The Secret of Jewish Success

The Secret of Jewish Success

 

 

Once upon a time, on Long Island, three ladies were playing bridge.

Mrs. Smythe looked over her cards and remarked, “My son is a major-league football coach.”

Mrs. Abercrombie said, “Very good, my dear. But my son is a police chief.”

Mrs. Fitch said, “Ladies, ladies, let’s not quarrel! And besides, my son is a banker.”

She laid down her cards. The other women rolled their eyes and pushed over their bets. It wasn’t fair, but what can you do?

 

Meanwhile, on the other end of Long Island, three other ladies were playing Mah-Jonng.

Mrs. Shapiro looked over her tiles and remarked, “My son is an Ivy-league college professor.”

Mrs. Goldstein said, “Very good, my dear. But my son is a judge.”

Mrs. Cohen said, “Ladies, ladies, let’s not quarrel! And besides, my son is a doctor.”

She laid down her tiles. The other women rolled their eyes and pushed over their bets. It wasn’t fair, but what can you do?

 

         

Moral: Success is relative.

 

 

The Demon of Politeness and the Angel of Rudeness

The Demon of Politeness and the Angel of Rudeness

 

Once upon a time, an Alchemist was lecturing to his Apprentices about the Transmutation of Elements.  One of the Apprentices was puzzled by a small point in the lesson.

Suddenly a Demon and an Angel appeared on the Apprentice’s shoulders.

The Demon of Politeness said, “Don’t ask! You’ll only look foolish. None of these other people are asking, so they must know. Besides, it’s bound to clear up later.”

Meanwhile, the Angel of Rudeness ranted, “ASK! ASK! ASK!”

The Apprentice knew, down to his chilled bones, that the Demon of Politeness was lying!

So he listened to the holy Angel of Rudeness, he asked, and a half-dozen other Apprentices silently blessed him.

 

 

Moral: ASK! ASK! ASK!

 

Feline Mirror Test

Feline Mirror Test

 

 

Once upon a time a cat prowled past a mirror. It saw a predator in the mirror; a cat that it had never seen before. It jumped back; it arched its back; it bared its fangs and claws; it hissed; it batted at the mirror. Startled by the hard glass, it ran away.

 

Elsewhere another cat strolled past another mirror. The little predator stared at its image and slowly blinked at itself. It groomed itself in front of itself. It twisted and turned to look at itself from curious angles. Then it rubbed its scent on the glass and strolled away, tail high.

 

 

Moral: Do as you would be done by.  

 

 

Comment:

The second cat grokked human mirror wizardry, and passed the test. Not the first.

This fable, too, is a mirror.