Found: Piece of Cheese, Owner Unclear

Before using something that belongs to another,

we should ask for permission.

If we do not ask, it is stealing.

“Excuse me, sir. I don’t mean to be rude and I certainly don’t wish to bother you. But may I please ask what you are doing with that cheese?”

It was a reasonable question. And very politely asked. But then Cameo was a very polite cat. When her mother was pregnant, the doctor told her she needed to get plenty of rest if she wanted to have healthy kittens. Putting her kittens’ needs first, Cameo’s mother did exactly as she was told. Since she lived in a bookstore, she decided the logical thing to do would be to spend her time reading. And so she read many books.

One of her favorites was on etiquette. She felt that since her kittens would be living with humans, it would be helpful for them to know what humans considered as good behavior. So she diligently studied the book and taught her kittens all about human etiquette.

By listening attentively to her mother, Cameo grew up to be a very polite cat. She would run to greet people as they came into the bookshop, making eye contact as she welcomed them. If they didn’t answer her, she didn’t mind. After all, their thoughts could be elsewhere.

When invited, she would jump up onto the customer’s lap when they sat in the chairs scattered around the shop. She would listen attentively as the customer spoke to her and meowed back her carefully considered responses. When they left, she would slowly walk them to the door to let them know she was sad to see them go.

So it was only logical that when Cameo spoke to the mouse she did so respectfully. “Excuse me, sir. I don’t mean to be rude and I certainly don’t wish to bother you. But may I please ask what you are doing with that cheese?” she queried.

The mouse, who was called Elmer, was so shocked that he dropped the big chunk of Swiss and just stared at her. Never had he met a polite cat. Or one that talked for that matter. He finally blurted out “Huh?” (Unlike Cameo, Elmer did not have the benefit of a good education). Cameo calmly repeated her question and tried to make eye contact, but now Elmer wouldn't look directly at her.

“Uhh, I found it,” he muttered.

Cameo sat down and studied Elmer. “May I ask where you found it?”

This was more than Elmer had bargained for, and he was getting rather worried. His mother just told him to go get the cheese. But she hadn’t warned him about the bookshop cat who thought she was a lawyer.

“On Mr. Rasmussen’s desk,” he stammered.

Cameo said, “Then the cheese must belong to Mr. Rasmussen. Excuse me for asking, but did he say you could have it?”

“No,” Elmer nervously admitted.

“Oh dear. Then you’re stealing it,” concluded Cameo.

Indignantly, Elmer declared, “I’m not a thief! I found it lying on the table. No one was eating it. No one was even around!”

“But if the owner of the cheese did not give it to you, then you took it without permission. And I’m very sorry, but that’s stealing,” Cameo explained.

Elmer’s eye got bigger as he asked “Are you sure? I thought if I found something just lying around, then it didn’t belong to anyone. Finders keepers! So I took it.”

“No. Almost everything belongs to someone. Like that cheese. Before we take something, we need to find and ask the owner first.” Cameo was trying to be kind because clearly Elmer didn’t know that he was doing anything wrong.

“I didn’t think of that. You’re right.” And with that, Elmer began to wail, “Oh no, I am a thief!”

“No, not if you put it back and never take anything again,” Cameo assured him. “Don’t worry. We’ll figure out a way to get the cheese back on the table.”

And that is just what they did. Cameo then promised Elmer that she would never tell anyone what had happened. And Elmer never again took anything without first asking the owner.

Regrettably dear reader, as much as I would like to tell you how they put the cheese back, I cannot. When Elmer told me about this, he made me promise not to tell anyone because that might get a certain bird in trouble. 

Meatless Monday

Learn how reviving the presidential tradition of Meatless Monday can help reduce our carbon footprint, improve our health and bring us together as a nation!

More information is available at MeatlessMonday.

A Heart as Big as an Elephant

Do not be afraid of a task that is difficult

or become careless when a job is easy.

Deep in the jungle lived two friends: a large elephant and a small bird no bigger than the tip of the elephant’s trunk. You might think their friendship was unusual, but in the past such things were quite common. Animals and birds could talk to one another, and everyone got along happily together.

One day, while bird and elephant were enjoying a drink of water at their favorite stream, they heard distant calls of distress. Elephant asked bird to please fly up high to see what was happening. Bird flew above the trees and saw the reason for the alarm. On a distant ridge, there was a fire! Bird quickly flew down to elephant and reported what he saw. Elephant kneeled down, put her ear to the ground, and said, yes she could hear the sounds of many animals running.

Bird said excitedly, “We have to help our friends. Not all the birds can fly high and long enough to escape the fire.” Elephant agreed, saying “And not all the animals are fast enough to outrun the flames. But what can we do?”

Bird said, “I can carry water on my wings, and you can carry it in your trunk.” And with that bird dove under the water and then soared up into the air. He flew to the fire and sprinkled the few drops of water he carried onto the flames. He then flew back to where elephant was filling her trunk.

“Hurry!” cried bird.

But elephant reassured her friend. “Don’t worry. You cannot carry much water, but my trunk holds a lot.” Bird dove into the water again and flew off to the fire. After elephant filled her trunk and went a few steps, she carelessly tripped and spilled some water. Back to the stream she went to refill her trunk.

