Tales that touch the heart
The king is heartbroken because his child has died. He refused to eat. He wanted to die too. Folks gathered and were consoling the bereaved king. However, the hen was there with her children, clucking, scratching and pecking. Very oblivious and not at all caring about the sadness being expressed by all the people over the king’s loss.
The people became angry with the hen and asked her why she does not care about the pain the king is going through.
Mother hen then lifts up her head and spoke, If the man wants to die, let him go on and die. He will not be the first nor is he going to be the last. Look at me and my family, we are born to die violently. For the death of the king’s son, members of my family will surely cannibalize and our flesh mutilated. Right from our lives as eggs we are subjected to death and as we grow every animal takes advantage of us. Yet nature did not give us any natural defense against these ills on our ilk. Do you know of any members of my family that has died of old age. Has any one of you a member of my family as a pet. When you feed us we know you do that so as to kill us. For every reason or celebration more chicken is killed and cannibalize than any other animal. Yet we watch you dot on the wicked cat and the dangerous dog. We do not complain. Every morning, l come out with my children to look for food while my husband’ every morning will announce the day with a crow, not knowing if that will be his last day or which member of his family will come home that day. My people, the worst ill of the world, is visited on the fowl. So, if you think your life is sorrowful, look at the life of the chicken. If the man wants to die, well let him die, he will neither be the first nor the last. The hen concludes and moves on followed by her children, all scratching and pecking, leaving a stunned silent crowd behind them.
The moral here being that if you think you are at a very low ebb in your life, look around you and you will see those you are better off than. Reach out even in your pain and help them and you will see that your own pain will recede in the joy and fulfilment you will receive from the gratitude of that person.
The Bible tells us about helping the widows and orphans in the time of their need. As we celebrate the birth of Jesus, let us hold unto this, and Our great God, the father of Jesus and the author of all good things will bless us in Jesus’ name.
