Author of quotes: Victor V. Atkinson

It so happened that one brother of the monastery made a sin. The elders gathered and asked Abba Moses to join them. However, he refused to come. The priest sent a message to him in these words: "Come, the congregation of brothers waiting on you." Then he got up and went on the road, taking the old leaky basket, which was filled with sand, and eked out for themselves.
The elders came out to meet him and asked:
- What's that, father?
The elder replied:
- My sins stele for me, and I don't notice them, but now come to judge the sins of others!

One Greek king wanted to know which of the two is worse - srebrolyubets or envious, because both do not want good for others. With this purpose he commanded himself to call for Srebrenica and envious and tells them:
- Ask me every thing you want; just know that the second will get twice as that will be asked first.
Srebrolyubets and envious long bickered, not wanting everyone to ask first to after to twice. Finally the king said envious, so he asked first. Envious, being in hostility to others, instead of getting turned to sin and said to the king:
- Your Majesty! Tell me eyes gouged out.
The surprised king asked why he expressed such a desire.
Envious said:
- To you, sir, ordered my companion put out his two eyes.

In the same city was a very skilled Barber, who received only three copper penny for shaving the beard. But as he shaved daily many, is putting on its contents, every day he moreover saved for a hundred copper coins. Having a certain income, he learned that in a very distant city to give a larger coin for shaving one's beard.
- Alas, - he said then - why I'm here to waste your time. How long have I worked here for three copper penny. And then I can get rich!
He, not long thinking, sold all his possessions and took off to the city, where they expect a profitable income. He pumped in there, what all he told me is true. He received as many large coins as shaved people, and once in the evening with a lot of money, very happy I went to the market to buy food. But everything there was so expensive that in order to acquire minimum daily food, he spent all the money, and he was left penniless.
When he noticed that for some time every day is the same as the big money not only does not give money to something to save, but it is not enough even for daily and necessary consumption, he maturely all deliberation, I said to myself: "I need to return to the same place and still look for a modest earnings, which, providing me life, gave some the opportunity to save for my old age; no matter how small the earnings, yet what was I to do, daily Paradas, it was not small. I see now by experience that there pennies I was earning more than major coins here because not only do I not have anything to save, but can't soak".

One day Abba Macarius found in his cell, the thief who shipped his belongings to those of the cells of a donkey. Did not show that he is the master of these things, the monk began to silently help to link the baggage. Let him go in peace, blessed said:
We do not have in this world, it is clear that nothing can get out of here. Blessed be the Lord in everything!

Once a Greek philosopher ordered one of his disciples for three years to give silver to those who will abuse him. At the end of the test, the teacher said:
- Now you can go to Athens to teach wisdom.
At the entrance of the Athena student saw who was sitting at the gate of the sage, vilified all the passers-by. As he did with the student. He burst into laughter.
- Why do you laugh when I insult you? - asked the sage.
Because for three years I was paying vilified me, you're doing all this for nothing.
- Enter the city, it belongs to you, ' replied the sage.

There was one rich man all that the people want. Millions of money, and rosabrandy Palace, and a beautiful wife, and hundreds of servants, and luxury dinners, and all snacks, and wine, and a full stable of expensive horses, And so bored him that he sat all day in their rich houses, sighed, and complained of boredom.
Only he was dealing and joy - food. Woke up he was waiting for Breakfast, from Breakfast waiting for lunch, from lunch - dinner. But this joy he soon lost. He ate so much and so sweetly that soured his stomach and the urge for food is not. He called doctors. The doctor gave medication and told me to walk every day for two hours in nature.
And here he goes once their required two hours and kept thinking about his sorrow that there is no hunting for food. And approached the beggar.
- Give, - speaks, - for God's sake, poor man.
The rich man all about his grief thinks that he is not desirable, and not listening to the poor.
- Have pity, sir, the whole day did not eat.
Heard rich talking about food, he stopped.
- Well, hungry?
- How not to want, sir, passion as you want! "Then, happy man," thought the rich man envied the poor man.

