Patience

It is said that a hermit had a little boy living with him. Seeing him doing something that was not fitting, he said, "Don't do that," but the child did not obey him. Seeing that he was disobedient, the hermit washed his hands of his upbringing, and let him do as he liked.

For three days the boy kept the door of the room which had food in it shut and let the hermit go without anything to eat. The hermit did not say, "Where are you?" or "What are you doing out there?"

A neighbor of the hermit noticed that the boy was late in bringing food so he made a little stew, and passed it to the hermit through a hole in the wall of the cell. and asked him to eat. He said to the hermit, "Why is that disciple of yours so long away?"

The hermit said, "When he has leisure, he will come back."

~~Photo by Victoria Logue