Friday, September 29, 2006
Mind Blowing Facts
1. Turtles have no teeth.
2. Prehistoric turtles may have weighed as much as 5,000 pounds.
3. Only one out of a thousand baby sea turtles survives after hatching.
4. Sea turtles absorb a lot of salt from the sea water in which they live. They excrete excess salt from their eyes, so it often looks as though they're crying.
5. Helium is a colourless, odourless, tasteless inert gas at room temperature and makes up about 0.0005% of the air we breathe.
6. Helium Balloon Gas makes balloons float. Helium is lighter than air and just as the heaviest things will tend to fall to the bottom, the lightest things will rise to the top.
7. Helium Balloon Gas makes balloons float. Helium is lighter than air and just as the heaviest things will tend to fall to the bottom, the lightest things will rise to the top.
8. Camels can spit.
9. An ostrich can run 43 miles per hour (70 kilometers per hour).
10. Pigs are the fourth most intelligent animal in the world.
11. Dinosaurs didn't eat grass? There was no grass in the days of the dinosaurs.
12. Dolphins can swim 37 miles per hour (60 kilometers per hour).
13. A crocodile's tongue is attached to the roof of its mouth? It cannot move. It cannot chew but its Digestive juices are so strong that it can digest a steel nail, Glass pieces, etc
14. Sharks are immune to disease i.e they do not suffer from any Disease.
15. Animals are either right-or left-handed? Polar bears are always left-handed, and so is Kermit the Frog.
16. Paris, France has more dogs than people.
17. New Zealand is home to 70 million sheep and only 40 million people.
18. Male polar bears weigh 1400 pounds and females only weight 550 pounds, on average.
19. Bison are excellent swimmers? Their head, hump and tail never go below the surface of the water.
20. There are 6 to 14 frogs species in the world that have no tongues. One of these is the African dwarf frog.
2. Prehistoric turtles may have weighed as much as 5,000 pounds.
3. Only one out of a thousand baby sea turtles survives after hatching.
4. Sea turtles absorb a lot of salt from the sea water in which they live. They excrete excess salt from their eyes, so it often looks as though they're crying.
5. Helium is a colourless, odourless, tasteless inert gas at room temperature and makes up about 0.0005% of the air we breathe.
6. Helium Balloon Gas makes balloons float. Helium is lighter than air and just as the heaviest things will tend to fall to the bottom, the lightest things will rise to the top.
7. Helium Balloon Gas makes balloons float. Helium is lighter than air and just as the heaviest things will tend to fall to the bottom, the lightest things will rise to the top.
8. Camels can spit.
9. An ostrich can run 43 miles per hour (70 kilometers per hour).
10. Pigs are the fourth most intelligent animal in the world.
11. Dinosaurs didn't eat grass? There was no grass in the days of the dinosaurs.
12. Dolphins can swim 37 miles per hour (60 kilometers per hour).
13. A crocodile's tongue is attached to the roof of its mouth? It cannot move. It cannot chew but its Digestive juices are so strong that it can digest a steel nail, Glass pieces, etc
14. Sharks are immune to disease i.e they do not suffer from any Disease.
15. Animals are either right-or left-handed? Polar bears are always left-handed, and so is Kermit the Frog.
16. Paris, France has more dogs than people.
17. New Zealand is home to 70 million sheep and only 40 million people.
18. Male polar bears weigh 1400 pounds and females only weight 550 pounds, on average.
19. Bison are excellent swimmers? Their head, hump and tail never go below the surface of the water.
20. There are 6 to 14 frogs species in the world that have no tongues. One of these is the African dwarf frog.
Read more interesting facts
Thursday, September 28, 2006
Too Good
First-grade teacher, Ms Neelam (Age 28) was having trouble with one of her students the teacher asked,"Boy. what is your problem?"
Boy. answered, "I'm too smart for the first-grade. My sister is in the third-grade and I'm smarter than she is! I think I should be in the third-grade too!"
Ms Neelam had enough. She took Boy. to the principal's office.
While Boy. waited in the outer office, the teacher explained to the principal what the situation was.
The principal told Ms Neelam he would give the boy a test and if he failed to answer any of his questions he was to go back to the first-grade a! nd behave.She agreed.
Boy. was brought in and the conditions were explained to him and he agreed to take the test.
Principal: "What is 3 x 3?"
Boy.: "9".
Principal: "What is 6 x 6?"
Boy.: "36".
And so it went with every question the principal thought a third-grade should know. The principal looks at Ms Neelam and tells her, "I think Boy can go to the third-grade. "
Ms Neelam says to the principal, "I have some of my own questions.
Can I ask him ?" The principal and Boy. both agree.
Ms Neelam asks! , "What does a cow have four of that I have only two of?
Boy., after a moment "Legs."
Ms Nee lam: "What is in your pants that you have but I do not have?"
Boy.: "Pockets."
Ms Neelam: What starts with a C and ends with a T, is hairy, oval, delicious and contains thin whitish liquid?
Boy.: Coconut
Ms Neelam: What goes in hard and pink then comes out soft And sticky?
The principal's eyes open really wide and before he could stop the answer,
Boy. was taking charge.
Boy.: Bubblegum
Ms Neelam: What does a man do standing up, a woman does sitting down and a dog does on three legs? The principal's eyes open really wide and before he could stop the answer...
Boy.: Shake hands
Ms Neelam: Now I will ask some "Who am I" sort of questions, okay?
Boy.: Yep.
Ms Neelam: You stick your poles inside me. You tie me down to get me up. I
get wet before you do.
Boy.: Tent
Ms Neelam: A finger goes in me. You fiddle with me when you're bored.
The best man always has me first.The Principal was looking restless, a bit tense and took one large Patiala Vodka peg.
