※1 A couple had three children. Two of them were bright, smart, and handsome!
but the third child was dull, ugly, and backward.
One day the hubby got suspicious and asked,
Tell me the truth, dear. Is this third child really mine?
Yes, dear, replied the wife, but the other two are not.

※2 A couple came upon a wishing well.
The husband leaned over, made a wish and threw in a penny.
The wife decided to make a wish, too.
But she leaned over too much, fell into the well, and drowned.
The husband was stunned for a while but then smiled and said, It really works!
※3 During their silver anniversary,
A wife reminded her husband,
Do you remember when you proposed to me,
I was so overwhelmed that I didn t talk for an hour?
The hubby replied : Yes, honey, that was the happiest hour of my life.

※4 The Old Man Who Lost His Horse

There was once an old man who lived with his only son at the border of the state. They were fond of horses and often let them graze freely in the meadow.

One time a servant reported to the old man, "A horse is missing! It must have gone into the neighbouring state."

His friends felt sorry for him, but the old man was not bothered at all by the loss. As a matter of fact, he said, "Who knows! The loss may bring us good fortune!"
※5 a few months later, a strange thing happened. Not onl did the missing horse return home safely, it also brought back with it a fine horse from the neighbouring state.

When his friends heard the new, they congratulated the old man on his good luck. But the old man said, "Who knows! This may bring us ill fortune!"
One day, when the old man's son was riding the fine horse, he accidentally fell off the horse, broke his leg, and was crippled.

※6Many friends came to comfort the old man, but the old man was njot the least disturbed by the accident. "Who knows! This may bring us good fortune after all!" he said.

A year later, when the neighbouring state sent troops across the border, all the young and strong men were drafted to fight the invaders, and most of them got killed. The old man's son was not drafted because he was crippled and so his life was spared.

※7 From interfering to molly-coddling, mothers-in-law have long been accused of making life a misery. But their daughters-in-law may now be exacting revenge.
Research shows women who are cared for by their son’s wife in later life fare less well than those looked after by their own daughter.
※8In fact, the set-up is so unhealthy an elderly woman would be better off living by herself.
The Japanese researchers believe the friction in the mother and daughter-in-law relationships is at the heart of their results. The two women traditionally are fighting for the affections of the same man, and years of arguments finally take their toll.
※9During the four-year study, the scientists tracked almost 200 elderly Japanese men and women, the journal BMC Geriatrics reports.
Analysis revealed living with a son and his wife to be highly detrimental to a woman’s health. A woman cared for by her daughter-in-law was twice as likely to have died as one who lived with her daughter.
※10The University of Tsukuba researchers said：’These findings are provocative in that they suggest a survival disadvantage for women who are cared for by their daughters-in-law, that is a daughter-in-law"penalty".’