Young cheerful man came to father and said,
The father, rejoice with me, I went to University. I'm a lawyer! Finally I found my happiness!
- Very well, my son, replied the father - so you want now to study hard. Well, what then?
In four years I will protect perfectly the diploma and leave the University.
- What's next? - not retreating father.
- Then I'll be struggling to work in order to become an independent lawyer.
What?
- And then I marry, create a family, I will raise and educate children, help them learn and get a good job.
What?
- And then I will go on the deserved rest - I will rejoice in the happiness of their children and to rest in a good old age.
- What will happen then?
- Then? the young man thought for a moment. - Yes, always no one on this earth lives. Then I will need probably like all people, die.
- And then what? - asked the old father. - Dear son, what will happen then? - a trembling voice said father.
Son more he thought and said uncertainly:
- Thank you, father. I understand. I forgot the main thing...

In the house of some rich people stopped to pray before meals. One of them came to visit the preacher. The table was laid very elegant, 've got the best fruit juices and served very tasty dish. The family sat at the table. Everyone looked at the preacher and thought that now he would pray before eating. But the preacher said
The father of the family to pray at the table, because it is the first prayer in the family.
Came the unpleasant silence, because in this family no one prayed. Father cleared his throat and said:
- You know, dear preacher, we do not pray, because in prayer before eating always the same thing. The prayer habit is guff. The eternal recurrence of every day of every year did not help, so we don't pray anymore.
The preacher looked at all, but then seven-year-old said:
- Dad, I do not need more every morning to come to you and say "good morning"?

Two beetle flew far, far away, through meadows and mountains, and when evening came, they began to look for shelter.
- Here at the Creek ferns, I'll ask him if I could spend the night there, ' said one.
Fern agreed to put the beetle on the bed.
- When it gets dark, will you tell me about your journey, I enjoy listening to stories about foreign countries, ' whispered fern.
It is a dull company, thought a different bug. - such a homely weed he wants to spend the night! I'll find another place, go to the hotel "rose". There all noble and smells good.
The beetle flew on a quest. When the sun went down, he saw a beautiful rose.
Can I get a room for one night? I came from far away and just no strength to go on.
I'm the Queen of flowers and do not take beetles, - said rose haughtily, but if that's the case, then I can't get rid of it. If you behave in a calm and helpful, you can stay.
Bug thanked him with a nod and flew to the top leaf of the rose. He was proud of this shelter and wanted the next morning to tell his friend that he was jealous with him.
In the morning, as soon as it started to rise the sun, and the dew was still on the leaves, beetle unceremoniously awakened. Before the tree stood a man.
- This rose I would be able to sell!
He took a big knife and cut flower. Beetle barely had time to spread my wings and fly away. "I didn't think that such a proud flower is so dangerous to live," he was surprised.
The beetle quickly flew to the fern Creek.
Hey, brother, ' he cried, seeing a friend - can you?
- Zaleta, there is enough space. It's nice and cozy! Beetle gratefully accepted the invitation, because he has seen enough of the "noble light".

Once lived on earth was a greedy Miller. His little water-mill stood on the Bank of a small river. On the edge of the forest Miller blocked the river a large dam. Behind the dam there were lots and lots of water was a lake. For special pipe and water was dripping from a great height on a mill wheel and thus caused it to move. Every day it was milled on my mill a lot of bags of grain.
Once Miller noticed a small crack in the dam wall. He was advised immediately to repair it, lest some misfortune. But the greedy Miller said about such things, even say no and that a few drops seeping through a crack, can't damage the dam. In fact, he had not wanted to spend the time and money to repair. In the evening, the crack became wider. Workers at the mill drew this to the attention of Miller and asked him to patch the crack. But the greed of the Miller eclipsed his common sense.
- It's late tonight, - he said - wait until tomorrow.
At midnight, Miller woke up from a loud noise. He jumped out of bed, ran down the stairs and saw that the dam burst. And water from the dam spreads on his fields. When the sun rose and the day came, the Miller saw that almost all of its fields flooded with water. Little cause, big effects!

