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WITandWISDOM(tm) - September 23, 2002 ISSN 1538-8794 ~~~~~~~ THOUGHTS: Life is made up of small pleasures. Happiness is made up of those tiny successes. The big ones come too infrequently. And if you don't collect all these tiny successes, the big ones don't really mean anything." - Norman Lear ~~~~~~~ SPECIAL THOUGHTS: There was a school with a class of students no teacher had been able to handle. Two or three teachers had been run off from this school in one year by the unruly students. A young man, just out of college, heard about the class and he applied to the school. The principal asked the young man, "Do you not know what you are asking for? No one has been able to handle these students. You are just asking for a terrible beating." After a few moments of silent prayer, the young man looked at the principal and said, "Sir, with your consent I accept the challenge. Just give me a trial basis." The next morning the young man stood before the class. He said to the class, "Young people, I came here today to conduct school. But I realize I can't do it by myself. I must have your help." One big boy, they called Big Tom, in the back of the room whispered to his buddies, "I'll not need any help. I can lick that little bird all by myself." The young teacher told the class that if they were to have school, there will have to be some rules to go by. But he also added that he will allow the students to make up the rules, that he would list them on the blackboard. This was certainly different, the students thought! One young man suggested "NO STEALING." Another one shouted "BE ON TIME FOR CLASS." Pretty soon they had 10 rules listed on the board. The teacher had then asked the class what the punishment should be for breaking these rules. "Rules are no good unless they are enforced," he said. Someone in the class suggested that if the rules were broken, they should receive 10 licks with a rod across their back with their coat off. The teacher thought that was pretty harsh, so he asked the class if they would stand by this punishment. The class agreed. Everything went pretty good for two or three days. Then Big Tom came in one day very upset. He declared that someone had stolen his lunch. After talking with the students, they came to the conclusion that little Timmy had stolen Big Tom's lunch. Someone had seen little Timmy with Big Tom's lunch! The teacher called little Timmy up to the front of the room. Little Timmy admitted he had taken Big Tom's lunch. So the teacher asked him, "Do you know the punishment? Little Timmy nodded that he did. "You must remove your coat, then," the teacher instructed. The little fellow had come with a great big coat on. Little Timmy said to the teacher, "I am guilty and I am willing to take my punishment, but please don't make me take off my coat." The teacher reminded little Timmy of the rules and punishments and again told him he must remove his coat and take his punishment like a man. The little fellow started to unbutton that old coat. As he did so, the teacher saw he did not have a shirt on under the coat. And even worse, he saw a frail and bony frame hidden beneath that coat. The teacher asked little Timmy why he had come to school without a shirt on. Little Timmy replied, "My daddy's dead and my Mother is very poor. I don't have but one shirt, and my mother is washing it today. I wore big brother's coat so' to keep warm." That young teacher stood and looked at the frail back the ribs sticking out, the spine protruding against the skin. He wondered how he could lay a rod on that little back and without even a shirt on. Still, he knew he must enforce the punishment or the children would not obey the rules. So he drew back to strike little Timmy. Just then Big Tom stood up and came down the aisle. He asked, "Is there anything that says I can't take little Timmy's whipping for him?" The teacher thought about it and agreed. With that Big Tom ripped his coat off and stooped and stood over little Timmy at the desk. Hesitatingly the teacher began to lay the rod on that big back. But for some strange reason, after only five licks that old rod just broke in half. The young teacher buried his face in his hands and began to sob. He heard a commotion and looked up to find not even one dry eye in the room. Little Timmy had turned and grabbed Big Tom around the neck, apologizing to him for stealing his lunch, begging his forgiveness. Little Timmy begged Big Tom to forgive him. He told Big Tom that he would love him till the day he died for taking his whipping for him. "He Took My Licking," A Parable Author Unknown A short film has been made of this story. More information can be found at: http://www.celestialentertainment.com/htmlVid.htm Sub mitted by Torry P Edwards ~~~~~~~ THIS & THAT: An old fellow came into the hospital truly on death's door due to an infected gallbladder. The surgeon who removed the gallbladder was adamant that his patients be up and walking in the hall the day after surgery, to help prevent blood clots forming in the leg veins. The nurses walked the patient in the hall as ordered. On the third day they had the old fellow up and the nurse told how he complained bitterly each time they did. The surgeon told them to keep walking him, no matter what. After two weeks, the patient was ready to go home. His family came to pick him up and thanked the surgeon profusely for what he had done for their father, telling him he was a miracle worker. The surgeon was pleased and appreciated the thanks, but told them that it was really a simple operation and that they had been lucky to get him into the hospital in time. "Oh no, doctor, you don't understand," they said, "Our father hasn't walked in over a year!" Source: Colorado Comments, http://coloradocomments.com/ ~~~~~~~ KEEP SMILING: A husband went to buy a birthday gift for his wife. Some friends had been invited over that night to celebrate her fortieth, and he wanted to get something special. At the store he spotted some cute little music boxes. One blue one was playing "Happy Birthday." Thinking they were all the same, he chose a red one and had it gift-wrapped. Later, at dinner, he gave it to his wife and asked her to open it. When she lifted the lid, out came the tune to "The Old Gray Mare, She Ain't What She Used to Be!" Source: Colorado Comments, http://coloradocomments.com/ ~~~~~~~ TRIVIA: Although according to David Livingstone's diary the pelican is a very wise bird, it is also a rather foolish one. The large beak of the pelican makes a fine fishing apparatus. But the fish hawk is more clever. The hawk doesn't bother to do the fishing himself. He waits until he sees a pelican with a good catch, then with a terrific screech he swoops down by the successful fisherbird. The pelican, frightened by the terrifying sound of his attacker, opens his beak in alarm. The fish hawk snatches the fish from the pelican's open beak and makes off. This apparently has been going on for centuries. The trouble with the pelican is that he has never learned to keep his mouth shut! Source: 501 Illustrations, By Robert H. Pierson, Copyright (c) 1965, Southern Publishing Association, Nashville, Tennessee, USA |