There was a little boy with a bad temper.

His father gave him a bag of nails

and told him that every time he lost his temper,

he had to hammer a nail in the back fence.

The first day the boy had driven 37 nails

into the fence. Then it gradually dwindled down.

He discovered it was easier to hold his temper

than to drive those nails into the fence.

Finally the day came when the boy didn't

lose his temper at all. He told his

father about it and the father suggested that

the boy now pull one nail for each

day that he was able to hold his temper.

The days passed and the young boy was

finally able to tell his father that all

the nails were gone.

The father took his son by the hand and

led him to the fence. He said,

"You have done well, my son, but look at

the holes in the fence. The fence will

never be the same.

When you say things in anger, they leave

a scar just like this one. You can

put a knife in a man and draw it out.

It won't matter how many times you say

I'm sorry, the wound is still there.

A verbal wound is as bad as a

physical one."


~ Author Unknown ~