Little Stories - To Push You Forward.pdf

Little Stories
to Push You Forward
Stacey Riches
NHÀ XUẤT BẢN ĐÀ NẴNG

Little Stories to Push You Forward
Stacey Riches
NHÀ XUẤT BẢN ĐÀ NẴNG
Lô 103, đường 30 tháng 4 - Hòa Cường Bắc - Đà Nẵng
ĐT: 0236.3797874 - 3797823; Fax: 0236.3797875
www.nxbdanang.vn
Chịu trách nhiệm xuất bản
Giám đốc: TRƯƠNG CÔNG BÁO
Chịu trách nhiệm nội dung
Tổng biên tập: NGUYỄN KIM HUY
Biên tập: Huỳnh Yên Trầm My
Trình bày: Thế Hiển
Bìa: Ivana Janovska
Sửa bản in: Tuyến Lê
Hình minh họa: Phương Thảo
Liên kết xuất bản
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ĐT: (028) 38682890 - 38620281
In 4.000 cuốn, khổ 11,3 x 17,6 cm, tại Công ty TNHH
MTV in báo Nhân Dân. Đ/c: D20/532P Ấp 4, xã Phong
Phú, huyện Bình Chánh, Tp. HCM.
Giấy xác nhận ĐKKHXB số 1855-2019/CXBIPH/05-75/ĐaN.
QĐXB số: 428/QĐ-NXBĐaN NXB Đà Nẵng cấp ngày
03/06/2019.
Mã ISBN: 978-604-84-4203-3.
In xong và nộp lưu chiểu năm 2019.

Về bộ sách
LITTLE STORIES
Tiếng Anh hiện nay đã là một ngôn ngữ phổ biến
tại Việt Nam, được nhiều người sử dụng thường xuyên
trong học tập, công việc hay sinh hoạt đời thường.
Ngoài vai trò là một ngôn ngữ mang lại lợi thế to lớn
trong cuộc sống, tiếng Anh còn được nhiều người tìm
đến để mở mang vốn kiến thức, hay đơn giản là một
thú vui, thú đọc sau một ngày căng thẳng và mệt mỏi.
Bộ sách Little Stories, với những câu chuyện hay, thú
vị được sưu tầm trên khắp thế giới, sẽ là một trải nghiệm
mới dành cho độc giả. Ngoài chia sẻ những câu chuyện
nhẹ nhàng, những bài học ý nghĩa, bộ sách còn giúp
người đọc tự trau dồi vốn tiếng Anh ngay trong lúc thư
giãn. Chúng tôi hy vọng bộ sách này sẽ luôn đồng hành
cùng quý độc giả, luôn đem lại cho các bạn những giây
phút nhẹ nhàng và thư thái.
Công ty Cổ phần Zenbooks

about the
LITTLE STORIES
English has become a popular language in Vietnam
with more and more people using it at school, at work,
or in their daily lives. Apart from its many benefits, people
also use English as a tool to broaden their knowledge
of the world as well as making it a relaxing hobby to
read in English after a stressful and exhausting day.
Little Stories, a collection of interesting stories
from all over the world, offers readers a new learning
experience. Not only do they tell delightful and meaningful
stories but they also help readers improve their English
at the same time. We hope this book will become a great
companion to you and offer moments of relaxation.
Zenbooks Joint Stock Company

5
The Child and His Mother
A
curious child asked his mother:
“Mommy, why is some of your hair
turning grey?”
The mother tried to use this occasion to teach
her child:
“It is because of you, dear. Every bad action of
yours will turn one of my hairs grey!”
The child replied innocently:
“Now I know why grandmother has only grey
hairs on her head.”
1

6
Be careful what you say to
your kids. Your words may
be used against you!

7
Curious /ˈkjʊərɪəs/ (adj.): hiếu kỳ, tò mò
Turn grey /təːn/ /ɡreɪ/ (v.): (tóc) nhuốm bạc
Occasion /əˈkeɪʒ(ə)n/ (n.): dịp, cơ hội
Action /ˈakʃ(ə)n/ (n.): hành động, hành vi
Reply /rɪˈplaɪ/ (v.): trả lời
Innocently /ˈɪnəs(ə)ntli/ (adv.): một cách ngây thơ
Careful /ˈkɛːf(ə)l/ (adj.): cẩn thận, cẩn trọng

8
Thomas Edison and
the Light Bulb
T
homas Edison tried two thousand different
materials in search of a filament for the
light bulb. When none worked satisfactorily, his
assistant complained, “All our work is in vain.
We have learned nothing.”
Edison replied very confidently, “Oh, we have
come a long way and we have learned a lot. We
know that there are two thousand elements which
we cannot use to make a good light bulb.”
2

9
Failures are just lessons to
be learned by those who
have the right attitude.

10
Light bulb /laɪt/ /bʌlb/ (n.) bóng đèn dây tóc
Material /məˈtɪərɪəl/ (n.): vật liệu
Filament /ˈfɪləm(ə)nt/ (n.): dây tóc
Satisfactorily /ˌsatɪsˈfakt(ə)rəli/ (adv.): một cách
trọn vẹn, thỏa lòng
Assistant /əˈsɪst(ə)nt/ (n.): trợ lý
Complain /kəmˈpleɪn/ (v.): than phiền, phàn nàn
Vain /veɪn/ (adj.): vô nghĩa, hão huyền
Confidently /ˈkɒnfɪd(ə)ntli/ (adv.): tự tin
Element /ˈɛlɪm(ə)nt/ (n.): thành phần, yếu tố
Failure /ˈfeɪljə/ (n.): thất bại
Lesson /ˈlɛs(ə)n/ (n.): bài học
Attitude /ˈatɪtjuːd/ (n.): thái độ

11
Believe in Yourself
T
here may be days when you get up in the
morning and things aren’t the way you had
hoped they would be.
That’s when you have to tell yourself that things
will get better.
There are times when people disappoint you
and let you down.
But those are the times when you must remind
yourself to trust your own judgements and opinions,
and to keep focused on believing in yourself.
There will be challenges to face and changes to
make in your life, and it is up to you to accept them.
Try to keep yourself headed in the right direction. It
may not be easy at times, but in those times of struggle
you will find a stronger sense of who you are.
3

12
When the days come that are
filled with frustration and unexpected
responsibilities, remember
to believe in yourself and all
you want your life to be.

13
Disappoint /dɪsəˈpɔɪnt/ (v.): làm thất vọng,
không giữ lời
Let someone down (v.): khiến ai đó thất vọng
Remind /rɪˈmaɪnd/ (v.): nhắc nhở
Judgement /ˈdʒʌdʒm(ə)nt/ (n.): sự phán xét,
phán đoán
Focused /ˈfəʊkəst/ (adj.): tập trung
Challenge /ˈtʃalɪn(d)ʒ/ (n.): thử thách
Accept /əkˈsɛpt/ (v.): chấp nhận
Direction /daɪˈrɛkʃ(ə)n/ (n.): định hướng
Struggle /ˈstrʌɡ(ə)l/ (n.): chật vật, khó khăn
Sense /sɛns/ (n.): cảm giác, nhận thức
Frustration /frʌˈstreɪʃn/ (n.): sự chán nản
Unexpected /ʌnɛkˈspɛktɪd/ (adj.): không ngờ
Responsibility /rɪˌspɒnsɪˈbɪlɪti/ (n.): trách nhiệm

14
The Hardworking Father
F
ather was a hardworking man who
delivered bread as a living to support his
wife and three children. He spent all his evenings
after work attending classes, hoping to improve
himself so that he could one day find a better
paying job. Except for Sundays, Father hardly ate
a meal together with his family. He worked and
studied very hard because he wanted to provide
his family with the best money could buy.
Whenever the family complained that he was
not spending enough time with them, he reasoned
that he was doing all this for them. But he often
yearned to spend more time with his family.
The day came when the examination results
were announced. To his joy, Father passed, and
4

15
with distinction, too! Soon after, he was offered
a good job as a senior supervisor, which paid
handsomely.
Like a dream come true, Father could now
afford to provide his family with life’s little
luxuries like nice clothing, fine food and a vacation
abroad. However, the family still did not get to
see Father for most of the week. He continued
to work very hard, hoping to be promoted to the
position of manager. In fact, to make himself a
worthy candidate for the promotion, he enrolled
for another course in university.
Again, whenever the family complained that
he was not spending enough time with them, he
reasoned that he was doing all this for them. But
he often yearned to spend more time with his
family.
Father’s hard work paid off and he was
promoted. He decided to hire a maid to relieve
his wife from her domestic tasks. He also felt that
their three-room flat was no longer big enough, he
wanted his family to be able to enjoy comfort of a
condominium. Having experienced the rewards

16
of his hard work many times before, Father
resolved to further his studies and work at being
promoted again. The family still did not get to
see much of him. In fact, sometimes Father had
to work on Sundays entertaining clients.
Again, whenever the family complained that he
was not spending enough time with them, he
reasoned that he was doing all this for them. But he
often yearned to spend more time with his family.
As expected, Father’s hard work paid off
again and he bought a beautiful condominium
overlooking the coast of Singapore. On the
first Sunday evening at their new home, Father
declared to his family that he decided not to take
anymore courses or pursue any more promotions.
From then on he was going to devote more time
to his family.
Father did not wake up the next day.

17
Don’t put off spending
time with your family.

18
Deliver /dɪˈlɪvə/ (v.): giao, chuyển phát
Yearn /jəːn/ (v.): mong ước
Announce /əˈnaʊns/ (v.): công bố
Pass with distinction (v.): đỗ với điểm cao
Senior supervisor /ˈsiːnɪə/ /ˈsuːpəvaɪzə/ (n.):
giám sát viên cấp cao
Handsomely /ˈhans(ə)mli/ (adv.): hậu hĩ
Afford /əˈfɔːd/ (v.): đủ tiền mua, đủ chi trả
Promote /prəˈməʊt/ (v.): thăng chức
Enroll /ɪnˈrəʊl/ (v.): ghi danh
Domestic task /dəˈmɛstɪk/ /tɑːsk/ (n.): việc nhà
Condominium /ˌkɒndəˈmɪnɪəm/ (n.): căn hộ
cao cấp
Resolve /rɪˈzɒlv/ (v.): quyết tâm
Overlook /əʊvəˈlʊk/ (v.): có hướng nhìn xuống
Declare /dɪˈklɛː/ (v.): tuyên bố
Devote /dɪˈvəʊt/ (v.): dành (thời gian)
Put off /pʊt/ /ɒf/ (v.): trì hoãn

19
The Dark Candle
A
man had a little daughter, an only and
much beloved child. He lived only for
her, she was his life. So when she became ill and
her illness resisted the efforts of the best doctors,
he tried to move heaven and earth to bring
about her return to health.
His best efforts proved fruitless, however, and
the child died. The father was irreconcilable.
He became a bitter recluse, shutting himself
away from his many friends, refusing every
activity that might restore his poise and bring
him back to his normal self.
Then one night he had a dream. He was in
heaven and witnessing a grand pageant of all
the little child angels. They were marching in
5

20
an apparently endless line past the Great White
Throne. Every white-robed, angelic tot carried
a candle. He noticed, however, that one child’s
candle was not lit. Then he saw that the child
with the dark candle was his own little girl.
Rushing towards her, he seized her in his arms,
caressed her tenderly, and asked, “How is that
your candle is the only one not lit?”
“Father, they often relight it, but your tears
always put it out again,” she said.
Just then he awoke from his dream. The lesson
was crystal clear, and its effects were immediate.
From that hour on he was no longer a recluse
but mingled freely and cheerfully with his
former friends and associates. No longer would
his little darling’s candle be extinguished by his
useless tears.

21
When someone passes away,
we must continue living our
life to its fullest. That’s what
they would want for us.

22
Beloved /bɪˈlʌvd/ (adj.): yêu quý, yêu dấu
Move heaven and earth (v.): làm tất cả, dốc
hết tất cả
Fruitless /ˈfruːtləs/ (adj.): vô ích
Irreconcilable /ɪˌrɛk(ə)nˈsaɪləb(ə)l/ (adj.): không
thể khuyên nhủ
Recluse /rɪˈkluːs/ (n.): kẻ ẩn dật
Shut oneself away (v.): cô lập bản thân
Pageant /ˈpadʒ(ə)nt/ (n.): đám rước
Throne /θrəʊn/ (n.): ngai vàng
White-robed /waɪt/ /rəʊbt/ (adj.): mặc áo
choàng trắng
Angelic /anˈdʒɛlɪk/ (adj.): xinh như thiên thần
Tot /tɒt/ (n.): đứa trẻ
Seize /siːz/ (v.): ôm lấy
Mingle /ˈmɪŋɡ(ə)l/ (v.): tiếp xúc, giao thiệp
Cheerfully /ˈtʃɪəfəli/ (adv.): một cách vui sướng
Extinguish /ɪkˈstɪŋɡwɪʃ/ (v.): dập tắt

23
Soar Like an Eagle
D
id you know that an eagle knows when
a storm is approaching long before
it breaks?
The eagle will fly to some high spot and wait
for the winds to come.
When the storm hits, it sets its wings so that
the wind will pick it up and lift it above the
storm. While the storm rages below, the eagle is
soaring above it.
The eagle does not escape the storm. It
simply uses the storm to lift it higher. It rises on
the winds that bring the storm.
6

24
When the storms of life come
upon us, like the eagle, we can
rise above them and ride the
winds of the storm that bring
sickness, tragedy, failure, and
disappointment into our lives.

