"Who on earth are you ?" said a cross voice from below. "Stop that terrible noise at once."

The parrot saw a cat staring up at him from the carpet.

"I 'm a parrot. I 've just arrived and I 'm to make as much noise as I can," he said.

"Well, I 've lived here all my life," replied the cat ."I was born in this very house and I learned from my mother that it is best to keep quiet here."

"Keep quiet then, "said the parrot cheerfully. "I don't know what you do around here, but I know my job. My master bought me for my voice and I'm going to make sure he hears it."

Different people are valued for different things.

The wolf and the fox wanted to eat the rabbit, but it wasn't easy to catch him.

One day the wolf said to the fox, "You go home and lie in bed. I'll tell the rabbit that you are dead. When he comes to look at you, you can jump up and catch him." That's a good idea," said the fox.

He went home at once. The wolf went to the rabbit's house and knocked at the door. "Who is it?" asked the rabbit. "It's the wolf. I've come to tell you that the fox is dead." Then the wolf went away.

The rabbit went to the fox's house. He looked in through the window and saw the fox lying in bed with his eyes closed. He thought, "Is the fox really dead or is he pretending  to be dead? If he's not dead, he'll catch me when I go near him." so he said, "The wolf says that the fox is dead. But he doesn't look like a dead fox. The mouth of a dead fox is always open." When the fox heard this, he thought, "I'll show him that I'm dead." So he opened his mouth.

The rabbit knew that the fox wasn't dead, and he ran as quickly as he could.

The Cupid arrow unexpectedly struck me: the boy overwhelmed my heart, abruptly, preoccupying my mind, and I couldn’t even focus on my academic work. I grasped a pen and put it to paper and composed so-called “poems”. I have scrawled poems to let out my feelings since mom instilled in me a love of literature as she read bedtime stories when I was a kid.

Abducted by love, as you can imagine, I was so absent-minded that one day I left my uncovered poem right on my desk:
“Infatuation turned out to be a huge crash.

Cross the bridge,

Never again will my heart scratch.

Memories of our days have been dashed.

\And you are the one I can only make a best wish.”

Back from school, I almost forgot the poem stuff. As usual, mom got dinner ready, and let out no sign of suspicion. With a black stare at the dishes, I had no appetite at all.

Mom cleared her throat with a concerned tone:”What’s wrong with you, honey?”

“Nothing, I’m fine.” I STAMMERED. “I have a load of homework to do.”

I franticly finished my dinner and rushed to my study. The more I tried to concentrate on my homework, as you might expect, the louder his name popped up in my mind. Like a flash, the poem laying quietly on my desk sprung up to my mind. Mom must have read it! My heart was pounding anxiously. I’ve never mentioned him to mom, much less to reveal the secret that he was my significant other. What a shame to be queried that I was drawn out in young love. Leaning against the door, I stared at the ground and shuffled my plod. I was trying hard to invent a perfect excuse to hide my would-be embarrassment, when the knock-knock-knock broke my train of thought.

“Are you ok? Can I have a word with you now?”

“Sure.” I stuffed my poem in the drawer.

Mom came in, a smile flickering across her face:” I have read your masterpiece, your love poem. To a sunny boy?”

Chances of concealing and escaping were slim, but I still retorted:”No. Never.”

“Oh, get it off!” She blinked with a gleam in her eyes.

I blurted out:” It was just, you know, incidentally, sort of graffiti. ”

“Have you showed your stuff to anyone else?”

“No, my pals will make fun of me!” I put my chin against my chest.

“I was talking to your professors, people who really know about poetry.” Mom gazed earnestly at me. “Go for it, and keep on writing your own poems. Why not submit it to a magazine?”

“Well…” I looked up to mom whose eyes were filled with anticipation and love. Mom patted my shoulder. “By the way, I always think you, my cute daughter, deserve a better guy. What is called love right now is just a bee in the bonnet, which is never eternal. Mr. Right is gonna be there for you in the future.”

