
There once was a King who offered a prize to the artist who
would paint the best picture of peace. Many artists tried. The
King looked at all the pictures, but there were only two he
really liked and he had to choose between them.
One picture
was of a calm lake. The lake was a perfect mirror for the peaceful
towering mountains all around it. Overhead was a blue
sky with fluffy white clouds. All who saw this picture
thought that it was a perfect picture of peace.
The other
picture had mountains too. But these were rugged and bare.
Above was an angry sky from which rain fell, in which
lightening played. Down the side of the mountain tumbled a
foaming waterfall. This did not look peaceful at all.
But when the King looked, he saw behind the waterfall a tiny
bush growing in a crack in the rock. In the bush a mother bird
had built her nest. There, in the midst of the rush of angry
water, sat the mother bird on her nest... perfect peace. Which
picture do you think won the prize? The King chose the
second picture. Do you know why?
'Because,' explained the
King, 'peace does not mean to be in a place where there is no
noise, trouble, or hard work. Peace means to be in the midst
of all those things and still be calm in your heart. That is the
real meaning of peace.'
On 1st.August 2001, Duke Vipperman sent me this reference. Thank you Duke! I'll look for the book too.
"The legend about the perfect picture of peace is properly attributed to
A Wardrobe from the King, Berit Kjos, pp. 45-46"
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