In the meantime, bird was flying back and forth as fast as he could. The fleeing animals and birds cried out, “”Save yourself. It’s hopeless. You can’t carry enough water!” Bird replied he had to try and that elephant was also bringing water in her trunk. The animals knew that bird was very persistent. But they also knew that as good-hearted as elephant was, she was careless so they weren’t sure how helpful she would.

Inspired by bird and elephant, the other birds and animals pitched in to help. Soon they were all working together to put out the fire. They made so much noise they woke the forest god. He saw bird fearlessly flying back and forth leading the others in trying to put out the fire. He also saw the elephant and the other animals helping.

Touched by their courage, the forest god threw his staff high into the air to pierce a cloud. Rain began to fall and soon the fire was out. With everyone safe, bird flew back to elephant.

Always honest, elephant confessed she had not paid enough attention to what she was doing. She put her trunk on the ground to cradle the exhausted bird and promised that in the future she would be more careful.

Moral

To carry out tasks,

we need to be not only courageous, but careful as well.

On Reciting the Name of the Buddha

Practice reciting the name of the Buddha to the extent that "flowers flourish and the Buddha comes into view."

We all have a Buddha immanent in our minds. When we practice recitation to the extent that our minds are pure and free of vexations, we will meet the buddha within ourselves. Therefore, only by the extinction of all vexations can we attain the stage where "flowers flourish and the Buddha comes into view."

We should practice compassion and forbearance in our daily lives while avoiding impulsiveness and petulance and controlling our temper. Be adroit and harmonious when dealing with people and handle everything with the help of reason.

Seek not the faults of others and do not be vexed by the rights or wrongs we perceive. Be gentle and kind to others, though not for the sake of building up connections. Treat everyone, be he/she moral or immoral, with equality and impartiality.

Do not turn others away with an icy face. With every move intended for the benefit of others and done with sympathetic compassion, not only will we foster good affinity with others but our minds will be purified and ourselves free of all vexations.

We are thereby attaining the stage where "flowers flourish and the Buddha comes into view."

~ The Analects of Master Kuang-ch'in

A Missed Opportunity

When our parents call us,

we should answer them right away.

When they tell us something, we should do it promptly.

Ever since they last visited Gram, their grandmother, Felicia and Hanna had been pleading with their mother to teach them to make chocolate chip cookies. It was a “secret family recipe” and Gram always made them because she knew how much her two granddaughters loved them.

Gram had taught their mother, Mrs. Johansson, how to bake the cookies. But she had been very busy with work so there hadn’t been any time for baking lessons for her daughters.

Fortunately, the project at work was now completed and Mrs. Johansson decided that she would teach the girls this Saturday, just like that day when her own mother taught her. Wanting to surprise the girls, she bought the chocolate chips and other ingredients, and put everything away where they wouldn’t notice them.

On Saturday afternoon, she called to the girls, “Felicia and Hanna, come to the kitchen!”

Hanna, who was younger, came quickly, but Felicia was busy texting her friends and called out “In a minute, Mom!”

Hanna’s eyes grew big as she learned that today was “the day.” Excited, she helped her mother get out all the ingredients and cooking utensils. Her mother showed her how to measure the ingredients and then mix everything together. She called out again, “Felicia, please come to the kitchen!” Felicia gave a distracted “Coming!” and continued her texting.

Remembering her favorite part of helping her mother, Mrs. Johansson told Hanna she could lick the spoon after the cookies were mixed. They opened the bag of chocolate chips, but Felicia still hadn’t come to the kitchen. Mrs. Johansson smiled as she and Hanna sampled a few of the chips “to be sure they are good.” Then they ate a few more because “They are good!” Again, Mrs. Johansson called out “Felicia!” But she couldn’t even hear Felicia’s mumbled reply.

Mrs. Johansson turned on the oven to heat it up. She and Hanna then spooned the cookie dough onto the baking pans and placed the first trays on the oven racks. While the cookies were baking Mrs. Johansson got out the cups and saucers she used on special occasions. Then she and Hanna made some hot chocolate and dropped a marshmallow into each cup.

As they were sipping the hot chocolate, the aroma of the baking cookies began to fill the kitchen. Hanna listened eagerly as her mother told her about how she had helped her own mother bake cookies. Hanna loved hearing these stories about her grandmother and mother because her mother was always so relaxed and happy when she told these stories.

She told Hanna, “When you are grownup, you too will remember this very special day.”

Then Mr. Johansson came in. “Wow, it’s chocolate day! I could smell your cookies out in the yard. Are they ready yet? I’m always hungry for your mother’s chocolate chip cookies.” As he pulled out a chair at the table, Mrs. Johansson poured him a cup of hot chocolate and then took out a tray of cookies. As the three were sitting at the table eating the warm, gooey cookies and drinking their hot chocolate, Felicia came in.

“I’m sorry Felicia, but I called you several times.”

Seeing the cookies, Felicia realized that she had missed something she had been looking forward to for weeks. Reaching for a cookie and the hot chocolate her mother poured for her, Felicia said, “Next time you call, I promise I’ll come right away!”