25
Soar /sɔː/ (v.): bay vút lên
Eagle /ˈiːɡ(ə)l/ (n.): đại bàng
Storm /stɔːm/ (n.): cơn bão
Approach /əˈprəʊtʃ/ (v.): tiến đến, đến gần
Break /breɪk/ (v.): (bão) bắt đầu nổi
Rage /reɪdʒ/ (v.): nổi cơn dữ dội
Escape /ɛˈskeɪp/ (v.): trốn khỏi
Rise /raɪz/ (v.): cưỡi trên
Sickness /ˈsɪknəs/ (n.): đau bệnh
Tragedy /ˈtradʒɪdi/ (n.): bi kịch
Failure /ˈfeɪljə/ (n.): thất bại
Disappointment /dɪsəˈpɔɪntm(ə)nt/ (n.):
nỗi thất vọng

26
Black or White
W
hen I was in elementary school, I got
into a heated argument with a boy in my
class. I have forgotten what the argument was
about, but I have never forgotten the lesson I
learned that day.
I was convinced that I was right and he was
wrong – and he was just as convinced that I was
wrong and he was right. The teacher decided to
teach us a very important lesson.
She brought us up to the front of the class and
placed him on one side of her desk and me on
the other. In the middle of her desk was a large,
round object. I could clearly see that it was
black. She asked the boy what color the object
was. “White,” he answered.
7

27
I couldn’t believe he said the object was white,
when it was obviously black! Another argument
started between my classmate and me, this time
about the color of the object.
The teacher told me to go stand where the
boy was standing and told him to come stand
where I had been. We changed places, and now
she asked me what the color of the object was. I
had to answer, “White.”
It was an object with two different sides, and
from his viewpoint it was white. Only from my
side it was black.

28
Sometimes we need to look at the problem
from the other person’s view in order to
truly understand his or her perspective.

29
Elementary school /ɛlɪˈmɛnt(ə)ri/ /skuːl/ (n.):
trường tiểu học
Heated /ˈhiːtɪd/ (adj.): nảy lửa
Convinced /kənˈvɪnst/ (adj.): bị thuyết phục,
tin rằng
Round object /raʊnd/ /ˈɒbdʒɪkt/ (n.): vật hình tròn
Clearly /ˈklɪəli/ (adv.): rõ ràng
Obviously /ˈɒbvɪəsli/ (adv.): hiển nhiên, rõ ràng
Classmate /ˈklɑːsmeɪt/ (n.): bạn cùng lớp
Viewpoint /ˈvjuːpɔɪnt/ (n.): góc nhìn, quan điểm
Perspective /pəˈspɛktɪv/ (n.): nhận định, quan điểm

30
Cockroach Theory
(A Speech by Google Inc. CEO Sundar Pichai)

A
t a restaurant, a cockroach suddenly
flew from somewhere and sat on a lady.
She started screaming out of fear.
With a stricken face and trembling voice, she
started jumping, with both her hands desperately
trying to get rid of the cockroach. Her reaction
was contagious, as everyone in her group also
got panicky.
The lady finally managed to push the
cockroach away but… it landed on another lady
in the group.
Now, it was the turn of the other lady in the
group to continue the drama.
8

31
The waiter rushed forward to their rescue. In
the relay of throwing, the cockroach next fell
upon the waiter.
The waiter stood firm, composed himself
and observed the behavior of the cockroach on
his shirt. When he was confident enough, he
grabbed it with his fingers and threw it out of
the restaurant.
Sipping my coffee and watching the amusement,
the antenna of my mind picked up a few thoughts
and started wondering, was the cockroach
responsible for their histrionic behavior?
If so, then why was the waiter not disturbed? He
handled it near to perfection, without any chaos.
It is not the cockroach, but the inability of
those people to handle the disturbance caused
by the cockroach, that disturbed the ladies.
I realized that it is not the shouting of my
father or my boss or my wife that disturbs me,
but it’s my inability to handle the disturbances
caused by their shouting that disturbs me.
It’s not the traffic jam on the road that disturbs

32
me, but my inability to handle the disturbance
caused by the traffic jam that disturbs me.
More than the problem, it’s my reaction to
the problem that creates chaos in my life.

33
You can’t control the things
happening around you, but you
can control your reactions.

34
Cockroach /ˈkɒkrəʊtʃ/ (n.): con gián
Theory /ˈθɪəri/ (n.): thuyết, học thuyết
Stricken /ˈstrɪk(ə)n/ (adj.): khó chịu, nhăn nhó
Trembling /ˈtrɛmb(ə)lɪŋ/ (adj.): run rẩy
Get rid of something (v.): vứt; loại bỏ, thoát khỏi
Reaction /rɪˈakʃ(ə)n/ (n.): phản ứng
Contagious /kənˈteɪdʒəs/ (adj.): lây lan
Panicky /ˈpanɪki/ (adj.): hoảng sợ, hoang mang
Continue the drama: tiếp tục tình huống, tình trạng
Relay /ˈriːleɪ/ (n.): sự tiếp nhận, chuyển tiếp
Compose /kəmˈpəʊz/ (v.): trấn tĩnh
Sip /sɪp/ (v.): nhấp (một ngụm)
Antenna /anˈtɛnə/ (n.): ăng-ten
Histrionic /ˌhɪstrɪˈɒnɪk/ (adj.): giả tạo, như
đóng kịch
Handle /ˈhand(ə)l/ (v.): xử lý
Chaos /ˈkeɪɒs/ (n.): sự náo loạn
Inability /ɪnəˈbɪlɪti/ (n.): sự bất lực

35
Determining Your True Path

A
master was strolling through a field of
wheat when a disciple came up to him
and asked, “I can’t tell which the true path is.
What’s the secret?”
“What does that ring on your right hand
mean?” asked the master.
“My father gave it to me before dying.”
“Well, give it to me.”
The disciple obeyed, and the master tossed
the ring into the middle of the field of wheat.
“Now what?” shouted the disciple. “Now
I have to stop doing everything I was doing to
look for the ring! It’s important to me!”
9

36
“When you find it, remember this: You yourself
answered the question you asked me. That is
how you tell the true path: It is more important
than all the rest.”

37
You will find your true path
once you know what the most
important things in your life are.

38
Determine /dɪˈtəːmɪn/ (v.): xác định, quyết định
Path /pɑːθ/ (n.): con đường, lối đi
Master /ˈmɑːstə/ (n.): người thầy, lão sư
Stroll /strəʊl/ (v.): tản bộ
Field /fiːld/ (n.): cánh đồng
Wheat /wiːt/ (n.): lúa mì
Disciple /dɪˈsaɪp(ə)l/ (n.): học trò
Secret /ˈsiːkrɪt/ (n.): bí mật
Obey /ə(ʊ)ˈbeɪ/ (v.): tuân lời
Toss /tɒs/ (v.): ném đi

39
The Alphabet of Happiness

A
– ACCEPT Accept others for who they
are and for the choices they’ve made,
even if you have difficulty understanding their
beliefs, motives, or actions.
B – BREAK AWAY Break away from everything
that stands in the way of what you hope to
accomplish with your life.
C – CREATE Create a family of friends whom
you can share your hopes, dreams, sorrows, and
happiness with.
D – DECIDE Decide that you’ll be successful
and happy come what may, and good things will
find you. The roadblocks are only minor obstacles
along the way.
10

40
E – EXPLORE Explore and experiment. The
world has much to offer, and you have much to
give. Every time you try something new, you’ll
learn more about yourself.
F – FORGIVE Forgive and forget. Grudges only
weigh you down and inspire unhappiness and
grief. Soar above it, and remember that everyone
makes mistakes.
G – GROW Leave the childhood monsters
behind. They can no longer hurt you or stand
in your way.
H – HOPE Hope for the best and never forget
that anything is possible as long as you remain
dedicated to the task.
I – IGNORE Ignore the negative voice inside your
head. Focus instead on your goals and remember
your accomplishments. Your past success is only a
small inkling of what the future holds.
J – JOURNEY Journey to new worlds and
new possibilities by being open-minded. Try to
learn something new every day, and you’ll grow.

41
K – KNOW Know that no matter how
bad things seem, they’ll always get better.
The warmth of spring always follows the
harshest winter.
L – LOVE Let love fill your heart instead of
hate. When hate is in your heart, there’s room
for nothing else, but when love is in your heart,
there’s room for endless happiness.
M – MANAGE Manage your time and your
expenses wisely, and you’ll suffer less stress
and worry. Then you’ll be able to focus on the
important things in life.
N – NOTICE Never ignore the poor, infirm,
helpless, weak, or suffering. Offer your assistance
when possible, and always your kindness and
understanding.
O – OPEN Open your eyes and take in all the
beauty around you. Even during the worst of
times, there’s still much to be thankful for.
P – PLAY Never forget to have fun along the
way. Success means nothing without happiness.

42
Q – QUESTION Ask many questions, because
you’re here to learn.
R – RELAX Refuse to let worry and stress
rule your life, and remember that things always
have a way of working out in the end.
S – SHARE Share your talent, skills, knowledge,
and time with others. Everything that you invest
in others will return to you many times over.
T – TRY Even when your dreams seem
impossible to reach, try anyway. You’ll be
amazed by what you can accomplish.
U – USE Use your gifts to your best ability.
Talent that’s wasted has no value. Talent that’s
used will bring unexpected rewards.
V – VALUE Value the friends and family
members who’ve supported and encouraged
you, and be there for them as well.
W – WORK Work hard every day to be the
best person you can be, but never feel guilty if
you fall short of your goals. Every sunrise offers
a second chance.

43
X – X-RAY Look deep inside the hearts of
those around you and you’ll see the goodness
and beauty within.
Y – YIELD Yield to commitment. If you
stay on track and remain dedicated, you’ll find
success at the end of the road.
Z – ZOOM Zoom to a happy place when
bad memories or sorrows rear their ugly heads.
Let nothing interfere with your goals. Instead,
focus on your abilities, your dreams, and a
brighter tomorrow.

44
Success means
nothing without happiness.

45
Motive /ˈməʊtɪv/ (n.): động lực
Break away /breɪk/ /əˈweɪ/ (v.): phá vỡ, đập tan
Sorrow /ˈsɒrəʊ/ (n.): nỗi đau
Roadblock /ˈrəʊdblɒk/ (n.): vật cản, chướng ngại
Grudge /ɡrʌdʒ/ (n.): sự oán giận
Weigh down /weɪ/ /daʊn/ (v.): đè nặng
Grief /ɡriːf/ (n.): nỗi thương tiếc
Inkling /ˈɪŋklɪŋ/ (n.): ý niệm mơ hồ
Infirm /ɪnˈfəːm/ (adj.): yếu đuối
Invest /ɪnˈvɛst/ (v.): đầu tư vào, dành cho
Guilty /ˈɡɪlti/ (adj.): có tội
Fall short of something (v.): không đạt được
Yield /jiːld/ (v.): chấp nhận
Stay on track (v.): đi đúng hướng
Dedicated /ˈdɛdɪkeɪtɪd/ (adj.): tận tâm, hết lòng
Zoom /zuːm/ (v.): hướng đến
Interfere /ɪntəˈfɪə/ (v.): gây trở ngại

46
Put Your Mind at Ease

O
ne day, Buddha was walking from one town
to another with a few of his followers. While
they were traveling, they happened to pass by a lake.
They stopped to rest there and Buddha asked one of
his disciples to get him some water from the lake.
A disciple walked up to the lake. When he
reached it, he noticed some people were washing
clothes in the water and, right at that moment, a
bull cart started crossing through the lake.
As a result, the water became very muddy. The
disciple thought, “How can I give this muddy
water to Buddha to drink?”
He came back and told Buddha, “The water
in the lake is very muddy. I don’t think it is
suitable to drink.”
11

47
After a while, Buddha again asked the same
disciple to go back to the lake and get him some
water. The disciple obediently went back to the
lake. This time he found that the mud had settled
down and the water was clean, so he collected
some in a pot and brought it to Buddha.
Buddha looked at the water then looked up at
the disciple and said, “See what you did to make
the water clean. You let it be and the mud settled
down on its own. It is also the same with your
mind. When it is disturbed, just let it be. Give it
a little time and it will settle down on its own.”

