The Stone
A wise woman who was traveling in the mountains found
a precious stone in a stream. The next day she met another
traveler who was hungry, and the wise woman opened her bag
to share her food. The hungry traveler saw the precious stone
and asked the woman to give it to him.
She did so without hesitation.
The traveler left rejoicing in his good fortune. He knew the stone
was worth enough to give him security for a lifetime. But, a few
days later, he came back to return the stone to the wise woman.
"I've been thinking," he said.
"I know how valuable this stone is, but I give it back in the hope
that you can give me something even more precious.
Give me what you have within you
that enabled you to give me this stone."
-- Author unknown