long time ago in China, a girl named Li-Li got married and went to live with her
husband and mother-in-law. In a very short time, Li-Li found that she couldn't
get along with her mother-in-law at all.
Their
personalities were very different, and Li-Li was angered by many of her mother-in-law's
habits. In addition, the woman criticized Li-Li constantly.
Days
passed, then weeks. Li-Li and her mother-in-law never stopped arguing and fighting.
But what made the situation even worse was that, according to ancient Chinese
tradition, Li-Li had to bow to her mother-in-law and obey her every wish. All
the anger and unhappiness in the house was causing Li-Li's poor husband great
distress.
Finally, Li-Li could not stand her
mother-in-law's bad temper and dictatorship any longer, and she decided to do
something about it.
Li-Li went to see her father's
good friend, Mr. Huang, who sold herbs. She told him the situation and asked if
he would give her some poison so that she could solve the problem once and for
all. Mr. Huang thought for a while, and finally said, "Li-Li, I will help
you solve your problem, but you must listen to me and obey what I tell you."
Li-Li said, "Yes, Mr. Huang, I will do whatever
you tell me to do."
Mr. Huang went into
the back room, and returned in a few minutes with a package of herbs. He told
Li-Li, "You can't use a quick-acting poison to get rid of your mother-in-law,
because that would cause people to become suspicious. Therefore, I have given
you a number of herbs that will slowly build up poison in her body. Every other
day prepare a delicious meal and put a little of these herbs in her serving.
"Now, in order to make sure that nobody suspects
you when she dies, you must be very careful to act very friendly towards her.
Don't argue with her, obey her every wish, and treat her like a queen."
Li-Li was so happy. She thanked Mr. Huang and hurried
home to start her plot to murder her mother-in-law.
Weeks
went by, then months, and every other day Li-Li served the specially treated food
to her mother-in-law. She remembered what Mr. Huang had said about avoiding suspicion,
so she controlled her temper, obeyed her mother-in-law, and treated her like her
own mother. After six months had passed, the whole household had changed.
Li-Li had practiced controlling her temper so much
that she found that she almost never got mad or upset. She hadn't had an argument
with her mother-in-law in six months because she now seemed much kinder and easier
to get along with.
The mother-in-law's attitude
toward Li-Li changed, and she began to love Li-Li like her own daughter. She kept
telling friends and relatives that Li-Li was the best daughter-in-law one could
ever find. Li-Li and her mother-in-law were now treating each other like a real
mother and daughter. Li-Li's husband was very happy.
One
day, Li-Li went to see Mr. Huang and asked for his help again. She said, "Dear
Mr. Huang, please help me to keep the poison from killing my mother-in-law! She's
changed into such a nice woman, and I love her like my own mother. I do not want
her to die because of the poison I have given her."
Mr.
Huang smiled and nodded. "Li-Li, there's nothing to worry about. I never
gave you any poison. The herbs I gave you contained vitamins to improve her health.
The only poison was in your mind and in your attitude, but that has been all washed
away by the love which you gave to her."
Have
you ever realized that how you treat others is exactly how they will treat you?
In China it is said: "The person who loves others will also be loved in return."
|
