GRATITUDE

An ant was caught on a dry leaf that was being carried down a flooded river and it called out from its tiny heart to God for succour. God prompted a kite that was flying over the river to dive and rise up, with the leaf in its beak, for He made the bird mistake it for a fish or frog! The bird was sorely disappointed, but the ant was delighted to land on hard ground!

God came as a kite and rescued me, it felt. I must be grateful to the bird, to all birds, it resolved. One day, while on its morning round, it saw a hunter aim an arrow at a bird; remembering how its own life was saved by a bird, it bit the heel of the hunter, when he was about to release the mortal shaft.

The aim failed. The bird flew off, and was saved. The ant had paid its debt.