Recently, I happened to hear a mother and daughter in their last moments together at the airport as the daughter prepared to leave.

They hugged and the mother said "I love you and I wish you enough."They kissed and the daughter left.

    The mother walked over to the window where I sat. Standing there, I could see she was going to cry. I tried not to disturb her but she welcomed me by asking "Have you ever said goodbye to someone knowing it would be forever?"

  "Yes," I replied. "But may I know why this is the final goodbye?"

  "I am ill and she lives so far away. It's highly possible that the next trip back will be for my funeral(葬礼)"she said.

  "When you were saying goodbye, I heard you say 'I wish you enough'. May I ask what that means?"

  "That's a wish that has been handed down from past generations. My parents used to say it to everyone." She paused for amoment and looked up as if trying to remember it in detail and she smiled evenmore.

  "When we say 'I wish you enough', we want the other person to have a life filled with just enough good things to bewith them". Then turning to me, she shared the following:

  "I wish you enough sun to keep your attitude bright."

  "I wish you enough rain to appreciate the sun more."

    Jehdi and Hassan were businessmen and good friends.

    One day they found themselves in a forest. They were tired so they sat down and Jehdi fell asleep.

    As Jehdi slept, Hassan saw a wasp (黄蜂) coming from his friend's nose. It flew toward a pine tree (松树), circled it three times, and then returned to Jehdi's nose.

    When Jehdi woke he said, “Hassan, What a dream! Imagine a big pine tree, like that one there. A wasp flies around it and its buzz (嗡嗡叫) seems to say,

    ‘You must dig here.' I dig and I find a big box of gold.”

    “Yes, a strange dream,” replied Hassan. “Why don't you dig around that tree and see if it's true?”

    “My friend, it was just a dream and anyway it's too hot to dig.”

    Hassan said, “If you do not want to dig, I will. Sell your dream to me.”

    “How much will you pay?” asked Jehdi.

    Hassan agreed to pay 300 coins.

    “Never have I made such a business deal. How naïve (天真的) you are, Hassan!”

    The two friends then went to the pine tree Jehdi had dreamed about. Jehdi stood there with a smile on his face to see Hassan start digging. But he laughed on the other side of his face when Hassan dug up a huge box of gold.

    After this, Hassan had so much gold that he lived a rich life until his death. Jehdi often visited him. He would say, “Well, Hassan, how are you? I have come to see my dream.” They would pat(轻拍) each other on the back and laugh. But each time Jehdi went home sadly. He could never buy back his dream.

    Once there was a famine (饥荒) in the town. A rich and kind baker(面包师) sent some bread to twenty of the poorest children. He said to them, "In this basket there is some bread for you. Each of you can have one loaf(一条面包) every day until the hard days end.

    The impatient children couldn't wait to gather around the basket. They shouted and fought for the bread because each wished to have the largest loaf. At last they went away without even thanking the good gentleman. But Shirley, a poorly-dressed little girl, did not join them. Instead, she remained standing modestly in the distance. When the other children had left, she took the smallest left in the basket, kissed the gentleman's hand and went home.

    The next day the children were as rude as before. Poor shy Shirley still took the smallest loaf. When she got home, her mother cut the bread open. Many new shining pieces of silver fell out of it. Her mother was very surprised and said, "Take the money back to the good gentleman at once, for it must have got into the loaf by accident. Be quick, Shirley! Be quick!"

    But when the little girl gave the rich man her mother's message, he said, "No, no, my child. It was no mistake. I put silver pieces into the smallest loaf to reward you because you are a kind and honest girl. Go home and the money is yours now."

    A rich man was riding along the road and saw an old man digging in his garden. There was a young tree lying on the ground. The rich man asked the old man, "What kind of tree are you planting there, my good man?

    "This is a fig(无花果)tree, sir," he said.

    "A fig tree?" the rich man was very surprised." How old are you, may I ask?"

    "I am ninety years old."

    "What!" shouted the rich man." You're ninety years old. You are planting a very young tree now and it'll take years to give fruit. You certainly don't hope to live long enough to get any fruit from this tree." The old man smiled and said, Tell me, sir, did you eat figs when you were a boy?" "Sure," the man did not know why he asked this question.

    The old man asked, "Who planted the fig trees?"

    "I don't know."

    " You see, sir," the old man said slowly," our forefathers(祖先) planted trees for us to enjoy and I am doing the same for the people after me."

    The rich man was quiet. Then he said, "You are right, my good man. We should do some things for the people after us. Thank you very much." Then he rode away.

    Mr. Brown got up late this morning. He was going to be late for work. It was raining hard and the streets were wet. He drove so fast that he didn't see the red lights. He couldn't stop his car and hit a car. An old man got out of the car and called out angrily, "What are you doing? How can you drive so fast?"

    "I'm sorry, sir," said Mr. Brown, "l didn't see the lights turn red." "Then he brought out a bottle of wine (酒)and gave it to the old man.

    It's cold today, sir," said Mr. Brown. "Please drink a little, and then you'll get warm."

    The old man drank some wine and became happy. He asked, "I'm feeling much better now. Why don't you drink any?"

     "I can't drink anything now, sir," answered Mr. Brown" I'm waiting for the policeman. Only drunkards(酒鬼)cause accidents, you know!"