Theme : Wrong judgments
Short story 02
GUILT
This story is adopted from a Taoist Tale from China.
This story belongs to a time when humanity existed in the midst of nature. The dry wood was the source of fuel that mankind needed.
Professional wood cutters went into the forests, cut dry wood from the trees and sold to others in the community.
Every house had a store-room for wood.
Almost every male member was a wood cutter. Women did the job in the absence of men. Like software professionals of today, wood cutters were in great demand.
Let us see a story in a typical house where there would be no space between houses. A simple wooden fence marked the boundaries.
Every backyard had a hay stack and cattle. In addition, a shed where the cut and uncut wood are stored, as it is the vital source of energy for people of that time.
One fine morning, the owner of the ‘house A’ went to his backyard to cut some wood for his family.
He went straight to his shed where the uncut wood was stored.
He discovered that his favorite axe was missing. He couldn’t find it in the place where he normally kept.
Then he casually looked around and noticed that his neighbor’s son was standing near the woodshed in his house.
It should be a curse on the humanity that everyone quarrels with their neighbors. Jesus advised people to be friendly with neighbors.
The situation has not changed even after
2000 years !
As with any other household, the relationship of people of ‘house A’, was not cordial with their neighbor. They had quarreled on some petty issues in the past.
It was easy for him to suspect that boy next door must have stolen his axe, as an act of revenge. He felt that the boy was watching him from his backyard and enjoying himself of his plight.
He went inside his house and picked-up his spare axe and completed the day’s task. The days rolled-by.
A few days later, the woodcutter was surprised and happy to come upon the axe under a pile of firewood.
“I remember now,” he said to himself, “this is where I left it !”
The next time he saw his neighbor’s son, at his back yard, he noticed that the boy had lost his guilty looks.
It is our misjudgement we see guilt everywhere except in us.
Let us read another story from modern times!
I have heard of several versions of this story in different situations. The common aspect among all is the misjudgement.