Namaste, Welcome to SAM-VAD (Together In Conversation), Last week I drew your attention to one of many, \u2018Teaching Stories\u2019. This week I bring to your attention yet another story which is extracted from an interesting and thought provoking work, \u2018World Tales\u2019 by Idries Shah.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2018World Tales,\u2019 is divided into five volumes and contains stories from great works like Panchatantra<\/em>, Thousand and One Nights, <\/em>Straparola, Boccaccio, Chaucer and Shakespeare and a dozen others which now form the basis of the classic literature of Europe and Asia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Ass in Pantherskin<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n There was once a donkey belonging to a washerman, which was exhausted through carrying heavy loads of laundry. His owner, to help him recover, put a panther\u2019s skin over him for warmth and turned him into someone else\u2019s field to graze.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The ass could eat as much as it liked, for people thought that he was a panther and did not drive him off, and so he revived somewhat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A certain farmer, glimpsing the wild animal\u2019s skin, was greatly afraid and stole away as cautiously as he might, wrapped in his grey cloak.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But the donkey, seeing what he took for a female ass in the distance, started to run after it. The man put on speed. The ass thought that he would give a mating-call, in case his quarry had mistaken him for a panther.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As soon as the man heard the donkey braying, he knew what he was, and, drawing his bow, killed him on the spot. <\/p>\n\n\n\n World Tales – Idries Shah<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Many traditional tales have a surface meaning (perhaps just a socially uplifting one) and a secondary, inner significance, which is rarely glimpsed consciously, but which nevertheless acts powerfully upon our minds. <\/p>\n\n\n\n You can buy your copy from any of the bookstores near you or via any on-line portal selling books or also by clicking the following link: <\/p>\n\n\n\n