I breathed a sigh of relief, and spilt the beans about the mysterious boy. Now he is no more than a chapter that has been long closed. As for mom and me, fortunately enough, she always has faith in me that I am a big girl who can handle things pretty well and get everything in control. That is also why I appreciate all the inspiration and understanding from my mom, my sweet mom.

“After keeping a long ponytail for more than five years, I finally cut my hair short for a different style,” Wendy said with her hands constantly stroking her short hair.

“You look refreshing. That fits you well. Also, the color you chose highlights the new image,” Maggie added.

“Yup, thanks. You also look perfect. Your straight hair gives you a look of mature woman, a tender, gorgeous and well-behaved woman,” Wendy giggled.

I sacrificed almost 4 hours just to accompany these two young ladies for hairdressing. Fearing to miss the door-closing time, we quickened our steps.

As we approached the door of the apartment building, we saw our headmaster standing outside, blazing with indignation. Forcing smiles on our faces, we rushed towards the door guarded by the teacher. Obviously the teacher could clearly see us. She shouted, “Where have you been? Why are you not answering my calls? Your classmates have gone out to look for you. Now please call them back immediately!.”

We were at a loss about what had happened. Against the dim moonlight, we saw two familiar figures moving slowly toward us. By their stature, we recognized they were our roommates. We yelled to them as loudly as we could. Finally, Linda and Bone came back with a group of strangers.

“What happened to you? Are you OK? Why are you so late?” Linda asked eagerly and anxiously. At the same time, a guard said, “ Where have you been? Why didn’t you make a phone call to tell your friends that you would be late? They worried about you so much.”

Seeing Linda and Bone in pajamas and slippers, we all felt ashamed, bowing our heads at our mistake. At the same time, we were appreciating the pure love we owned and the faithful friends we had. We were feeling very warm as if by a gust of warm air.
“The haircuts took too much time. We thought it would not last that long. However…” Maggie murmured.

“We are terribly sorry. It’s our fault. It will never happen again,” Wendy swore.

“We did not do this on purpose. Maggie and Wendy didn’t take their cell phones and my cell phone was uncharged. Therefore, we couldn’t make any call,” I explained.

The teacher cut us short, “It is too late. Please go back to your bedrooms now.”

Noggin with repeated apologies, we filled out a record form of our coming back late. We expressed our thanks to the guards and went into the building.

As we were approaching our bedroom, we all tip-toed in order not to disturb others’ sleep. But to our surprise, none of our roommates were asleep. They were all sitting up worrying about us.

Finally we got into our beds. I felt for a new battery in my bag and inserted into my cell phone. Maggie and Wendy also put their cell phones into their school bags.
Before closing my eyes, I thought a lot about this little incident. It suddenly dawned upon me that we are actually part of one big family. Whatever we do may affect the life of the others. More than ever have I understood Confucius civility code “Do not do unto others what you would not have them do unto you.”
I closed my eyes, feeling safe and satisfied, for I knew my friends will always be there for me.

For a full two years this went on daily, with the bearer delivering only one and a half pots full of water to his house. Of course, the perfect pot was proud of its accomplishments. But the poor cracked pot was ashamed of its own imperfection, and miserable that it was able to accomplish only half of what is had been made to do.

After two years of what it perceived to be a bitter failure, it spoke to the water bearer one day by the stream. “I’m ashamed of myself, and want to apologize to you.”

“Why? ” asked the bearer. “ What are you ashamed of?”

“I have been able, for these past two years, to deliver only half my load because this crack in my side causes water to leak out all the way back to your house. Because of my flaws, you have to do all of this work, and you don’t get full value from your efforts.” The post said.

