Fruit is sweet

Love is sweet

Everyone around you looks different. We might wear different clothes, eat different food, speak a different language but inside we are all the same. We have similar thoughts, feelings and problems because all of us belong to one family-the family of human beings.

We must learn to love people as they are. Love makes us want to share, care and give. We cannot keep love locked up in our hearts. It has to flow out to everyone around us. Only then does it have power. We can spread love through our words and actions.

The bite of love

Sita, lord Ram’s wife, was kidnapped by Ravana, the king of Lanka. Rama and his brother, Lakshmana went in search of her. Deep inside the forest, they came into the hut of a wise, old woman called Sabari.

Sabari loved lord Rama and had always wanted to meet him. So she was very happy to see the two brothers. She welcomed them and made them comfortable. Then she brought a basketful of berries for them- ripe and juicy red berries!

Then Sabari did something very strange. She bit into a berry and put it on a plate. She bit another berry and them another, still she had bitten every single one of them. After biting the berries, she placed some on the plate and threw the others away. She offered the plate of bitten berries to Rama and Lakshmana.

`You must be hungry and thirsty. Here are some fruits for you’, she said.

Rama reached out for the berries. Lakshmana stopped him. `Don’t eat these fruits’. He said. `She has bitten them. How could she offer us half-eaten berries?’ he asked angrily.

Rama smiled. `Mother Sabari bit the berries to make sure that they were sweet. She threw away those that were sour. He loves us so much that she doesn’t want to give us sour or bitter berries’.

True love

Lakshmana understood Sabari’s actions. Both brothers then enjoyed the berries that Sabari had lovingly offered them.