Mr. Lui’s Garden
(Story told by Sunita Dhar)

Mr. Lui and his wife Chui Mui lived in a small village at the foot hills of great mountains up in the north in China. They had a garden in which they had several fruit trees. In summer they would also plant vegetables and flowers.  Mr. Lui would sell the fruits and vegetables in the village market. The garden was their only source of income.

Up in the mountains, there was a big castle, in which lived Wayu Li along with her children Storm and Wind. Storm and Wind were very bored in the big castle. So, one night they quietly sneaked out of the castle and came down into the village to have some fun. When they saw Mr. Lui’s garden, they decided to play there. Whole night, Storm and Wind played in the garden, running every where, and chasing after each other. The garden was destroyed. All the fruit fell from the trees, branches were broken, vegetable plants were bent and flowers were ruined.  In the morning, when Mr. Lui and Chui Mui saw their garden, they were very upset. How were they to feed themselves fro the rest of the year? Mr. Lui decided to go up the mountain to meet with Wayu Li and complain about the behavior of her children.

He walked the whole day. As it started getting dark, he decided to stay for the night at a roadside inn. He saw a sign for a Mountain Top Inn, and went inside. The inn was owned by Mr. & Mrs. Greedy. Mrs. Greedy was a very curious woman. She asked Mr. Lui where he was going, and found out all the details.  Mr. Lui reached the castle next day, and knocked on the big wooden gate. When Wayu Li came to open the gate, Mr. Lui complained to her about the destruction of his garden caused by her children, and demanded that he be compensated for his loss.

Wayu Li agreed to help him. She went inside the castle, and came back with a table cloth, which she offered to Mr. Lui. He was furious and refused to accept the table cloth. Wayu Li explained to him that it was a very special table cloth. She spread it out and said, “I am hungry! Give me some food!!!” and within seconds the table cloth was covered with all sorts of delicious food. Mr. Lui was amazed, and very happy. He wouldn’t have to worry about food for the rest of his life. He ate a big meal, thanked Wayu Li, folded away the table cloth and hurried home. 

As it grew dark, he decided to stay for the night at the Mountain Top Inn. When the dinner was over at the Inn, Mrs. Greedy came to find out what Wayu Li had given to Mr. Lui. Very prodly, Mr. Lui took out the table cloth and showed her what it could do. Mrs. Greedy was amazed, and being greedy decided to steal the table cloth from Mr. Lui. In the night, when every one was sleeping, Mr. and Mrs. Greedy tip toed into Mr. Lui’s room, took away his table cloth and replaced it with a another table cloth. Mr. Lui, unaware of this theft, reached home next day and with great excitement and fanfare took out the table cloth to showoff to Chui Mui. But, when he asked the table cloth to get him food, nothing happened. Mr. Lui tried many times, but no food appeared on the table cloth. Chui Mui started making fun of him. He was furious, because he thought Wayu Li had made a fool out of him. So, he decided to go back to her.

Wayu Li was surprised to see him back. Mr. Lui told her about the table cloth and told her that she had cheated him. Wayu Li was puzzled, but decided to give something else to Mr. Lui. This time she came back with a duck, and when she said “Duck, Duck, show my luck”, the duck laid a golden egg. Mr. Lui was very happy to see this and started dreaming of becoming a very rich man. On his way back home, he stopped for the night at the Mountain Top Inn. When Mrs. Greedy found out about the duck, she quickly arranged for an identical duck, and in the night switched the ducks. Mr. Lui got home the next day and proudly presented the duck to Chui Mui. When he asked the duck ““Duck, Duck, show my luck”, instead of a gold egg, out came bird poop. Mr. Lui couldn’t understand what was happening. He tried to convince Chui Mui that he has seen the duck lay a gold egg, but she wouldn’t believe him and again started making fun of him.

