Mary Kings on thu 29 jun 00
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This story came from Don Jackson who does a radio program "Lovers and Other
Strangers". It's rather thought provoking I think.
Mary K
Kitchener, On
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There was a couple who used to go to England to shop in the beautiful
stores. They both liked antiques and pottery and especially teacups. This
was their twenty-fifth wedding anniversary. One day in this beautiful shop
they saw a beautiful teacup. They said, "May we see that? We've never seen
one quite so beautiful."
As the lady handed it to them, suddenly the teacup spoke. "You don't
understand," it said. "I haven't always been a teacup. There was a time when
I was red and I was clay. My master took me and rolled me over and over and
I yelled out 'Let me alone', but he only smiled, 'Not yet' .Then I was
placed on a spinning wheel," the teacup said,..." and suddenly I was spun
around and around and around. 'Stop it! I'm getting dizzy,' I screamed. But
the master only nodded, and said, 'Not yet'.
Then he put me in the oven. I never felt such heat. I wondered why he wanted
to burn me, and I yelled and knocked at the door. I could see him through
the opening and I could read his lips as he shook his head. 'Not yet'.
Finally the door opened, he put me on the shelf, and I began to cool.
'There, that's better', I said. And he brushed and painted me all over. The
fumes were horrible. I thought I would gag. 'Stop it, stop it', I cried. He
only nodded, 'Not yet'.
The suddenly he put me back into the oven, not like the first one. This was
twice as hot and I knew I would suffocate. I begged. I pleaded. I screamed.
I cried. All the time I could see him through the opening nodding his head
saying 'Not yet'.
Then I knew there wasn't any hope. I would never make it. I was ready to
give up. But the door opened and he took me out and placed me on the shelf.
One hour later, he handed me a mirror and said, 'Look at yourself.' And I
did. 'That's not me; that couldn't be me. It's beautiful. I'm beautiful.'
'I want you to remember', he said. 'I know it hurts to be rolled and patted,
but if I had left you alone, you'd have dried up. I know it made you dizzy
to spin around on the wheel, but if I had stopped, you would have crumbled.
I knew it hurt and was hot and disagreeable in the oven, but if I hadn't put
you there, you would have cracked. I know the fumes were bad when I brushed
and painted you all over, but if I hadn't done that, you never would have
hardened; you wouldn't have survived for very long because the hardness
would not have held. Now you are a finished product, You are what I had in
mind when I first began with you.'"
---Author unknown
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