Two traveling angels
stopped to spend the night in the home of a wealthy family.
The family was rude and refused to let the
angels stay in the mansion's guest room. Instead the angels were
given a small space in the cold basement.
As they made their bed on the hard
floor, the older angel saw a hole in the wall and repaired it.
When the younger angel asked why, the older angel replied,
"Things aren't always what they seem."
The next night the pair came to rest at
the house of a very poor, but very hospitable farmer and his
wife.
After sharing what little food they had
the couple let the angels sleep in their bed where they could
have a good night's rest. When the sun came up the next morning
the angels found the farmer and his wife in tears. Their only
cow, whose milk had been their sole income, lay dead in the
field.
The younger angel was infuriated and
asked the older angel how could you have let this happen? The
first man had everything, yet you helped him, she accused.
The second family had little but was
willing to share everything, and you let the cow die.
"Things aren't always what they seem,"
the older angel replied.
"When we stayed in the basement of the
mansion, I noticed there was gold stored in that hole in the
wall. Since the owner was so obsessed with greed and unwilling
to share his good fortune, I sealed the wall so he wouldn't find
it."
"Then last night as we slept in the
farmers bed, the angel of death came for his wife. I gave him
the cow instead.
Things aren't always what they seem."
Submitted by Vicki, Downingtown, Pa.