The Mango Eater

Date:   11/14/2007 5:25:37 PM ( 17 y ago)

*The Mango Lover*

Once there was a man who liked to eat mangoes. One day he decided to get
the sweetest mango—the one from the very top of the tree. (Mangoes that are
exposed to the sun are the sweetest.) So the man climbed to the top. The
branches thinned as he climbed, but he managed to pick a few red fruit.

When he began to climb down, however, the man slipped and fell.
Fortunately, he was able to catch a branch as he was falling, but he
remained helplessly suspended from the tree.

He called to the nearby villagers for help. Although the villagers brought
their ladders, their ladders were too short. They could do little to help
him.

After some time, a calm and thoughtful person arrived—a well-known sage
who lived in a simple hut nearby. People were curious to see what he would
do, as he was famous for solving even the most complicated problems.

The sage remained silent for a moment, and then, to everyone's surprise, he
picked up a stone and threw it at the hanging man. The mango lover began to
shout: "Are you crazy?! Do you want me to break my neck?" But the sage did
not respond. Instead, he took another stone and threw it at the man. The man
became furious: "If I could get down there, I would whip you!"

That's what everybody wanted—for him to come down. But how? Everyone grew
tense about what would happen next. Some villagers wanted to chastize the
sage, but they didn't.

Then the sage picked up another stone and hurled it even more forcefully
at the man. After that, the man hanging in the tree became enraged and
determined to come down and take revenge. He used all his skill and strength
to somehow reach safe branches and climb down. Everyone was amazed.

Upon safely reaching the ground the man exclaimed, "Where is that sage?
Oh, what a wise man he is! He didn't wait around for me to beat him!"

"But wait a minute," a villager said. "The sage is the only one who could
help you. He provoked you and pushed you to help yourself."

The mango lover thought for a moment and admitted that, yes, all the
villagers' good intentions and compassion could not help him, but the sage
had expertly induced him to make his best effort and to save himself. "I
should be thankful, not angry."

This is an instructive story about leadership. Although sometimes strong
in his or her dealings, a real leader makes us take the initiative to give
our best.

*We have to give our best if we want extraordinary results. The best
leader makes others into leaders themselves by pushing them to take
responsibility for their lives.*



 

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