48
When you feel stressed out
or upset, just give it time.

49
Mind /maɪnd/ (n.): tâm trí, tâm tưởng
Ease /iːz/ (n.): thư thái, an nhiên
Follower /ˈfɒləʊə/ (n.): tín đồ
Disciple /dɪˈsaɪp(ə)l/ (n.): môn đệ, đệ tử
Bull cart /bʊl/ /kɑːt/ (n.): xe bò
Muddy /ˈmʌdi/ (adj.): lấm bùn, lầy lội
Suitable /ˈsuːtəb(ə)l/ (adj.): thích hợp (để)
Obediently /əˈbiːdɪəntli/ (adv.): ngoan ngoãn
Settle down /ˈsɛt(ə)l/ /daʊn/ (v.): lắng xuống
Collect /kəˈlɛkt/ (v.): múc, lấy (nước)
Disturbed /dɪˈstəːbd/ (adj.): bị xáo trộn
Stressed /strɛst/ (adj.): căng thẳng
Upset /ˈʌpsɛt/ (adj.): khó chịu

50
Chopsticks
A
woman who had worked all her life
to bring about good was granted one
wish, “Before I die let me visit both hell and
heaven.” Her wish was granted.
She was whisked off to a great banqueting
hall. The tables were piled high with delicious
food and drink. Around the tables sat miserable,
starving people as wretched as could be.
“Why are they like this?” she asked the angel
who accompanied her.
“Look at their arms,” the angel replied.
She looked and saw that attached to the
people’s arms were long chopsticks secured
above the elbow. Unable to bend their elbows,
the people aimed the chopsticks at the food,
12

51
missed every time and sat hungry, frustrated
and miserable.
“Indeed this is hell! Take me away from here!”
She was then whisked off to heaven. Again
she found herself in a great banqueting hall with
tables piled high. Around the tables sat people
laughing, contented, joyful.
“No chopsticks I suppose,” she said.
“Oh yes there are. Look, just as in hell they
are long and attached above the elbow. However,
people here have learnt to feed one another.”

52
The same situation could be heaven
or hell depending on your behavior.

53
Chopstick /ˈtʃɒpstɪk/ (n.): đũa
Grant /ɡrɑːnt/ (v.): ban cho
Wish /wɪʃ/ (n.): điều ước
Whisk off /wɪsk/ /ɒf/ (v.): đưa đến
Banqueting hall /ˈbaŋkwɪtɪŋ/ /hɔːl/ (n.): sảnh tiệc
Pile /paɪl/ (v.): chất đầy
Miserable /ˈmɪz(ə)rəb(ə)l/ (adj.): đau khổ
Starving /ˈstɑːvɪŋ/ (adj.): đói rã
Wretched /ˈrɛtʃɪd/ (adj.): tiều tụy, khốn khổ
Secure /sɪˈkjɔː/ (v.): buộc vào
Elbow /ˈɛlbəʊ/ (n.): khuỷu tay
Bend /bɛnd/ (v.): uốn, gập (khuỷu tay)
Contented /kənˈtɛntɪd/ (adj.): thỏa mãn
Joyful /ˈdʒɔɪfʊl/ (adj.): vui sướng
Suppose /səˈpəʊz/ (v.): cho rằng, cho là

54
The Missing Watch

T
here once was a farmer who discovered that
he had lost his watch in his barn. It was no
ordinary watch because it had sentimental value
for him.
After searching high and low among the hay
for a long while, he gave up and enlisted the help
of a group of children playing outside the barn.
He promised them that the person who found it
would be rewarded.
Hearing this, the children hurried inside
the barn, went through and around all the hay
but still could not find the watch. Just when
the farmer was about to give up looking for his
watch, a little boy went up to him and asked to
be given another chance.
13

55
The farmer looked at him and thought, “Why
not? After all, this kid looks sincere enough.”
So the farmer sent the little boy back in the
barn. After a while the little boy came out with
the watch in his hand! The farmer was both
happy and surprised and so he asked the boy
how he succeeded where the rest had failed.
The boy replied, “I did nothing but sit on the
ground and listen. In the silence, I heard the
ticking of the watch and just looked for it in
that direction.”

56
A peaceful mind can think better than
a worked up mind. Allow yourself
a few minutes of peace and silence
every day, and see how it helps you.

57
Discover /dɪˈskʌvə/ (v.): khám phá, phát hiện
Barn /bɑːn/ (n.): kho thóc
Ordinary /ˈɔːd(ə)n(ə)ri/ (adj.): thông thường
Sentimental /sɛntɪˈmɛnt(ə)l/ (adj.): tình cảm
Search high and low (v.): tìm khắp mọi nơi
Hay /heɪ/ (n.): đống rơm
Enlist /ɛnˈlɪst/ (v.): tranh thủ, huy động
Give up /ɡɪv/ /ʌp/ (v.): bỏ cuộc
Chance /tʃɑːns/ (n.): cơ hội
Sincere /sɪnˈsɪə/ (adj.): thật thà
Succeed /səkˈsiːd/ (v.): thành công
Ground /ɡraʊnd/ (n.): mặt đất, sàn
Silence /ˈsaɪləns/ (n.): yên lặng
Ticking /ˈtɪkɪŋ/ (n.): tiếng tích tắc
Peaceful /ˈpiːsfʊl/ (adj.): thanh thản, yên bình
Worked up /wəːkt/ /ʌp/ (adj.): kích động

58
Counting Apples

A
teacher teaching Maths to seven-year-
old Laiq asked him, “If I give you one
apple and one apple and one apple, how many
apples will you have?”
Within just a few seconds Laiq replied
confidently, “Four!”
The dismayed teacher was expecting an effortless
correct answer, three. She was disappointed. “Maybe
the child did not listen properly,” she thought.
She repeated, “Laiq, listen carefully. If I give
you one apple and one apple and one apple, how
many apples will you have?”
Laiq had seen the disappointment on his
teacher’s face. He calculated again on his
fingers. But within him he was also searching
14

59
for the answer that would make the teacher
happy. His search for the answer was not for
the correct one, but the one that would make
his teacher happy.
This time hesitatingly he replied, “Four.”
The disappointment stayed on the teacher’s
face. She remembered that Laiq liked strawberries.
She thought maybe he didn’t like apples and
that was making him lose focus. This time with an
exaggerated excitement and twinkling in her
eyes she asked, “If I give you one strawberry and
one strawberry and one strawberry, then how
many you will have?”
Seeing the teacher happy, young Laiq
calculated on his fingers again. There was no
pressure on him, but a little on the teacher.
She wanted her new approach to succeed.
With a hesitating smile young Laiq replied,
“Three, right?”
The teacher now had a victorious smile. Her
approach had succeeded. She wanted to
congratulate herself.

60
But one last thing remained. Once again she
asked him, “Now if I give you one apple and one
apple and one more apple how many will you have?”
Promptly Laiq answered, “Four!”
The teacher was aghast. “How Laiq, how?”
she demanded in a stern and irritated voice.
In a voice that was low and hesitating young
Laiq replied, “Because I already have one apple
in my bag.”

61
When someone gives you an answer
that is different from what you
expect, don’t think they are wrong.
There could be an answer that you
may not have thought about yet.

62
Expect /ɛkˈspɛkt/ (v.): mong đợi, dự kiến
Effortless /ˈɛfətlɪs/ (adj.): dễ dàng
Properly /ˈprɒp(ə)li/ (adv.): nghiêm chỉnh
Calculate /ˈkalkjʊleɪt/ (v.): tính toán
Hesitatingly /ˈhɛzɪteɪtɪŋli/ (adv.): một cách
ngập ngừng
Exaggerated /ɪɡˈzadʒəreɪtɪd/ (adj.): cường điệu,
thái quá
Twinkling /ˈtwɪŋk(ə)lɪŋ/ (n.): cái nháy mắt
Pressure /ˈprɛʃə/ (n.): áp lực
Approach /əˈprəʊtʃ/ (n.): cách thức
Victorious /vɪkˈtɔːrɪəs/ (adj.): thắng lợi
Congratulate /kənˈɡratjʊleɪt/ (v.): chúc mừng
Remain /rɪˈmeɪn/ (v.): còn lại
Promptly /ˈprɒm(p)tli/ (adv.): mau lẹ, nhanh chóng
Aghast /əˈɡɑːst/ (adj.): kinh ngạc
Demand /dɪˈmɑːnd/ (v.): gặng hỏi
Stern /stəːn/ (adj.): nghiêm khắc

63
The Strength of Group Work

O
nce a US president went out to see
the situation in a city. Somewhere a
group of soldiers was trying to lift a large tree
branch out of their way.
The Corporal was standing by their side
instructing them to work harder, but they
were unable to move it.
A stranger was riding on his horse and he
observed what was going on. He said to the
Corporal, “If you help them they will be able
to move it. Why don’t you help them?”
The Corporal replied, “That is not my
job, I am the Corporal. It is their work, they
should do it.”
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64
The stranger did not hesitate a moment,
immediately he dismounted from his horse
and helped the group of the soldiers to move
that log.
This additional strength helped them to move
the log. After moving it, the stranger mounted his
horse and said to the Corporal, “Next time you
need to move some heavy thing and you need
help, call for the Commander-in- Chief” and
went on his way.
It was then that the men realized that the
stranger was none other than George Washington
– the first President of the United States, the
Commander-in-Chief of the army.

65
A true leader is
never above helping others.

66
Strength /strɛŋkθ/ (n.): sức mạnh
Group work /ɡruːp/ /wəːk/ (n.): việc nhóm
Situation /sɪtʃʊˈeɪʃ(ə)n/ (n.): thực trạng
Soldier /ˈsəʊldʒə/ (n.): binh sĩ
Branch /brɑːn(t)ʃ/ (n.): nhánh cây
Corporal /ˈkɔːp(ə)r(ə)l/ (n.): Hạ sĩ
Instruct /ɪnˈstrʌkt/ (v.): chỉ thị
Stranger /ˈstreɪn(d)ʒə/ (n.): người lạ
Observe /əbˈzəːv/ (v.): quan sát
Immediately /ɪˈmiːdɪətli/ (adv.): lập tức
Dismount /dɪsˈmaʊnt/ (v.): xuống (ngựa)
Log /lɒɡ/ (n.): khúc cây
Additional /əˈdɪʃ(ə)n(ə)l/ (adj.): thêm, bổ sung
Commander-in-Chief /kəˈmɑːndə/ /ɪn/ /tʃiːf/
(n.): Chỉ huy trưởng
Leader /ˈliːdə/ (n.): người lãnh đạo

67
The Time Bank
I
magine there is a bank that credits your
account each morning with $86,400.
It carries over no balance from day to day.
Every evening it deletes whatever part of the
balance you failed to use during the day.
What would you do?
Withdraw every cent, of course!
Each of us has such a bank.
Its name is TIME.
Every morning, it credits you with 86,400
seconds. Every night it writes off, as lost,
whatever of this you have failed to invest. It
carries over no balance. It allows no overdraft.
Each day it opens a new account for you. Each
16

68
night it burns the remains of the day. If you fail
to use the day’s deposits, the loss is yours.
There is no going back, and you can’t borrow
from others. You must live in the present on today’s
deposits. Invest it so as to get from it the utmost in
health, happiness, and success!
The clock is ticking. Make the most of today!

