MissTaken
Biker Chick
- Joined
- Jun 30, 2001
- Posts
- 20,570
The Gift and the Giver,
the Rebel, the Thief,
and the Stranger and his Glue
The Giver was alone, and the Gift unused: the Giver felt lonely, and
sought
to find someone worthy of the Gift.
The Rebel came along and saw the Gift the Giver possessed, and
desired the
Gift for himself. Rather than ask the Giver for the Gift, or ask what
the
Giver wanted for the Gift, the Rebel decided that social rules did
not apply
to him, and simply said "Give me the gift."
The Giver knew that the Gift was fragile and would be destroyed if
mistreated, and did not trust the Rebel; for how many of those who
are
impolite are also delicate? But the Giver did not wish to offend, and
so said
to the Rebel "I am sorry, but this Gift is for someone else."
The Rebel grew angry and blustered "But I deserve the Gift. I am
special and
I deserve that things be given to me."
The Giver, glad to have trusted her first instinct, merely
repeated: "I am
sorry, but this Gift is for someone else."
And the Rebel, still complaining, went his way.
The Giver sat under a willow tree, contemplating the Gift and
wondering about
the qualities needed to really appreciate the Gift; as she was
sitting there
the sun and the breeze and the sound of the creek below lulled her
into a
doze.
The Thief, who had overheard the Rebel and the Giver, was waiting for
just
this moment. Dashing out from behind a nearby bush, he made a grab
for the
Gift; grasping it he started to run away.
However, the Giver was awakened by this and reached out to stop the
Thief.
"Give that back!" cried the Giver. "It is not yours! You have no
right!" So
saying, she reached out, trying to retrieve the Gift.
The Thief said "I do not care if it was not mine, I have possession
of it so
it is now my property." And so saying, he pulled again at the Gift,
hoping to
wrench it from the Giver.
In the ensuing struggle, the Gift was fouled, battered, and broken.
The
Thief, deciding he did not want a damaged Gift, finally let go and
said "You
keep it; it is now worthless."
The Giver cried at the state of the Gift, which she had hoped to find
someone
worthy of; it was dirty, pieces were missing and scattered in the
grass
around her, and the intact parts were bent and dented. She began to
believe
the Thief's assessment of the Gift: perhaps it no longer mattered who
it
belonged to, worthless as it was.
But then she noticed that her tears made clean streaks on the Gift as
they
fell, and she thought that perhaps if some of it could be cleaned,
all of it
could; perhaps she could make her Gift have worth once again. She
took the
Gift and its broken pieces to the creek, where she began to wash
them.
The Gift was easy to clean, but in trying to wash the pieces that had
been
broken from it, the Giver lost one. She began to lose hope again. Yet
she was
still determined to try to repair the Gift.
Hours passed as she fit pieces back together where they would stay.
Some
pieces she could not make stay, however. From behind her, a
voice: "Perhaps
this Glue could help you mend your Gift". She turned to see a
Stranger,
holding a small tube of Glue. She took the Glue and thanked the
Stranger,
then finished repairing her Gift with the Stranger's Glue.
When she turned to give the Glue back to the Stranger, he was gone.
She
thought to herself that this Stranger had thought her Gift worthy
enough to
donate his Glue, and not even demand payment, nor even ask for the
Glue to be
returned. Perhaps her Gift had worth after all.
And as she sat and contemplated her Gift, she realized that the
Stranger was
the type of person who would neither ask nor demand a Gift, nor would
he
take, but rather he would give. And she thought to herself that the
Stranger
was a Giver too. And who better to appreciate a Gift but a Giver?
So she sought out the Stranger, and when she found him, she tried to
return
the Glue to him. He thanked her, but said that she should keep the
Glue, in
case the Gift should break again.
And the Giver said "In that case, you should accept the Glue, for I
wish to
give the Gift to you." And so saying, she placed the Gift in the
Stranger's
hands.
The Stranger looked at the Gift, and said "This is too precious; I do
not
know if I can take care of this Gift." The Giver said "I believe that
you
can, and I will stay with you and help you care for the Gift when you
falter."
So the Stranger and the Giver took the Gift together, sharing in it
and
sharing it, and held it as an example for all to see.
