Peace

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PEACE

There once was a King who offered a prize to the artist who would

paint the best

picture of peace. Many artists tried. The King looked at all the

pictures, but there

were only two he really liked, and he had to choose between them.

 

One picture was of a calm lake. The lake was a perfect mirror for the

peaceful

towering mountains all around it. Overhead was a blue sky with fluffy

white clouds.

 

All who saw this picture thought that it was a perfect picture of

peace.The second

picture had mountains, too. But these were rugged and bare. Above was

an angry

sky from which rain fell, and in which lightening played. Down the

side of the

mountain tumbled a foaming waterfall. This did not look peaceful at

all. But when

the King looked, he saw behind the waterfall a tiny bush growing in a

crack in the

rock. In the bush a mother bird had built her nest. There, in the

midst of the rush

of angry water, sat the mother bird on her nest.... a picture of

perfect peace.

 

Which of the pictures won the prize? The King chose the second

picture. Do you

know why? " Because, " explained the King, " peace does not mean to be

in a place

where there is no noise, trouble or hard work. Peace means to be in

the midst of

all those things and still be calm in your heart. That is the real

meaning of peace. "