69
Don’t waste your time.
Make the most of every second.

70
Imagine /ɪˈmadʒɪn/ (v.): hình dung, tưởng tượng
Credit /ˈkrɛdɪt/ (v.): cấp cho, ghi vào bên có
Account /əˈkaʊnt/ (n.): tài khoản ngân hàng
Carry over no balance (v.): không giữ lại tiền dư
Delete /dɪˈliːt/ (v.): xóa bỏ, trừ sạch
Withdraw /wɪðˈdrɔː/ (v.): rút tiền
Cent /sɛnt/ (n.): xu (tiền Mỹ) = 0,01 đô-la
Write off /raɪt/ /ɒf/ (v.): xóa trong sổ
Overdraft /ˈəʊvədrɑːft/ (n.): tiền chi trội
Remains /rɪˈmeɪnz/ (n.): phần còn lại
Deposit /dɪˈpɒzɪt/ (n.): tiền gửi vào
Borrow /ˈbɒrəʊ/ (v.): vay, mượn
Utmost /ˈʌtməʊst/ (n.): lớn nhất, nhiều nhất
Make the most of something (v.): tận dụng tối đa
Waste /weɪst/ (v.): lãng phí

71
The Value of Knowledge

A
giant ship’s engine failed. The ship’s
owners tried one expert after another,
but none of them could figure out how to fix
the engine.
Then they brought in an old man who had been
fixing ships since he was young. He carried a large
bag of tools with him, and when he arrived, he
immediately went to work. He inspected the
engine very carefully, top to bottom.
Two of the ship’s owners were there watching
this man, hoping he would know what to do.
After looking things over, the old man reached
into his bag and pulled out a small hammer. He
gently tapped something.
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72
Instantly, the engine came to life. He carefully
put his hammer away. The engine was fixed! A
week later, the owners received a bill from the
old man for ten thousand dollars.
“What?!” the owners exclaimed. “He hardly
did anything!”
So they wrote the old man a note saying, “Please
send us an itemized bill.”
The man sent a bill that read:
Tapping with a hammer……………… $ 2.00
Knowing where to tap…………… $ 9,998.00

73
Effort is important, but knowledge
will help you get the job done
effectively. Keep studying hard.

74
Knowledge /ˈnɒlɪdʒ/ (n.): kiến thức
Engine /ˈɛndʒɪn/ (n.): động cơ
Fail /feɪl/ (v.): hỏng hóc
Expert /ˈɛkspəːt/ (n.): chuyên gia
Tool /tuːl/ (n.): dụng cụ
Inspect /ɪnˈspɛkt/ (v.): kiểm tra, xem xét
Hammer /ˈhamə/ (n.): cái búa
Gently /ˈdʒɛntli/ (adv.): nhẹ nhàng
Tap /tap/ (v.): đập (bằng búa)
Come to life (v.): hoạt động trở lại
Fixed /fɪkst/ (adj.): được sửa xong
Exclaim /ɪkˈskleɪm/ (v.): thốt lên
Hardly /ˈhɑːdli/ (adv.): hầu như không
Itemized /ˈaɪtəmaɪzt/ (adj.): chi tiết từng khoản
Effectively /ɪˈfɛktɪvli/ (adv.): một cách hiệu quả

75
The Value of Time

T
o realize the value of one year, ask a
student who has failed his final exam.
To realize the value of one month, ask the
parent of a premature baby.
To realize the value of one week, ask the editor
of a weekly newspaper.
To realize the value of one day, ask a daily
wage laborer who has a large family to feed.
To realize the value of one hour, ask lovers
who are waiting to meet.
To realize the value of one minute, ask a person
who has missed a train, a bus, or a plane.
To realize the value of one second, ask a person
who has survived an accident.
18

76
To realize the value of one millisecond, ask the
person who has won a silver medal at the Olympics.

77
Time is more valuable than you think.

78
Realize /ˈrɪəlaɪz/ (v.): nhận ra
Fail /feɪl/ (v.): thi trượt
Final exam /ˈfaɪn(ə)l/ /ɪɡˈzam/ (n.): kỳ thi cuối khóa
Premature baby /ˈprɛmətʃə/ /ˈbeɪbi/ (n.): đứa trẻ
sắp sinh
Editor /ˈɛdɪtə/ (n.): biên tập viên
Weekly newspaper /ˈwiːkli/ /ˈnjuːzpeɪpə/ (n.):
tuần san
Daily wage /ˈdeɪli/ /weɪdʒ/ (n.): lương nhận
theo ngày
Survive /səˈvaɪv/ (v.): sống sót
Accident /ˈaksɪd(ə)nt/ (n.): tai nạn
Millisecond /ˈmɪlɪsɛk(ə)nd/ (n.): 1/1.000 giây
Silver medal /ˈsɪlvə/ /ˈmɛd(ə)l/ (n.): huy chương bạc
Valuable /ˈvaljʊb(ə)l/ (adj.): đáng giá

79
Why Dogs Live Shorter Lives
Than Humans

B
eing a veterinarian, I had been called to
examine a ten-year-old Irish Wolfhound
named Belker. The dog’s owners, Ron, his wife, Lisa,
and their little boy, Shane, were all very attached to
Belker and they were hoping for a miracle.
I examined Belker and found he was dying.
I told the family we couldn’t do anything for
Belker and offered to perform euthanasia on
the old dog in their home.
As we made arrangements, Ron and Lisa told
me they thought it would be good for six-year-old
Shane to observe the procedure. They felt as though
Shane might learn something from the experience.
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80
The next day, I felt the familiar catch in my
throat as Belker’s family surrounded him. Shane
seemed so calm, petting the old dog for the last
time, that I wondered if he understood what was
going on. Within a few minutes, Belker slipped
peacefully away.
The little boy seemed to accept Belker’s
transition without any difficulty or confusion.
We sat together for a while after Belker’s death,
wondering aloud about the sad fact that animal
lives are shorter than human lives. Shane, who
had been listening quietly, piped up, “I know why.”
Startled, we all turned to him. What came out
of his mouth next stunned me. I’d never heard a
more comforting explanation.
He said, “People are born so that they can learn
how to live a good life — like loving everybody all
the time and being nice, right?” The six-year-old
continued, “Well, dogs already know how to do
that, so they don’t have to stay as long.”

81
Humans have many lessons
to learn from dogs.

82
Veterinarian /ˌvɛt(ə)rɪˈnɛːrɪən/ (n.): bác sĩ thú ý
Examine /ɪɡˈzamɪn/ (v.): kiểm tra, khám bệnh
Attached /əˈtatʃt/ (adj.): thân thiết, quấn quít
Euthanasia /ˌjuːθəˈneɪzɪə/ (n.): cái chết nhân
đạo, không đau đớn
Arrangement /əˈreɪn(d)ʒm(ə)nt/ (n.): sự sắp xếp
Experience /ɪkˈspɪərɪəns/ (n.): trải nghiệm
Calm /kɑːm/ (adj.): bình tĩnh
Slip away /slɪp/ /əˈweɪ/ (v.): ra đi, qua đời
Transition /trɑːnˈsɪʃ(ə)n/ (n.): sự chuyển tiếp,
hóa kiếp
Confusion /kənˈfjuːʒ(ə)n/ (n.): hoang mang,
bối rối
Wonder /ˈwʌndə/ (v.): tự hỏi, thắc mắc
Pipe up /paɪp/ /ʌp/ (v.): lên tiếng
Startled /ˈstɑːt(ə)ld/ (adj.): giật mình
Stun /stʌn/ (v.): làm sững sờ
Explanation /ɛkspləˈneɪʃ(ə)n/ (n.): lời giải thích

83
The Trouble Tree
T
he carpenter I hired to help me restore
an old farmhouse had just finished a
rough first day on the job. A flat tire made him
lose an hour of work, his electric saw died, and
now his ancient pickup truck refused to start.
While I drove him home, he sat in stony silence.
On arriving, he invited me in to meet his family.
As we walked toward the front door, he paused
briefly at a small tree, touching the tips of the
branches with both hands.
After opening the door, he had an amazing
transformation. His face was all smiles, and he
hugged his two small children and then gave his
wife a kiss.
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84
Afterwards, he walked me to my car. We
passed the tree, and my curiosity got the better
of me. I asked him about what I had seen him
do earlier.
“Oh, that’s my trouble tree,” he replied. “I
know I can’t help having troubles on the job,
but one thing’s for sure, troubles don’t belong
in the house with my wife and children. So I just
hang them up on the tree every night when I
come home. Then in the morning, I pick them
up again.”
“Funny thing is,” he smiled, “when I come
out in the morning to pick them up, there aren’t
nearly as many as I remember hanging up the
night before.”

85
You may have many problems in your
everyday life but try not to let them affect
your relationships with the people you love.

86
Trouble /ˈtrʌb(ə)l/ (n.): rắc rối
Carpenter /ˈkɑːp(ə)ntə/ (n.): thợ mộc
Restore /rɪˈstɔː/ (v.): sửa lại
Farmhouse /ˈfɑːmhaʊs/ (n.): nhà nông trang
Rough /rʌf/ (adj.): cực nhọc
Flat tire /flat/ /taɪə/ (n.): lốp xẹp
Electric saw /ɪˈlɛktrɪk/ /sɔː/ (n.): cưa điện
Ancient /ˈeɪnʃ(ə)nt/ (adj.): cũ, cổ lỗ
Pickup truck /ˈpɪkʌp/ /trʌk/ (n.): xe tải nhẹ
Pause /pɔːz/ (v.): dừng lại
Briefly /ˈbriːfli/ (adv.): nhanh, không lâu
Tip /tɪp/ (n.): đầu, đầu mút
Transformation /ˌtransfəˈmeɪʃ(ə)n/ (n.): sự thay
đổi, biến đổi
Afterwards /ˈɑːftəwədz/ (adv.): sau đó
Curiosity /kjʊərɪˈɒsɪti/ (n.): sự tò mò, hiếu kỳ

87
A Couple’s Heartbreak
A
boy was born to a couple after eleven
years of marriage. They were a loving
couple and the boy was the apple of their eyes.
One morning, when the boy was around two
years old, the husband saw a medicine bottle
open. He was late for work so he asked the wife
to cap the bottle and put it in the cupboard. The
mother, preoccupied in the kitchen, totally
forgot about it.
The boy saw the bottle, went to it, and
drank it all, fascinated with its color. It was
a poisonous medicine meant for adults in
small dosages.
When the child collapsed, the mother
hurried him to the hospital, where he died. The
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88
mother was stunned; she was terrified. How
would she face her husband?
When the distraught father came to the hospital
and saw the dead child, he looked at his wife and
uttered just four words: “I love you, darling.”
The husband had realized the child was dead
and he could never be brought back to life.
There was no point in finding fault with the
mother. Besides, if he had taken time to put the
bottle away, this would never have happened.
There was no point in assigning blame. She
had also lost her only child. What she needed
at that moment was consolation and sympathy
from the husband. That was what he gave her.

89
Even in difficult moments, try to
have sympathy for those around
you. They may be suffering, too.

90
Couple /ˈkʌp(ə)l/ (n.): cặp vợ chồng
Heartbreak /ˈhɑːtbreɪk/ (n.): nỗi đau tột cùng
Marriage /ˈmarɪdʒ/ (n.): hôn nhân, sự kết hôn
Apple of someone’s eye (n.): báu vật trong mắt ai đó
Preoccupied /priːˈɒkjuːpaɪd/ (adj.): bận rộn
Fascinated /ˈfasɪneɪtɪd/ (adj.): thích thú
Poisonous /ˈpɔɪzənəs/ (adj.): độc, có độc
Dosage /ˈdəʊsɪdʒ/ (n.): liều lượng
Collapse /kəˈlaps/ (v.): gục xuống
Terrified /ˈtɛrɪfaɪd/ (adj.): khiếp hãi
Distraught /dɪˈstrɔːt/ (adj.): quẫn trí
Utter /ˈʌtə/ (v.): thốt ra
Bring someone back to life (v.): hồi sinh ai đó
Assign blame /əˈsaɪn/ /bleɪm/ (v.): bắt lỗi
Consolation /ˌkɒnsəˈleɪʃ(ə)n/ (n.): sự an ủi
Sympathy /ˈsɪmpəθi/ (n.): lòng cảm thông

91
Growing Deep and Strong

O
ne day, my mother and I were working
together in the garden where we were
transplanting plants for the third time.
Grown from seed in a small container, the
plants had been transferred to a larger container,
then transplanted into the garden. Now, because
I was moving, we were transplanting them
once again.
Inexperienced as a gardener, I turned to my
mother. “Isn’t this bad for them?” I asked, as we
dug them up and shook the dirt from the roots.
“Won’t it hurt these plants, being uprooted and
transplanted so many times?”
“Oh” my mother replied. “Transplanting
doesn’t hurt them. In fact, it’s good for the ones
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92
that survive. That’s how their roots grow strong.
Their roots will grow deep, and they will make
strong plants.”
Often, I’ve felt like those small plants – uprooted
and turned upside down. Sometimes I’ve endured
the change willingly, sometimes reluctantly, but
usually my reaction has been a combination. Won’t
this be hard on me? I ask. Wouldn’t things be better
if they remained the same? That’s when I remember
my mother’s words: That’s how the roots grow deep
and strong.

