Pair Of Old Shoes

I’m still on email forwarding lists (ie Attila!) but every once in a while I get a great one (every 10 – 20 hehe). This one has caught my interest, a poem about a rich student who wants to play a joke on a poor farmer….only to realize the real meaning of life and giving.

Here goes:

Pair of Old Shoes

A young man, a student in one of the universities, was one day taking a
walk with a professor, who was commonly called the students’ friend for
his kindness to those who waited on his instructions.

As they went along, they saw lying in the path a pair of old shoes, which were supposed to belong to a poor man who was working in a field close by, and who had nearly finished his day’s work…

Student turned to the professor, saying: “Let us play a trick on the man, we will hide his shoes, and hide ourselves behind those bushes, and wait to see his perplexity when he cannot find them …”

“My young friend,” answered the professor, “we should never amuse
ourselves at the expense of the poor . . . you are rich, and may give
yourself a much greater pleasure by means of this poor man.

Put a coin in each shoe, and then we will hide ourselves and watch how
this affects him..” The student did so and they both placed themselves
behind the bushes close by. The poor man soon finished his work, and came across the field to the path where he had left his coat and shoes…

While putting on his coat he slipped his foot into one of his shoes, but
feeling something hard, he stooped down to feel what it was, and found
the coin. Astonishment and wonder were seen upon his countenance.
He gazed upon the coin, turned it around and looked at it again and
again.

He then looked around him on all sides, but no person was to be seen. He now put the money into his pocket, and proceeded to put on the other shoe; but his surprise was doubled on finding the other coin . . .

His feelings overcame him . . . He fell upon his knees, looked up to
heaven and uttered aloud a fervent thanksgiving in which he spoke of his wife, sick and helpless, and his children without bread, whom this timely bounty, from some unknown hand, would save them . . .

The student stood there deeply affected, and his eyes filled with tears.

“Now,” said the professor, “are you not much better pleased than if you
had played your intended trick?”

The youth replied, “You have taught me a lesson which I will never
forget. ..

I feel now the truth of these words, which I never understood before:
“It’s more blessed to give than to receive.”

Morale of the story : If you want happiness, help someone in need !!!

I think this is a great poem, especially being a Monday when most people dread going to work, etc.

We just make life too complicated too much, we have to see what the true meaning of life really is, and it really is about giving back….because we can’t keep anything when we die

We are just shadows and dust.