The Softness of Water

Book excerpt: A collection of short stories and fairy tales for the young and the young at heart... The "Tao te Ching" is a collection of ancient Chinese writings, said to have been written by Lao Tzu some 2,500 years ago. Lao Tzu (meaning "old master") was a contemporary of Confucious, and although the authorship of the Tao (Meaning "the Way") is sometimes disputed, the text itself is incredibly insightful and just as relevant to the human journey now as it was 2,500 years ago. For each of the stories in The Softness of Water one favourite verse was taken from the Tao as its inspiration, and a tale was woven to embody the meaning of that verse. The title, "The Softness of Water" comes from the 78th verse of the Tao which says, "Nothing in the world is softer and weaker than water, but for attacking the hard, unyielding, nothing can surpass it. There is nothing like it. The weak overcomes the strong. The soft surpasses the hard."