93
Don’t fear change. It will
make you a stronger person!

94
Deep /diːp/ (adj.): sâu
Transplant /transˈplɑːnt/ (v.): cấy, ghép (cây)
Seed /siːd/ (n.): hạt giống
Container /kənˈteɪnə/ (n.): hộp đựng
Transfer /transˈfəː/ (v.): dịch chuyển sang
Inexperienced /ˌɪnɛkˈspɪərɪənst/ (adj.): non
kinh nghiệm
Dig /dɪɡ/ (v.): đào xới
Dirt /dəːt/ (n.): đất trồng
Root /ruːt/ (n.): rễ cây
Uproot /ʌpˈruːt/ (v.): nhổ rễ
Upside down /ˈʌpsaɪd/ /daʊn/ (adj.): lộn ngược
Endure /ɪnˈdjʊə/ (v.): chịu đựng
Willingly /ˈwɪlɪŋli/ (adv.): vui lòng, tự nguyện
Reluctantly /rɪˈlʌkt(ə)ntli/ (adv.): miễn cưỡng
Combination /kɒmbɪˈneɪʃ(ə)n/ (n.): sự kết hợp,
tổng hòa
Remain /kɒmbɪˈneɪʃ(ə)n/ (v.): giữ nguyên, không đổi

95
Carrots, Eggs and Coffee
A
young woman went to her mother and
told her about her life and how things
were so hard for her. She did not know how she
was going to make it and wanted to give up. She
was tired of fighting and struggling. It seemed
when one problem was solved, a new one arose.
Her mother took her to the kitchen. She filled
three pots with water and placed each on a high
fire. Soon the pots came to boil. In the first she
placed carrots, in the second she placed eggs,
and in the last she placed ground coffee beans.
She let them sit and boil without saying a
word. In about twenty minutes she turned off
the burners. She fished the carrots out and
placed them in a bowl. She pulled the eggs out
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96
and placed them in a bowl. Then she ladled the
coffee out and placed it in a bowl. Turning to her
daughter, she asked, “Tell me what you see.”
“Carrots, eggs, and coffee,” she replied.
Her mother brought her closer and asked her to
feel the carrots. She did and noted that they were
soft. The mother then asked the daughter to take
an egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, she
observed the hard-boiled egg. Finally, the mother
asked the daughter to sip the coffee. The daughter
smiled as she tasted its rich aroma. The daughter
then asked, “What does it mean, mother?”
Her mother explained that each of these objects
had faced the same adversity: boiling water. Each
reacted differently. The carrot went in strong, hard,
and unrelenting. However, after being subjected to
the boiling water, it softened and became weak.
The egg had been fragile. Its thin outer shell had
protected its liquid interior, but after sitting in the
boiling water, its inside became hardened.
However, the ground coffee beans were
unique. After they were in the boiling water,

97
they had changed the water. “Which are you?”
she asked her daughter.
When adversity knocks on your door, how
do you respond? Are you a carrot, an egg, or a
coffee bean?
Think of this: Which am I?
Am I the carrot that seems strong, but with
pain and adversity do I become soft and lose my
strength?
Am I the egg that starts with a soft heart,
but changes with the heat? In other words,
does adversity make my soft and open heart
harden?
Or am I like the coffee bean? The bean actually
changes the hot water, the very circumstance that
brings the pain. When the water gets hot, it releases
the fragrance and flavor.
If you are like the bean, when things are at their
worst, you get better and change the situation
around you.

98
How do you handle adversity? Are
you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean?

99
Arise /əˈraɪz/ (v.): nảy sinh, phát sinh
Boil /bɔɪl/ (v.): đun sôi
Burner /ˈbəːnə/ (n.): cái lò
Ladle /ˈleɪd(ə)l/ (v.): múc bằng vá, môi
Shell /ʃɛl/ (n.): lớp vỏ
Hard-boiled /ˌhɑːdˈbɔɪld/ (adj.): được luộc chín
Aroma /əˈrəʊmə/ (n.): hương thơm
Adversity /ədˈvəːsɪti/ (n.): nghịch cảnh
Unrelenting /ʌnrɪˈlɛntɪŋ/ (adj.): rắn chắc
Liquid interior /ˈlɪkwɪd/ /ɪnˈtɪərɪə/ (n.): phần
lỏng bên trong
Hardened /ˈhɑːdənd/ (adj.): cứng lại
Unique /juːˈniːk/ (adj.): độc đáo
Circumstance /ˈsəːkəmstans/ (n.): hoàn cảnh
Fragrance /ˈfreɪɡr(ə)ns/ (n.): mùi hương thơm ngát

100
How The Poor Live
O
ne day, a father of a very wealthy family
took his son on a trip to the countryside
with the firm purpose of showing his son 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 did you learn from the
trip?” asked the father.
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101
The son answered, “I saw that we have one dog
and they have 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.”

102
You can be poor but still have a good
life. You can be rich but want more.

103
Wealthy /ˈwɛlθi/ (adj.): giàu có
Countryside /ˈkʌntrɪsaɪd/ (n.): đồng quê
Purpose /ˈpəːpəs/ (n.): mục đích
Consider /kənˈsɪdə/ (v.): xem như là
Creek /kriːk/ (n.): thung lũng hẹp
Lantern /ˈlantən/ (n.): đèn lồng
Patio /ˈpatɪəʊ/ (n.): hiên, hè trong nhà
Front yard /frʌnt/ /jɑːd/ (n.): sân trước
Horizon /həˈraɪz(ə)n/ (n.): đường chân trời
Field /fiːld/ (n.): cánh đồng
Sight /saɪt/ (n.): tầm mắt
Servant /ˈsəːv(ə)nt/ (n.): người hầu hạ
Property /ˈprɒpəti/ (n.): nhà cửa
Protect /prəˈtɛkt/ (v.): bảo vệ, che chở
Speechless /ˈspiːtʃləs/ (adj.): không nói nên lời

104
The Benefits of Struggling
A
man found a cocoon with a butterfly inside.
One day a small opening appeared. He sat
and watched the butterfly for several hours as it
struggled to force its body through that little hole.
Then it seemed to stop making any progress.
It appeared as if it had gotten as far as it could
and it could go no further. Then the man decided
to help the butterfly, so he took a pair of scissors
and snipped off the remaining bit of the cocoon.
The butterfly then emerged easily.
But it had a swollen body and small, shrivelled
wings. The man continued to watch the butterfly
because he expected that, at any moment, the wings
would enlarge and expand to be able to support
the body.
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105
It didn’t happen!
In fact, the butterfly spent the rest of its
life crawling around with a swollen body and
shriveled wings.
It never was able to fly.
What the man in his kindness and haste did
not understand was that the restricting cocoon
and the struggle required for the butterfly to
get through the tiny opening were God’s way
of moving fluid from the body of the butterfly
into its wings. It would be ready for flight once
it achieved its freedom from the cocoon.

106
Sometimes struggles are exactly
what we need in our life. If God
allowed us to go through our life
without any obstacles, it would
cripple us. We would not be as
strong as we could have been.

107
Cocoon /kəˈkuːn/ (n.): cái kén
Appear /əˈpɪə/ (v.): xuất hiện
Progress /ˈprəʊɡrɛs/ (n.): sự tiến triển, phát triển
Appear /əˈpɪə/ (v.): dường như, có vẻ
Snip /snɪp/ (v.): cắt, xén (bằng kéo)
Emerge /ɪˈməːdʒ/ (v.): chui ra
Swollen /ˈswəʊlən/ (adj.): căng phồng
Shrivelled /ˈʃrɪvld/ (adj.): khô quắt
Crawl /krɔːl/ (v.): bò lê
Haste /heɪst/ (n.): sự vội vàng, hấp tấp
Restricting /rɪˈstrɪktɪŋ/ (adj.): bị giới hạn, chật chội
Move /rɪˈmuːv/ (v.): đẩy đi
Fluid /ˈfluːɪd/ (n.): chất lỏng
Freedom /ˈfriːdəm/ (n.): tự do
Obstacle /ˈɒbstək(ə)l/ (n.): trở ngại
Cripple /ˈkrɪp(ə)l/ (v.): làm lụn bại

108
Beginning Today
B
eginning today I will no longer worry
about yesterday. It is in the past and
the past will never change. Only I can change by
choosing to do so.
Beginning today I will no longer worry about
tomorrow. Tomorrow will always be there, waiting
for me to make the most of it. But I cannot make
the most of tomorrow without first making the
most of today.
Beginning today I will look in the mirror and
I will see a person worthy of my respect and
admiration. This capable person looking back
at me is someone I enjoy spending time with and
someone I would like to get to know better.
Beginning today I will cherish each moment
26

109
of my life. I value this gift bestowed upon me in
this world and I will unselfishly share this gift
with others. I will use this gift to enhance the
lives of others.
Beginning today I will take life one day at a
time, one step at a time. Discouragement will
not be allowed to taint my positive self-image,
my desire to succeed or my capacity to love.
Beginning today I will open my mind and
my heart. I will welcome new experiences. I will
meet new people. I will not expect perfection
from myself nor anyone else: Perfection does not
exist in an imperfect world. But I will applaud
the attempt to overcome human foibles.
Beginning today I will learn something new;
I will try something different; I will savor all the
flavors life has to offer. I will change what I can
and I will let go of the rest. I will strive to
become the best me I can possibly be.

110
Starting today, live the
life you want to live.

111
Mirror /ˈmɪrə/ (n.): tấm gương
Respect /rɪˈspɛkt/ (n.): sự khâm phục, tôn trọng
Admiration /adməˈreɪʃ(ə)n/ (n.): sự ngưỡng mộ
Capable /ˈkeɪpəb(ə)l/ (adj.): có năng lực, tài giỏi
Cherish /ˈtʃɛrɪʃ/ (v.): trân trọng
Bestow /bɪˈstəʊ/ (v.): ban tặng
Unselfishly /ʌnˈsɛlfɪʃ(ə)li/ (adv.): không vị lợi
Enhance /ɛnˈhɑːns/ (v.): nâng cao, cải thiện
Discouragement /dɪsˈkʌrɪdʒm(ə)nt/ (n.): sự nản lòng
Taint /teɪnt/ (v.): hủy hoại
Self-image /ˌsɛlfˈɪmɪdʒ/ (n.): nhận thức về bản thân
Applaud /əˈplɔːd/ (v.): hoan nghênh, đón nhận
Foible /ˈfɔɪb(ə)l/ (n.): nhược điểm
Savor /ˈseɪvə/ (v.): thưởng thức
Flavor /ˈfleɪvə/ (n.): hương vị
Strive /straɪv/ (v.): phấn đấu, vươn lên

112
One Step
F
oolish people, with all their other thoughts,
have this one too: They are always getting
ready to live, but never living.
Your success will start when you begin to pursue
it. To reach your goal or to attain success, you don’t
need to know all of the answers in advance. You
just need to have a clear idea of what your goal is.
Don’t procrastinate when faced with difficult
problems. Break your problems into parts, and
handle one part at a time.
Develop tendencies toward taking action.
You can make something happen right now.
Divide your big plan into small steps and take
that first step right away.
27

113
Everyone who ever got where they are had to
begin where they were. Your big opportunity is
where you are right now.

114
A journey of a thousand miles
begins with one step. Take it.

115
Foolish /ˈfuːlɪʃ/ (adj.): xuẩn ngốc
Pursue /pəˈsjuː/ (v.): theo đuổi
Goal /ɡəʊl/ (n.): mục tiêu
Attain /əˈteɪn/ (v.): đạt đến
In advance /ɪn/ /ədˈvɑːns/ (adv.): (biết) trước
Procrastinate /prə(ʊ)ˈkrastɪneɪt/ (v.): trì hoãn
Tendency /ˈtɛnd(ə)nsi/ (n.): khuynh hướng,
chiều hướng
Divide /dɪˈvaɪd/ (v.): phân chia
Step /stɛp/ (n.): bước
Opportunity /ɒpəˈtjuːnɪti/ (n.): cơ hội
Journey /ˈdʒəːni/ (n.): hành trình
Mile /maɪl/ (n.): dặm đường – 1 dặm ~ 1,6km

116
Don’t Quit

W
hen things go wrong, as they sometimes
will,
When the road you’re trudging seems
all uphill,
When the funds are low and the debts are high,
And you want to smile, but you have to sigh,
When care is pressing you down a bit,
Rest, if you must, but do not quit.
Life is queer with its twists and turns,
As every one of us sometimes learns,
And many a failure turns about,
When he might have won had he stuck it out;
28

117
Don’t give up though the pace seems slow –
You may succeed with another blow.
Often the goal is nearer than,
It seems to a faint and faltering man,
Often the struggler has given up,
When he might have captured the victor’s cup,
And he learned too late when the night
slipped down,
How close he was to the golden crown.
Success is failure turned inside out –
The silver tint of the clouds of doubt,
And you never can tell how close you are,
It may be near when it seems so far,
So stick to the fight when you’re hardest hit –
It’s when things seem worst that you must
not quit.

118
Whatever you do, don’t give up.

119
Quit /kwɪt/ (v.): từ bỏ, bỏ cuộc
Trudge /trʌdʒ/ (v.): lê bước
Uphill /ˈʌphɪl/ (adj.): dốc
Fund /fʌnd/ (n.): tiền vốn
Debt /dɛt/ (n.): khoản nợ
Press /prɛs/ (v.): gây áp lực
Queer /kwɪə/ (adj.): lạ thường
Stick it out (v.): theo đến cùng
Pace /peɪs/ (n.): nhịp điệu
Blow /bləʊ/ (n.): nỗ lực
Faint /feɪnt/ (adj.): mệt mỏi
Faltering /ˈfɔːltərɪŋ/ (adj.): loạng choạng
Capture /ˈkaptʃə/ (v.): bắt, nắm lấy
Slip down /slɪp/ /daʊn/ (v.): buông xuống
Tint /tɪnt/ (n.): sắc thái

120
Don’t Be Afraid

H
ere we are, afraid of losing what we
have all the time, holding on to it so
tightly that not a soul can touch it. We think
by hiding it from the world, it’s hidden and it’s
ours. Nothing is. Nothing ever will be. For
nothing ever was.
If you think there is anything that you have,
that’s yours, be it money, a house, a job, or a
girlfriend… it’s nothing but an illusion. It’ll all
disappear… in one blow.
Here we are, so insecure that we are afraid of
re-starting our lives, so we just carry on trying to
sort out the current mess. The thought that we
should give it all up and just start all over – with
nothing – might cross our minds some time,
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121
sure, but we get scared and we push away anything
that scares us.
There is nothing I can ever achieve or gain
that I cannot lose in a matter of seconds. You
have never gained enough to not be able to lose
it all, in just a few minutes. What you think is
yours, was never yours and will never be yours.
Whatever you make here, you leave here. You
came naked and you’re going to go back naked.
So what are you afraid of?
Let all be lost. Let them take away everything.
As long as you have your heart beating strong,
as long as you have your nostrils working fine, as
long as the blood flows in your veins, you will
live, you will breathe and you can get it all back…
again and again. For, if you can do it once, you
can do it again. It’s just a game we play – Life.