In one city there was a drought. Summer was in full swing, and the town priest called in the morning to the temple to pray for rain. The whole town and the whole town laughed at one child. The child came with an umbrella. And everyone laughed and said: "Fool, why did you bring an umbrella? Lose. It won't rain". The child said, "I thought that if you pray to rain".

One person had three friends. The first two of them enjoyed especially his love and respect, but the third time was forgotten.
It so happened that this man was in trouble. Who to contact for help? - to friends. And here comes it to the first friend, to a loved one, and sets out the reason for his visit. "How are you my friend? - he is responsible. - I don't even know. Now, if you want, grab some more clothes and I don't wait."
Saddened by this rejection, man turns to the second friend and asked to see him and to follow him in the path that he must to do to fix the restrained position.
But the friend refused to help because of the lack of free time, although agreed to hold it close. Abandoned by their family and friends, he remembered a third friend and turned to him.
This, above all expectation, took a warm interest in the misfortune, and with his help the trouble was over.

One king, driving around his Kingdom with his court, met two poor elders in tattered clothes. He immediately stopped, got out of the chariot, bowed to them and kissed them.
The courtiers offended with such act of the king, degrading, according to their understanding, the king's dignity. Right to Express their displeasure is not resolved. To explain to the king the impropriety of his action came from his brother. The king listened and promised to give him the answer.
This city had such a custom. To the citizen, sentenced to death, before he sent a Herald with a trumpet and started before the Windows of his house to blow.
King the evening of the same day, when he had an explanation with his brother, sent a trumpeter to the Windows of his house. That, of course, was grieved and spent the night without sleep.
The next morning he went with his wife to the king's Palace. The king accepted him into his inner chambers and said, "Foolish! You were afraid of the preacher of my will, although not done anything against me, worthy of the death penalty. You could teach me when I expressed a preference for the poor preachers of God, which are more strident all the pipes are preaching to me about death and of the terrible coming of my Lord, before whom I have sinned without number?"
"So, now denouncing their own folly, concluded the king, so afraid of you."
But as my brother expressed his displeasure to the king on the advice of court nobles, the king and left without conviction. He ordered to arrange four boxes, two of them to gild the outside and inside to put the stinking bones, others coat resin and soot, and inside to put precious stones.
After preparing this, the king summoned his nobles and, pointing to the boxes, he asked them: "What are the boxes better - gilded or covered with resin?"
Nobles pointed to the first. The king ordered to disclose both of them. The matter was explained. Then the king said to the nobles: "you Know that you need to pay attention to the internal and unseen, and not on external. You are offended when I bowed to the ill-clad poor. And I saw in the eyes of the mind, that they are honest and noble soul."

A certain man had two sons. And the younger of them said to his father: "father! give me my portion of goods". And the father divided unto them his living. After a few days the younger son gathered all together, journeyed to a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living.
When he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that land, and he began to be in want. He went and joined himself to a citizen of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. And he would Fain have filled his belly with the husks that the pigs ate, but nobody gave him anything.
When he came to himself, said, "How many mercenaries in my father's house abound with bread, and I perish with hunger!
I will arise and go to my father and say to him: "father! I have sinned against heaven, and before thee, and not even worthy to be called thy son, make me as one of thy hired servants"".
Got up and went to his father. And when he was still far away, saw his father and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him.
The son said to him: "father! I have sinned against heaven, and before thee, and am no more worthy to be called thy son".
But the father said to his servants, "Bring forth the best robe and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand and shoes on his feet. And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill: let us eat and be merry, for this my son was dead and is alive again; was lost and is found". And they began to celebrate.
Now his elder son was in the field; and coming, he came closer to the house, he heard music and dancing. And he called one of the servants, and asked "What is that?" He said to him: "your Brother has come; and your father has killed the fatted calf because he received him healthy." But he was angry and would not go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. But he answered and said to his father: "Behold, I serve thee, and never transgressed your instructions, but you never gave me a young goat, that I might have some fun with my friends. But when this son of yours, rustichelli possessions with harlots, came, you killed for him the fatted calf".
The father said to him: "my Son! You are always with me, and all mine is yours; and that one had to celebrate and rejoice, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again, was lost and is found".