Two Traveling Angels

[Whitephoenix]

Two traveling angels stopped to spend the night
in the home of a wealthy family.

The family was rude and refused to let the angels
stay in the mansion's guest room.

Instead the angels were given a small space in
the cold basement.

As they made their bed on the hard floor, the
older angel saw a hole in the wall and repaired it.

When the younger angel asked why, the older angel
replied,

"Things aren't always what they seem."

The next night the pair came to rest at the house
of a very poor, but very hospitable farmer and his
wife.

After sharing what little food they had the couple
let the angels sleep in their bed where they could
have a good night's rest.

When the sun came up the next morning the angels
found the farmer and his wife in tears.

Their only cow, whose milk had been their sole
income, lay dead in the field.

The younger angel was infuriated and asked the
older angel how could you have let this happen?

The first man had everything, yet you helped him,
she accused.

The second family had little but was willing to
share everything, and you let the cow die.

"Things aren't always what they seem," the older
angel replied.

"When we stayed in the basement of the mansion, I
noticed there was gold stored in that hole in the
wall.

Since the owner was so obsessed with greed and
unwilling to share his good fortune, I sealed the
wall so he wouldn't find it."

"Then last night as we slept in the farmers bed,
the angel of death came for his wife. I gave him
the cow instead.

Things aren't always what they seem."

Written by anonymous author.

[Fsiphskilm]

Ah yes

[uc pseudonym]

Is that yours? If so, very good. I failed to anticipate what you were going to do, so your ending actually was new to me. Good job.

[TheMelodyMaker]

I think I've read that before in an e-mail I got once. (And who says our Lord isn't in control of everything? )

[Whitephoenix]

Oh crud! I forgot to put that it was anonymous!

[uc pseudonym]

No big deal. I edited it to give proper credit to "anonymous."