The Elephant and the Orangutan
At the annual conference of the Pan-Phylum Prehensility Society of Southeast Asia, an elephant delivered a much-anticipated keynote address, entitled Magnitude and Manipulation: The Pachyderm Approach. He began by exclaiming "Flexibility is queen of the evolutionary arts! Not only can the elephant's trunk bend in any direction at any point but it handles liquids, solids and gas!" In the second row, an Orangutan drummed on her desk with twenty fingers and toes, and wondered what life would be like with a tail.
PREHENSILE, adj. Adapted for self-expression and theft.
PREHENSILE, adj. Adapted for self-expression and theft.
The Two Monks
Once upon a time, two monks named Abba Abercrombie and Abba Nelson crossed paths in the desert, days from any stream or spring. Abba Abercrombie offered Abba Nelson the last of his water. Abba Nelson gratefully drank, and asked Abba Abercrombie how to repay the kindness.
"It is a greater kindness to accept hospitality than to give it. It is I who is in your debt." Abba Abercrombie explained.
"But, if you had been thirsty and I had water would you have taken the last of it?" Abba Nelson inquired, worried that he had left his new friend in jeopardy.
"No, brother," the holy man answered, "for I was taught that where kindness kills, it is better to steal." and he left with the younger monk's food and his debt repaid.
CONSIDERATION, n. The mental manufacture of fellowship and alibi.
"It is a greater kindness to accept hospitality than to give it. It is I who is in your debt." Abba Abercrombie explained.
"But, if you had been thirsty and I had water would you have taken the last of it?" Abba Nelson inquired, worried that he had left his new friend in jeopardy.
"No, brother," the holy man answered, "for I was taught that where kindness kills, it is better to steal." and he left with the younger monk's food and his debt repaid.
CONSIDERATION, n. The mental manufacture of fellowship and alibi.
16 comments:
what? wow... i have to say (because i'm speechless to find this posted so early)...
first.
woot for me... (and for our little Penguin, who's still MIA, but has been sighted somewhere in Germany). ; )
We are so kind to allow humans to care for us.
Good thing that Monk did not have a Prehensile.....*shudder* ...who knows what would have happened...
No,no!!! don't read anything into this. Not worth your Consideration ;>
To show my consideration for you and all your readers, I am not going to tell the joke that the first fable reminds me of.
(To show my consideration and also because you failed to pay the joke retainer.)
heh. i was so pleased with myself for being first i forgot to come back and actually comment on these two fine tail...er tales.
needless to say, i thought they were both grand. tho' i confess it took me a moment to properly grasp and/or appreciate the deeper meaning of the first and/or the deceptive depths of the second. ; )
well done on both counts! : )
Ahhh...Doug Life Lessons. How considerate of you.
While the animals dream of thumbs, I while away the hours conferring with the flowers and consulting with the rain ..."
I LOVE fables ... because they usually include some kind of animal. HA HA - that is a funny thing about the elephant's trunk. I never thought about it quite in that way before.
I like the way monks think. I shall consider learning from them.
I thought for sure that Abercrombie guy would meet up with a guy named Fitch, but alas, it was not so.
Elephants trunks are flexible indeed, but orangutans have great hair.
The shepherd who loseth one sheep out of the flock of a hundred will leave the rest and go to seek the straying one. Luke 15:4
Jamie Dawn, like the Good Shepherd, always looks out for those who stray. Selah.
BTW, Douglas, my brother and I have done this religiousy-biblical-spiritual kind of talk ALL OUR LIVES. It was our way of mocking those we saw at church or on TV who were very mockable. We write emails in the form of prohecies or sermons or using King James biblical lingo. It's fun!
God be with thee, my blog buddy.
Neva, and here I was worried about your tail.
Icy, you are an indulgent dog.
Mo'a, I'm scandalized! It's all just sex to you, isn't it?
"Suffer," TLP?
Thank you, Neva. You're one of those rare people who's always good to hear from a second time.
Free of charge, Jenna. Unlike the ones you sold me.
La la la, Quill, paradise paradise paradise. OC isn't reminding you about children who eat trash like he does us?
Terry, I promise many with crows.
Jamie Dawn, I was referring to Matthew 12:11.
I'd play, but I am a worm and not a man, scorned by men and despised by the people.
Guilty ;>
Babar meets Aesop?
CONSIDERATION, n. One's daily quota of thoughtfulness.
Go easy on the Quill, dawg. I'm still getting her used to the idea that paradise exist only at craps tables.
um. that was "exist somewhere other than at craps tables." teach me to be late to a blog, and to try commenting at midnight ...
Comment during the day from work, when you're paid to be bright eyed and bushy taled.
Consideration: (1)Forming a justification for doing what you want before simply just doing it. (2) Ignoring something until it goes away. E.G. "I will give your ideas extensive consideration."
Mo'a, we'll let the punishment fit the crime.
OE, I think Babar has met Aesop before.
Amoeba, no problem but her definition for today, to wit, Home is where the heart is and my heart is in a house on the shore with OC, is practically written.
Well justified, my friend.
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