Peace

From: Minahil Ali



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 that 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... perfect peace.



Which picture do you think won the prize?



The King chose the second picture. Do you know why? "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."