The cost of a thing is the amount of what I call life which is required to be exchanged for it, immediately or in the long run.

– Thoreau

Contemplation for an hour is better than formal worship for sixty years.

- Mohammed

Once upon a time there was an old woman. Of course, you've seen old women go beg­ging before. Well, this woman begged too, and whenever she got something, she said, "May God reward you." Now, this beggar woman came to a door where a friendly young rascal was warming himself inside by a fire. As she stood shivering at the door the young­­ster spoke kindly to the old woman, "Come in, grandma, and warm yourself"

She entered but went too close to the fire so that her old rags began to burn without her noticing it. The youngster stood there and watched. He should have put out the fire, don't you think? And even if there was no water at hand, he should have wept out all the water in his body through his eyes. That would have made for two nice streams of water, and with that he could have extinguished the fire.

- The Brothers Grimm