Summary In this short story we see an apparently well-standing citizen meeting with a beggar on the street. The beggar is in a terrible condition wearing rags, having festering wounds, bloodshot eyes. He asks for help, but the man happens to have nothing with him, so he clasps the beggar's hand, asking for forgiveness for having nothing to offer. An unexpected thing happens then. The beggar smiles and tells the man that the handshake is a gift itself.   Analysis The story explores the condition of poverty and the sentiment of empathy and human connection. There is a stark contrast between the narrator's outstanding condition and the destitute condition of the beggar. The narrator's act of clasping the beggar's hand shows a moment of compassion and even though it is a small act it's full of kindness and meaning. The beggar's reaction and answer to the man showcases how important it was for him to be considered a human being. An equal, worth of clasping

  THIS HUMOROUS POEM BY Georgios Souris could be a jab at a person’s unexpected path to becoming a cook in the army. First the port poet informs us that we or he   or somebody will become a cook and will be forced to wash meat and feed the masses.   He also so also tells us that this will happen in the army. But things are not simple because there is pressure.   We are informed that whether we already know how to cook or not, we will be forced to do it even in peaceful times otherwise we go to prison.   Now the poets talk in the first person and says that his mind twists and turns and he is desperately asking for help and is ready to get it even from the almanac where sometimes recipes were printed.   Finally the poet calls   upon his   muse   to come and help him with the cooking. The poem narrated in Greek: (Don't forget to enable the english subtitles) Let's get down to the  poem and it's translation in English: (Τhe Greek spelling is that which the poet uses. S

Summary : In this  fable, we find an Ox who accidentally squashes a young Frog while taking a sip from a reedy pool. The wise old Frog, intrigued by the incident, asks about the reason behind the little one's sudden disappearance. The other Frogs paint a picture of the Ox as a gigantic monster, and the old Frog, keen to show her own size, puffs herself up. However, as the young Frogs insist that the monster was even larger, she continues to inflate until she bursts.  Moral Lesson & Analysis: The primary moral lesson is: “Pride is all good and well, but don’t think yourself bigger than you are.”  The old Frog's vanity and desire to seem bigger than she truly was ultimately led to her downfall. This story serves as a valuable lesson against excessive pride and self-deception.  In addition to this moral lesson, we can explore another perspective. The fable sheds light on the folly of comparing oneself to others. The old Frog's attempt to measure up to the Ox's size ref

 HIS MOURNING is a witty short story of Nasreddin Hodja (or simply Nasreddin , or Mullah Nasreddin Hodja, Nasruddin Hodja, Mullah Nasruddin, Mullah Nasriddin, Khoja Nasriddin)  a character in the folklore of the Eastern world.  The story belongs to a collection  called "The facetious stories of Nasr-en-Din Hodja".   The book, at least in Greek, belongs to the public domain and you can find it here .  And now let’s move on to the translation of the story and then to summary and analysis.  I put side by side the English text as I translated it and the Greek one from the book,  for the Greek enthusiasts! HIS MOURNING  One day, Nasr-en-Din Hodja wore a grieving gown, and walked down to the marketplace. As soon as his friends saw him, they ran anxiously to him, and they cried out:  - Life to thee! Who died? Hodja answered:  - My son's father is dead, and I am in mourning. ΤΟ ΠΕΝΘΟΣ ΤΟΥ Μια μέρα, ο Νασρ-εν-Ντιν Χότζας φόρεσε βαρύ

Summary  In this   classic fable a pig wonders into a sheep meadow and the shepherd captures it.  The pig struggles and squeals.  The sheep around it mock its behavior and its frantic struggle because they’re used to being caught for shearing.  The pigs then explains that what the sheep is all well and good but the shepherd doesn’t want it for its wool…   Analysis  This table teaches us about the importance of thinking before judging.  The sheep are quick to laugh at the pig because they don’t understand the threat it faces.  They make the assumption that all situations are the same, but they lack the pig’s awareness.  Of course, the sheep’s calmness comes from ignorance and inability to think “outside the box”.  This is this fable wants us to perceive how some things might seem similar on the surface but they’re actually vastly different in their implications.   Moral lesson  The moral lesson of the fable is “ Don't be easy to judge when you don't have all the facts .”.  what

 The "Oriental stories" by the Greek author Philindas Menos, are short humorous stories published in 1931. Philindas Menos writes at his introductory note that that they are stories he heard at different times and from various people, living in the Eastern countries, which he collected and finally published in this small book called "Oriental stories".  You will find that some of them have a resemblance to the well - known stories of another eastern character of the facetious stories, that of Nasreddin Now, I've narrated this story in Greek and you can listen to it below but here is the transcript, as I  have translated  this humorous story in English: Title: SULTAN AZIZ - ALI PASHA The Story: The great Visier Ali - Pasha was born on the same day as Sultan Aziz, except the Visier had been born four hours earlier than the Sultan. This, they both knew, but was also common knowledge among the people of the palace. One day the Sultan, putting Ali's wit to t