| Author | Message | ||
     Killer225 Junior Artist Username: Killer225 Post Number: 90 Registered: 05-2008 Posted From: 195.10.3.194 Rating: N/A |
Yes it's a very good story by O Henry. Our (CBSE) english text book had a such a good collection of stories. I recently came to know about this very good site maitanied by Tamilnadu govt where they uploaded all the textbooks in pdf format. I read most of the stories from the english textbooks. http://www.textbooksonline.tn.nic.in/ | ||
| Anand_n Junior Artist Username: Anand_n Post Number: 343 Registered: 02-2008 Posted From: 209.183.55.7 Rating: |
Great stories .. The hospital story reminded me of a short story from my 7th grade english text book  I am writing from memory and summarising - probably killing the lyrical beauty of O.Henry's prose ...but here goes.. In an apartment complex inhabited by many aging artists, still in search of their masterpieces...lived two old women artists- Sue and Joanna (I think I remember the names right) An outbreak of pneumonia in late fall catches Joanna..The doctor gives her medications but tells Sue to get her motivated to live as that would double her chances of beating the disease.. Joanna is disinterested and dispassionate - her window overlooks a wall with an Ivy creeper.. With fall the leaves are slowly falling off. Sue finds Jo counting and asks what are you counting..Joanna tells Sue ,"look at that vine,I am counting the leaves left, know when the last leaf drifts away I will go too "... Sue, the practical one , tells her to get a grip and get interested in something to do... Recalling the doctor ’ s advice , she goes to another elderly painter living in the floor below and asks him to pose for Jo - hoping she may get interested in the guy and get some enthusiasm to live. She tells him of Jo's condition and he agrees but Jo is not interested...Jo every morning insists on drawing up the blind to count the leaves left ...Finally there is one last leaf left .. The next morning Jo makes Sue open the blind, Sue opens it with trepidation , but the leaf is still hanging on.. The next day, both of them go thru the ritual sutre that the leaf will be gone - but it is still there yellowing at tips with the base still green...Jo that afternoon says to Sue - I realise now I was wrong - waiting to die - the leaf hanging there tenaciously has taught me that...I should start painting again... Sue is delighted and goes down to tell the guy downstairs... Someone tells her - he died in the hospital after having caught pneumonia by being out in the cold night.When his apartment was being cleared ,they found the back door open with a ladder propped against the wall.. The old man had painted his masterpiece - it was the Last Leaf .. aa chal ke tujhe main leke chalu ik aise gagan ke tale jahan gam bhi na ho, aansoo bhi na ho,bas pyaar hi pyaar pale ik aise gagan ke tale http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zWUOI_oxeOc&feature=related | ||
| A_beautiful_mind Junior Artist Username: A_beautiful_mind Post Number: 7 Registered: 05-2008 Posted From: 128.221.197.20 Rating: N/A |
An eight-year-old boy approached an old man in front of a wishing well, looked up into his eyes, and asked: "I understand you're a very wise man. I'd like to know the secret of life." The old man looked down at the youngster and replied: "I've thought a lot in my lifetime, and the secret can be summed up in four words The first is think. Think about the values you wish to live your life by. The second is believe. Believe in yourself based on the thinking you've done about the values you're going to live your life by. The third is dream. Dream about the things that can be, based on your belief in yourself and the values you're going to live by. The last is dare. Dare to make your dreams become reality, based on your belief in yourself and your values." And with that, Walter E. Disney said to the little boy, Think, Believe, Dream, and Dare. | ||
| A_beautiful_mind Junior Artist Username: A_beautiful_mind Post Number: 6 Registered: 05-2008 Posted From: 128.221.197.20 Rating: N/A |
Two men, both seriously ill, occupied the same hospital room. One man was allowed to sit up in his bed for an hour each afternoon to help drain the fluid from his lungs. His bed was next to the room's only window. The other man had to spend all his time flat on his back. The men talked for hours on end. They spoke of their wives and families, their homes, their jobs, their involvement in the military service, where they had been on vacation. And every afternoon when the man in the bed by the window could sit up, he would pass the time by describing to his roommate all the things he could see outside the window. The man in the other bed began to live for those one-hour periods where his world would be broadened and enlivened by all the activity and color of the world outside. The window overlooked a park with a lovely lake. Ducks and swans played on the water while children sailed their model boats. Young lovers walked arm in arm amidst flowers of every