The story of the Seeds

ValuesPerseverance and tenacity. Take advantage of setbacks to growMain LessonOn the way to achieving our goals, and in the difficulties we overcome, we often develop that which we needed to succeed.SettingA jungleCharacters4 seeds and some monkeys

Once upon a time there were four seeds who were good friends of each other. Taken up by the wind they finally landed in a jungle clearing. There they remained, hidden on the ground,hoping they would be able to grow up and become beautiful trees.But when the first seed began germinating, they realized it wouldn't be such an easy task. In that clearing there lived a group of monkeys,and the smallest monkeys would amuse them by throwing bananas at any plant they noticed was starting to grow. Using this game, the monkeys learnt how to throw bananas and they also kept the clearing free of vegetation.They threw so many bananas at that first seed that it was almost split in two. And when it told the other seeds what happened,they all agreed it would be better to wait for that group of monkeys to move on, before they attempted to grow.Well, they all thought that, apart from one,who thought she should at least attempt it. And when she tried she was pelted with bananas, and was left folded over in two. The other seeds got together and asked her to stop trying, but that little seed was completely determined to become a tree, and time and again she would try and try.On each new occasion the little monkeys had slightly improved their aim, and so the little seed ended up doubled over yet again.But the seed didnt give up. Every time they pelted her with bananas, she tried even harder,despite her friends begging her to stop, and telling her to wait until the monkeys left. And so, for days, weeks and months the little plant was attacked by the monkeys, and she always ended stooped and doubled over.For a few days she would manage to avoid the bananas, but then the next day some monkey would hit her, and it would all start over again.And then, one day, she didnt double over. She was hit by a banana, and then another,but none of them managed to make her stoop. She had taken so many blows, and been doubled over so many times, that she was full of hard knots and scars that helped her to grow more strongly than the other seeds. So,her slim trunk got thicker and more resistant, until it could withstand the impact of a banana. And she was already neither so well developed that nor could the little monkeys uproot her from the ground. And there she stayed, growing, growing and growing.The Cave of FearValuesCourage, value things for what they are and not what they seemMain LessonOften rumors and idle gossip are based on nothing but speculation, and spread without being questioned.SettingA mysterious caveCharactersA young man and a monster

There was once a town where the thing everyone feared the most was getting lost at night in the "Cave of Fear". No one had ever returned from there,and whenever anyone got lost and ended up there, the last that was heard was a great cry of terror, followed by a few enormous guffaws. The townsfolk lived in terror that one day the monster would leave the cave.So they regularly left gifts and food at the mouth of the cave, and these always soon disappeared.One day, a young man came to town, and,as he heard about the situation with the cave, he thought that it was unfair. So he decided to enter the cave and confront the monster. The young man asked for some help, but everyone was so afraid that not a single person approached the mouth of the cave with him. He went inside, finding his way with a torch,and calling out to the monster, wanting to talk with it and discuss the situation. At first, the monster had a good long laugh, and the young man followed the sound of the monster's voice.But then the monster went quiet and the young man had to carry on, not knowing in which direction to go.Finally he arrived at a huge cavern.At the bottom of the cavern he thought he could make out the figure of the monster, and as he approached it, he felt that something hit him hard on his back. This pushed him forward towards a hole in the rock. He couldn't avoid it, and fell through.Believing that he was about to die, he let out one last cry. Then he heard the great guffaws.-"Darn it,I think the monster has swallowed me,"he said, whilst falling.However, as he fell, he heard music, and voices. They got clearer,and when he made a soft landing at the bottom, he heard a group of people shout:-"Surprise!!"Hardly believing it,he found himself right in the middle of a big party. The partygoers were all those people who had never returned to the town. They explained to him that this place had been the idea of an old mayor of the town. That mayor had tried to accomplish great things,but was always held back by the fears of the people around him. So the mayor invented the story of the monster to demonstrate to people how such an attitude was so limiting. So the young man stayed there, enjoying the party and the company of all those who had dared to approach the cave.And what about the town? In the town they still believe that to enter the Cave of Fear is the worst of all punishments...Thanks to the extraordinary strength of her trunk she could continue overcoming all difficulties, until she became the most majestic tree in the jungle. Meanwhile her friends remained hidden in the ground, and they continued as ever,hoping that those horrible monkeys would abandon the clearing, never realizing that those very same monkeys were the only ones capable of strengthening the seeds' trunks by their method of throwing bananas, something that would prepare the seeds for all the problems they would confront during their growth.

