The Boat and the Village

For as long as your language has existed, you have told stories. Children love to hear stories. It is a much more enjoyable way to learn than a lecture. Adults love to hear these stories as well, although they will seldom admit it.

So, in the tradition of the bedtime story, as you are relaxing tonight, we tell you the tale, of "The Boat and the Village".

A woman struggled to swim in rough ocean waters. A cruel ship's captain, had just thrown her overboard. People gathered around shouting encouragement and one kind soul swam out to rescue her. The captain ignored the scene as he'd already found another woman he could use to do his bidding. The kind woman who offered her assistance gave her a place to live and food to eat. She asked only for some help with chores, when the woman, whose name was Maria, was feeling better.

The two became friends, and the helpful woman taught Maria how to take care of herself and how to swim. She swam daily, going further and further out and swimming expertly back to shore.

One day while she was out, she saw another woman flailing about in the cold, rough waters as the heartless ship's captain sped away.

She swam out to help the woman as a crowd gathered, shouting encouragement.

The ship's captain seeing all he attention she was getting, started to regret his decision, and turned the boat around. They both reached the woman at the same time. The drowning woman thought it would be easier to get back in the boat. She kicked away her rescuer, and spat at her. She called her names and accused her of attacking them.

Maria swam away and limped back to shore. Her friend gave her a blanket and a hot meal and tended to her bruises.

The woman, who had been drowning just moments before, strolled the decks with pride, having already forgotten the captain's cruelty. He had changed his mind, so all was well. A few months later, they were sailing in the area again.

Once again, the captain threw her overboard. Shocked, she splashed in the water, crying out for help. A smaller crowd was gathered, and no one extended a hand to help her as they had all seen her treatment of Maria. She turned to see that the boat was just a tiny dot on the horizon. Help was not coming. She struggled, taking water into her lungs. She kicked until her legs were sore and cramped and collapsed into a heap on the beach. She shivered on the sand, starving and exhausted. She spent the next few weeks begging for food, until she finally found work and a place to live. The hardship that her life had become made her regret her initial decision to go back, but the choice had been made and now she had to live with the consequences.

Meanwhile, Maria had been hired by he village to patrol the beaches. She made a good living and rescued many people. She went out on boat rides with the local fisherman often, as she no longer had anything to fear from the water.

The lesson :

It is not wise to board boat, unless you know how to swim, and if you slap away the hand that reaches out to help you one time, that will be the last, as it will most likely not be offered to you again.