In a peaceful village surrounded by lush green fields and quiet, winding lanes, there lived a young boy named Aran. Aran was known for his quick temper. When things didn’t go his way, he would shout, stamp his feet, or even throw things around. His family and friends loved him but found his temper hard to deal with.
One summer afternoon, Aran’s father took him aside and handed him a small bag of nails and a hammer. “Every time you feel angry, instead of lashing out, I want you to come to this fence and hammer in a nail,” his father said, pointing to the fence that lined their yard.
Aran was puzzled by this unusual task, but he agreed. The first day, he ended up hammering more than twenty nails into the fence. His arms grew tired, but his frustration faded with each nail he drove in. Over the next few weeks, Aran found himself hammering fewer and fewer nails into the fence. He began to realize that keeping his temper in check was easier than hammering nails all day.
After a few weeks, Aran proudly told his father that he had finally gone an entire day without needing to hammer a single nail. His father smiled and placed a hand on his shoulder. “Now,” he said, “every day you control your anger, go back to the fence and pull out one nail.”
Aran nodded and set to work. Each day, he carefully pulled a nail from the fence, feeling a sense of pride each time he did so. Slowly, the nails disappeared, leaving only small holes where they once were.
When the last nail was pulled, his father led him to the fence and said, “Look at the fence, Aran. Although you removed the nails, the holes are still there. This is how anger works. When you say or do something in anger, it leaves a mark on people, just like the holes in this fence. You can say sorry, but some marks remain.”
Aran gazed at the fence, feeling the weight of his father’s words. From that day on, he made an effort to hold his temper and think before he acted. He learned to take a deep breath, to talk things through, and to let go of small frustrations. His friends and family noticed the change and grew closer to him, happy to see the kindness in his heart.
Years later, as an adult, Aran would still glance at that fence every now and then, reminded of the lesson his father had taught him. He had grown into a patient, thoughtful man, always careful with his words and actions, knowing that once spoken or done, they could leave a lasting mark.
Moral of the Story
The story of “A Hole in the Fence” teaches us that anger can hurt those around us, leaving marks that may never completely fade. It reminds us to choose patience and kindness, as our words and actions leave impressions on the people we love.
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