The Stonecutter

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

One day, he passed a wealthy merchant's house and through the open
gateway 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, 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 soon a high official, carried
everywhere in his embroidered sedan chai, feared and hated by the people
all around, who had to be bowed down before the procession, came by. "How
powerful that official is!" he thought. "I wish that i could be a big
official!"

Then he became the high official, carried everywhere in his
embroidered sedan chai, 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!"

Then he became the sun, shining fiercely down on everyone,
scorching the fields, cursed by the farmers and laborers. But a huge
black cloud 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!"

Then 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 though. "I wish that I could be the wind!"

Then he became the wind, blowing tiles off the roofs 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!"

Then 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 felt himself being changed. "What could be
more powerful than I, the stone?" he thought. He looked down and saw far
below him the figure of a stonecutter.


Be content in what you have and who you are...
alx