~Author Unknown~
the Rebel, the Thief,
and the Stranger and his Glue
The Giver was alone, and the Gift unused: the Giver felt lonely, and
sought
to find someone worthy of the Gift.
The Rebel came along and saw the Gift the Giver possessed, and
desired the
Gift for himself. Rather than ask the Giver for the Gift, or ask what
the
Giver wanted for the Gift, the Rebel decided that social rules did
not apply
to him, and simply said "Give me the gift."
The Giver knew that the Gift was fragile and would be destroyed if
mistreated, and did not trust the Rebel; for how many of those who
are
impolite are also delicate? But the Giver did not wish to offend, and
so said
to the Rebel "I am sorry, but this Gift is for someone else."
The Rebel grew angry and blustered "But I deserve the Gift. I am
special and
I deserve that things be given to me."
The Giver, glad to have trusted her first instinct, merely
repeated: "I am
sorry, but this Gift is for someone else."
And the Rebel, still complaining, went his way.
The Giver sat under a willow tree, contemplating the Gift and
wondering about
the qualities needed to really appreciate the Gift; as she was
sitting there
the sun and the breeze and the sound of the creek below lulled her
into a
doze.
The Thief, who had overheard the Rebel and the Giver, was waiting for
just
this moment. Dashing out from behind a nearby bush, he made a grab
for the
Gift; grasping it he started to run away.
However, the Giver was awakened by this and reached out to stop the
Thief.
"Give that back!" cried the Giver. "It is not yours! You have no
right!" So
saying, she reached out, trying to retrieve the Gift.
The Thief said "I do not care if it was not mine, I have possession
of it so
it is now my property." And so saying, he pulled again at the Gift,
hoping to
wrench it from the Giver.
In the ensuing struggle, the Gift was fouled, battered, and broken.
The
Thief, deciding he did not want a damaged Gift, finally let go and
said "You
keep it; it is now worthless."
The Giver cried at the state of the Gift, which she had hoped to find
someone
worthy of; it was dirty, pieces were missing and scattered in the
grass
around her, and the intact parts were bent and dented. She began to
believe
the Thief's assessment of the Gift: perhaps it no longer mattered who
it
belonged to, worthless as it was.
But then she noticed that her tears made clean streaks on the Gift as
they
fell, and she thought that perhaps if some of it could be cleaned,
all of it
could; perhaps she could make her Gift have worth once again. She
took the
Gift and its broken pieces to the creek, where she began to wash
them.
The Gift was easy to clean, but in trying to wash the pieces that had
been
broken from it, the Giver lost one. She began to lose hope again. Yet
she was
still determined to try to repair the Gift.
Hours passed as she fit pieces back together where they would stay.
Some
pieces she could not make stay, however. From behind her, a
voice: "Perhaps
this Glue could help you mend your Gift". She turned to see a
Stranger,
holding a small tube of Glue. She took the Glue and thanked the
Stranger,
then finished repairing her Gift with the Stranger's Glue.
When she turned to give the Glue back to the Stranger, he was gone.
She
thought to herself that this Stranger had thought her Gift worthy
enough to
donate his Glue, and not even demand payment, nor even ask for the
Glue to be
returned. Perhaps her Gift had worth after all.
And as she sat and contemplated her Gift, she realized that the
Stranger was
the type of person who would neither ask nor demand a Gift, nor would
he
take, but rather he would give. And she thought to herself that the
Stranger
was a Giver too. And who better to appreciate a Gift but a Giver?
So she sought out the Stranger, and when she found him, she tried to
return
the Glue to him. He thanked her, but said that she should keep the
Glue, in
case the Gift should break again.
And the Giver said "In that case, you should accept the Glue, for I
wish to
give the Gift to you." And so saying, she placed the Gift in the
Stranger's
hands.
The Stranger looked at the Gift, and said "This is too precious; I do
not
know if I can take care of this Gift." The Giver said "I believe that
you
can, and I will stay with you and help you care for the Gift when you
falter."
So the Stranger and the Giver took the Gift together, sharing in it
and
sharing it, and held it as an example for all to see.
~Author Unknown~
