InspirEmail

InspirEmail No 191 - Sepember 27, 2010 - The Stonecutter's Wish
'Inspirational messages to refresh the spirit and boost the emotional bank account'

The Stonecutter's Wish

There was once a stonecutter who was very dissatisfied with himself and in particular with his position in life.

One day, he passed a wealthy merchant's house, and through the open gateway he saw many fine possessions and important visitors. 'How powerful that merchant must be!' thought the stonecutter. He became very envious and wished that he could be like the merchant. Then he would no longer have to live the life of a mere stonecutter.

To his great surprise his wish was granted and he suddenly became the merchant, enjoying more luxuries and power than he had ever dreamed of, envied and detested by those less wealthy than himself. But one day a high official passed by, carried in a sedan chair, accompanied by attendants, and escorted by soldiers beating gongs. Everyone, no matter how wealthy, had to bow low before the procession. 'How powerful that official is!' he thought. 'I wish that I could be a high official!'

Again to his great surprise his wish was granted and he became the high official, carried everywhere in his embroidered sedan chair, feared and hated by the people all around, who had to bow down before him as he passed. It was a hot summer day, and the official felt very uncomfortable in the sticky sedan chair. He looked up at the sun. It shone proudly in the sky, unaffected by his presence. 'How powerful the sun is!' he thought. 'I wish that I could be the sun!'

And guess what his wish was granted and he became the sun, shining fiercely down on everyone, scorching the fields, cursed by the farmers and labourers. But a huge black cloud then moved between him and the earth, so that his light could no longer shine on everything below. 'How powerful that storm cloud is!' he thought. 'I wish that I could be a cloud.'

Again his wish was granted and he became the cloud, flooding the fields and villages, shouted at by everyone. But soon he found that he was being pushed away by some great force, and realized that it was the wind. 'How powerful it is!' he thought. 'I wish that I could be the wind!'

His wish was granted and he became the wind, blowing tiles off the rooves of houses, uprooting trees, hated and feared by all below him. But after a while, he ran up against something that would not move, no matter how forcefully he blew against it - a huge, towering stone. 'How powerful that stone is!' he thought. 'I wish that I could be a stone.'

So it was that his wish was granted and he became the stone, more powerful than anything else on earth. But as he stood there, he heard the sound of a hammer pounding a chisel into the solid rock, and he felt himself being changed. 'What could be more powerful than I, the stone?' he asked himself.

He looked down and saw below him the figure of a stonecutter.

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Two stonecutters were asked what they were doing.
The first said, 'I'm cutting this stone into blocks.'
The second replied, 'I'm on a team that's building a cathedral'
Author Unknown

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A monthly positive inspirational story and quote to refresh your spirit and boost the emotional bank account. InspirEmail was first published in November 2005 and each issue can be viewed in the Archived InspirEmail Directory located below the latest issue of InspirEmail


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