All About Quicksand

In our day of the automobile and paved highway few people ever encounter quicksand. Yet quicksand is still common in many parts of country. It may be more dangerous for less being familiar.

Quicksand is usually found along the sea shores and in the beds of rivers. It is simply sand separates the grains. The suspended grains give rather easily and heavy object placed on the surface is likely to sink. How fast it sink is depends on its weight and surface area.

How does one detect quicksand? It cannot be done by the eye alone, since sand which looks firm may suddenly collapse and trap anyone who ventures out on it. The only way to be sure is to test the sand before walking on it. For test probing a pole or long stick should be used. If the pole sinks more than six inches, the sand is probably quicksand.

A traveler who stumbles into quicksand will soon sink to the depth of his knees. If he stands still or struggles wildly, he will sink even further. He should at once lie on his back and stretch out his arms. Contrary to popular notion, quicksand doesn’t suck object down, and will support more weight than water alone. While the trapped person “floats” on the surface of the sand, rescuers should build a platform with boards or branches. Then they can pull him out slowly.

If the trapped person is alone, he can rescue himself. When he is in the floating position. He should begin rolling toward solid ground. Rolling is the only way of getting free. It should be done with frequent rests, so that the trapped person does not tire himself, when he reaches solid ground, he should swing his legs to safety, and quickly scramble out of the quicksand.

ABSENTMINDEDNESS

Not along ago my wife se me to town on an errand. I walked to the hardware store and bought a small can of paint. Then I returned home. Handing my wife the paper bag containing the paint, I said “here’s the paint you wanted”. My wife looked in the bag then looked at me, “I told you,” she said slowly “to get me a quart of vanilla ice cream.

”Alarmed over my absentmindedness, I paid a call on my family doctor. He was very kind. “Your case” he said “is a simple one and should give you no concern. If you know you are absentminded, you are okay. It’s nothing to worry about. But if you are so far gone you don’t know you are absentminded, you may be in trouble.”

“Many famous people have been absentminded,” the doctor told me. “Thomas Edison was standing in line one day to pay his taxes. When arrived at the window, he found that he had forgotten his own name. He turned to the man next in line and asked, “Can you tell me who I am?”

I felt much better and got up to leave. “Thank you, doctor,” I said.

“How much do I owe you?”

“Ten dollars for the check-up,” the doctor answered.

“But doctor, I didn’t have a check-up.”

The doctor looked puzzled. He scratched his head, “Oh yes,” he said, “It was the patient before you. How absentminded of me!”

COUCH POTATO HEAVEN

Every morning before I go to school, I sneak into the family room and plop down on the coach in front of the television and put my feet up on the coffee table. Armed with a mug of coffee in my right hand, and the remote control in my left, I am ready to watch the “boob tube” if nothing good is on, I usually flip trough one of the magazines next to me or read one of the newspaper under the coffee table. Sometimes I like to look at the painting of my great grandmother above the arm chair and imagine what this city was like in her day. Mostly, tough, I just enjoy sitting and doing nothing. It’s moments like these that I’m in potato couch heaven!

THE FARMER, THE JUDGE, AND THE THIEF

According to an old story, a farmer once found that a bag of corn had been stolen from his house. He went to the judge and told him about his loss. The judge ordered all the people of the farm to come before him. He took a number of sticks of equal lengths and gave one stick to each man.

Then he said,”Come before me again tomorrow, I shall know which of you is the thief because the stick given to the thief will be one inch longer than the others”. The thief was afraid of being found out, and so he cut an inch of the stick.

The next day the thief’s stick was found to be one inch shorter than any others. In this way the thief was found out, and was at once taken away to prison.

Wolf And The Lamb

In a forest a deer was grazing along with her babies. Suddenly she saw a wolf coming towards them. The deer thought of how to save her babies from the wolf and face danger. So she turned towards the wolf and politely wished, good morning.

The wolf replied good morning looking rather puzzled. The deer always run away when they see him. He asked, "are you not frightened of me ?". The deer replied, "not at all, because i know that you are brave. You do not attack anyone unless they quarrel with you".

The wolf said, "you are absolutely right. I am a very peaceful animal and it went into the forest. Suddenly the wolf saw a lamb drinking water down the stream. He felt very happy. Said to himself, "oh! i have go my dinner".

Suddenly he remembered the deer's words. He searched for and excuse to attack the lamb. He told the lamb, "oh! wicked one! why are you making the water muddy which i am drinking ?"

The lamb politely replied, "Sir, i am drinking water in the down stream. How can i make your water muddy ? water never flows up". For a moment the wolf did not find any answer. He was determined to quarrel with the lamb. Finally the wolf said, "Six months ago you had called my name".

The lam replied, "Sorry sir, you are mistaken. I was not even born six months ago". The wolf realized that the lamb was right. He went away to the forest without causing any harm to the lamb.

While returning to the forest the wolf thought to himself, "My brother wolf never talked to its victim, but the deer tricked me to save her life". So, he hurriedly came back to the stream. But he found that the lamb had already dissappeared.

By : antz

Sleeping Beauty

Once upon a time a beautiful baby was born to a king and queen. One day they invited twelve fairies to the castle, to bless the baby princess. The thirteenth fairy in the land a wicked fairy-was not invited, however. This made her very angry, so she went there and put a curse on the princess. She said, "on your fifteenth birthday you will cut your finger on a spindle and die".

The kind and then ordered that all the spindles-the pointed parts of spinning wheels used to collect the thread-should be destoyed. However, the twelfth fairy, who had not yet given her blessing, stepped forward and promised that the princess would not die on her fifteenth birthday. Instead, she would fall into a deep sleep, which would last for a hundread years. Fifteen years went happily, and on her birthday, the princess was playing a game with her friends in which she had to find a place to hide in the castle. She found a tower where she had never been before. She climbed the stairs and at the top of the tower she saw an old lady who was the wicked fairy- sitting by a spinning wheel, spinning thread. The old lady held out the spindle and the princess touched it and pricked her finger. Suddenly, the princess and everyone in the castle feel into a deep sleep and outside, the forest grew and grew until the castle could not be seen.

One hundread years later, a handsome prince, who had lost his way in the forest, found a small door to the castle. He opened the door and stepped inside. He found everyone fast asleep. Then he saw the beautiful sleeping princess and feel in love with her. He decided to kiss her, and as soon as he kissed her, she woke up. The princess fell in love with the prince, and they lived happily ever after.

A Farmer And His Donkey

A farmer was going to the market with his son to sell his donkey. He was very anxious to keep the creature in good condition. He wished to get a good amount from the buyers. So he loaded the animals into a cart and drew it along the road. Some passersby notice this.

They shouted in load voices so that the farmer could hear, see, what a funny sight, instead of riding the donkey, he is giving it a ride. Have you ever seen anything like this ? The it's back. His son way walking behind him. On the way he heard some woman talking, "look at the strong man. He is riding the donkey and his poor son is made to walk". The farmer halted for a second time.

This time he made his son get on the donkey, while he tugged along on food. "Oh ! what a shame?" said some passersby. "The son riding the donkey while the poor old man has to walk". Then he decided that both of them should ride on the donkeys back. A few minutes later came accross some young man. One of them told the farmer, "shame on you ! Have pity on the poor creature. He is tireed of carrying such a heavy load".

At this time the farmer lost his patience. He shouted, "I am not going to listen to anyone anymore. I will do according to my will".

Saying this he went on this way toward the market.