Boy.: Wedding Ring
Ms Neelam: I come in many sizes. When I'm not well, I drip. When you blow me, you feel good.
Boy.: Nose
Ms Neelam: I have a stiff shaft. My tip penetrates. I come with a quiver.
Boy.: Arrow
Ms Neelam: What word starts with a 'F' and ends in 'K' that means lot of heat and excitement?
Boy.: Firetruck
Ms Neelam: What word starts with a 'F' and ends in 'K' & if u dont get it u have to use ur hand.
Boy.: Fork
Ms Neelam: What is it that all men have one of it's longer on some men than on others, the pope doesn't use his and a man gives it to his wife after they're married?
Boy.: SURNAME
Ms Neelam: What part of the man has no bone but has muscles, has lots of veins, like pumping, & is responsible for making love ?
Boy.: HEART.
The principal breathed a sigh of relief and said to the teacher, "Send this Boy to IIM Ahmedabad, I got the last ten questions wrong myself!"
Boy. answered, "I'm too smart for the first-grade. My sister is in the third-grade and I'm smarter than she is! I think I should be in the third-grade too!"
Ms Neelam had enough. She took Boy. to the principal's office.
While Boy. waited in the outer office, the teacher explained to the principal what the situation was.
The principal told Ms Neelam he would give the boy a test and if he failed to answer any of his questions he was to go back to the first-grade a! nd behave.She agreed.
Boy. was brought in and the conditions were explained to him and he agreed to take the test.
Principal: "What is 3 x 3?"
Boy.: "9".
Principal: "What is 6 x 6?"
Boy.: "36".
And so it went with every question the principal thought a third-grade should know. The principal looks at Ms Neelam and tells her, "I think Boy can go to the third-grade. "
Ms Neelam says to the principal, "I have some of my own questions.
Can I ask him ?" The principal and Boy. both agree.
Ms Neelam asks! , "What does a cow have four of that I have only two of?
Boy., after a moment "Legs."
Ms Nee lam: "What is in your pants that you have but I do not have?"
Boy.: "Pockets."
Ms Neelam: What starts with a C and ends with a T, is hairy, oval, delicious and contains thin whitish liquid?
Boy.: Coconut
Ms Neelam: What goes in hard and pink then comes out soft And sticky?
The principal's eyes open really wide and before he could stop the answer,
Boy. was taking charge.
Boy.: Bubblegum
Ms Neelam: What does a man do standing up, a woman does sitting down and a dog does on three legs? The principal's eyes open really wide and before he could stop the answer...
Boy.: Shake hands
Ms Neelam: Now I will ask some "Who am I" sort of questions, okay?
Boy.: Yep.
Ms Neelam: You stick your poles inside me. You tie me down to get me up. I
get wet before you do.
Boy.: Tent
Ms Neelam: A finger goes in me. You fiddle with me when you're bored.
The best man always has me first.The Principal was looking restless, a bit tense and took one large Patiala Vodka peg.
Boy.: Wedding Ring
Ms Neelam: I come in many sizes. When I'm not well, I drip. When you blow me, you feel good.
Boy.: Nose
Ms Neelam: I have a stiff shaft. My tip penetrates. I come with a quiver.
Boy.: Arrow
Ms Neelam: What word starts with a 'F' and ends in 'K' that means lot of heat and excitement?
Boy.: Firetruck
Ms Neelam: What word starts with a 'F' and ends in 'K' & if u dont get it u have to use ur hand.
Boy.: Fork
Ms Neelam: What is it that all men have one of it's longer on some men than on others, the pope doesn't use his and a man gives it to his wife after they're married?
Boy.: SURNAME
Ms Neelam: What part of the man has no bone but has muscles, has lots of veins, like pumping, & is responsible for making love ?
Boy.: HEART.
The principal breathed a sigh of relief and said to the teacher, "Send this Boy to IIM Ahmedabad, I got the last ten questions wrong myself!"
The Legend of the Seventh Wall
LONG AGO, LONG before there was a castle on Castle Rock or merchants in Merchant City, Bohemund Iron-Beard ruled his landholdings from the Fortress of Eagles: a stronghold stern and forbidding as Iron-Beard himself. Powerful though he was, he lived each day gnawed by fear. He had come to believe that enemies from the Dustlands meant to attack him at any moment. And so he built wall after wall, tearing down each in turn to raise a stronger one. Six times had he done this. The seventh wall stood higher and more massive than the others. For all that, his fear grew only sharper.
One day, he summoned his daughter Alinor to his chambers, telling her that he had found a way at last to keep his realm forever safe.
"Yet another wall?" replied Alinor. "Father, why do you waste time and treasure to no purpose?"
"You reproach me?" burst out Iron-Beard. "How dare you, barely grown to womanhood, how dare you question my will?"
"I question why you fear the Dustland folk," Alinor gently said. "They are half-starved wanderers tending their few sheep and goats. They scarcely keep themselves and their animals alive. They have no quarrel with you, nor you with them. This is truth. The rest is folly. A daughter's duty is to speak reason to her father."
"A daughter's duty is obedience," snapped Iron-Beard. "I tell you they are warrior hordes. They bide their time, waiting to set upon me, to outnumber me, and overrun my walls. So I seek alliance with Lord Rainwulf Hard-Fist--"
"Call him no lord," Alinor broke in. "Rather call him brute and brigand. It is well known that he rules his southern lands with cruelty and ruthlessness. Father, I beg you: Have no dealings with him. A heartless butcher--"
"The bigger the butcher, the better the ally," Iron-Beard said. "We have already spoken secretly together. It is decided. He and his war band will join forces with me. Now I will have strength to withstand whatever threat may come."
"If he is so powerful in his own right," said Alinor, "what profit does he gain from joining you?"
