One sizzling hot summer’s day, an old brown donkey lay in a field that had once been grassy, but was now parched and scorched by the sun. The donkey wanted to find somewhere cool, but the only shade to be found was under a large willow tree that stood in one corner of the field.
The donkey stood and made his way over to the tree, moving slowly, so as not to become too exhausted. As he approached the tree, the donkey was shocked when one of the tree’s heavy boughs swished down to swat at the donkey.
“Stay away!” shouted the tree. This made the donkey back off a little and, when he was safely out of reach of the tree’s branches, he stopped and studied the tree with his big pleading eyes.
‘I only want to share some of your shade’ said the donkey. ‘It is very hot today and the flies are biting and driving me mad’. “You have a tail, don’t you?” said the tree. “What do you think that is for, if not to flick away the flies?”
The donkey thought this over and said, ‘Is that why you have branches, to flick away tired old donkeys?’ “Don’t be silly”, said the tree. “My branches are for stretching out into the sun, so that my leaves can gather in the sunlight to help me grow big and strong.”
‘But in doing so, your branches and leaves create shade beneath, and that costs you nothing ‘, replied the donkey. The tree thought about this for a brief time and then said, “You are right. Something that costs me nothing costs nothing to share. You are welcome to sit beneath my canopy and shade from the sun as much as you like”.
Bye and bye, in return, the donkey lifted his tail and shared his droppings, fertilising the soil beneath the tree and helping it to grow even bigger and stronger. This also cost the donkey nothing.
Tag Archives: Company
Rejection
What blade can cut, as some sharp look
What fire scorch, like a heated word
What frost chill, more than an ungiven hug
No sound louder than love’s plea unheard
She’s Gone
Wispa was our dear grey cat
Until one week ago
Now buried where she often sat
We really miss her so
She lit our lives and made our days
For nearly twenty years
How we laughed at her little ways
Sadly, now, there’s only tears
She was so ill, was fighting for breath
When we called in the local vet
Now, sadly, looking back at her death
Would we have her again? You bet!
A Brief History of Love
Seeing; liking; desiring;
talking; longing;
knowing; loving; living;
losing; hurting; mourning;
accepting.
Two Too Many
Alone, I marshal my thoughts, without hindrance or distraction
Singly, I right the world’s wrongs, bringing order to chaos
Selfishly, I revel in the lack of contradiction
Separately, I pine for company
Together, I need to fit in.