Once there was a man who decided to build a house of cards in his garden. Being a beginner, he started off small. With just a few cards, he found a nice flat surface and began to form his structure. It was difficult at first, but with a little persistence, he got the hang of it and stood proudly beside his creation. He went inside to tell his wife, but while he was fetching her, a breeze arose and it blew down his house of cards before he could show it to her.
A tide of anger arose in the man. There was much cursing and gnashing of teeth. But after a while the anger turned into more determination. He decided to start again. But this time he would need to prevent the wind blowing down his house of cards.
"I know!" he thought to himself. "I will build a house of cards around my house of cards. That way it will be protected against the wind."
And so he began again. This time it was a much bigger job, but as he continued to practice, he got more and more proficient at creating the structures. Eventually he was finished. He swelled with pride once more as he went to fetch his wife from inside the house. But alas, once more a stiff breeze arose. First it blew down the protective house of cards, and then it blew down the inner house of cards, until not a card was left standing.
"I cannot believe it!" he shouted at the sky. "Why are you doing this to me?" He stamped his feet and kicked a tree trunk, then sat down at the base of the tree and began to think. "I know!" came the little internal voice once more. "I will build a house of cards around my house of cards around my house of cards. That way the wind will not be able to reach my house of cards."
By now you can probably guess what happened next.
For months the man carried on. Many times he cursed and berated the wind, which he had now come to thoroughly despise. But always the anger transmuted into yet more determination.
"I will not be defeated! I WILL NOT!! Damn you, wind! Why are you picking on me like this? What have I ever done to you?"
A deep hatred festered inside him, but still he carried on.
More months passed and exhaustion began to set in. Finally, as he watched yet another collapse of house within house within house within house within house ...... he slumped onto the ground and began to weep.
Then to his astonishment, the man felt something which he had never felt before. A light breeze ruffled his hair and tickled his skin. He looked up and saw the branches of the tree gently swaying to and fro. A leaf broke away and drifted gently down in front of him. A broad smile broke across his face, and then he heard a sweet familiar voice behind him.
"Ah, George!" said his wife, "finally you are back with us!"
She sat down beside him and as she gently held his hand, a tear of effortless joy ran down George's cheek.
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