122
Don’t be too afraid of
losing what you have.

123
Tightly /ˈtaɪtli/ (adv.): chặt
Soul /səʊl/ (n.): tâm hồn
Illusion /ɪˈluːʒ(ə)n/ (n.): ảo tưởng
Disappear /dɪsəˈpɪə/ (v.): biến mất
Insecure /ˌɪnsɪˈkjɔː/ (adj.): bất an
Carry on /ˈkari/ /ɒn/ (v.): tiếp tục
Mess /mɛs/ (n.): sự bừa bộn, lộn xộn
Gain /ɡeɪn/ (v.): giành được
Naked /ˈneɪkɪd/ (adj.): trần trụi
Beat /biːt/ (v.): (tim) đập
Nostril /ˈnɒstr(ə)l/ (n.): lỗ mũi
Blood /blʌd/ (n.): máu
Flow /fləʊ/ (v.): chảy
Vein /veɪn/ (n.): huyết quản
Breathe /briːð/ (v.): thở

124
The Peacock

B
efore he got his beautiful tail, the Peacock
was an ordinary bird, with a small bunch
of feathers.
One day, the Peacock visited Juno, the Goddess
of Protection. The Peacock told her that he wished
to look grand and beautiful. Juno smiled. He was a
good bird and she liked him.
The Peacock then described the long train of
brightly colored feathers that he wanted to trail
behind him. He also wished to be the loveliest of
all the birds!
To his great joy, Juno agreed.
What a wonderful tail he got! Blue and green
with a jewel-like pattern, opening up like a fan
when he raised it. Now the Peacock decided to
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125
walk like a king! So he held his head high and
walked with style!
The common birds looked at him in surprise!
Even the pretty long tailed pheasants were jealous!
After showing off his tail, the Peacock decided
to fly.
The Peacock was shocked! He simply could
not fly. He could take a few flying steps, but
nothing more! He sadly realized that had lost a
wonderful ability, simply because he had wanted
to look good!

126
Think carefully before you
choose what you want in life.

127
Peacock /ˈpiːkɒk/ (n.): con công
Ordinary /ˈɔːd(ə)n(ə)ri/ (adj.): bình thường
Bunch /bʌn(t)ʃ/ (n.): búi, chùm (lông)
Feather /ˈfɛðə/ (n.): lông chim
Goddess of Protection (n.): Nữ thần Bảo hộ
Grand /ɡrand/ (adj.): uy nghi
Describe /dɪˈskraɪb/ (v.): mô tả
Trail /treɪl/ (v.): lướt theo sau
Jewel-like /ˈdʒuːəl/ /laɪk/ (adj.): tựa đá quý
Pattern /ˈpat(ə)n/ (n.): hoa văn
Fan /fan/ (n.): chiếc quạt
Raise /reɪz/ (v.): xòe lên
Common /ˈkɒmən/ (adj.): bình thường
Pheasant /ˈfɛz(ə)nt/ (n.): chim trĩ

128
The Farmer and the Dog

O
ne evening, a farmer returned home from
his farm. He had left his baby asleep in
the cradle. His faithful dog was watching over
the child.
When the farmer reached the room, he saw
the baby’s cradle turned upside down and blood
everywhere. The baby was missing.
The farmer understood that a beast had killed
his baby. Now he was very sad and upset.
Then he saw that his dog was lying quietly
with blood on his mouth and body. The farmer
was so angry that he picked up an axe and hit
the dog. The poor dog cried out in pain and
died.
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129
The farmer now rushed to the turned cradle
and lifted it. His little son was inside sleeping,
perfectly safe!
A big, ugly snake lay dead near the cradle.
The farmer was shocked. He was happy that
his baby was safe, but very sad that his beloved
dog was dead.
Now he understood that his dog had fought
and killed the snake to save the baby. He realized
his mistake.
He had killed his loyal dog without thinking.
Sadly, he picked up his baby.

130
Do not make any decision
when you are angry.

131
Asleep /əˈsliːp/ (adj.): đang ngủ
Cradle /ˈkreɪd(ə)l/ (n.): cái nôi
Faithful /ˈfeɪθfʊl/ (adj.): trung thành
Axe /aks/ (n.): cái rìu
Cry out in pain (v.): kêu lên đau đớn
Rush /rʌʃ/ (v.): chạy vội đến
Beloved /bɪˈlʌvd/ (adj.): yêu dấu, yêu quý
Loyal /ˈlɔɪəl/ (adj.): trung thành

132
The Ant and the Fly

O
nce, an Ant and a Fly were fighting over
who was more important.
The Fly said, “Ant! What do you think you
are? How can you even think about comparing
yourself to me? Look at me! You have to work
hard but I pass my time with the rich and the
learned. I fly into the temples and taste the
offerings. I can sit on the King’s crown and kiss
the Queen’s forehead. I do not work, yet have
the best life!”
The Ant replied, “Don’t be so proud! You
are always hated when you enter the temples.
You are driven away as soon as you sit on the
King’s crown or the Queen’s forehead. You do
not have anything left for the difficult times as
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133
you are lazy. In winters, you feed yourself on a
pile of cow dung. Look at me! I work hard and
gather grain for the winter. Later on, when you
shiver in the cold, I am safe and at peace in my
cozy home. I am prepared to live in any season
of the year.”

134
Look at your own faults
before finding faults in others.

135
Compare /kəmˈpɛː/ (v.): so sánh
Learned /ˈləːnɪd/ (adj.): uyên bác
Temple /ˈtɛmp(ə)l/ (n.): ngôi đền
Offering /ˈɒf(ə)rɪŋ/ (n.): vật tiến dâng
Crown /kraʊn/ (n.): vương miện
Forehead /ˈfɔːhɛd/ (n.): trán
Proud /praʊd/ (adj.): tự kiêu
Drive away /draɪv/ /əˈweɪ/ (v.): xua đi
Gather /ˈɡaðə/ (v.): gom, tập hợp
Grain /ɡreɪn/ (n.): hạt (ngũ cốc)
Shiver /ˈʃɪvə/ (v.): run, rùng mình
Peace /piːs/ (n.): an lành, yên ấm
Cozy /ˈkəʊzi/ (adj.): ấm áp
Prepared /prɪˈpɛː/ (adj.): đã chuẩn bị, đã sẵn sàng
Fault /fɒlt/ (n.): lỗi, sai lầm

136
The Flute Player
O
nce upon a time, there was a famous flute
player in Rome. His name was Prince. At
one of the shows, while Prince was playing the
flute, he slipped and tumbled down the stage.
People came running to carry him out, as he had
broken his leg.
His listeners missed him, as he took many
months to recover.
One day, an important man from Rome was
organizing a show. He invited Prince to make
an appearance.
On the day of the show, when the curtains
parted, a chorus was being played. Prince had
not heard this before, as he was away from the
theatre for a long time.
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137
The words of the chorus were “Rejoice, O
Rome: You are safe now that the Prince is well!”
All the people stood up and clapped loudly.
The flute player blew kisses to them, thinking
that his listeners were happy to have him back.
The audience knew that Prince was making
a mistake. Then, he bowed before the people.
Suddenly, he lost control and fell off the stage.
The song was in fact being played as an honor to
the Prince of Rome.

138
Self-importance can be harmful.

139
Flute player /fluːt/ /ˈpleɪə/ (n.): người thổi sáo
Famous /ˈfeɪməs/ (adj.): nổi tiếng
Slip /slɪp/ (v.): trượt chân
Tumble /ˈtʌmb(ə)l/ (v.): lộn nhào
Stage /steɪdʒ/ (n.): sân khấu
Organize /ˈɔːɡ(ə)naɪz/ (v.): tổ chức
Curtain /ˈkəːt(ə)n/ (n.): màn rạp hát
Chorus /ˈkɔːrəs/ (n.): đoạn hợp xướng
Theatre /ˈθɪətə/ (n.): nhà hát
Rejoice /rɪˈdʒɔɪs/ (v.): hoan hỉ, hân hoan
Clap /klap/ (v.): vỗ tay
Blow kiss /bləʊ/ /kɪs/ (v.): hôn gió
Audience /ˈɔːdɪəns/ (n.): khán giả
Bow /baʊ/ (v.): cúi chào
Self-importance /sɛlf/ /ɪmˈpɔːt(ə)ns/ (n.): sự tự phụ,
tự kiêu
Harmful /ˈhɑːmf(ə)l/ (adj.): tai hại

140
The Circus Dog and
the Street Dogs
I
n a small town, there was a company of
circus performers. Many animals were
trained in the circus to perform different acts.
A dog was trained to fight. The trained dog
would fight against a bigger and stronger animal
like a lion or a bear. The audience cheered till
one of the animals got wounded or even died.
The dog was scared and did not want to fight
the fierce animals. One day, he chewed off the
collar around his neck. Then, he ran out into
the street.
The dog was as strong as a bull, since he was
well fed. So, the street dogs saw him and asked,
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141
“Dear friend, you look quite strong and healthy,
why are you running away?”
The dog replied sadly, “I get lots of good food
to eat and have a comfortable life. However, I am
forced to fight with lions and bears and risk my
life in the ring.”
The other dogs said to one another, “We may
have little, but we are better-off because our
lives are not in danger!”

142
Some people may seem like they have
a lot, but you never know what they
have given up to get those things.

143
Company /ˈkʌmp(ə)ni/ (n.): đoàn, gánh xiếc
Circus performer /ˈsəːkəs/ /pəˈfɔːmə/ (n.):
nghệ sĩ xiếc
Train /treɪn/ (v.): huấn luyện
Act /akt/ (n.): trò, tiết mục
Cheer /tʃɪə/ (v.): hoan hô, reo hò
Wounded /ˈwuːndɪd/ (adj.): bị thương
Fierce /fɪəs/ (adj.): hung dữ
Collar /ˈkɒlə/ (n.): vòng cổ
Bull /bʊl/ (n.): con bò tót
Better-off /ˈbɛtəɒf / (adj.): thoải mái
Danger /ˈdeɪn(d)ʒə/ (n.): nguy hiểm

144
Go the Extra Mile
C
huan and Jing joined a wholesale company
together just after graduation. Both worked
very hard.
After several years, the boss promoted Jing
to sales executive but Chuan remained a sales
rep. One day Chuan could not take it anymore.
He submitted his resignation to the boss and
complained the boss did not value hardworking
staff, and only promoted those who flattered him.
The boss knew that Chuan worked very hard
over the years, but in order to help Chuan realize
the difference between him and Jing, the boss
asked Chuan to do the following: “Go out and
find anyone selling watermelon in the market.”
Chuan returned and said “I’ve done it.”
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145
The boss asked “How much per kg?” Chuan
went back to the market to ask and returned to
inform the boss it was $12 per kg.
The boss told Chuan, “I will ask Jing the same
question.”
Jing went, returned and said, “Boss, only
one person is selling watermelon. $12 per kg,
$100 for 10 kg, and he has an inventory of 340
melons. On the table there are 58 melons, every
melon weighs about 15 kg. They were bought
from the South two days ago, they are fresh and
red, good quality.”
Chuan was very impressed and realized the
difference between himself and Jing. He decided
not to resign but to learn from Jing.
My dear friends, a more successful person is
more observant, thinks more and understands
what people need. For the same matter, a more
successful person sees several years ahead, while
you see only tomorrow. Think! How far ahead have
you seen in your life? How thoughtful are you?

