon it was written, “This gold belongs to the one who moves the stone!”

The miller’s boy went home with a happy heart, and the rich man went back to his castle. He was glad, indeed, that he had found someone who was not afraid to do hard things.

“The Rich Man’s Guest” is a tale about looking beyond a person’s surface appearance and offering kindness to everyone, no matter their social status.

Many years ago, there lived in a country far from here a very wise king. One day while he was out riding, he passed a beautiful house. “Who lives in that house?” the King asked.

“Oh king,” answered the servant, “the richest man in the country lives there. He gives the most wonderful feasts every day to his rich friends.”

“And what does he do for the poor?” asked the king.

“Nothing,” answered the servant.

The next day, the king dressed himself in old ragged clothes and went to the house of the rich man. The rich man sat before his door. “Oh great one,” said the king, bowing low, “pray, give me a little food and let me rest in your beautiful home. I am hungry and tired.”

“Get away from here,” said the rich man in a loud and angry voice. “Get away, or I will call my servants to beat you. I will have no beggars around my house.”

The king turned sadly away.

The next day, he again dressed in the old ragged clothes. But he covered them with a handsome cloak of silk trimmed with gold and jewels. Then he went once more to the home of the rich man.

As before, the rich man sat before his door. But as soon as he saw the stranger in the rich cloak, he sprang to his feet and came to meet him. Taking the stranger by the hand, he led him into the house and soon had a wonderful feast spread before him. “Eat, my friend,” he said. “It is a great pleasure to have such a man as you enter my home.”

The king took up some of the rich food and broke it into small pieces. But instead of eating any of them, he put them into the folds of his rich cloak.

“Why do you not eat the food?” asked the rich man. “Why do you put it in your cloak?”

“Because it is my cloak you are feeding, and not me,” said the king. “Yesterday, I came to you dressed like a poor man and you drove me away. Today, because I have this fine cloak, you make a feast for me. But I am the same today as yesterday: still your king.”

“Forgive me! Forgive me, O King!” cried the rich man. “I have been proud and selfish. But from this day, no poor man shall be driven from my door. You have taught me that a man is more than just his clothes.”

Slog asks his mother,
father and big brother too,
but doesn't bother to ask his little sister.

And who is it that supples the solution?

Ghosts are amazing. 38ii-3:08