Welcome back, everyone to 1001 classic short stories and tales.

This is your host and storyteller, John Haggadorn.

Today, a double play from Rudyard Kipling, beginning with actually a poem, first one we've ever done that I can recall,

which is not named, but we'll call it courage. And we'll begin with that. It's very, very good

advice for all our leaders. If you can keep your head when all about you

are losing theirs and blaming it on you. If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,

but make allowance for their doubting too. If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,

or being lied about, don't deal in lies,

or being hated, don't give way to hating,

and yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise.

If you can dream and not make dreams your master,

if you can think and not make thoughts your aim,

if you can meet with triumph and disaster,

and treat those two impostors just the same,

if you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken,

twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,

or watch the things you gave your life to broken,

and stoop and build them up with worn-out tools.

If you can make one heap of all your winnings,

and risk it on one turn of pitch and toss,

and lose and start again at your beginnings,

and never breathe a word about your loss.

...