"Simple," said Iron-Beard. "I have offered him a prize he gladly accepts."
"You have nearly beggared yourself raising your seventh wall," Alinor said. "What prize have you left?"
"You," declared Iron-Beard. "Your hand in marriage to him."
Although his words tore at her heart, Alinor stiffened and looked him boldly in the face. "How can you ask me to wed a man I do not love, let alone one I despise?"
"I do not ask," Iron-Beard flung back. "I command."
"If my mother lived, she would forbid such a marriage," Alinor said. "I tell you now by my own choice: No. Never. I cannot do this."
Iron-Beard in wrath sprang from his chair. "Lady, you can," he said between clenched teeth. "You must. You will. I myself shall speak the words that bestow you upon him. And, furthermore, his outriders have brought news. He and his warriors will be here by nightfall. Tomorrow morning you will be wed.
"Go to your apartments," Iron-Beard ordered. "Gather your maids and women-in-waiting. Put aside this riding garb you wear. Be robed and ready for your bridal day."
Alinor was about to answer him but thought better of it and pressed her lips tight shut. She turned on her heel and strode from the chamber.
What she did not tell Iron-Beard was that her heart was already given, her love already pledged to Peredur, the young horse trainer. They had loved each other since childhood. It was Peredur who taught her to ride; he would, as well, have shared his secret knowledge of the ways of horses and how to speak to them as if from soul to soul. But he quickly understood that Alinor had a gift as great as his own. He'd laughed lightly and touched his fingertips to her cheek, telling her there was no need of teaching her what she already knew by instinct.
Indeed, on the very day Alinor's mother died, a gray foal had been born. Alinor took the young filly to her heart, for the little horse seemed able to console her and lighten her grief. Until she could choose another name, Alinor called her simply "Little Mare." She continued to do so, for even when full grown, the mare was smaller than the other steeds.
But Alinor had only to whisper such bidding as "Little Mare, Little Mare, come to me …" or "Little Mare, Little Mare, carry me swiftly..." Whatever Alinor asked, Little Mare would do willingly. Peredur, likewise devoted, loved the gray mare as dearly as did Alinor.
And so Alinor did not go to her apartments. Instead, she ran to the stable yard. When Peredur saw her distress, he took her in his arms, asking to know the cause. As she told him her father's command, Peredur's eyes blazed.
"There can be no such wedding," he cried out. "I will challenge this Hard-Fist, hand to hand, sword against sword. Then let your father see at last that you and I are true lovers; and I, no rough warlord, am worthy of his daughter."
"You must not," replied Alinor. "Rainwulf will scorn your challenge. His men will cut you down and kill you where you stand.
"I see another way," she added. "Before tomorrow's daybreak, saddle and bridle Little Mare. Wait for me here. When the moment is right, I will come to you. We go from the fortress by the rear gate; the guards dare not question the daughter of their lord.
"Little Mare shall bear us across the Moorland Marches to the sea. The fisher-folk will give us refuge. Then we take ship, sail to another land, and there live happily."
Peredur saw the wisdom of her plan. He promised without fail to follow it, and they took loving leave of each other. Alinor hurried to her chambers. Knowing this would reach her father's ears, she made a great show of calling her women-in-waiting, telling them to bring out her finest gowns and jewelry. When they had emptied her closets, she said:
"I must carefully choose what suits my wedding day. Leave me now. In the morning, come dress me in my finery."
But Alinor chose none of the gowns. She kept her riding garb and, in the leather pouch at her belt, put a handful of her jewels to sell if need be. Then she waited, sure all would happen as she expected.
A little after nightfall, she heard the clatter of hoofs in the courtyard below and the shouts of men-at-arms. From her high casement, she saw flaming torches and c servants hastening back and forth. Rainwulf Hard-Fist and his war band had reached the fortress.
Soon, coarse laughter rose from the Great Hall. Her father, as hospitality obliged, had welcomed Hard-Fist and his warriors with meat and drink. The feasting would go on throughout the night.
Satisfied her plan was shaping well, she drowsed a little while to save her strength When she opened her eyes again, the Great Hall was silent, the stupefied revelers fast asleep.
It was nearly dawn. Peredur and Little Mare awaited her. Meaning to steal out unnoticed and make her way to the stable yard, Alinor hurried to the door.
She tried to lift the latch. It did not move. The door was bolted from outside.
Her heart sank. Iron-Beard, mistrusting her feigned obedience, had sent guards to lock her in. She heaved with all her might at the iron handle, beat her fists against the oaken panels. To no avail. She was a prisoner in her own chambers.
She gave up her useless efforts. Turning away she cast about for some escape. There was none. Her apartments were too high for her to jump to the courtyard. The stone tower had no handholds for her to climb down. She tried to calm herself and think clearly, but worse terror filled her. Did her father suspect Peredur as well? Had he sent men-at-arms to seize him? Had he been already slain?
The sun had risen; it was full daylight. Yet she had found no means to free herself. The door swung open. A company of guards burst in and circled her. Alinor, stifling her fears, commanded them to stand away. They replied her father had so ordered. She offered jewels from her pouch, but they answered that no handful of gems was worth their heads if they disobeyed. At sword point, they forced her from the chamber and down the staircase to the Great Hall.
There, the festive torches had burnt out. Leftovers of the night's carouse were strewn across the floor. The warriors still slumped in their seats. The guards brought Alinor to the banquet board where her father and Rainwulf Hard-Fist had begun to stir.
"Lady, do you come to your wedding dressed like a stable servant?" Hard-Fist scowled and squinted at her through bloodshot eyes. "Discourtesy! It is not fitting--"
"Nor is it fitting for a maiden to marry against her will," Alinor flung back. "And so I do not."
"Tart tongue? Impudent?" Hard-Fist gave a grating laugh. "A wench of spirit.
