A fable..

A mouse looked through the crack in the wall to see the farmer and his wife open a package.

What food might this contain? The mouse wondered - he was devastated to discover it was a mousetrap.

Retreating to the farmyard, the mouse proclaimed the warning:
"There is a mousetrap in the house! There is a mousetrap in the house!"

The chicken chucked and scratched, raised her head and said, "Mr. Mouse, I can tell this is a grave concern to you, but it is of no consequence to me. I cannot be bothered by it."

The mouse turned to the pig and told him, "There is a mousetrap in the house! There is a mousetrap in the house!"

The pig sympathized, but said, "I am so very sorry, Mr. Mouse, but there is nothing I can do about it but pray. Be assured you are in my prayers."

The mouse turned to the cow and repeated, "There is a mousetrap in the house! There is a mousetrap in the house!"

Cow replied, "Wow, Mr. Mouse. I'm sorry for you but it's no skin off my nose."

So, the mouse returned to the house, head down and dejected, to face the farmer's mousetrap alone.

That very night a sound was heard throughout the house - like the sound of a mousetrap catching a prey.

The farmer's wife rushed to see what was caught. In the darkness, she did not see it was a venomous snake whose tail the trap had caught.

Therefore, that faithful snake bit the farmer's wife. Upon learning, the farmer rushed her to the hospital. Post diagnosis, superficial treatment and an injection, the farmer's wife was discharged.

However, the farmer's wife developed fever the next day. Everyone knows fever is mediated with fresh chicken soup, hence the farmer took his hatchet to the farmyard for the soup's main ingredient - chicken.

But... His wife's sickness continued, so friends and neighbours came to visit, stayed with her round the clock and took care of her. In order to show his gratitute, the farmer butchered the pig to feed them.

The farmer's wife did not get well; she died.

Many people came for her funeral, and the cow was slaughtered to provide enough meat and food for all the grievers.

The mouse looked upon it all from his crack in the wall with great sadness...

Therefore, my friends out there, the next time you hear someone facing a problem and think it doesn't concern you, think again.

Remember - when one of us is threatened, we are all at risk.

We are all involved in this journey called Life. Let us keep an eye out for one another and make an effort to encourage one another. Where new people I meet on any other random day is somehow connected to me by another friend, I believe our lives are woven together for a reason.

Life's a journey, enjoy the ride. :)