The Talking Knife

 The Talking Knife

A man tried to cut his watermelon, but he found it hard to slice. Out of frustration, he threw the knife down. Within a few seconds, the knife rose from the ground and began to rotate in front of the man three times, then pierced itself into the watermelon. The man was scared and turned around to run away from the knife.

The knife, with a gentle voice, said, "My dear young man, don't worry. I will not harm you." Hearing the voice, the man turned toward the knife.

The knife said, "Pay attention to me. When you threw me down in anger, the problem was not me—it was your patience that you threw down. You proved you couldn't take care of me. You have been using me for a long time, but you never bothered to sharpen me. The problem lies with you, not with me.

"If you don't sharpen yourself, you will feel like throwing yourself away by running from reality. If you don't sharpen your team members, you may feel they are not ready for the future and want to fire them.

"Remember, life is dynamic and keeps teaching. You should change with the times by sharpening yourself and others, and stay open to continuous learning. That is how you will stay sharp enough to face the future.

"Instead of showing your anger at me, accept the fact that you didn't sharpen me, and get me sharpened so that I can slice your fruits and vegetables easily and quickly. If you keep sharpening as a mantra, you can enjoy the fruits of life."

M.L. Narendra Kumar