The more pleasure for me to tame it."
He clapped a hand on Iron-Beard's shoulder. "Up with you. She makes me impatient to have her as my bride. Be quick about it. Say the wedding words as law and custom demand. And you, Lady," he added, "you must, for all to hear, speak the vows that bind you to me."
"I speak only one vow," returned Alinor, her glance unwavering. "Never will I be wife to you."
"Think you so? Lady, you will learn to heel, as I train my dogs to do."
Rainwulf's hand went to the riding whip at his belt. Before he had half risen, his jaw dropped and he stumbled back. The revelers stared, dumbstruck.
Little Mare, Peredur astride, plunged into the Great Hall. At full gallop, her hoofs shot out sparks and rang over the flagstones as she sped straight to Alinor. Servants and attendants threw themselves terrified from her path. The bewildered men-at-arms fumbled for their weapons. The gray mare reared and lashed her forelegs at any who came near.
Alinor, with a joyous cry, sprang to Little Mare and swung into the saddle. Peredur clasped arms about her waist. The gray mare wheeled. Nostrils flaring, eyes alight, she charged unhindered through the confusion of the hall.
Roaring curses, commanding his warriors to pursue his prize, Rainwulf turned his wrath on Iron-Beard:
"Am I to be shamed by such defiance? Stop her. Fetch her back or you and I are sworn enemies. A wedding feast? You'll eat my sword for this humiliation. I lose my bride? You lose your life."
Little Mare, by then, had reached the courtyard. Now their peril was greater as Iron-Beard's men poured from the hall and Rainwulf's war band joined them. Peredur sought the rear gate, but guards blocked the way.
Alinor leaned forward and whispered urgently, "Little Mare, Little Mare, take us from here."
The gray mare whinnied and tossed her head. Swift and straight, she plunged toward the seventh wall.
All in the courtyard gasped as if with a single breath. Wide-eyed, the men-at-arms dropped their weapons; archers left their bows undrawn. They watched, rooted to the spot, as Little Mare, mane and tail flying, soared aloft. In one long leap, she sprang over the wall.
The two lovers clung to her. Without breaking stride, Little Mare sped across the harsh ground. Over stone, over shale, over merciless wasteland, her pace never slackened. All day she galloped, and all night. Outdistanced, the riders who pursued her gave up and, one by one, turned back.
Next morning, under a blazing sun, Alinor and Peredur unsaddled Little Mare and went on foot beside her. There was no sign of any living creature. They pressed on, hoping to find refuge among the Dustland wanderers. Sleepless by night, scorched by day, driven by thirst, they sought the smallest rivulet. With not so much as a drop of water, Alinor knew they would all surely die. She put an arm around the weary mare's neck.
"Dear companion, your strength is not enough to share," she murmured. "Little Mare, Little Mare, leave us. Go to save yourself."
For the first time, Little Mare disobeyed Alinor's words. She took a few paces, then halted. She bowed her head and pawed at the ground. Where she trod gushed a spring of clear water. It grew and spread into a shimmering pool.
The same instant, blades of grass sprang up. Plants uncurled their hidden tendrils. Within that very day, as if awaiting this moment, fruit trees rose and flowers blossomed.
At the Fortress of Eagles, Little Mare's leap had dislodged a single pebble. From that, stone by stone, the seventh wall crumbled and fell. Iron-Beard and Hard-Fist would lose their lives in battle. The fortress remained only an empty shell, and thornbushes overgrew the ruins.
But, where the spring had gushed, shepherds and their flocks, birds, and animals soon came to dwell. There, too, Alinor, Peredur, and Little Mare lived in peace and beauty the rest of their days.
One day, he summoned his daughter Alinor to his chambers, telling her that he had found a way at last to keep his realm forever safe.
"Yet another wall?" replied Alinor. "Father, why do you waste time and treasure to no purpose?"
"You reproach me?" burst out Iron-Beard. "How dare you, barely grown to womanhood, how dare you question my will?"
"I question why you fear the Dustland folk," Alinor gently said. "They are half-starved wanderers tending their few sheep and goats. They scarcely keep themselves and their animals alive. They have no quarrel with you, nor you with them. This is truth. The rest is folly. A daughter's duty is to speak reason to her father."
"A daughter's duty is obedience," snapped Iron-Beard. "I tell you they are warrior hordes. They bide their time, waiting to set upon me, to outnumber me, and overrun my walls. So I seek alliance with Lord Rainwulf Hard-Fist--"
"Call him no lord," Alinor broke in. "Rather call him brute and brigand. It is well known that he rules his southern lands with cruelty and ruthlessness. Father, I beg you: Have no dealings with him. A heartless butcher--"
"The bigger the butcher, the better the ally," Iron-Beard said. "We have already spoken secretly together. It is decided. He and his war band will join forces with me. Now I will have strength to withstand whatever threat may come."
"If he is so powerful in his own right," said Alinor, "what profit does he gain from joining you?"
"Simple," said Iron-Beard. "I have offered him a prize he gladly accepts."
"You have nearly beggared yourself raising your seventh wall," Alinor said. "What prize have you left?"
"You," declared Iron-Beard. "Your hand in marriage to him."
Although his words tore at her heart, Alinor stiffened and looked him boldly in the face. "How can you ask me to wed a man I do not love, let alone one I despise?"
"I do not ask," Iron-Beard flung back. "I command."
"If my mother lived, she would forbid such a marriage," Alinor said. "I tell you now by my own choice: No. Never. I cannot do this."
Iron-Beard in wrath sprang from his chair. "Lady, you can," he said between clenched teeth. "You must. You will. I myself shall speak the words that bestow you upon him. And, furthermore, his outriders have brought news. He and his warriors will be here by nightfall. Tomorrow morning you will be wed.
