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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 peaceful towering mountains were all
around it. Overhead was a blue sky with fluffy
white clouds. All who saw this picture thought
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, and 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.
The King chose the second picture as the
winner. ''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.''
Author Unknown
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