The Cat And Mouse In Partnership

Would you believe it if I told you that a cat wanted to make friends with a mouse? The mouse did not believe it either, but it is true.

'I'm very fond of you, little whiskers,' said the cat.

'Why?' asked the mouse. 'Do you want to eat me?'

'Good heavens, no!' exclaimed the cat. 'I only want to be friendly.'

'I don't trust you,' said the mouse.

'Oh, come now,' replied the cat. 'I'm lonely and so are you. Winter is coming on. It will be dark and cold. If we live together we can keep each other company and help each other to find food.'

'I know who will be the food!' said the mouse.

'Nonsense,' said the cat. 'I love you far too much.'

'I'll think about it,' said the mouse.

In the end, she agreed to set up house with the cat. They found a comfortable, broken-down cottage. It was so old that only animals ever used it. There, they cleaned up one room to their liking and laid down plenty of warm straw.

'We must get a store of food for the winter,' said the cat, 'or we shall go hungry. There will not be much food around when the ground is thick with snow. It will be dangerous for you to go out in the winter, little whiskers. I'll not be able to get you out of every trap you fall into.'

'A pot of dripping would be nice,' said the mouse.

'That would be very good,' agreed the cat.

They stole a pot of dripping from the larder of a house and they hid it in the safest place they could think of. They hid it under the altar in the nearby church.

'No one will dare go looking for it there,' said the cat.

'We must not touch it until the winter is very cold and we are hungry,' said the mouse.

'Agreed,' said the cat. 'It shall be our secret store when times get bad.'

They settled into their new life together quite happily. The mouse kept a careful eye on the cat, in case she should get a little too hungry for safety. Happily, the cat behaved herself and life was peaceful.

Soon enough the cat began to think about the pot of dripping hidden underneath the altar. The more she thought about it, the more she longed for it.



'I deserver a treat for behaving so well,' she said to herself. 'Friendship is a great strain when one is hungry.'

One day, she could not wait no longer.

'Little whiskers,' she said to the mouse, 'my cousin has just had a son and has asked me to be godmother. I hear he is a charming child, white with brown spots. Can you imagine such a pretty kitten?'

The mouse shivered. 'Kittens are just as dangerous as cats, in my opinion,' she said.

'I must hold him at the font when he is baptized,' said the cat. 'You will not mind if I go out for the day and leave you to look after the house, will you?'

'Of course not,' said the mouse, 'but don't bring the kitten or your cousin back here, that's all.'

The cat went straight off to the church. There was no cousin and kitten. She crept beneath the altar and began to lick greedily at the pot of dripping. It was so good that she licked the whole of the top off.

'Delicious,' she murmured. 'Quite delicious.'

She went for a stroll along the rooftops. She lay out in the afternoon sun. She purred and stretched and rubbed her whiskers with her paws every time she thought about the hidden pot of dripping.

'Life is not altogether bad,' she thought.

She did not return home until evening.

'How was it?' said the cat. 'Very, Very good.'

'What was its name?' asked the mouse.

'Name? Name?' said the cat in surprise.

'The kitten did have a name, didn't it?' asked the mouse.

'Oh, the kitten, yes, of course,' said the cat. 'Topoff was its name.'

'Topoff!' exclaimed the mouse. 'That's funny sort of name.'

'Well, it was a funny sort of kitten,' said the cat. 'It's rather like your nephew being called Crumbstealer.'

'That's true,' thought the mouse, and said not more about it. They continued their life together as before.

Not for long!

The cat could not forget about the hidden pot of dripping. It seemed wrong that the pot should lie there with its top off. What it someone should find it? What if someone else should ate it? The thought was too terrible.

'Dear little whiskers,' said the cat, 'there seems to be a rush of births in my family just now. Another cousin has asked me to be godmother to her child. She says that the kitten has a beautiful white ring around its neck. Who could refuse to be godmother to such a creature?'

'I could,' said the mouse.