"Go to your apartments," Iron-Beard ordered. "Gather your maids and women-in-waiting. Put aside this riding garb you wear. Be robed and ready for your bridal day."
Alinor was about to answer him but thought better of it and pressed her lips tight shut. She turned on her heel and strode from the chamber.
What she did not tell Iron-Beard was that her heart was already given, her love already pledged to Peredur, the young horse trainer. They had loved each other since childhood. It was Peredur who taught her to ride; he would, as well, have shared his secret knowledge of the ways of horses and how to speak to them as if from soul to soul. But he quickly understood that Alinor had a gift as great as his own. He'd laughed lightly and touched his fingertips to her cheek, telling her there was no need of teaching her what she already knew by instinct.
Indeed, on the very day Alinor's mother died, a gray foal had been born. Alinor took the young filly to her heart, for the little horse seemed able to console her and lighten her grief. Until she could choose another name, Alinor called her simply "Little Mare." She continued to do so, for even when full grown, the mare was smaller than the other steeds.
But Alinor had only to whisper such bidding as "Little Mare, Little Mare, come to me …" or "Little Mare, Little Mare, carry me swiftly..." Whatever Alinor asked, Little Mare would do willingly. Peredur, likewise devoted, loved the gray mare as dearly as did Alinor.
And so Alinor did not go to her apartments. Instead, she ran to the stable yard. When Peredur saw her distress, he took her in his arms, asking to know the cause. As she told him her father's command, Peredur's eyes blazed.
"There can be no such wedding," he cried out. "I will challenge this Hard-Fist, hand to hand, sword against sword. Then let your father see at last that you and I are true lovers; and I, no rough warlord, am worthy of his daughter."
"You must not," replied Alinor. "Rainwulf will scorn your challenge. His men will cut you down and kill you where you stand.
"I see another way," she added. "Before tomorrow's daybreak, saddle and bridle Little Mare. Wait for me here. When the moment is right, I will come to you. We go from the fortress by the rear gate; the guards dare not question the daughter of their lord.
"Little Mare shall bear us across the Moorland Marches to the sea. The fisher-folk will give us refuge. Then we take ship, sail to another land, and there live happily."
Peredur saw the wisdom of her plan. He promised without fail to follow it, and they took loving leave of each other. Alinor hurried to her chambers. Knowing this would reach her father's ears, she made a great show of calling her women-in-waiting, telling them to bring out her finest gowns and jewelry. When they had emptied her closets, she said:
"I must carefully choose what suits my wedding day. Leave me now. In the morning, come dress me in my finery."
But Alinor chose none of the gowns. She kept her riding garb and, in the leather pouch at her belt, put a handful of her jewels to sell if need be. Then she waited, sure all would happen as she expected.
A little after nightfall, she heard the clatter of hoofs in the courtyard below and the shouts of men-at-arms. From her high casement, she saw flaming torches and c servants hastening back and forth. Rainwulf Hard-Fist and his war band had reached the fortress.
Soon, coarse laughter rose from the Great Hall. Her father, as hospitality obliged, had welcomed Hard-Fist and his warriors with meat and drink. The feasting would go on throughout the night.
Satisfied her plan was shaping well, she drowsed a little while to save her strength When she opened her eyes again, the Great Hall was silent, the stupefied revelers fast asleep.
It was nearly dawn. Peredur and Little Mare awaited her. Meaning to steal out unnoticed and make her way to the stable yard, Alinor hurried to the door.
She tried to lift the latch. It did not move. The door was bolted from outside.
Her heart sank. Iron-Beard, mistrusting her feigned obedience, had sent guards to lock her in. She heaved with all her might at the iron handle, beat her fists against the oaken panels. To no avail. She was a prisoner in her own chambers.
She gave up her useless efforts. Turning away she cast about for some escape. There was none. Her apartments were too high for her to jump to the courtyard. The stone tower had no handholds for her to climb down. She tried to calm herself and think clearly, but worse terror filled her. Did her father suspect Peredur as well? Had he sent men-at-arms to seize him? Had he been already slain?
The sun had risen; it was full daylight. Yet she had found no means to free herself. The door swung open. A company of guards burst in and circled her. Alinor, stifling her fears, commanded them to stand away. They replied her father had so ordered. She offered jewels from her pouch, but they answered that no handful of gems was worth their heads if they disobeyed. At sword point, they forced her from the chamber and down the staircase to the Great Hall.
There, the festive torches had burnt out. Leftovers of the night's carouse were strewn across the floor. The warriors still slumped in their seats. The guards brought Alinor to the banquet board where her father and Rainwulf Hard-Fist had begun to stir.
"Lady, do you come to your wedding dressed like a stable servant?" Hard-Fist scowled and squinted at her through bloodshot eyes. "Discourtesy! It is not fitting--"
"Nor is it fitting for a maiden to marry against her will," Alinor flung back. "And so I do not."
"Tart tongue? Impudent?" Hard-Fist gave a grating laugh. "A wench of spirit.
The more pleasure for me to tame it."
He clapped a hand on Iron-Beard's shoulder. "Up with you. She makes me impatient to have her as my bride. Be quick about it. Say the wedding words as law and custom demand. And you, Lady," he added, "you must, for all to hear, speak the vows that bind you to me."
"I speak only one vow," returned Alinor, her glance unwavering. "Never will I be wife to you."
"Think you so? Lady, you will learn to heel, as I train my dogs to do."
Rainwulf's hand went to the riding whip at his belt. Before he had half risen, his jaw dropped and he stumbled back. The revelers stared, dumbstruck.
Little Mare, Peredur astride, plunged into the Great Hall. At full gallop, her hoofs shot out sparks and rang over the flagstones as she sped straight to Alinor. Servants and attendants threw themselves terrified from her path. The bewildered men-at-arms fumbled for their weapons. The gray mare reared and lashed her forelegs at any who came near.
