The Tale of the Angry Boy

~bismillahi-Rahmani-Rahim~

There was once a little boy who was really grumpy. I mean, really, really grumpy. Always losing his temper and making tantrums. So one day, his father called him...

"Son, I have a task for you"

"Yes dad?"

"Here, take this," he said as he handed a hammer "for every time that you lose your temper, I want you to hammer a nail into that fence over there."

Starting that day, the boy did as he was told. Sometimes, he had to hammer in 10 nails. On better days, maybe just 5 or 7. But he even had up to 18 nails at one time. Hmmm... As time goes by, however, he noticed that the number of nails is steadily getting a rhythm... They're gradually decreasing!! No how did that happened? Well, the little boy had thought that holding on to his temper was far less troublesome than having to hammer nails into that thick fence.

Well, finally, he came to his father hammer in hand, beaming proudly.

"I don't need this anymore. I've passed a whole day without losing my temper!"

His father smiled

"Well done, son. But now I have another task for you. For every day that passes without you losing a temper once, take out a nail from that fence."

Obediently, the little boy follows the instruction. One by one... bit by bit... And at last, every single nail had been taken out already.

Again, he came proudly to his father.

"Dad, I did it"

"Come here, son"

His father took him to the fence. There, he lightly touched the marks and holes that were made by the nails.

"Look at these holes, my son. The fence will never be the same. When you say things in anger, they leave a scar just like this one. You can put a knife in a man and draw it out. It won't matter how many times you say "I'm sorry", the wound is still there. A verbal wound is as bad as a physical one. And might even be far worst. Family and friends are very rare jewels, indeed. They make you smile and encourage you to succeed. They lend an ear, they share words of praise and they always want to open their hearts to us."

La Taghdab :: Don't be angry ::