146
Go the extra mile if you
want to be successful.

147
Wholesale /ˈhəʊlseɪl/ (n.): công ty bán sỉ, đại lý
Graduation /ɡradʒʊˈeɪʃ(ə)n/ (n.): tốt nghiệp
Promote /prəˈməʊt/ (v.): thăng chức
Executive /ɪɡˈzɛkjʊtɪv/ (n.): chuyên viên, giám đốc
Sales rep /seɪlz/ /rɛp/ (n.): đại diện bán hàng
Resignation /rɛzɪɡˈneɪʃ(ə)n/ (n.): đơn từ chức
Staff /stɑːf/ (n.): nhân viên
Flatter /ˈflatə/ (v.): tâng bốc, xu nịnh
Inventory /ˈɪnv(ə)nt(ə)ri/ (n.): kho tồn
Fresh /frɛʃ/ (adj.): tươi, mới
Quality /ˈkwɒlɪti/ (n.): chất lượng
Impressed /ɪmˈprɛs/ (adj.): bị ấn tượng
Observant /əbˈzəːv(ə)nt/ (adj.): tinh ý, khéo
quan sát
Thoughtful /ˈθɔːtfʊl/ (adj.): sâu sắc

148
Don’t Walk When You Can Fly
O
nce upon a time, there lived a generous
and kind-hearted king. He was fond of
birds and animals, and had a huge bird sanctuary
in his kingdom. He disliked harming the animals
and birds. He did not even kill them for meat.
In appreciation of his generosity and kindness
towards birds, the king was gifted two beautiful
falcons by a businessman. Those two falcons were
used to different climatic conditions. The king
thanked the businessman and ordered the head
bird trainer to provide all the facilities to those
beautiful falcons and make them feel comfortable
in their country. The head trainer took care of
the birds. Gradually, the birds got adapted to the
country’s climate.
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149
One day, the king wanted to see the falcons fly
as he had heard that one of those falcons could
fly to great heights at a very high speed. The bird
trainer let the falcon out of the enclosure. It flew
very high, very quickly, and came down to the
enclosure within minutes.
The king was quite surprised and rewarded
the bird trainer with a handful of gold coins.
He enquired about the other falcon. The bird
trainer stated with regret that the other falcon
had not moved even a step from day one and
had just sat on the branch. The trainer also
added that he had tried everything he could but
still failed to make the bird move.
The king consoled him and told him that he
would bring someone more experienced than
him to try to train the other falcon.
Soon, the king announced that he needed
someone to make the falcon move and fly.
Hearing this announcement, an old man
reached the King’s palace and assured him that
he would make the bird fly like the other one.

150
The king asked the head trainer to take the
old man to the sanctuary to train the falcon. He
said that he would visit them the next day to see
if there was any change.
The next day, the king was very surprised to
see the other falcon fly like the first one to great
heights at a rapid speed. The king was very happy
and gifted the old man a handful of gold coins.
Then the king asked the old man what he had
done to make the bird fly in a day. The old man
simply replied, “I just cut down the branch of
the tree where the falcon used to sit.”
Many of us are like this. We have wings to fly;
we know how to fly, and where to fly. Still we sit
doing nothing.

151
Don’t sit still when you
have wings to fly!

152
Generous /ˈdʒɛn(ə)rəs/ (adj.): hào phóng
Kind-hearted /kaɪndˈhɑːtɪd/ (adj.): tốt bụng
Fond /fɒnd/ (adj.): yêu thích
Sanctuary /ˈsaŋ(k)tjʊəri/ (n.): điện thờ
Falcon /ˈfɔː(l)k(ə)n/ (n.): chim cắt, chim ưng
Climatic condition /klaɪˈmatɪk/ /kənˈdɪʃ(ə)n/
(n.): điều kiện thời tiết
Facility /fəˈsɪlɪti/ (n.): cơ sở vật chất, tiện nghi
Adapted /əˈdapt/ (adj.): thích nghi
Enclosure /ɪnˈkləʊʒə/ (n.): nơi rào, nơi nhốt
Enquire /ɪnˈkwaɪə/ (v.): hỏi thăm
State /steɪt/ (v.): phát biểu, lên tiếng
Regret /rɪˈɡrɛt/ (n.): sự hối tiếc
Console /ˈkɒnsəʊl/ (v.): an ủi
Palace /ˈpalɪs/ (n.): cung điện
Sit still /sɪt/ /stɪl/ (v.): ngồi yên một chỗ

153
Real vs Fake
M
innu was a sweet, loveable and
beautiful girl, six years of age. She
was an adorable kid and she always obeyed
her elders. Minnu’s parents loved her for her
amazing behavior.
One day, Minnu’s mother took her grocery
shopping. As they passed the shops, Minnu noted
a cute plastic pearl necklace in dazzling pink! She
asked her mother to buy her the necklace. Her
mother told her that it cost quite a few pennies.
She asked her to do some chores, so that for every
completed piece of work Minnu would get some
money and she could buy the pink necklace.
Minnu prepared a to-do list and assisted her
mom with all the chores. Her mom was very
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154
happy, and she paid enough money to buy the
pink necklace.
Minnu happily purchased the necklace and
wore it everywhere, all the time, except while
taking bath. Her mother said that her neck
would turn pink and the pearls would lose their
sheen if she wore it while bathing. But all other
times, Minnu wore it, even while sleeping.
Minnu’s father used to tell her bed time stories
frequently. One night, after a story, her dad asked
how much she loved him. Minnu replied, “You
know how much I love you.”
Dad asked, “Then give me your pearl
necklace please!”
Minnu replied, “Please daddy, I love you so
much but please don’t ask for these pearls. I will
give you the pink Barbie which you bought me a
month ago.”
Dad replied, “Fine, sweetheart.”
After a few days, the conversation was
repeated between Minnu and her dad. Again,
Minnu refused to give her pearl necklace and

155
instead asked her dad to take her pet. Dad kissed
her and left with smile.
This was repeated several times.
One day, Minnu fell asleep while her dad was
reading her a story. She was holding the necklace
in her hands. Her dad took the pearl necklace
from her hand. The next moment, she woke up
and asked, “Dad, what are you doing?”
Dad quickly opened a jewel box placed near
her bed and handed her a real precious pink
pearl necklace. He said, “Sweetheart, this is your
real necklace. I wanted to take away the fake one
all this while to give you this real one.”
She replied, “Thank you dad!”
Minnu immediately gave up her fake necklace
for the real one.

156
God wants us to give up all the
fake and cheap things we consider
very precious in our life. It can
be habits, harmful relationships,
activities, negative thoughts, etc.
He will provide us with genuine
things if we give up the fake!

157
Fake /feɪk/ (adj.): giả, giả mạo
Adorable /əˈdɔːrəb(ə)l/ (adj.): đáng yêu
Obey /ə(ʊ)ˈbeɪ/ (v.): vâng lời
Behavior /bɪˈheɪvjə/ (n.): hành vi, lối cư xử
Dazzling /ˈdazlɪŋ/ (adj.): sáng chói
Sheen /ʃiːn/ (n.): sự lấp lánh, ngời sáng
Frequently /ˈfriːkwəntli/ (adv.): thường xuyên
Conversation /kɒnvəˈseɪʃ(ə)n/ (n.): cuộc trò chuyện
Repeat /rɪˈpiːt/ (v.): lặp lại
Refuse /rɪˈfjuːz/ (v.): từ chối, không chịu
Moment /ˈməʊm(ə)nt/ (n.): lúc, thời khắc
Jewel box /ˈdʒuːəl/ /bɒks/ (n.): hộp nữ trang
Precious /ˈprɛʃəs/ (adj.): quý giá

158
The Tree and the Travelers

O
nce, there was a huge tree with a broad
trunk and innumerable branches right in
the middle of a dry land. The tree gave rest and
shelter to hundreds and thousands of travelers.
Being located near four towns, and many villages,
the tree was an ideal meeting point for travelers.
One day, two travelers reached the tree after
a long walk. Their destination was one of the
towns nearby. It was a hot and sunny day, and the
travelers were very happy to take a rest under the
tree. Exhausted, they slumped under the tree.
They slept for a while, enjoying the cool shade
and the soft breeze.
After a while, one of the travelers got hungry.
They had no food with them. The hungry traveler
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159
looked up at the tree to see if there was any fruit.
Finding none, he began to curse the tree. “Oh,
this is just a useless tree and it has nothing to feed
us, not even a fruit or any nuts! It is of no use!”
The other traveler comforted him and asked
him to stay cool. However, the hungry man
continued cursing the tree.
The tree, which could not tolerate the cursing
words of the traveler, said in a sad yet strong voice,
“You can’t be so ungrateful to me. Just think of
your condition when you reached here in the hot
and dry sun! I offered you a cool and comfortable
place to rest and sleep with a soothing breeze. If I
was not here, you would have died by now! I saved
your life from the hot sun, but you humiliate me!”
The traveler realized his mistake and apologized
to the tree.

160
Be grateful for your blessings.

161
Huge /hjuːdʒ/ (adj.): to lớn, khổng lồ
Innumerable /ɪˈnjuːm(ə)rəb(ə)l/ (adj.): vô số,
không đếm xuể
Shelter /ˈʃɛltə/ (n.): nơi trú chân
Ideal /aɪˈdiːəl/ (adj.): lý tưởng
Destination /ˌdɛstɪˈneɪʃ(ə)n/ (n.): đích đến
Exhausted /ɪɡˈzɔːstɪd/ (adj.): kiệt sức, mệt lử
Slump /slʌmp/ (v.): ngồi sụp xuống
Shade /ʃeɪd/ (n.): bóng cây
Breeze /briːz/ (n.): cơn gió nhẹ
Curse /kəːs/ (v.): mắng chửi
Tolerate /ˈtɒləreɪt/ (v.): khoan thứ
Ungrateful /ʌnˈɡreɪtfʊl/ (adj.): vô ơn, bạc bẽo
Soothing /ˈsuːðɪŋ/ (adj.): êm dịu
Humiliate /hjʊˈmɪlɪeɪt/ (v.): nhục mạ
Apologize /əˈpɒlədʒaɪz/ (v.): xin lỗi

162
Change Yourself and
Not The World
L
ong ago, people lived happily under the
rule of a king. The people of the kingdom
were very happy as they led very prosperous lives
with an abundance of wealth and no misfortunes.
Once, the king decided to go visiting places
of historical importance and pilgrim centres
in distant places. He decided to travel by foot
to interact with his people. People of distant
places were very happy to have a conversation
with their king. They were proud that their
king had a kind heart.
After several weeks of travel, the king returned
to the palace. He was quite happy that he had
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163
visited many pilgrim centres and witnessed his
people leading prosperous lives. However, he
had one regret.
He had intolerable pain in his feet as it was
his first trip by foot covering a long distance.
He complained to his ministers that the roads
weren’t comfortable and that they were very
stony. He could not tolerate the pain. He said
that he was very much worried about the people
who had to walk along those roads as it would be
painful for them too!
Considering all this, he ordered his servants
to cover the roads in the whole country with
leather so that the people of his kingdom could
walk comfortably.
The king’s ministers were stunned to hear
his order as it would mean that thousands of
cows would have to be slaughtered in order to
get a sufficient quantity of leather. It would also
cost a huge amount of money.
Finally, a wise man from the ministry came to
the king and said that he had another idea. The

164
king asked what the alternative was. The minister
said, “Instead of covering the roads with leather,
why don’t you just have a piece of leather cut in
an appropriate shape to cover your feet?”
The king was very much surprised by his
suggestion and applauded the wisdom of the
minister. He ordered a pair of leather shoes for
himself and requested all his countrymen also
to wear shoes.

165
Instead of trying to change
the world, we should try
to change ourselves.

166
Rule /ruːl/ (n.): sự cai trị
Prosperous /ˈprɒsp(ə)rəs/ (adj.): thịnh vượng
Misfortune /mɪsˈfɔːtʃ(ə)n/ (n.): bất hạnh
Pilgrim /ˈpɪlɡrɪm/ (n.): sự hành hương
Interact /ɪntərˈakt/ (v.): tiếp xúc
Witness /ˈwɪtnəs/ (v.): chứng kiến
Regret /rɪˈɡrɛt/ (n.): điều hối tiếc
Intolerable /ɪnˈtɒl(ə)rəb(ə)l/ (adj.): không chịu nổi
Order /ˈɔːdə/ (v.): ra lệnh
Cover /ˈkʌvə/ (v.): che, phủ
Leather /ˈlɛðə/ (n.): da
Slaughter /ˈslɔːtə/ (v.): giết
Shape /ʃeɪp/ (n.): hình dạng
Suggestion /səˈdʒɛstʃ(ə)n/ (n.): đề xuất
Countryman /ˈkʌntrɪmən/ (n.): người dân trong nước

167
Think Before You Speak

I
t was a sunny day, but the climate was
enjoyable. Everyone in the railway
station was waiting for the train to arrive. Among
the crowd, there was a group of friends,
youngsters who were on vacation.
It was a busy station with juice shops, restaurants,
cafes, newspaper shops, and restaurants. The
announcement about the arrival of the train
was made and everyone prepared to get into the
train to find their seats.
The group of friends made loud noise to
welcome the train as it entered the station.
They ran to get their reserved seats before
anyone could get into the train.
40

168
The empty seats were filled and the train
whistled. An old man with a young boy aged
around 15 years came running to catch the train.
They entered the train and the train started to
move. They had their seats just adjacent to the
friends’ group.
The young boy was so surprised to see
everything.
He exclaimed to his father, “Dad, the train is
moving and the things are moving backwards.”
His father smiled and nodded his head.
As the train started moving fast, the young
boy again screamed, “Dad the trees are green in
colour and run backward very fast.”
His father said, “Yes dear,” and smiled.
Just like a kid, he was watching everything
with great enthusiasm and happiness.
A fruit seller passed selling apples and oranges.
The young boy told his dad, “I want to eat apples.”
His father bought him apples. He said, “Oh, apple
looks sweeter than it tastes. I love this colour.”