'You will not mind if I go off for the day again, will you?' asked the cat. 'Keep the house nice and warm while I'm away. I'll not be long.'

'Have a good time,' called the mouse, 'and bring me back some wine this time.'

'I will, I will,' said the cat.

She raced along the town walls and in through the back of the church. The dripping tasted even better than before.

'It's true,' thought the cat. 'The best things in life are the things that you save for yourself.'

By the time she had finished licking the dripping, it was half gone.

It was nightfall before she got home.

'How did it go?' asked the mouse.

'No trouble,' replied the cat. 'It went very quickly. I met some friends afterwards. That's why I'm little late.'

'What was this one's name?' asked the mouse.

'Halfgone!' exclaimed the mouse. 'What sort of name is that? It's not a saint's name, that's for sure.'

'A family name, I think,' said the cat. 'One of those middle names that people pass down from generation to generation, like Cheesenibbler in your family.'

'It sounds unlikely,' said the mouse.

'Never mind,' said the cat. 'People have strange ideas, you know?'

The cat tried not to think about the dripping for several days. It was no good. She worried about it more and more.

'I should not leave the pot half empty,' she said to herself. 'It's sure to go mouldy now that it's been started. My mother always told me, never leave a job half finished. I had better go along and clean it up.'

She said to the mouse, 'You will never believe this.'

'Probably not,' said the mouse.

'It seems that good things always come in threes,' said the cat. 'Another kitten has been born.'

'And you are to be godmother?' said the mouse.

'That's right,' said the cat. 'How did you guess?'

'Bad things also come in threes,' said the mouse.

'Ah, little whiskers, you must not be jealous,' said the cat. 'This kitten is quite black, except for its big white paws. You never saw such a delightful kitten in your life.'

'No kittens are delightful,' said the mouse.

'But you will not mind if I go just this last time, will you, little whiskers?' asked the cat.

'Topoff! Halfgone! I wonder what this one will be called?' said the mouse.

'Don't you trouble your little grey head about it,' said the cat. 'That's what comes from sitting at home all the time. You get fanciful ideas and worry about nothing. You ought to get out more. You ought to make friends.'

'I thought you were my friend,' said the mouse.

'Of course I am, little whiskers,' said the cat. 'I'll look after you. Now, I must be off or I'll be late.'

This time, the cat turned the pot of dripping right over on its side and stuck her paw down to the very bottom. She wiped away the last morsels of dripping and licked her paw clean. She looked inside the pot. It was all gone.

'Why do the best things in life never last long?' she said.

She walked slowly back along the town walls, feeling full and a little sad.

'Was it fun?' asked the mouse.

'I must admit,' said the cat, 'I was sorry to leave.'

'Are you going to tell me the name?' asked the mouse.

'You will not like it,' said the cat.

'Try me,' said the mouse.

'Allgone,' said the cat.

'I don't like it,' said the mouse.

'Well,' said the cat, 'it's no worse than your cousin being called Holegnawer.'

'I still don't like it,' said the mouse, and went to sleep.

The cat was not asked to be godmother again. Soon the winter set in. The earth became icy hard. Snow settled on the frozen ground. Food was difficult to find and the mouse was getting hungry.

'How about our pot of dripping?' she asked the cat.

'How about it?' said the cat.

'It should taste pretty good by now,' said the mouse.

'It should, I agree,' said the cat.

'Do you think the pot will be safe?' asked the mouse.

'Oh, the pot is sure to be safe,' said the cat. 'It's the dripping I'm worried about,' she said to herself.

'Come on, let's go and see,' said the mouse.

'I'm afraid,' said the cat, 'that it will do us about as much good as a mouthful of cold air.'

'Fresh air is good for us,' said the mouse. 'You said so yourself.'

'Oh, dear,' said the cat. 'Here we go.'

They reached the church and the mouse ran underneath the altar.

'Here is the pot,' she called, 'but where is the dripping?'

'All gone, by the look of it,' said the cat.

