The Stone Cutter

There was once a stone cutter who was working on taking down a huge stone tower. Each day he would take his chisel and hammer and chip away at the stone. One day as he was working he heard horses and a carriage pass by on the road. It was the king and his guardsmen in all their splendor and glory.

The stone cutter thought to himself, I wish I was the king, I’d be the most powerful on this earth. With that statement he became the king. He enjoyed ruling over his people and riding in splendor on the roads as all feared and respected him. On one day as he road along the sun was beating down with fierce intensity. He was upset that he was so hot and could do little about it. He thought, if I was the sun, I would be the most powerful! I wish I was the sun. With that, he became the sun. He enjoyed beating down on the people below, burning their crops and making life miserable for those below him.

On one afternoon a cloud passed in front of him. He was angry for this intrusion. But for all his power and intensity, he could not move the cloud away. Again, he found a force greater than him. How I wish I was a cloud, I can even block the sun! And with that he became a big dark cloud. He rained down on the people below, washing away their crops and their homes. This lasted until a strong wind came by and pushed him away. Furious, he could not stay as much as he struggled to remain. How strong that wind is! I wish I was the wind. With that, he became the wind and wreaked havoc with the people below, blowing down everything he can.

But he came up against something he could not move, no matter how hard he blew. It was the stone tower, standing erect and strong on the ground below. Again he thought, something stronger and more powerful than me! I wish I was that tower. With that he became the tower. He withstood the wind, the rain, even the sun’s heat. Then one afternoon he heard a sound at his base. It was a chipping sound of a stone cutter…