Subject: Christmas Vow of Silence
From: Unicorn (unicorn@indenial.com)
Date: Sun Dec 23 2001 - 02:22:23 EST
"Christmas Vow of Silence"
At a monastery high in the mountains, the monks
have a rigid vow of silence. Only at Christmas,
and only by one monk, and only with one sentence,
is the vow allowed to be broken.
One Christmas, Brother Thomas is allowed to
speak and he says "I like the mashed potatoes
we have with the Christmas turkey!" and he sits
down. Silence ensues for 365 days.
The next Christmas, Brother Michael gets his turn,
and he says "I thinks the mashed potatoes are
lumpy, and I hate them!"
Once again, silence for 366 days (it's leap year).
The following Christmas, Brother Paul rises and
say "I am fed up with this constant bickering!"
*****************************
"The Frail Rope"
There is a story about a monastery in Europe
perched high on a cliff several hundred feet in
the air. The only way to reach the monastery
was to be suspended in a basket which was
pulled to the top by several monks who pulled
and tugged with all their strength. Obviously,
the ride up the steep cliff in that basket was
terrifying.
One tourist got exceedingly nervous about
half-way up as he noticed that the rope by
which he was suspended was old and frayed.
With a trembling voice, he asked the monk
who was riding with him in the basket how
often they changed the rope.
The monk thought for a moment and
answered brusquely, "Whenever it breaks."
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