Next day, Mr. Lui was back at the castle. When Wayu Li heard what had happened to the duck, she got suspicious. Then she asked Mr. Lui where he went after he left the castle. Mr. Lui told her about his staying for the night at the inn. Wayu Li understood what was happening. She went inside, and came back with a rope and two sticks. While shoewing these to Mr. Lui, she said loudly, “rope & stick, do the trick!”. The rope went zoom… and tied up Mr. Lui and the sticks started beating him up. Mr. Lui started screaming, “stop! Stop!” Finally, the sticks stopped. Wayu Li was laughing. She explained to Mr. Lui that he had not been cheated by her, but some one else was playing a trick on him; his things were being stolen by the people at the inn. She gave him the rope and stick and told him what to do. Mr. Lui reached the Mountain Top Inn. Mr. and Mrs. Greedy came out excitedly, curious to see what they could steal from Mr. Lui this time. But, something very different was awaiting them this time. Mr. Lui took out the rope and sticks, and quickly said, “rope & stick, do the trick”. In a flash, Mr. & Mrs. Greedy were tied up together, and the sticks started beating them up. Hearing their screams, a crowd gathered. Mr. Lui told every one how the Greedys had been stealing his stuff. The Greedys begged him to make the sticks stop. They said they were sorry and promised to return his things to him. The crowd was enjoying the beating of Greedys, since they were known to be cheaters. They all decided to never ever come to the Greedys’ Inn again. Thus, Greedys, having lost all the business, had to close the inn and leave the town. They couldn’t get away with cheating and stealing and being dishonest. 

In the meantime, Mr. Lui reached home carrying his table cloth, the duck and the rope and the sticks. Chui Mui, making fun of him again, asked, “so what did Wayu Li give you this time?” Mr. Lui thought for a moment, then he took out the rope and the sticks. As he uttered the words, “rope & stick, do the trick!”, Chui Mui was all tied up with the rope. But, before the sticks could start beating her up, Mr. Lui stopped them, and then explained the whole story to her. Chui Mui was ashamed of her behavior and apologized to Mr. Lui. But Mr. Lui was in a very good mood. He made Chui Mui sit at the dining table and spread out the magic table cloth. Chui Mui got to eat the best meal of her life and when she saw the golden egg that the magic duck lay for her, she was jumping with joy. 

Mr. Lui and Chui Mui lived happily ever after. The Greedys, well, no one saw them again, but one thing is for sure, they did not live happily ever again.

The Praying Hands
(Story told by Krishnan)

            Back in the fifteenth century in a tiny village near Nuremberg, lived a family with eighteen children.  The father a goldsmith by profession toiled almost eighteen hours to make ends meet.  Despite the hopeless situation two of the children, Albert and Albrecht Durer had a dream.  They both wanted to pursue their talent for art at the academy in Nuremberg. They fully well knew that their father would never be financially able to send either of them to study at the academy.

            One night after a long discussion the two boys worked out a pact.  They would toss a coin.  The loser would go to work in the nearby mines and, with his earnings support his brother while the latter attended the academy.

After four years the brother would return from the academy, work in the mines or sell his artwork to support the other brother at the academy.

            They tossed a coin on a Sunday morning after church.  Albrecht Durer won the toss and went off to Nuremberg.  Albert went to work in the dangerous mines for the next four years, while supporting his brother at the academy.

            When Albrecht returned after four years his paintings and drawings were being sold for a considerable fee.  He now turned to his brother Albert and said, “Now you can go to Nuremberg while I will take care of you”.

Albert sobbed and repeated over and over again, “No…no…no”.

            It’s too late for me. The four years in the mines have smashed my hands and I can no longer hold a glass with steady hands.  It’s too late for me”.

Albrecht moved by Albert’s sacrifice went on to pay homage by painstakingly drawing a picture of his brother’s abused hands with palms together and the thin fingers stretched skywards. He called his drawing simply “Hands” but the entire world renamed his tribute as “The praying Hands”.