The family settled down for dinner at the restaurant. The waitress first took the order of the adults, then, turned to the seven-year –old.
“What will you have?” she asked.
The boy looked around the table timidly and said, “I would like to have a hot dog.”
Before the waitress could write down the order the mother interrupted. “No hot dogs,” she said. “Get him a steak with mashed potatoes and carrots.”
The waitress ignored her. “Do you want ketchup or mustard on your hot dog?” she asked the boy.
“Ketchup”
“Coming up in a minute,” said the waitress as she started for the kitchen.
There was a stunned silence when she left. Finally the boy looked at everyone present and said, “Know what? She thinks I’m real.”
Service
A beggar saw a banker coming out of his office and said, “Could you give me a dime, sir, for a cup of coffee?”
The banker felt sorry for this man who looked bedraggled and distraught. He said, “ Here’ s a dollar. Take it and have ten cups of coffee.”
The next day the beggar was there again at the steps of the banker’s office and as the banker came out, the beggar punched him.
“Hey,” said the banker. “What are you doing?”
“You and your lousy ten cups of coffee. They kept me awake the whole of last night!”
Authority
A centipede consulted the wise owl about the pain it felt in its legs.
Said the wise owl, “You have far too many legs! If you become a mouse you would have only four legs – and one-twenty-fourth the amount of pain.”
“That’s a very good idea,” said the centipede.
“Now show me how to become a mouse.”
“Don’t bother me with details of implementation,” said the owl. “I only make the policy in this place.”
The above tales are taken from the book “The Prayer of the Frog” written by Anthony de Mello, S.J. There is much wisdom in this book - silent teachings that awaken and transform us.