Music for the CloudsValuesTaste in musicMain LessonA story to encourage an appreciation of music in the youngest childrenSettingA rainless countryCharactersA group of musicians

There was once a tiny country that was suffering from a long drought. It had gone so long without rain that the people there were starting to go hungry because of the bad harvests.It just so happened that a group of musicians were travelling the country, trying to make a living from their concerts. But with so many problems in the land, no one felt like listening to music.-"But music can help overcome any problems,"Objected the musicians, without anyone paying them the slightest attention.So the musicians tried to find out the reason it wouldn't rain. It was very strange, because the sky was overcast,but no one could provide an answer.-"It's been cloudy like this for many months, but not a single drop of rain has fallen,"People would tell them.-"Don't worry,we'll bring rain to the country,"The musicians responded, and they began rehearsing for a concert at the summit of the highest mountain.Everyone who heard the music was seized by curiosity and went up the mountain. And the conductor of this strange orchestra gave the order, and the musicians began to play.From their instruments came small, playful musical notes,that rose and rose into the clouds. The music was so joyous, happy and fun, and the notes started playing with the clouds' soft, fluffy bellies, running here and three, up and down,and the whole sky turned into one big game of tickle torture. Before long, the giant clouds were thundering with laughter.The musicians continued playing joyfully and a few minutes later the clouds, crying with laughter,soaked the little country below with their precious tears, bringing happiness to all.And in memory of that musical rain, everyone in the land learned how to play an instrument and, taking turns, would go up the mountain every day to bring joy to the clouds with their beautiful songs.The Last Thousand Dragons

There are many legends dealing with the extinction of dragons, but only one of them involves a certain Sir Emile,a brave knight who finished off the last thousand dragons. Like many others, Sir Emile spent years studying the cruel and wicked behaviour of the dragons of his time. However, his own particular conclusions were unique and unusual: dragons lived in a constant state of anger,which created the fire that came from their mouths.So, when he decided to finish the dragons off, he swapped the normal weapons and armour of a knight for something rather unusual: a joke and a cart full of ice creams.When the first dragon came to eat him; Sir Emile shouted his joke at it. It was such good jokes that even the dragon had to laugh. Just as the brave knight had expected, this blew the dragon's fire out.Just as the dragon was laughing, Sir Emile offered it an ice cream...How refreshed and pleasant the dragon now felt, after years of having had a fiery throat! Taking advantage of the dragon having calmed down for a moment,Sir Emile offered it a piece of fruit, and to the dragon this tasted heavenly.Dragons didn't normally eat fruit or vegetables, because the fire of their mouths burned such food and left it without any taste. So they preferred to eat cows or people, which, even though left a bit singed, at least tasted of something. However,when the dragon tasted fresh fruit for the first time, it felt so happy and joyful that even its terrible appearance began to change. It had looked so bad because of its awful diet, but after only a few days of this new, healthier, life,the dragon disappeared one night. All that remained of it was a beautiful butterfly with large colorful wings...And so it was that Sir Emile,using only some good jokes and a cart full of ice cream and fruit, made the last thousand dragons disappear and take up new life in the form of beautiful butterflies.

