Posted by SteveY (195.93.49.166) on December 21, 2001 at 19:38:51:
A man had a beautiful garden, mature trees, flowers and lawns.
One spring day he looked out of his window to see children playing in his garden and climbing his trees. Get out of my garden he yelled, with that the children ran off.
The following day he built a high wall around his garden enclosing it from the ooutside world, and signs erected Trespassers will be prosecuted.
No children came to his garden that spring or summer or fall. Winter set in the ground was covered with snow and the trees were bare and frosty. He looked out and thought spring will be here soon.
Spring came, but his garden was still covered with snow and the trees with frost and no flowers. Summer came yet in his garden it was still winter. Years past, his garden was still cold and bare.
He began to feel sad, why? he thought. Many more years passed, when one morning he heard the sound of a bird singing at his window, it sounded beautiful to him as no birds visited his garden as it was always winter.
Then he realised, he must bring the children back to the garden. He ran outside and began knocking down the wall that enclosed his garden, he replaced the signs with "Children Welcome".
He awoke the following morning to hear children laughing, he looked out from his window, children were playing in his garden and climbing in the trees. The garden was bathed in sunshine, flowers bloomed everywhere, trees were hung in fruit. He ran outside and welcomed the children back.
He looked across to the far corner of his garden, there was a small boy stood crying under a tree, but this tree was still covered in frost. The little boy was crying because he couldn't reach the branches to climb the tree. He lifted the little boy so he could reach the branches, immediatly the tree came into bloom, full of fruit and deep green leaves.
He stayed with the little boy for hours, talking and playing, he began to love this little boy. Late afternoon, the children thanked him and said goodbye, they would be back tomorrow.
The following day the children came back, all except the little boy he loved. He asked all the children if they had seen him, they all said they didn't know him and had not seen him before.
Months passed, years passed, the children came to visit the garden every day, all except the little boy he loved. He missed this little boy.
Early one morning, he looked out of his window, underneath the tree stood the little boy, he ran outside "where have you been" he asked, the little boy smiled at the man. The man saw the little boy had scars on both hands and both feet, like nails had been driven into him. "Who did this to you, tell me I will kill them"
The little boy smiled and said "These are the scars of love. You once let me play in your garden, now I want you to join me in my garden, Paradise"
Later that day the man was found dead under the tree.
Merry Christmas my friends and have a Happy and Healthy New Year.
Steve.