Story: The Beggar
This is a TEACHING story – about speaking out and not bottling it up.
Read the story below
Along the city road sat a beggar who each day attempted to persuade passers-by to give him any spare coins that they may have. Now the people of the city were quite generous and they frequently took pity on the beggar, and on the whole he was able to collect enough money to feed himself.
However, there was one particular inhabitant of the city, a rich merchant, that the beggar had taken a real dislike to on account of the fact that he never gave the beggar anything. Each day the wealthy merchant, holding on tightly to a servant accompanying him, passed the beggar by without so much as a glance. Each day the beggar would work himself up into a fury and by the time the merchant appeared would be too angry to even speak.
This situation went on for some time until one day when the beggar, in desperation at having collected no money whatsoever, decided to confront the merchant and speak to him.
As the merchant appeared the beggar blocked his path and demanded that the merchant do his moral duty and help those less fortunate than himself.
The merchant seemed taken aback but soon collected himself. He let go of his servant and addressed the beggar and it was only then as the merchant came face to face with him, that the beggar saw that the merchant was blind. The merchant, on hearing of the beggar’s plight, was more than generous both on that day and forever more. And as for the beggar, he’d wished he’d spoken up a long time ago.
Mark Evans