color of the rainbow. Grand old trees graced the landscape, and a fine view of the city skyline could be seen in the distance. As the man by the window described all this in exquisite detail, the man on the other side of the room would close his eyes and imagine the picturesque scene. One warm afternoon the man by the window described a parade passing by. Although the other man couldn't hear the band - he could see it in his mind's eye as the gentleman by the window portrayed it with descriptive words. Days and weeks passed. One morning, the day nurse arrived to bring water for their baths only to find the lifeless body of the man by the window, who had died peacefully in his sleep. She was saddened and called the hospital attendants to take the body away. As soon as it seemed appropriate, the other man asked if he could be moved next to the window. The nurse was happy to make the switch, and after making sure he was comfortable, she left him alone. Slowly, painfully, he propped himself up on one elbow to take his first look at the world outside. Finally, he would have the joy of seeing it for himself. He strained to slowly turn to look out the window beside the bed. It faced a blank wall. The man asked the nurse what could have compelled his deceased roommate who had described such wonderful things outside this window. The nurse responded that the man was blind and could not even see the wall. She said, "Perhaps he just wanted to encourage you." | ||
| A_beautiful_mind Junior Artist Username: A_beautiful_mind Post Number: 5 Registered: 05-2008 Posted From: 128.221.197.20 Rating: N/A |
Gandhi was asked to describe in twenty-five words or less what his life mission was... He said, "I could do it in three: Renounce and enjoy." You renounce all worldly attachment to everything and enjoy what God gives you. You give away what you have inside yourself, your love. You're not concerned with whether it worked or didn't work, whether it was right or wrong, whether you won or lost. You just constantly flow through your life without getting attached to the results. The irony is that the less attached you are, the more you get. The more you keep circulating, the more keeps coming back to you. It's a flowing system. | ||
| Rct_king Junior Artist Username: Rct_king Post Number: 811 Registered: 01-2008 Posted From: 202.53.14.171 Rating: N/A |
chala chala bagundhi mama post if u have some more good topics like this | ||
| Jkm Junior Artist Username: Jkm Post Number: 572 Registered: 02-2008 Posted From: 98.192.47.28 Rating: |
good one just4fun. what makes happiness in life in my opinion. collection from million reasons Having good physical health. Being in love. Having a positive mental attitude. Coming from a happy family background. Having few but good friends. Counting your blessings and realizing there are others much worse off than you. Having a nice home of your own. Not having to depend on anyone else. Living in a place that is at peace. Feeling you are making a difference in the world. Being able to help others. Feeling good about yourself Having a secure job. Being successful in your professional life. Having interesting holidays Anger is a condition in which the tongue works faster than the mind. | ||
| Man_of_masses Junior Artist Username: Man_of_masses Post Number: 228 Registered: 01-2008 Posted From: 75.19.121.130 Rating: N/A |
 bavundi | ||
| Chilipy Junior Artist Username: Chilipy Post Number: 256 Registered: 02-2008 Posted From: 72.196.200.138 Rating: N/A |
chala bavundi/// CM Chiru Zindabad!! | ||
| Just4fun Hero Username: Just4fun Post Number: 10116 Registered: 10-2007 Posted From: 24.131.221.241 Rating: |
Perspective on life One day, the father of a very wealthy family took his son on a trip to the country with the express purpose of showing him how poor people live. They spent a couple of days and nights on the farm of what would be considered a very poor family. On their return from their trip, the father asked his son, "How was the trip?" "It was great, Dad." "Did you see how poor people live?" the father asked. "Oh yeah," said the son. "So, tell me, what you learned from the trip?" asked the father. The son answered: "I saw that we have one dog and they had four. We have a pool that reaches to the middle of our garden and they have a creek that has no end. We have imported lanterns in our garden and they have the stars at night... Our patio reaches to the front yard and they have the whole horizon. We have a small piece of land to live on and they have fields that go beyond our sight. We have servants who serve us, but they serve others. We buy our food, but they grow theirs. We have walls around our property to protect us; they have friends to protect them." The boy's father was speechless. Then his son added, "Thanks Dad for showing me how poor we are." Isn't perspective a wonderful thing? Makes you wonder what would happen if we all gave thanks for everything we have, instead of worrying about what we don't have. Appreciate every single thing you have, especially your friends! |