169
The group was watching all the activities of
this boy and asked the boy’s father, “Is your son
having problems? Why is he so strange?”
A friend from the group made fun of him
and shouted, “His son is mad I think.”
The father of the young boy patiently replied
to the group.
“My son was born blind. Only a few days
ago he was operated on and got his vision. He
is seeing things in his life for the first time.”
The young friends became very quiet and
apologized to the father and his son.

170
Think before you speak.

171
Climate /ˈklaɪmət/ (n.): thời tiết, khí hậu
Enjoyable /ɪnˈdʒɔɪəb(ə)l/ (adj.): đáng tận hưởng
Railway station /ˈreɪlweɪ/ /ˈsteɪʃ(ə)n/ (n.): ga
tàu hỏa
Vacation /vəˈkeɪʃ(ə)n/ (n.): kỳ nghỉ mát
Arrival /əˈraɪv(ə)l/ (n.): đến nơi
Reserved seat /rɪˈzəːvd/ /siːt/ (n.): chỗ đặt trước
Empty /ˈɛm(p)ti/ (adj.): trống
Adjacent /əˈdʒeɪs(ə)nt/ (adj.): sát, liền kề
Nod /nɒd/ (v.): gật đầu
Make fun of someone (v.): trêu đùa, chọc ghẹo
ai đó
Mad /mad/ (adj.): điên, khùng
Blind /blaɪnd/ (adj.): mù, không nhìn thấy
Operate /ˈɒpəreɪt/ (v.): phẫu thuật, mổ
Vision /ˈvɪʒ(ə)n/ (n.): thị giác
Apologize /əˈpɒlədʒaɪz/ (v.): xin lỗi

172
The Rope
T
he night fell on the mountains and the
climber could not see anything. There
was zero visibility; the moon and the stars were
covered by the clouds.
When he was just a few feet below the top of
the mountain, the climber slipped and fell off
the mountain. He could see only black spots as
he went down and felt the terrible sensation of
being sucked in by gravity.
He kept falling, and in those moments of
great fear, all the good and bad episodes of his
life came to his mind. He was thinking now
about how close death was getting, when all of a
sudden he felt the rope tied to his waist pull him
very hard. His body was hanging in the air. Only
41

173
the rope was holding him. In that moment of
stillness, he had no choice other than to scream,
“Help me God!”
All of a sudden, a deep voice coming from the
sky answered, “What do you want me to do?”
“Save me God.”
“Do you really think I can save you?”
“Of course, I believe you can.”
“Then cut the rope tied to your waist.”
There was a moment of silence. The moment
passed, and the man decided to hold on to the
rope with all his strength.
The rescue team says that the next day, the
climber was found dead and frozen, his body
hanging from a rope, and his hands holding it tight.
He was only one foot away from the ground.
How attached are we to our ropes? Will we
let them go?

174
We should have enough faith to
cut the rope, if that is what God
tells us to do, even when it seems
to be the most foolish thing to do.

175
Climber /ˈklaɪmə/ (n.): người leo núi
Zero visibility /ˈzɪərəʊ/ /vɪzɪˈbɪlɪti/ (n.): không
nhìn thấy gì, đen như hũ nút
Spot /spɒt/ (n.): đốm, điểm
Sensation /sɛnˈseɪʃ(ə)n/ (n.): cảm giác
Sucked /sʌkt/ (adj.): bị hút xuống
Gravity /ˈɡravɪti/ (n.): trọng lực
Episode /ˈɛpɪsəʊd/ (n.): giai đoạn, khoảng
thời gian
Rope /rəʊp/ (n.): sợi dây
Waist /weɪst/ (n.): eo, thắt lưng
Hang /haŋ/ (v.): treo lơ lửng
Stillness /ˈstɪlnəs/ (n.): sự tĩnh mịch
Frozen /ˈfrəʊzn/ (adj.): đông cứng người
One foot away from the ground (adv.): chỉ
cách đất một bàn chân
Attached /əˈtatʃt/ (adj.): được gắn vào

176
Parable of the Pencil

T
he Pencil Maker took the pencil aside,
just before putting it into the box.
“There are 5 things you need to know,” he
told the pencil, “before I send you out into the
world. Always remember them and never forget,
and you will become the best pencil you can be.”
One: “You will be able to do many great
things, but only if you allow yourself to be held
in someone’s hand.”
Two: “You will experience a painful sharpening
from time to time, but you’ll need it to become a
better pencil.”
Three: “You will be able to correct any mistakes
you might make.”
42

177
Four: “The most important part of you will
always be what’s inside.”
Five: “On every surface you are used on, you
must leave your mark. No matter what the
condition, you must continue to write.”
The pencil understood, promised to remember
and went into the box with purpose in its heart.
Now, replace the pencil with you. If you
remember these lessons and never forget them,
you will become the best person you can be.
One: “You will be able to do many great things,
but only if you allow yourself to be held in God’s
hand. Allow other human beings to access you
for the many gifts you possess.”
Two: “You will experience a painful sharpening
from time to time, by going through various
problems in life, but you’ll need it to become a
stronger and better person.”
Three: “You will be able to correct any
mistakes you might make. So do not be afraid
of making mistakes.”

178
Four: “The most important part of you will
always be what’s on the inside. What you think
and feel is more important than how you look.”
Five: “On every place you walk through, you
must leave your mark. No matter what the
situation, you must continue to do your duties.
Leave your legacy when you leave this world.”

179
You are special. Only you
can fulfill the purpose for
which you were born.

180
Parable /ˈparəb(ə)l/ (n.): truyện ngụ ngôn
Sharpen /ˈʃɑːp(ə)n/ (v.): làm sắc, chuốt
Correct /kəˈrɛkt/ (v.): sửa, chữa
Surface /ˈsəːfɪs/ (n.): bề mặt, mặt giấy
Mark /mɑːk/ (n.): vết, dấu ấn
Promise /ˈprɒmɪs/ (v.): hứa
Replace /rɪˈpleɪs/ (v.): thay thế, đổi cho
Allow /əˈlaʊ/ (v.): cho phép
Access /ˈaksɛs/ (v): tiếp cận
Possess /pəˈzɛs/ (v.): sở hữu
Various /ˈvɛːrɪəs/ (adj.): phong phú, khác nhau
Duty /ˈdjuːti/ (n.): bổn phận, nghĩa vụ
Legacy /ˈlɛɡəsi/ (n.): di sản

181
The Devoted Mother
A
mother duck and her little ducklings
were on their way to a lake one day.
The ducklings were very happy following their
mother and quack-quacking along the way.
All of a sudden, the mother duck saw a fox in
the distance. She was frightened, and shouted,
“Children, hurry to the lake. There’s a fox!”
The ducklings hurried towards the lake. The
mother duck wondered what to do. Then she
began to walk back and forth dragging one
wing on the ground.
When the fox saw her, he became happy. He
said to himself, “It seems she’s hurt and can’t fly! I
can easily catch and eat her!” He ran towards her.
43

182
The mother duck ran, leading the fox away from
the lake. The fox followed her. Now he wouldn’t
be able to harm her ducklings. The mother duck
looked towards her ducklings and saw that they
had reached the lake. She was relieved, so she
stopped and took a deep breath.
The fox thought that she was tired and he
came closer, but the mother duck quickly spread
her wings and rose up in the air. She landed in
the middle of the lake and her ducklings swam
to her.
The fox stared in disbelief at the mother
duck and her ducklings. The mother duck had
tricked him cleverly. Now he could not reach
them because they were in the middle of the lake.

183
Mothers would do anything to
protect their children. We should
do everything we can to show
them we appreciate them.

184
Devoted /dɪˈvəʊtɪd/ (adj.): tậm tâm, đầy hi sinh
Duckling /ˈdʌklɪŋ/ (n.): vịt con
Quack-quack /kwak/ /kwak/ (v.): kêu quạc quạc
Fox /fɒks/ (n.): con cáo
Frightened /ˈfraɪtnd/ (adj.): khiếp sợ
Back and forth (adv.): tới lui
Drag /draɡ/ (v.): kéo lê
Harm /hɑːm/ (v.): làm hại
Relieved /rɪˈliːvd/ (adj.): nhẹ nhõm
Spread /sprɛd/ (v.): dang (cánh)
Rise /raɪz/ (v.): bay lên
Stare /stɛː/ (v.): nhìn chăm chăm
Disbelief /dɪsbɪˈliːf/ (n.): sự hoài nghi, không tin
Trick /trɪk/ (v.): lừa, gạt
Cleverly /ˈklɛvəli/ (adv.): khôn khéo

185
The Stranger in the Garden
O
nce upon a time, there was a man who
had a big garden. He had planted many
fruit trees and cared for them till they bore
fruits. Now he wanted to harvest the fruits and
sell them to make money for his family.
One fine day, while picking the fruits with his
son, the man saw a stranger sitting on the branch
of a tree and picking fruits. The man became angry
and shouted, “Hey you! What are you doing on my
tree? Aren’t you ashamed of stealing?”
The stranger sitting on the branch looked at
the gardener, but didn’t reply, and continued
picking the fruits. The gardener was very angry
and shouted again, “For a whole year I have
taken care of these trees. You have no right to
44

186
take the fruits without my permission. So come
down at once!”
The stranger on the tree answered, “Why
should I come down? This is the garden of God
and I am the servant of God, so I have the right
to pick these fruits. You should not interfere
with the work of God and his servant.”
The gardener was very surprised at this answer
and thought of a plan. He told the stranger to come
down from the tree. As the stranger climbed
down the tree, the gardener tied him to the tree
and began beating him with a stick. The stranger
screamed, “Why are you beating me? You have
no right to do this.”
The gardener paid no attention and continued
beating him. The stranger screamed, “Don’t you
fear God? You are beating an innocent man.
The gardener answered, “Why should I fear?
This wood in my hand belongs to God and I am
the servant of God. You shouldn’t interfere with
the work of God and his servant.”

187
The stranger hesitated and then spoke,
“Wait. Don’t beat me, I am sorry for taking the
fruits. This is your garden and I should seek
your permission before taking the fruit. So,
please forgive me and set me free.”
The gardener smiled and said, “Don’t use
God’s name to justify your ill-conceived actions.”
Then the gardener untied him and let him
go free.

188
Never justify your
actions with God’s name.

189
Stranger /ˈstreɪn(d)ʒə/ (n.): người lạ
Harvest /ˈhɑːvɪst/ (v.): hái, thu hoạch
Ashamed /əˈʃeɪmd/ (adj.): xấu hổ
Permission /pəˈmɪʃ(ə)n/ (n.): sự cho phép
Right /raɪt/ (n.): quyền
Interfere /ɪntəˈfɪə/ (v.): cản trở
Tie /taɪ/ (v.): buộc, trói
Beat /biːt/ (v.): đánh đập
Wood /wʊd/ (n.): khúc cây, khúc gỗ
Hesitate /ˈhɛzɪteɪt/ (v.): ngập ngừng
Justify /ˈdʒʌstɪfaɪ/ (v.): bênh vực, bào chữa
Ill-conceived /ɪl/ /kənˈsiːvd/ (adj.): không suy
nghĩ thấu đáo
Untie /ʌnˈtaɪ/ (v.): cởi trói

Contents
1. The Child and His Mother
2. Thomas Edison and the Light Bulb
3. Believe in Yourself
4. The Hardworking Father
5. The Dark Candle
6. Soar Like an Eagle
7. Black or White
8. Cockroach Theory
9. Determining Your True Path
10. The Alphabet of Happiness
11. Put Your Mind at Ease
12. Chopsticks
13. The Missing Watch
14. Counting Apples
15. The Strength of Group Work
16. The Time Bank
17. The Value of Knowledge
18. The Value of Time
5
8
11
14
19
23
26
30
35
39
46
50
54
58
63
67
71
75
190

19. Why Dogs Live Shorter Lives
than Humans
20. The Trouble Tree
21. A Couple’s Heartbreak
22. Growing Deep and Strong
23. Carrots, Eggs and Coffee
24. How The Poor Live
25. The Benefits of Struggling
26. Beginning Today
27. One Step
28. Don’t Quit
29. Don’t Be Afraid
30. The Peacock
31. The Farmer and the Dog
32. The Ant and the Fly
33. The Flute Player
34. The Circus Dog and the Street Dogs
35. Go the Extra Mile
36. Don’t Walk When You Can Fly
37. Real vs Fake
38. The Tree and the Travelers
39. Change Yourself and Not The World
79
83
87
91
95
100
104
108
112
116
120
124
128
132
136
140
144
148
153
158
162
191

40. Think Before You Speak
41. The Rope
42. Parable of the Pencil
43. The Devoted Mother
44. The Stranger in the Garden
167
172
176
181
185
192

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