Heart Tales is a monthly newsletter for people who want to live life with character, wisdom, and faith.

Heart Tales is published by Jim Cyr, storyteller, crisis intervention specialist, and minister

Adapted by Jim Cyr from Spinning Tales Weaving Hope

Once upon a time in India there lived four wise people. Three of them read and read and read. They never talked to anyone. They asked no questions. They just stayed in the house and read.

But the fourth wise person often spent her afternoons walking the streets talking with people about all sorts of things. She talked about gardening and farming and what was happening in the village. She asked many questions and considered the answers she heard carefully.

The other three wise people laughed at the fourth calling her a fool for wasting so much time talking and asking questions.

After many years, the three wise people who never talked to anyone or asked questions decided they wanted to test their knowledge. So they packed their things and told the fourth wise person of their plans. They all journeyed to a faraway land. When they arrived they asked the people to give them a test for their knowledge.
The people pointed to a path and said, “Down that path, behind that tree, you will find the test you are looking for.” So off went the four wise people down the path.

When they reached the tree the first wise person looked behind it and saw a pile of bones. “That’s an easy trick. I can shape these bones into the lion it once was. Bone by bone he shaped and formed the skeleton of the animal. When he was finished he stood back and smiled. “Now I will become famous! That is a perfect lion’s skeleton!”
The second wise person looked at the skeleton and said, “That’s no big deal. I can put fur on the skeleton to make it look exactly like the lion it once was.”

And he carefully set to work using his knowledge of taxidermy to put tendons, muscles, and fur on the skeleton. When he was finished he stepped back and grinned. “Now I will become the most famous of all wise people. Look at that lion. He is so real he looks like he could breathe.”

When he saw the lion, the eyes of the oldest of the wise people lit up. I know how we can really test our knowledge and be remembered throughout history. With my knowledge and your help, we can breathe the breath of life into this lion. We must work very hard and very quickly, before night falls so that we don’t have to waste another night.”
By now the fourth wise person was looking quite worried. “Wait a minute. I don’t think that it is a very wise thing you are doing—breathing the breath of life into a lion!”

The third wise person said, “Of course it is!” and set to work. The fourth wise person scampered up a tree and found a safe limb. Nothing she said from her perch on the branch persuaded them to stop.
The three wise people set up their equipment and chemicals and used all their knowledge to breathe the breath of life into the body of that lion. After a time, the lion began to move its legs, turn its head, and then it opened its mouth to breathe. All at once, in a quick three seconds, in a flurry of motion and dust—GULP— the three wise people became the lion’s first meal.

The fourth wise person didn’t move from the tree, but carefully watched as the tiger sauntered up the hill. Only then did the fourth wise person come down from the tree, taking with her the most important wisdom of all: common sense.

What do we create that can destroy us if we don’t use our common sense?

Doorways to the Soul. 52 Wisdom Tales From Around the World, by Elisa Davy Pearmain. Pilgrim Press, 1998. The stories in this book are brief but packed with wisdom for everyday living. Questions and exercises are included with each tale to facilitate reflection. The author suggests reading and thinking about one story a week to derive the full value from each tale.

In the Bible, in the Old Testament, the book of Proverbs is filled with pearls of wisdom in the form of pithy sayings that address issues we all deal with like friendship, love, marriage, sex, gossip, anger, jealousy, honesty, money, laziness, and more. Proverbs is a book of “common sense.”

I work with organizations that want to equip people to handle life with character, wisdom, and faith.

I offer performances of folk and fairy tales, sacred stories, and personal stories that will produce laughter, coach character, expand horizons, heal damaged emotions, grow faith, offer hope, teach love, and build community.

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“Jim’s storytelling spoke to many of the problems our women face on the road to recovery from addiction and gave them options for handling those problems they had not considered before.”
Helen Raytek, Program Director, Crawford House
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I teach people to till their lives for their own stories to tell.

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“…Jim has the rare ability of creating an atmosphere of acceptance and freedom…which permits the participants to risk first time storytelling—with joyful results!”
Dr. Mary R. Carter, Ed.D

“Tilling My Life/ Telling My Story.” Participants learn how to till the wisdom of their life experiences and tell their stories through journal writing, storytelling cards, and storytelling. You will learn how to put a life experience into oral storytelling form. Call Jim at (908) 294-1822 or email him at jim@hearttales.net  for more details.

“…your newsletter is a wonderful resource, and I hope that many will subscribe to it.”
Dr. Robert Béla Wilhelm, Storyfest Ministry

“…Thank you once again, Jim, for sharing your stories/your story and influencing my healing.”
Eileen

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