Short Stories - A Glass of Milk, paid in Full

A Glass of Milk, Paid in Full

One day, a poor boy who was selling goods from door to door to pay his way through school, found he had only one thin dime left, and he was hungry. He decided he would ask for a meal at the next house. However, he lost his nerve when a lovely young woman opened the door.Instead of a meal he asked for a drink of water. She thought he looked hungry so brought him a large glass of milk.

He drank it slowly, and then asked, “How much do I owe you?”

“You don’t owe me anything,” she replied. “Mother has taught us never to accept pay for a kindness.”

He said, “Then I thank you from my heart.”

As Howard Kelly left that house, he not only felt stronger physically, but his faith in God and man was strong also. He had been ready to give up and quit. Year’s later that young woman became critically ill. The local doctors were baffled. They finally sent her to the big city, where they called in specialists to study her rare disease.

Dr. Howard Kelly was called in for the consultation. When he heard the name of the town she came from, a strange light filled his eyes. Immediately he rose and went down the hall of the hospital to her room.

Dressed in his doctor’s gown he went in to see her. He recognized her at once. He went back to the consultation room determined to do his best to save her life. From that day, he gave special attention to the case.

After a long struggle, the battle was won. Dr. Kelly requested the business office to pass the final bill to him for approval. He looked at it, then wrote something on the edge and the bill was sent to her room.

She feared to open it, for she was sure it would take the rest of her life to pay for it all. Finally she looked, and something caught her attention on the side of the bill. She began to read the following words:

“Paid in full with one glass of milk.

Signed, Dr. Howard Kelly.”

1. Who is Dr. Howard Kelly?

2. What do you understand about the writing on the side of the bill “Paid in full with one glass of milk."?

3. If someone in your life does something nice/helped you once, will you do the same for him/her?

4. What is the moral value of the story?

Short Stories - A Hole in the Fence

A Hole in the Fence

In a small village, a little boy lived with his father and mother. He was the only son for them. The parents of the little boy were very depressed due to his bad temper. The boy used to get angry very soon and taunt others with his words. His bad temper made him fall for angry words. He scolded kids, neighbors and even his friends due to anger. He invited all worries for his parents through the verbal usage. While he forgot what he spoke in anger, his friends and neighbors avoided him. 

His mother and father consoled him in many ways to give up his anger and develop kindness. Unfortunately, all their attempts failed. Finally, the boy’s father came up with an idea. 

One day, his father gave him a huge bag of nails. He asked his son to hammer one nail to the fence every time he became angry and to lose his temper. The little boy found it hilarious and accepted to do what his father said. 

The nails drove him to hammer in the fence for 30 times on the first day! Every time he lost his temper, he ran to the fence and hammered a nail. In the next few days, the number of nails hammered on the fence was reduced to half. The little boy found it very difficult to hammer the nails and decided to control his temper. 

Gradually, the number of nails hammered to the fence was reduced and the day arrived when no nail was hammered! Yet, the boy did not lose his temper. He told his father that it was several days that he did not hammer any nail and he did not lose his temper! 

Now, his father told him to remove the nails every day as he had controlled his anger. Several days passed and the boy was able to pull out most of the nails from the fence. However, there remained a few nails that the boy could not pull out. 

The boy told his father about the same. The father appreciated him and asked him pointing to the hole, ‘What do you see there?’

The boy replied, ‘a hole in the fence!’ 

He told the boy, “The nails were your bad temper and they were hammered on people. You can remove the nails but still see the holes in the fence. Again, you cannot pull out a few nails. The fence never looks the same! It has scars all over! You can stab a man with a knife, but the wound will remain there forever. Your bad temper and anger were like that! Words are more painful than physical abuse! Use words for good. Use them to embrace the relationships. Use them to show your heart!”

1. Why does the boy's father asked him to hammer the nails to the fence?

2. What does the holes in the fence shows?

3. What is the moral value of the story?