The Nail

Once there was a little boy who had a very bad temper. One day, his dad gave him a bag of nails and told him to hammer a nail in the fence behind their house every time he lost his temper.

The following day, the boy drove 38 nails into the fence. But day after day the number of the nails he hammered gradually decreased. The boy soon realized that it was easier to hold back his temper than to drive those nails. Finally the day came when he didn't hammer any nail to the fence. His dad then told him to pull out one nail for each day that he was able to control his temper.

Days passed and the boy was finally able to declare that all the nails had been pulled out. His dad then led him to the fence and said:

"My Boy, you've done well. But look at the holes in the fence. The same thing happens to human being. It doesn't matter how many time you say sorry; the wounds you cause will leave scars on the person you hit out against."