The Unending Well of Wonders

ValuesTime ManagementMain LessonWe have to learn how to make the most of time, because it's through time that we do everything we enjoy.SettingA forestCharactersA boy and a dwarf

StoryLouis was the kind of kid whose favorite activity was lying about staring at the ceiling, or sitting quietly in front of the TV. He knew his parents didn't like that he spent so much time like that, but he liked the comfort of that kind of life and, after all, he wasn't doing badly at school ...One day, while out hiking, Louis sat down to rest a while and the next thing he knew, he had lost the rest of the group. But right at that moment, while getting to his feet, he was stunned to see a little dwarf walking quickly through the trees. The dwarf seemed so angry, grumbling and moaning, that he didn't realise that a huge boulder was rolling down the hill towards him. And but for the reflexes of Louis, who jumped in to save the dwarf, the little guy would have been crushed.After recovering from the shock, the dwarf was so grateful that he insisted he take Louis to show him one of the dwarves' secret places.So off they went through the mountains and arrived at a small clearing. In the middle of the clearing there appeared to be a well.-"This is a magic well,"explained the dwarf.-"Every so often some wonderful gifts come out of it, and whoever is here at the time can use them and enjoy them."Louis didn't know whether to believe this story, but at that same moment a really cool bicycle appeared from out of the well.-"Can I can keep it?"Louis asked.-"Sure, it's all yours! Enjoy it!"Louis went over and spent a long time looking at the bike, really excited by it. Finally, he got on to try it out.But not for long, because without any warning, the bike disappeared, and Louis' backside hit the dirt. He would have been really angry with the dwarf, had it not been for the fact that the costume of his favourite superhero had just come out of the well, complete with all the accessories. Again, Louis spent a long time inspecting everything about the costume. And again, just after he had dressed himself in it and started playing, the gift disappeared.And so it continued. Before his eyes came a procession of all the things Louis liked, but not a single one of them stuck around for very long. At first he was angry because he wanted to keep everything to take home, but realising that this wouldn't be possible, he contented himself with enjoying each of the wonders provided by the well, until he could do so no longer.He sat down and had a rest with his friend the dwarf, and the dwarf explained that the well had always worked this way, constantly making wonderful gifts, and those gifts always disappeared shortly afterwards. And he told Louis how everyone ended up accepting that the well was better that way, offering something new every time.Time passed so quickly that, before they knew it, everyone was out looking for Louis. Hearing their shouts, the dwarf ran away, and only had time to say:-"I can't let them see me, and neither can I allow you to remember where this place is. But lest you forget me I'll present you with a gift."He handed Louis a small parcel, and before disappearing the dwarf said:-"It's a miniature copy of the well, but it's just as magical. Learn to look at it in the right way, and it will provide you with great joy. Goodbye, and thanks for saving me!"With all the commotion that ensued after he was found in the woods, Louis forgot about the gift until a few days later. He decided to open it in his room, as if it were a secret, only to discover that the gift was a simple clock with a picture of Louis playing near the well.-"The dwarf was kidding me,"he thought-"I knew it would have been too much to get a real copy of that well."So Louis sat back on the bed to practice his speciality of whiling away the time. However, when the hand of the clock had turned five minutes, a small glow came out of the clock, and the picture of Louis happily playing burst into a thousand pieces, which came back together to form the image of a child looking lonely and bored. The same happened another five minutes later, and every time five more minutes had passed without Louis having done anything.Louis began to understand. What if the gifts from the well were the minutes themselves? Was that what the dwarf had been talking about when he said Louis needed to learn how to look at the gift properly?That way Louis would have everything: time cannot stop, and therefore you have to really make sure you enjoy the gifts you're given when they come, because once they go they're gone for good and will never return.Then he thought about the minutes he had been given in life, so many of them spent watching television or lying in his room, and those minutes would never return! And he realised that, as with gifts from the well, you had to start enjoying them right away.And ever since that day it was as though there were two or three Louis' in the house. Wherever he was, he learned to open his eyes and to discover in every moment what a fantastic gift he had been given by the well of time. And in this way he learned to read books he would never have read, play games he never would have played, make friends he never would have made, and learning lessons he never would have learned ... He learned to see every thing around him as a gift, a gift to be enjoyed to the maximum. And even when watching TV now, it seemed like he watched it with more interest, because he was no longer willing to waste any of the gifts given by the magic well of time.