THE CROWDED CARRIAGE
When Abdu‟l-Baha lived in Akka people traveled from city to city by horse-drawn carriage. One day Abdu‟l-Baha wanted to go from Akka to Haifa. He went to take a seat in a regular carriage. The carriage was full of poor people and their belongings. When the driver of the carriage saw Abdu‟l-Baha, he was surprised and wondered why Abdu‟l-Baha had chosen to ride in his inexpensive carriage full of people.
„Surely, Your Excellency would prefer to travel in a private carriage!‟ he exclaimed.
„No,‟ replied Abdu‟l-Baha, and He traveled in the crowded carriage all the way to Haifa.
As He stepped down from the carriage in Haifa a distressed fisher woman came to Him and asked for His help. All day she had caught nothing and now had to return to her hungry family.
Abdu‟l-Baha gave her a good sum of money, turned to the driver and said, „Why should I ride in luxury while so many are starving?‟
Stories give life to past experience. Stories make the events in memory memorable to others and to ourselves. This is one of the reasons why people like to tell stories. ~Roger C. Shank
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