Alinor, with a joyous cry, sprang to Little Mare and swung into the saddle. Peredur clasped arms about her waist. The gray mare wheeled. Nostrils flaring, eyes alight, she charged unhindered through the confusion of the hall.
Roaring curses, commanding his warriors to pursue his prize, Rainwulf turned his wrath on Iron-Beard:
"Am I to be shamed by such defiance? Stop her. Fetch her back or you and I are sworn enemies. A wedding feast? You'll eat my sword for this humiliation. I lose my bride? You lose your life."
Little Mare, by then, had reached the courtyard. Now their peril was greater as Iron-Beard's men poured from the hall and Rainwulf's war band joined them. Peredur sought the rear gate, but guards blocked the way.
Alinor leaned forward and whispered urgently, "Little Mare, Little Mare, take us from here."
The gray mare whinnied and tossed her head. Swift and straight, she plunged toward the seventh wall.
All in the courtyard gasped as if with a single breath. Wide-eyed, the men-at-arms dropped their weapons; archers left their bows undrawn. They watched, rooted to the spot, as Little Mare, mane and tail flying, soared aloft. In one long leap, she sprang over the wall.
The two lovers clung to her. Without breaking stride, Little Mare sped across the harsh ground. Over stone, over shale, over merciless wasteland, her pace never slackened. All day she galloped, and all night. Outdistanced, the riders who pursued her gave up and, one by one, turned back.
Next morning, under a blazing sun, Alinor and Peredur unsaddled Little Mare and went on foot beside her. There was no sign of any living creature. They pressed on, hoping to find refuge among the Dustland wanderers. Sleepless by night, scorched by day, driven by thirst, they sought the smallest rivulet. With not so much as a drop of water, Alinor knew they would all surely die. She put an arm around the weary mare's neck.
"Dear companion, your strength is not enough to share," she murmured. "Little Mare, Little Mare, leave us. Go to save yourself."
For the first time, Little Mare disobeyed Alinor's words. She took a few paces, then halted. She bowed her head and pawed at the ground. Where she trod gushed a spring of clear water. It grew and spread into a shimmering pool.
The same instant, blades of grass sprang up. Plants uncurled their hidden tendrils. Within that very day, as if awaiting this moment, fruit trees rose and flowers blossomed.
At the Fortress of Eagles, Little Mare's leap had dislodged a single pebble. From that, stone by stone, the seventh wall crumbled and fell. Iron-Beard and Hard-Fist would lose their lives in battle. The fortress remained only an empty shell, and thornbushes overgrew the ruins.
But, where the spring had gushed, shepherds and their flocks, birds, and animals soon came to dwell. There, too, Alinor, Peredur, and Little Mare lived in peace and beauty the rest of their days.
By: Alexander, Lloyd, Cricket, Sep2006
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Wednesday, September 27, 2006
Creation
A man said to his wife one day, "I don't know how you can be so stupid and so beautiful all at the same time."
The wife responded, "Allow me to explain. God made me beautiful so you would be attracted to me; God made me stupid so I would be attracted to you!
God may have created man before woman, but there is always a rough draft before the masterpiece.
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Sunday, September 17, 2006
Winged Wonder
Scientists believe that ancient animal remains discovered on a beach in England are that of a previously unknown species of pterosaur (TEHR-oh-sore). Pterosaurs are related to dinosaurs and are considered winged reptiles (animals that have a backbone and a body temperature that changes according to the temperature of its surroundings).
What sets this creature apart from others like it? Scientists say that unlike other pterosaurs, the newly discovered species has a crest at the top of its beak and on the back of its skull.
According to scientists, the pterosaur lived about 120 million years ago. It had fanged front teeth, which it may have used to feed on fish. The pterosaur also had a large wingspan-about 18 meters (60 feet). That's almost 6 times longer than the wingspan of a wandering albatross — the largest flying bird alive today.
Read more interesting facts
What sets this creature apart from others like it? Scientists say that unlike other pterosaurs, the newly discovered species has a crest at the top of its beak and on the back of its skull.
According to scientists, the pterosaur lived about 120 million years ago. It had fanged front teeth, which it may have used to feed on fish. The pterosaur also had a large wingspan-about 18 meters (60 feet). That's almost 6 times longer than the wingspan of a wandering albatross — the largest flying bird alive today.
Read more interesting facts
Joke of the Day
George Bush was out jogging one morning along the parkway when he tripped, fell over the bridge railing and landed in the creek below.
Before the Secret Service guys could get to him, three kids, who were fishing, pulled him out of the water. He was so grateful he offered the kids whatever they wanted.
The first kid said, "I sure would like to go to Disneyland." George said, "No problem. I'll take you there on Air Force One."
The second kid said, "I really need a new pair of Nike Air Jordan's." George said, "I'll get them for you and even have Michael sign them!"
The third kid said, "I want a motorized wheelchair with a built-in TV and stereo headset!!" George Bush is a little perplexed by this and says, "But you don't look like you are injured." The kid says, "I will be after my dad finds out I saved you from drowning!"
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Before the Secret Service guys could get to him, three kids, who were fishing, pulled him out of the water. He was so grateful he offered the kids whatever they wanted.
The first kid said, "I sure would like to go to Disneyland." George said, "No problem. I'll take you there on Air Force One."
The second kid said, "I really need a new pair of Nike Air Jordan's." George said, "I'll get them for you and even have Michael sign them!"
The third kid said, "I want a motorized wheelchair with a built-in TV and stereo headset!!" George Bush is a little perplexed by this and says, "But you don't look like you are injured." The kid says, "I will be after my dad finds out I saved you from drowning!"
