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, to hammer a nail in the back fence. The first day the boy had driven 37 nails into the fence. Then it gradually dwindled down. He discovered it was easier to hold his temper than to drive those nails into the fence. 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 one 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 fence. He said, “You have done well, my son, but look at the holes in the fence. The fence will never be the same. When you say things in anger, they leave a scar just like this 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 bad as a physical one. Friends are a very rare jewel, indeed. They make you smile and encourage you to succeed. They lend an ear, they share a word of praise, and they always want to open their hearts to us.”
Show your friends how much you care. Send this to everyone you consider a FRIEND.
有个小男孩他的脾气非常坏。他的父亲给了他一包钉子并对他说，每当他发一次脾气，就在后栅栏上钉一个钉子。第一天小男孩在栅栏上钉了37个钉子。后来钉子的数量逐渐减少。男孩发现克制自己不发脾气要比把钉子钉入栅栏上更容易。终于有一天小男孩一次脾气都没发。他把他没发脾气的事情告诉了父亲。父亲这次建议小男孩要是哪天没有发脾气，就去拔出一个钉子。
日子一天天地过去了，终于有一天小男孩告诉父亲栅栏上的钉子全拔出来了。父亲拉着儿子的手走到栅栏前。他说道：“儿子，你做得很好，但看看栅栏上的洞。栅栏永不再是原来的栅栏了。在你生气时所说出的话，它们就像钉子一样会留下这样一块疤。你可以往一个人身上扎一刀再把它拔出来。但不管你说多少次对不起，伤口仍将在那里。语言上的伤害和身体上的伤害一样有着同样的恶果。朋友确是稀世之宝，他们让你高兴，鼓励你去取得成功。他们倾听你，他们赞赏你，而且他们总愿向我们敞开心扉。”
向你的朋友表明你是多么地在意他们吧。把这则故事讲给每一位你认为是朋友的人。
