Once upon a time, in a magical land far across the sea, there lived together a donkey and an elephant. This was very difficult, because they both had such different ways. The elephant loved to trample trees and make a lot of noise, while the donkey nibbled on lowly grasses and said almost nothing.

One day, the elephant noticed the donkey eating his grass and thought; "Hmm.Why not talk the donkey into giving me some of his grass? The donkey, stupid as he is, would never have a clue about what I am doing, and maybe I could even persuade him that I was doing it for his own good!"

So that night, the elephant made a call on the donkey. "Hello my good friend. How are you this wonderful evening," said the elephant. The donkey replied, "Fine, but it seems like any other evening to me, and not too wonderful."

"But that is because your glass is half-empty," said the elephant. "Things are what you make them!"

"I'm not convinced of that," said the donkey, "but you seem happy, while I am perhaps too serious. Tell me, what is your secret?"

"Ah, my secret is that I don't just eat all the grass that I come across in the forest. I put some away, and therefore I am very happy knowing that I have something to fall back on if grass is scarce someday."

"That sounds good," said the donkey, "maybe I should do that, then I would be happy, too, in case there is no grass someday. How do I go about it?"

The elephant had the poor donkey just where he wanted him. He had persuaded the donkey that saving for a rainy day was good and proper. Now all he had to do was to convince the donkey to give him all of his extra grass, so that the elephant could eat it.

"Where will you save your grass so that is safe," asked the elephant.

"Hmm. I don't know? Could you advise me on that?"

The elephant thought," Could I advise him on that? Heh, heh, heh."

The elephant said, "My best and dearest friend, I would be more than happy to guard your grass so that you would not have to worry about it. Just bring to me whatever you can save each day and I will put it away for you."

"Great!" said the donkey. "It is so nice to have good friends like you!" and the donkey began bringing the little bit of grass that he saved every day to the elephant.

One year there was a great drought in the forest, and almost nothing grew, and the donkey was getting hungry, but he wasn't worried. After all, the elephant had been saving all of the donkey's extra grass for a long time now, and the donkey felt happy that he would have plenty of grass if he needed it.

One day, the donkey mentioned to the elephant that he was getting hungry and might need some of his grass back. The elephant looked at him sternly and said, "This is not the time to take your grass back, this is when you should be adding more grass to the pile because even harder times might be ahead!"

"Good advice," thought the donkey, and he ate even less grass than he did before, becoming very skinny so that he could put some more away with the elephant. He figured that the elephant must know what he was doing because he noticed that the elephant was gaining weight.

But one day the donkey could find no grass at all, and went to the elephant. "I am starving, said the donkey. "I have no grass to eat, and none to save. So I need some of the grass that you are so kindly saving for me."

The elephant frowned and replied, "You know that the times have changed and become hard, right?"

"Right," said the donkey.

"So for the good of your forest, you must now sacrifice as you have never sacrificed before. You do love your forest don't you?"

"Of course I love my forest, do you think that I am not patriotic?" Said the donkey.

"Of course you are patriotic," said the elephant. "Now just go back out into the forest and do the best that you can."

"Right!" Said the donkey, and in a few days the poor little donkey starved to death.

Not long after this, the elephant came across his body, and thought, "How stupid of this donkey; believing everything that I told him and giving me his grass."

Just then, however, the God of the forest happened to overhear the elephant's thoughts, and wasn't amused at all. "I must teach this elephant a lesson," thought the God. So the God arranged a little surprise for the elephant. When the elephant arrived home, all of his grass and things that he had stored were gone!

"I have nothing left," cried the elephant. "That was all that I had in the world. What am I to do?"

The forest God then appeared before the elephant and said, "You have called my name many times, blessing people with it, elephant, but you were never sincere, just using my name to gain favor for yourself. You used me just as you used the poor donkey. What have you to say for yourself?"

"I am so sorry," said the elephant. "Please, what can I do to make up for this? I will starve to death without my grass."

"It was not your grass," said the forest God, "it was the donkey's grass. You lied to the donkey. You stole his grass. And with your underhanded, despicable ways, you caused the death of an innocent, trusting donkey that meant no harm to anyone. What should we do with you?"

"Please. Gods are supposed to have mercy. You wouldn't want to be called an unmerciful God would you?" The elephant shrewdly replied.

Well. This attempt by the elephant to change the subject with the psychological manipulation of a personal attack really got the forest God angry. Now he was going to teach the elephant a lesson that he would never forget.

"My dear elephant, said the forest God, "What is the most important thing to you?"

"You, of course, my great forest God!" Said the elephant.

"And if I am the most important, what is it that I stand for," asked the Forest God.

The elephant replied, "You stand for unconditional love, of course. We all know that."

"And how do you express this unconditional love, elephant? By causing a donkey to die because of your greed?"

"No, great forest God, I express my love by providing for my family."

"Is your family more important than the donkey?"

"Yes, my great forest God, the donkey is only a stupid donkey."

"Is your family more important than me?"

"Of course not. You are the most important."

"Good, I have just removed your family from the forest and they are now with me."

"What! You did what?" cried the elephant.

"And I have removed the forest, and everything in it. And the sun and the stars, and the moon. But unlike the donkey, you still have life, elephant."

"But all is taken away from me. What is left?"

"All is taken away? But I thought that I, the forest God, was the most important thing in your life? Tell you what, elephant - you are a liar, you are a cheat, and you are no good saying that I am most important when I am nothing to you. Why should I not cast you into hell for eternity right now?"

"No, no, cried the elephant. Please. I will do anything you ask. Just don't cast me into those fires of hell!"

"It is too late, elephant."

"No, no. Please! I will never take advantage of anyone again because of my greed. I will never lie to get my way. I will never mention your name in order to manipulate others. I will never . . ."

"Stop! Stop, elephant," said the forest God. "It is too late."

"Alright then, said the elephant. Do with me as you wish. But remember this; I was right!"

"Very right," said the forest God, as he cast the elephant into eternal hell.

E. Raymond Rock of Fort Myers, Florida is cofounder and principal teacher at the Southwest Florida Insight Center, http://www.SouthwestFloridaInsightCenter.com His twenty-eight years of meditation experience has taken him across four continents, including two stopovers in Thailand where he practiced in the remote northeast forests as an ordained Theravada Buddhist monk. His book, A Year to Enlightenment (Career Press/New Page Books) is now available at major bookstores and online retailers. Visit http://www.AYearToEnlightenment.com