An old man was sitting on the bank of a river and suddenly he saw a cat that had fallen into the water.
The cat started struggling to save its life.
The man decided to assist. He stretched his hand to the cat to lift it from the water, but the cat clawed it. The man pulled his hand back, screaming in pain from the scratch.
He tried again and the cat scratched him a second time.
The man pulled his hand back again, screaming in pain.
A minute later, he tried for the third time!! Another man was sitting near him watching what was happening.
The man shouted: ‘O wise man!, you didn’t learn from the first or second time, and here you are trying to save it for the third time?’
The wise man ignored the man’s rebuke and kept trying until he succeeded in saving the cat.
Then the wise man walked towards the man and patted him on the shoulder, saying: ‘My son, it is in the nature of cats to scratch, and it is in my nature to love and have mercy, so why do you want me to let their nature overcome mine!!? My son, treat people according to your nature, not theirs, whoever they are and whatever their behaviour that hurts and pains you sometimes, do not pay attention to those voices that rise asking you to give up your good qualities just because the other party does not deserve your noble behaviour’.
‘When you live to please others, God will send to you someone who lives to please you. Be beautiful in character and hearts will love you. And do not regret the moments in which you made someone happy, even if the other party did not deserve it’.