Lesson of the Wall

There was a little boy with a bad temper. His father gave him
a bag of nails and told him that every time he lost his temper,
he should hammer a nail in the wall.

The first day the boy had driven thirty-seven nails into the wall.
Then it gradually dwindled down. He discovered it was easier to
hold his temper than to drive those nails into the wall.

Finally the day came when the boy didn't lose his temper at all.
He told his father about it and the father suggested that the boy
now pull out a nail for each day that he was able to hold his
temper.

The days passed and the young boy was finally able to tell his
father that all the nails were gone. The father took his son by
the hand and led him to the wall.

"You have done well, my son, but look at the holes on the wall.
It won't be smooth wall as before. When we say something in
anger, they leave a scar just like this nails one. You can put
a knife in a man and draw it out. It won't matter how many
times you say 'I'm sorry,' the wound is still there.

`' A verbal wound is as worse as then a physical one."