Once upon a time, a woman approached a scholar, whom she believed was a magician, and said, “I want a magic spell to make my husband love me deeply, so he won’t look at any other woman in the world but me.”
The sage looked at her and said, “You’re asking for something great. Are you ready to pay the price?” She replied, “Yes.” He said, “You cannot achieve what you desire unless you bring a hair from the neck of a lion.”
Surprised, she asked, “A lion?” “Yes, from the neck of a living lion,” he replied. Her heart trembling, she said, “But a lion is a predator. How can I get close without it killing me? Isn’t there an easier and safer way?” The wise man smiled and said, “No, this is the only way. If you think carefully, you will find a way to achieve your goal.”
The woman left, feeling confused and unsure of what to do next. She sought advice from a wise man she trusted. He told her that a lion only attacks when it is hungry. He advised her to feed the lion regularly to make it familiar with her presence, and then she could approach it slowly.
Inspired by this, she went to a nearby forest and began tossing pieces of meat to the lion from a distance before quickly retreating. Day after day, she repeated this until the lion grew accustomed to her and became calm in her presence. Gradually, she approached it. After weeks of patience and perseverance, the lion stretched out and relaxed beside her. In fact, the lion found safety and tenderness in her closeness. Calmly, the woman reached out to its neck and gently stroked it. Then, before the lion even realized it, she carefully pulled out a few hairs.
She was overjoyed and set off to the scholar, carrying the precious hairs as if they were the keys to eternity. Proudly, she presented them and said, “Here they are, I got them.” The man smiled and asked, “How did you do it?” She told him the whole story. Then he said, “My lady, your husband is no more ferocious than a lion. Treat him as you did the lion. Find the path to his heart, surround him with tenderness and respect. Make a plan and be patient. Just as you won the lion’s heart, you will win his.”
Dogs are more loyal than humans It is said that once upon a time, a king had ten ferocious dogs. He trained them to tear apart anyone who was thrown to them. The king would punish any minister who made a mistake by throwing him to the dogs as a warning to others.
One day, a minister made a slight mistake, and the king, angered, ordered him to be thrown to the dogs. The minister pleaded, “My lord, I have served you faithfully for ten years. Will you punish me for one mistake? Please grant me just ten days before your sentence is carried out.” The king agreed, and the minister approached the man in charge of feeding the dogs, asking to serve them for those ten days.
The minister began feeding the dogs himself, cleaning their living area, caring for them, and playing with them until the dogs grew to love him and became affectionate toward him. After ten days, the king ordered the minister to be thrown to the dogs. A crowd gathered to witness what would happen. To everyone’s surprise, the dogs did not attack him. Instead, they wagged their tails, licked his hands, and played around him with love and loyalty. The king, astonished, asked, “What happened? Why didn’t the dogs attack you?” The minister calmly replied, “My lord, I served these dogs for only ten days, and they did not forget the kindness I showed them. But I served you faithfully for ten years, and you forgot all of that because of one mistake.”
The king remained silent for a moment, then felt ashamed and regretted his decision. He said to the minister, “You are right. I wronged you, and I apologize.” The king ordered the minister’s release and reinstated him to his position. Lesson: Don’t judge people based on a single mistake. Even dogs remember a favor, so how much more should humans?