The water bearer felt sorry for the old cracked pot, and in his compassion he said, “As we return to the house, I want you to notice the beautiful flowers along the path.” Indeed, as they went up the hill, the old cracked pot took notice of the sun warming the beautiful wild flowers on the side of the path, and this cheered is some. But at the end of the trail, it still felt bad because is had leaked out half its load, and so again he expressed his feeling to the water bearer.

He replied by saying, “Did you notice that flowers were only on your side of your path, but not on the other pot’s side? That’s because I have always known about your ‘flaw’, and I took advantage of it. I planted flower seeds on your side of the path, and every day while we walk back from the stream, you’ve watered them. For two years I have been able to pick these beautiful flowers to decorate my table. Without you being just the way you are, we would not have this beauty to grace our house.”

Each of us has our own unique flaws. We’re all cracked pots. But if we will allow it, the Lord will use our flaws to grace His Father’s table. In God’s great economy, nothing goes to waste. Don’t be afraid of your flaws.

Acknowledge them, and you too can be the cause of beauty. Know that in our weakness your strength is made perfect.

When Bei Bei was carefully selecting dolls, a little boy walked across the aisle and then he stopped in front of a shelf where some of the latest video games were on sale. The little boy was dressed neatly but humbly. Apparently, his color-fading jacket was too small for him. Coincidentally, the little boy holding some money in his hand was also accompanied by his father. He stared at some video games for a long time. Finally, he picked one up and turned to his father, “Dad, it’s my favorite, can I buy it?” he uttered those words with a sort of uneasiness. His father shook his head.

Bei Bei had delightfully chosen her doll, a beautifully dressed, fashionable one which would attract all her friend’s attention and make them envious. However, she stopped and was watching the exchange between the little boy and his father. The frowning boy unwillingly put his desirable video game back and chose a bag of undecorated marbles instead. He and his father started walking slowly through another aisle of the store.

Bei Bei suddenly put her doll back on the shelf and strode towards the video-game shelf. She picked up one video game which the little boy had unwillingly put back just now. After speaking to her father , Bei Bei ran over to the checkout to pay for the video game. After the cashier wrapped it up, Bei Bei gave it back to the cashier and whispered something in her ear. The cashier smiled and put the video game under the counter.

When the despondent boy and his father were waiting to pay for their goods, the cashier checked and charged their goods, and then she said, “Congratulations, you have been selected to win a prize!” With that, she gave the little boy the video game. Immediately, the boy laughed with joy and shouted, “Unbelievable, it is exactly what I want.”

Bei Bei and his father stood at the doorway during all of this.

“Why did you do that?” her father asked softly.

“Daddy, didn’t Nana and Grandpa want me to buy some gifts that would make me happy?” Bei Bei said to his father.

He said, “ Of course, they did, honey.”

Bei Bei replied, “ Well, I just did!”

“Welcome back to your home, our princess.” The first sentence astonished me since this was the first time I was called this. “Welcome back to our home. We are all looking forward to this day. After a long holiday, it’s so exciting to live together for another new term. I hope we can share everything with you from now on; it doesn’t matter if it’s happy or sad…When you come across any difficulties, remember that you are not alone.” Although there was no signature, the tidy and beautiful handwriting revealed that this letter was from one of my roommates, Shiwei.

Having seen these words, I felt deeply touched. The idea of her having read my diary in my blog flashed in my mind. Yes, she must have seen that. If not, she wouldn’t have called our dormitory “home” and if not, she wouldn’t have known that I was not happy to stay in the dormitory.

Her letter responded to all the complaints in my blog, “I always consider my dorm a lonely place because every time I come back here, the light is always off and there’s no one in it. When I am sitting in bed alone, the room which I suppose to take as a home is too cold to me and makes me feel isolated…”

From then on, the dorm became a warm home again. With the warm words and precious friendship under the roof, I came to realize that love and care had existed around me although I had not noticed it.

Now, although the light is still not turned on when I come back, I no longer feel first one to come back home to have the chance to welcome all the other roommates, for I am the only one that can share every story of theirs and won’t miss any of them.