'You greasy-pawed fur-ball!' shrieked the mouse. 'You thief! You cheat! You liar! So much for your friendship! All that nonsense about godmothers and kittens! I see it all now.'

'Quite, little whiskers,' said the cat. 'I can explain it all.'

'Oh, can you?' shrilled the mouse. 'A kitten with brown spots! I remember there were brown spots on top of the dripping. Another kitten with a white ring round its neck! That was the white dripping below the top of the pot, was it not? And a third kitten with black fur and white paws? What was that, then? The black, empty pot and the white dripping at the bottom!'

The mouse was jumping up and down with furry.

'Topoff!' she shrieked. 'Halfgone!' she shrilled.

'Shut up,' said the cat, 'or you will be . . .'

'Allgone!' screamed the mouse.

The cat sprang on her and gobbled her up.

That is the way of the world, you see!

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Beauty of India-Tajmahal

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Eggs Arrangement

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Beauty of India-Tajmahal

History Of Taj Mahal
--{ Click Here to Visit Taj Mahal }--
For centuries, the Taj Mahal has inspired poets, painters and musicians to try and capture its elusive magic in word, colour and song. It is one of the most flawless architectural creations of the world. Since the 17th century, travellers have crossed continents to come and see this ultimate memorial to love, and few have been unmoved by its incomparable beauty.Taj Mahal stands in the city of Agra, in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, on the banks of the Yamuna River. It was built in the memory of the beautiful Arjumand Bano Begum, who won the heart of a Mughal prince. She was married at 21 to Emperor Jahangir’s third son Prince Khurram and stayed loyally by his side through good times and bad: in the luxurious royal palaces of Agra as well as the transient tents of war camps.In AD 1628, Khurram became king after a bloody battle of succession: he took the name Shahjahan or “King of the World” and showered his beloved begum with the highest titles. She became Mumtaz Mahal, the exalted of the palace and Mumtaz-ul-Zamani, the exalted of the Age. But Mumtaz Mahal was not destined to be queen for long. In 1631, Shahjahan went on an expedition to the south and, as always, Mumtaz Mahal accompanied him. But she died in childbirth at Burhanpur. She had borne Shahjahan fourteen children, of whom four sons and three daughters survived. When Mumtaz Mahal died, she was just 39 years old. Shahjahan was inconsolable and contemporary chronicles tell of the royal court mourning for two years. there was no music, no feasting, and no celebration of any kind.
Epitome Of Love -Taj MahalShahjahan, who was a passionate builder, now decided to erect a memorial to his queen in pristine marble that the world would never forget. The site selected for the tomb was a garden by the Yamuna river, unshadowed by any other structure. The garden had been laid by Raja Man Singh of Amber and now belonged to his grndson, Raja Jai Singh. By a royal firman, Shahjahan gave Jai Singh four havelis in exchange for the garden. The site was also chosen because it was located on a bend in the river, and so could be seen from Shahjahan’s personal palace in Agra Fort, further upstream.Construction Of The Mausoleum - Taj MahalWork on the mausoleum began in 1633 and 20,000 workers laboured for 17 years to build it. The most skilled architects, inlay craftsmen, calligraphers, stone-carvers and masons came from all across Indian and lands as distant as Persia and Turkey. The master mason was from Baghdab, an expert in building the double dome from Persia, and an inlay specialist from Delhi.Yemen sent agates, the corals came from Arabia, the garnets from Bundelkhand, onyx and amethyst from Persia. Mumtaz Mahal’s final resting-place was ornamented like a queen’s jewel-box.

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Accept people

A story is told about a s0ldier who was finally coming home after having fought in Vietn@m. He called his parents from San Francisco.

"Mom and Dad, I'm coming home, but I've a favor to ask. I have a friend I'd like to bring home with me.
"Sure," they replied, "we'd love to meet him."
"There's something you should know," the son continued, "he was hurt pretty badly in the fighting. He stepped on a land mind and lost an arm and a leg. He has nowhere else to go, and I want him to come live with us."
"I'm sorry to hear that, son. Maybe we can help him find somewhere to live."
"No, Mom and Dad, I want him to live with us."