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Saturday, September 09, 2006
Thursday, September 07, 2006
The World's Greatest Motor Mysteries...Solved!
SIX MEN WITH THE GARAGE WISDOM TO TROUBLESHOOT THE TOUGHEST CAR QUESTIONS
Any grease monkey worth his coveralls can tell you if your engine needs a tune-up or a teardown. But when the shop talk turns to bigger motor matters, you have to go to the men who've made a living out of loving cars.
What are four ways to make your stock sedan even faster? Kyle Petty:
Change your spark plugs to a higher grade. They'll burn hotter and faster, and will prevent residue from building up.
If it's not snowing outside, use thin oil. I like 10W-20.
Buy the highest-octane fuel you can find. Try buying a tankful of the really premium juice at a local racetrack.
Rip out the backseats.
Q: How can you apply NASCAR driving strategies to your morning commute?
A: Pick your lanes well. When you're pulling up to a red light, don't get stuck behind something slow, such as a delivery truck or an older-model sedan. Also, when you want to move into another driver's space, glance at his car, but never make direct eye contact with him. Just move into that space like you own it.
Q: What's the coolest-looking production car on the market today?
George Barris: The Dodge Viper, no question. It's powerful, it has a real classy aerodynamic design, fenders flaring off into the doors, big V-10 engine. Wide and high 19-inch tires. It's a macho car.
Q: What's the most overrated?
A: The Rolls Royce. I own one that's 8 years old, and it keeps breaking down on me. It has only about 40,000 miles on it, and I spend more money having it towed than most people spend on repairs. It's gotten to the point that I'll only take it to movie premieres.
Q: What puts the muscle in a muscle car?
Carroll Shelby: Unrefined power. Sheer brute force without the frills and trimmings. They're manly cars, not for the ladies. I'm talking about 427 Fords, 427 Chews, Pontiac GTOs, Dodge Super Bees.
Q: What is the future of cars?
John DeLorean: There are some exciting things going on with hybrid technology (an internal-combustion engine combined with a second energy source). But don't count out gasoline as the main fuel--because of the multi-jillion dollars that have been invested in its production. The resources for the foreseeable future are out to 60 years. So, I don't think cars are really going to change all that drastically; after all, they've hardly changed at all over the last 60 years. The major innovations have been very few--air-conditioning, power steering, power brakes, and the microchip.
Q: How can you make your car last 500,000 miles? Irv Gordon, owner of the world's highest-mileage car, a 1966 Volvo with 1,753,000 miles:
Change the oil every 3,000 miles.
Check the tire pressure weekly.
Switch to 15W-40 oil in the winter.
Inspect the belts and hoses for cracks every single time you buy gas.
Keep it clean. If you take pride in your car, you're going to do a better job of keeping it up mechanically.
Powerwash the undercarriage to clean off the road salt in the winter. That stuff will corrode the body if it stays on too long.
Degrease the engine once a year.
Q: What car will get you laid?
Public relations representative for Scan Connery: We have received your letter requesting an answer from Scan Connery to the question, "What kind of car will get you laid?" Mr. Connery has declined to respond, although frankly, I don't believe that he needs a car to accomplish the act.
By: Zoellner, Tom, Men's Health (Rodale Inc.)
Fun of the Day
A co-worker got a pen stuck inside our printer.
He started to try and remove the pen, but I told him we don't have time for that now, just put a note on the printer telling folks not to use it and then report it to the Help Desk. So he grabbed a piece of paper and scrawled on it. I left before he finished the note.
About 20 minutes later, one of my techs came in laughing, saying he was Just in the lobby, saw a piece of paper on a printer and went to investigate.
(Attached is what he found.)
He started to try and remove the pen, but I told him we don't have time for that now, just put a note on the printer telling folks not to use it and then report it to the Help Desk. So he grabbed a piece of paper and scrawled on it. I left before he finished the note.
About 20 minutes later, one of my techs came in laughing, saying he was Just in the lobby, saw a piece of paper on a printer and went to investigate.
(Attached is what he found.)
Tuesday, September 05, 2006
Element: Women
Symbol: WO+
Atomic mass: Accepted as 53.6 Kg; isotopes may vary from 40-200 kg.
Occurrence: Copious quantities in all urban areas.
Physical properties
1. Boils at room temperature
2. Freezes without any known reason.
3. Melts if given special treatment.
4. Bitter, if incorrectly used.
5. Sweet as Honey if given a proper treatment.
Chemical properties
1. Have great affinity for Gold, Silver and a range of precious stones and absorbs great quantities of expensive substances.
2. May explode spontaneously without prior warning and for no known reason.
3. Most powerful money reducing agent known to man.
Common uses
1. Highly ornamental, good samples can increase your social value.
2. Can be great aid to administration.
Tests
1. Pure specimen turns rosy pink when happy.
2. Turns green when placed behind a better specimen. (best Part)
Potential hazard
Illegal to possess more than one
Atomic mass: Accepted as 53.6 Kg; isotopes may vary from 40-200 kg.
Occurrence: Copious quantities in all urban areas.
Physical properties
1. Boils at room temperature
2. Freezes without any known reason.
3. Melts if given special treatment.
4. Bitter, if incorrectly used.
5. Sweet as Honey if given a proper treatment.
Chemical properties
1. Have great affinity for Gold, Silver and a range of precious stones and absorbs great quantities of expensive substances.
2. May explode spontaneously without prior warning and for no known reason.
3. Most powerful money reducing agent known to man.
Common uses
1. Highly ornamental, good samples can increase your social value.
2. Can be great aid to administration.
Tests
1. Pure specimen turns rosy pink when happy.
2. Turns green when placed behind a better specimen. (best Part)
Potential hazard
Illegal to possess more than one
Sunday, September 03, 2006
This is for those of you who hate exercising:
1. My grandmother started walking five miles a day when she was 60. She's 97 now and we don't know where the heck she is.
