Vishal Khandelwal - Two Wise Men: Stories for Children Inspired from the Wit and Wisdom of Warren Buffett and Charlie Munger

TWO WISE MEN

40 Stories for Children Inspired from the Wit and Wisdom
of
Warren Buffett and Charlie Munger

VISHAL KHANDELWAL S. B. VALLARI

SAFALNIVESHAK.COM

Image Source: Poor Charlies Almanack

This book is
compiled and gifted to book-lovers by
The Rddler

~ Dedication ~

To all the beautiful children
who have inspired this book and will now read it.
You make the world magical.

To Warren Buffett and Charlie Munger

It is our choices, Harry, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities.

~ J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

Listen to the MUSTN'TS, child. Listen to the DON'TS. Listen to the SHOULDN'TS, the IMPOSSIBLES, the WON'TS. Listen to the NEVER HAVES, then listen close to me... Anything can happen, child. Anything can be.

~ Shel Silverstein, Where the Sidewalk Ends

Watch with glittering eyes the whole world around you, because the greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places. Those who don't who don't believe in magic will never find it.

~ Roald Dahl, The Minpins

Dear Young Believer,

In July 2016, Bill Gates, the co-founder of Microsoft and now a philanthropist, wrote a memoir on his 25 years of friendship with Warren Buffett, the worlds best investor ever and one of the most-followed businessmen.

Here is how Gates started his memoir

I dont remember the exact day I first met most of my friends, but with Warren Buffett I do. It was 25 years ago today: July 5, 1991.

I think the date stands out in my mind so clearly because it marked the beginning of a new and unexpected friendship for Melinda and meone that has changed our lives for the better in every imaginable way.

Warren has helped us do two things that are impossible to overdo in one lifetime: learn more and laugh more.

That last note caught my attention. Including the two lessons that Gates learned from Buffett, there are four most important lessons I have learned from studying the latter and his partner Charlie Munger over the past 15+ years.

One, the importance of being a lifelong learner. Two, keep my life simple. Three, closely guard my character and reputation. Four, not take life too seriously and stay happy always. These are apart from the hundreds of lessons I have learned from these two wise men on how to be sensible with my money.

However, when it comes to passing on these lessons to children, I always found one thing lacking - stories that would convey these lessons to children in the language they understood, or stories that parents and teachers could use to pass the invaluable lessons from Buffett and Munger to children in the language they loved.

Thus was born the idea of creating this book that contains a lot of such stories that would pass on the lessons on life, career, relationship, money and behaviour from these two wise men to children.

The stories you would read in this book have been coauthored by my friend S.B. Vallari and me. Vallari is a fiction writer based in India. Her current focus is on writing short stories for children and young adults.

You see, the current state of our lives is largely a direct result of the stories we tell ourselves, and what we really believe is possible - not what we say is possible, but what we believe deep down in our core.

If we change the limiting stories we tell ourselves, we will be able to change our lives for the better. The stories you read in this book are non-limiting, simply because underlying them are thoughts from two of the wisest men in the world living today that have helped them become so wise.

Of course, you will learn the lessons you most need only when you are ready for them. So, read these stories, and re-read them, because they will help you immensely when you are ready to use the lessons contained in them to make yourself wiser and happier.

I have benefited a lot from the wit and wisdom of Buffett and Munger. I am sure you would too.

Heres to your happiness and wisdom.

Love,

Vishal

Safalniveshak.com

Hello! How are you doing today?

I am sitting in my bed and writing this to tell you that I have begun a book. A book that I have wanted to write for a long time now. It just so happens that I have begun writing it on my birthday.

I got some money for my birthday this time. I am so excited to receive three thousand rupees on my thirteenth birthday. I have never been given money before for my birthday. And why I got money instead of presents today also has a story. I am going to tell you this story before I begin my book.

It all started when a long time ago, my Papa came home one day from office. As he took off his shoes and tie and sat down on the sofa without even talking to us, my mom looked at me and put her finger to her lips.

Shhhhhhhh, Mummy told me softly, Papa is tired. Leave him alone today.

I looked at Papa turning on the TV to his favourite news channel.

No, hes not! I told my mom. He is going to watch news now. I ran and climbed into his lap.

Papa pushed me away a little. Not now, Keshav, he said. Go and sleep now. It is past your bedtime.

I am not feeling sleepy Papa. And you promised you would tell me about the thing that happened yesterday. I remember what its called, a scam, right Papa? I asked him, pulling his shirt.

Papa looked at Mummy. Instead of bedtime stories, he wants to know what is a scam! Why did Sameer Rai go to jail? Why has the Prime Minister declared a war on corruption? What is black money? Why did an award winner make fake money?

My mom smiled. Papa continued, He still has two or three teeth left in his mouth that need falling out. How do I make him understand how to behave and act sensibly? How do I help him understand the true value and worth of money?

I didn't understand what Papa said to Mummy. How were the remaining three teeth in my mouth that had to fall out so that I got new ones related to what I was asking him? I kept quiet. Mummy was saying something to Papa.

Papa was shaking his head. At least try, Vijay, Mummy said.

Papa looked at her and flung his hands in the air. Okay, done. After all, theres nothing to lose, is there? Lets see how much he understands. Itll be good for me too.

He came towards me, lifted me up and said, Come Keshav, let me tell you a story before you go to bed.

He pulled out a big, fat book from the shelf in the drawing room and we walked to my room.

He waved at Mummy. Good night, Mummy! I wished her. Come join us when you finish your work.

Please enjoy yourselves, she smiled and replied. I have too much work to do.

Okay, Papa said. Okay, I said.