"Son," said the father, "you don't know what you're asking. Someone with such a handicap would be a terrible burden on us. We have our own lives to live, and we can't let something like this interfere with our lives. I think you should just come home and forget about this guy. He'll find a way to live on his own."

At that point, the son hung up the phone. The parents heard nothing more from him. A few days later, however, they received a call from the San Francisco p0lice. Their son had died after falling from a building, they were told. The p0lice believed it was suicide.

The grief-stricken parents flew to San Francisco and were taken to the city morgue to identify the body of their son. They recognized him, but to their horror they also discovered something they didn't know, their son had only one arm and one leg.

The parents in this story are like many of us. We find it easy to love those who are good-looking or fun to have around, but we don't like people who inconvenience us or make us feel uncomfortable. We would rather stay away from people who aren't as healthy, beautiful, or smart as we are.

Thankfully, there's someone who won't treat us that way. Someone who loves us with an unconditional love that welcomes us into the forever family, regardless of how messed up we are.

Tonight, before you tuck yourself in for the night, say a little prayer that God will give you the strength you need to accept people as they are, and to help us all be more understanding of those who are different from us!!! There's a miracle called Friendship That dwells in the heart You don't know how it happens Or when it gets started But you know the special lift It always brings. And you realize that Friendship Is God's most precious gift!
Friends are a very rare jewel, indeed. They make you smile and encourage you to succeed. They lend an ear, they share a word of praise, and they always want to open their hearts to us. Show your friends how much you care....

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Foul Fulfillment

What drives men to rape? Is it because they find some women too irresistible? Or, is it because of a deep urge to express manly prowess? What about those who lie in wait to pounce on their victim? Whatever, women need to be wary of rapists in disguise.

WOMEN HAVE BEEN victims of rape since centuries. They are portrayed as helpless weaklings who fall prey to some of the most heinous of crimes floating around the globe. Rape is not about the satisfaction of ones physical needs at the cost of another person’s vulnerability, but is a rather distorted result of losing self-control. What inspires this loss of control is an indescribable phenomenon. There is no particular reason for the springing up of a physical need so immense that it can lead to the destruction of one’s conscious behavior.

According to a study, serial rapists are the most average of people. It is a simple excuse that they do it out of sheer compulsion provoked by a sexual desire. If a person’s mind is not in sync with his physical being, rape is the last thing he will resort to. There might be a burning rage or a venomous vengeance curbed at the root of any such activity. But what’s startling about most of the rapists is that they follow a specific plan before committing any of these brutal crimes.

In an interview, some rapists agreed that they did it because they were instantly compelled to do it. They could not stop themselves from giving in to this act. The startling fact, according to them, was that it was the women who provoked them and it wasn’t entirely their fault. They said that they were misled into the crime. About 70 per cent of the men agreed that they often tracked a single woman as they were instantly attracted to her. They liked the way she dressed.

Women wearing skimpy clothes project an image of being easily available and men misinterpret all the skin-show as an invitation to bed. Such women are all around them – in their offices, in the malls, in the pubs and at shopping malls. Some rapists have the tendency to grab them at the first instance, be it at a party or in a parking lot. They even follow several techniques for this.

As per the statement of one such rapist — who admitted to have raped a colleague whom he thought would give in easily — said that from the moment she had stepped into his office, he had known that she was as horny as he liked them to be. She wore minimal clothing and flirted around with all the male members. It was at this office party that she got a bit too drunk and asked him to drop her home. Once she got into his car, he took her to his home instead of hers and that’s where things got out of hand. Now, would you call that a deliberate crime?

Another set of rapists informed that they did it just for fun. Raping women, made them feel powerful and capable. They were overwhelmed with a sense of immense authority after having committed the crime. One such rapist informed that he had lost his job, his wife was always complaining and he felt that he was good for nothing. Then, finally, he began to rape innocent girls, taking advantage of his good looks and was instantly filled with a sense of worthiness.

Then are the most intense of rapists who plan their act. They can be seen haunting parking lots and isolated streets. They often grab women, abduct them and rape them. Men belonging to this category are not only animalistic, but are also very dangerous. They may or may not kill their victims.

A more concrete type is that of date-rapists. They conveniently make friends with women – on the net, through pen pal or over the phone. They then schedule a meeting. When the women go to meet them, they are unaware of what is about to happen to them. After maybe, a formal dinner and a drink, they get into boiling hot water and there is no way out. Date-rape at times is the most confusing of all.

What men need to understand is that women are not mere puppets created for their entertainment. They need to be treated with respect. One thing that men should get straight is that NO means no!

Listed below are a few techniques that might help women in case of trouble:

Never wear revealing clothes in public. Know your limits and do not lead men on unnecessarily.

*
If you feel you are being followed, take a path that has a lot of people around. At least you can scream for help.
*
Never underestimate your stalker. If you have a doubt about someone – report it.
*
Go with your gut feeling.
*
Never trust strangers.
*
If going out on a blind date, tell a friend or someone else about the venue. Always carry your cell phone and, if possible, leave a number behind where you can be reached. Try giving your date’s number to someone. That ways he’ll know that he is known to other people in your social circle and the chances of a mishap will reduce.
*
Always take the elevator. Staircases and alleys are the most dangerous of places to hand around.
*
If someone tries to grab you, punch him with your elbow as hard as you can.
*
Yell, try to bite in between his elbow and arm or even better in between his upper thighs.
*
Keep a pepper spray in your purse – all the time.
*
Never accept a ride or eat something offered by a stranger.

-Rachel Arora
19 Jan 2007

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Presence of mind always works

Not only our technical knowledge helps, but also the presence of mind
and the right answer at right time.

Even if u don't know the answer for a question just confuse the
questioner
Question and the Answer given by Candidates oh sorry they are IAS
Officers now.

Q.How can you drop a raw egg onto a concrete floor without cracking
it?
A. Concrete floors are very hard to crack! (UPSC Topper)

Q.If it took eight men ten hours to build a wall, how long would it
take four men to build it?
A. No time at all it is already built. (UPSC 23 Rank Opted for IFS)

Q.If you had three apples and four oranges in one hand and four
apples and three oranges in the other hand, what would you have?
A. Very large hands.(Good one) (UPSC 11 Rank Opted for IPS)

Q. How can you lift an elephant with one hand?
A. It is not a problem, since you will never find an elephant with
one hand. (UPSC Rank 14 Opted for IES)

Q. How can a man go eight days without sleep?
A. No Probs , He sleeps at night. (UPSC IAS Rank 98)

Q. If you throw a red stone into the blue sea what it will become?
A. It will Wet or Sink as simple as that. (UPSC IAS Rank 2)

Q. What looks like half apple ?
A : The other half. (UPSC - IAS Topper )

Q. What can you never eat for breakfast ?
A : Dinner.

Q. What happened when wheel was invented ?
A : It caused a revolution.

Q. Bay of Bengal is in which state?
A : Liquid (UPSC 33Rank ) Interviewer said "I shall either ask you
ten easy questions or one really difficult question.
Think well before you make up your mind!" The boy thought for a while
and said, "my choice is one really difficult question."

"Well, good luck to you, you have made your own choice! Now tell me
this.
"What comes first, Day or Night?"

The boy was jolted into reality as his admission
depends on the correctness of his answer, but he thought for a while
andsaid, "It's the DAY sir!" "How" the interviewer asked,
"Sorry sir, you promised me that you will not ask me a SECOND difficult
question!" He was selected for IIM!

*"Technical Skill is the mastery of complexity, while Creativity is
themaster of presence of mind"



"START BY DOING WHAT'S NECESSARY, THEN WHAT'S POSSIBLE, & SUDDENDLY YOU
ARE DOING THE IMPOSSIBLE"

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