2. The only reason I would take up jogging is so that I could hear heavy breathing again.
3. I joined a health club last year, spent about 400 bucks. Haven't lost a pound. Apparently you have to show up.
4. I have to exercise in the morning before my brain figures out what I'm doing.
5. I don't exercise at all. If God meant us to touch our toes, he would have put them further up our body.
6. I like long walks, especially when they are taken by people who annoy me.
7. I have flabby thighs, but fortunately my stomach covers them.
8. The advantage of exercising every day is that you die healthier.
9. If you are going to try cross-country skiing, start with a small country.
10. I don't jog. It makes the ice jump right out of my glass.
2. The only reason I would take up jogging is so that I could hear heavy breathing again.
3. I joined a health club last year, spent about 400 bucks. Haven't lost a pound. Apparently you have to show up.
4. I have to exercise in the morning before my brain figures out what I'm doing.
5. I don't exercise at all. If God meant us to touch our toes, he would have put them further up our body.
6. I like long walks, especially when they are taken by people who annoy me.
7. I have flabby thighs, but fortunately my stomach covers them.
8. The advantage of exercising every day is that you die healthier.
9. If you are going to try cross-country skiing, start with a small country.
10. I don't jog. It makes the ice jump right out of my glass.
Saturday, September 02, 2006
Joke of the Day
Promotion Test
The colonel had three Second Lieutenants eligible for promotion. The problem was, he only had one First Lieutenant Slot available.
The colonel called the first candidate his office and said, "This is a promotion test. If I was to tell you that I wanted a flag pole erected in front of Post HQ by 1500, what would you do?"
The Lt. thought about it for a second, and said, "Sir. I would get a shovel, head for HQ and start digging. "
"You're not ready to be promoted," the Colonel interrupted.
The colonel asked the same question of the next candidate.
"Sir," said the next Lt., "I would fill out a CE work order, making sure I made provisions for the appropriate environmental study and . . . "
"You are definitely not ready to be promoted," the Colonel said.
The Colonel asked the question of the final candidate.
Without hesitation, the Lieutenant said, "Sir. I would call the First Sergeant, and say, "Top, I want a @#$#@ flag pole in front of HQ by 1500!"
"You're ready to be promoted," the Colonel said.
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Heaven and Hell
A holy man was having a conversation with the Lord one day and said," Lord, I would like to know what Heaven and Hell are like.
The Lord led the holy man to two doors. He opened one of the doors and the holy man looked in. In the middle of the room was a large round table. In the middle of the table was a large pot of stew which smelled delicious and made the holy man's mouth water. The people sitting around the table were thin and sickly. They appeared to be famished. They were holding spoons with very long handles and each found it possible to reach into the pot of stew and take a spoonful, but because the handle was longer than their arms, they could not get the spoons back into their mouths. The holy man shuddered at the sight of their misery and suffering. The Lord said, "You have seen Hell."
They went to the next room and opened the door. It was exactly the same as the first one. There was the large round table with the large pot of stew which made the holy man's mouth water. The people were equipped with the same long-handled spoons, but here the people were well nourished and plump, laughing and talking. The holy man said, "I don't understand"." It is simple said the Lord, "it requires but one skill. You see, they have learned to feed each other. While the greedy think only of themselves."
Moral: Its people's attitude that makes our place of work, a hell or heaven to them!! 'Help and Seek Help' this makes all the difference to each individual's life...and makes our lives hell or otherwise.
Success and happiness is all about effective team-work.....make it a great week ahead!!!.
The Lord led the holy man to two doors. He opened one of the doors and the holy man looked in. In the middle of the room was a large round table. In the middle of the table was a large pot of stew which smelled delicious and made the holy man's mouth water. The people sitting around the table were thin and sickly. They appeared to be famished. They were holding spoons with very long handles and each found it possible to reach into the pot of stew and take a spoonful, but because the handle was longer than their arms, they could not get the spoons back into their mouths. The holy man shuddered at the sight of their misery and suffering. The Lord said, "You have seen Hell."
They went to the next room and opened the door. It was exactly the same as the first one. There was the large round table with the large pot of stew which made the holy man's mouth water. The people were equipped with the same long-handled spoons, but here the people were well nourished and plump, laughing and talking. The holy man said, "I don't understand"." It is simple said the Lord, "it requires but one skill. You see, they have learned to feed each other. While the greedy think only of themselves."
Moral: Its people's attitude that makes our place of work, a hell or heaven to them!! 'Help and Seek Help' this makes all the difference to each individual's life...and makes our lives hell or otherwise.
Success and happiness is all about effective team-work.....make it a great week ahead!!!.
Friday, September 01, 2006
Interesting Facts about Colorado
- Many explanations have been given for the decline of the Pueblo culture. According to one of the most interesting, the people ground their grain in stone grinders; fine stone mixed with the meal, and their teeth were ground down until they no longer could eat.
- In 1936 in a unique ceremony, Middle Park officially became a part of the United States. The area supposedly had never been included in any of the cessions of territory to the federal government.
- Mining tycoon Auguste Rische was asked to donate a large chandelier to a church he financed. He refused, saying that he could not play a chandelier, and he thought no one else in the congregation could do so.
- Mrs. James J. (Molly) Brown, socialite wife of a Colorado mining tycoon, survived the sinking of the liner Titanic. She became famous as "the Unsinkable Molly Brown" in the Broadway hit of that name. Her home is now a Denver museum.
Read also interesting facts about Alaska Alabama Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware District of Columbia Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Massachusetts Maine Maryland Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Puerto Rico Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Virgin Islands Washington West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming













