Entry 1_ Nguyen Thi Nguyet

Item 1:

THE OBSTACLE ON OUR PATH

In ancient times, a king had a boulder placed on a roadway. Then he hid himself and watched if anyone would remove the huge rock. Some of the king’s wealthiest merchants and courtiers came by and simply walk around it. Many loudly blamed the king for not keeping the road clear, but none did anything about getting the big stone out of the way. Then a peasant came along carrying a lot of vegetables. On approaching the boulder, the peasant laid down his burden and tried to move the stone to the side of the road. After much pushing and straining, he finally succeeded. As the peasant picked up his load of vegetables, he  noticed a purse lying in the road where the boulder had been. The purse contained many gold coins and a note from a king indicating that the gold was for the person who removed the boulder from the roadway. The peasant learned what many others never understand.

Rhetorical devices:

ü Symbol:

·     The boulder suggests the challenge and difficulty we face in our life.

·     Gold coins suggest rewards or experience people gain from their effort to overcome challenge.

ü Antithesis:

 The peasant learned what many others never understand.

Moral lesson: Every obstacle presents an opportunity to improve one’s conditions.

Source: http://cindysense.com/obstacles-in-your-path

Item 2:

THE FROGS

A farmer came into town and asked the owner of a restaurant if he would like to use a million frog legs. The restaurant owner was shocked and asked the man where he could get so many frog legs.

The farmer replied, “There is a pond near my house that is full of frogs, millions of them. They all croak all night long and they are about to make me crazy!”. So the restaurant owner and the farmer made a agreement that the farmer would deliver frogs to the restaurant, five hundred at a time for the next several weeks.

The first week, the farmer returned to the restaurant looking rather sheepish, with two scrawny little frogs. The restaurant owner said, “Well.. where are all the frogs?” The farmer said, “I was mistaken. There were only these two frogs in the pond. But they sure were making a lot of noise!”

Rhetorical devices:

Symbol:

The frogs suggest problems.

Moral lesson: Problems always seem bigger than they actually are or not absolutely up to your view. Therefore, we need to be concious in every case.

Source: http://susan-passionateaboutlife.blogspot.com/2012/06/millions-frog-leg.html

Item 3:

THE TURTLES

A turtle family decided to go on a picnic. Turtles, being naturally slow about things, took seven years to prepare for their outing. Finally, the turtle family left home looking for a suitable place for their outing.

During the second year, of their journey, they found a place ideal for them at last! For a bout six months, they cleaned up the area, unpacked the picnic basket, and complete the arrangements. Then they discovered they had forgotten the salt. A picnic without salt would be a disaster, they all agreed.

After a lengthy discussion, the  youngest turtle was chosen to retrieve the salt from home. Although he was the fastest of the slow-moving turtles, the little turtle whined, cried and wobbled in his shell.

He agreed to go on one condition: that no one would eat until he returned. The family consented and the little turtle left. Three years passed and the little turtle had not returned. Five years...six years... then on the seventh year of his absence, the oldest turtle could no longer contain his hunger. He annouced that he was going to eat to unwrap a sanwich. At that point the little turtle suddenly popped out from behind a tree shouting, “See! I knew you wouldn’t wait. Now I am not going to go get the salt.”

Rhetorical devices:

ü Symbol:

The turtles are symbol of wasting time.

ü Overstatement:

Turtles took seven years to prepare for their outing

During the second year, of their journey, they found a place ideal

For a bout six months, they cleaned up the area, unpacked the picnic basket, and complete the arrangements

Moral lesson:

Selfishness wasting our time waiting people to live up to our expectation while we do nothing ourselves.

Source: http://www.1stholistic.com/reading/prose/liv_the-turtles.htm