A poor farm woman brought her daughter to the capital so that she might earn money as a maid. From what she could send home, they will be able to buy some land and some cattle.
The girl was beautiful and clever. She learned very quickly that in a big city, a girl like her could earn much more by not working than by working. She succeeded in attracting rich lovers. Passing from one to another, she gathered jewels, cars, and furs and indulged in a life of fun.
In her life of fun she forgot about her old mother altogether. One day she remembered painfully. Taking the train to her village, she arrived late at night. Approaching the gate of her mother’s house, she discovered it was wide open. She was surprised, because she knew it had always been locked with great care.
She passed through the yard saw that the room in which her mother slept had the light on. When she was on the threshold, the mother called from inside, “Jean, is it you?”
“Yes mother. But how is it that the gate is wide open so late at night?”
“My daughter, for ten years, ever since you left, the gate has never been locked.”
“And how is it that there is a light in your room so late?”
“My daughter, for ten years the light has never been off. The loving heart of a mother waited for you.”
The heavenly Jerusalem is our mother. She awaits us.
THERE IS A SILVER LINING BEHIND EVERY DARK CLOUD...
Once upon a time, there was a prince who received a very rare and beautiful bird. He named it Twee-Twee and placed it in a golden cage. But the poor creature was not impressed by the gold. It pleaded for freedom, but the prince liked it too much to part with it. Then Twee-Twee begged him at least to visit her relatives in the forest and tell them that, thou captive, she was still alive.
The prince went and told them. At once, Twee-Twee’s sister fell to the ground, and the prince realized that she had been killed by grief of knowing freedom-loving Twee-Twee was in a cage. Sad at heart, he returned and told Twee-Twee the sad news that her sister had died. Immediately, Twee-Twee collapsed the same way at the bottom of the cage. The prince then took the poor bird out and threw her through the window. What was the purpose in keeping her when she was dead? In a flash, Twee-Twee flew away and from a chirped, “what you thought was bad news was a lesson. By pretending to have died, my sister taught me the way to escape.
