The Holes On The Fence

Amit was a 12-year-old boy. He was the fourth son. He lived in a big house which was built long ago by his ancestors. Unlike his brothers and sisters, he was a very short-tempered fellow and got irritated quite easily. Many times when he lost in games, he would whine and curse everyone hurting their feelings. His parents were worried about his nature and were concerned about his character as it is always said if character is lost everything is lost.

One day, his father decided to make him aware of his misbehaviour towards society. He called his son and gave him a bag of nails along with a hammer. He said, " Son, I am assigning you a task. Whenever you get angry, hammer a nail onto the fence without saying any words to the person who has irritated you. But remember, the lesser the nails, the better the results." Amit obeyed his father and promised to abide to his words.

From the next day onwards, he started carrying out his promise. On the first day, he had hammered nearly fifty-six nails which gradually reduced as he learned to control his temper. When his father noticed the change, he praised him and said, "Well done! Now listen to your next task, whenever someone makes you happy, you must remove a nail." Amit did as he was asked to do and returned to his father with the same bag full of nails in less than six months.

On this, his father remarked "Do you see those holes on the fence? When you hammered a nail, it made a hole. Similarly, when you say words that hurt others' feelings, it makes a hole in their heart. Hence, you must always think carefully before you say something for words are as sharp as arrows that can pierce through one and hurt them badly."