Should you find yourself in a deep dark hole, know this. There are as many holes to fall into as there are people. You may feel cold and alone, but you're not alone in your feelings.
Furthermore, there are folks who want to help people get out of their holes. But they're not likely to jump down in the hole with you to share a similar fate.
In fact, most people who enjoy helping others out of a pit do so because they too were once in trouble.
What does that mean? People want to help others but they aren't likely to help in the way others want them to.
More often than not, people must drop into a hole. They have to realize there is no way out before they're willing to accept a kind of help they would rather not have.
I've heard plenty of tales in my life, but none surpass the story of the horse that fell into a hole. At least not when it comes to stories about getting out of holes.
A Farmer & His Horse
He was a good farmer and he did the things he'd been taught by his father before him to protect the crops and animals.
As such, this farmer knew better than to leave an open hole on his grounds. So he made sure as he started digging a hole for a new well, to pick a spot away from the corrals.
After finishing his portion of digging each day, the farmer would cover the hole with a wooden board. But a surprise offer came up on the land adjacent to his which already had a well.
The farmer was heavily engaged in the purchase of the new land as well as regular duties. He forgot forgot about the new well he had nearly dug out.
Time passed and the wooden board covering the hole grew rotten and weak. And wouldn't you know it, as soon as the board was no longer strong enough to hold much weight, along came one of the farmers horses.
Having put the hole and board out of his recent memory, the farmer didn't think much when he saw the horse headed in its direction. But when he heard the crack of wood and the awful neighing of his horse, he knew exactly what had happened.
The Farmer Asks For Help
After day had passed and night turned once again back into day, the farmer found himself at a loss. He'd been up for hours and couldn't figure anyway to get the horse out of the deep pit.
Thankful that the horse appeared uninjured, he knew he had to act fast or the horse wouldn't survive. So the farmer got on the horn and called up several of his surrounding neighbors.
Six strong men still couldn't find a way to get that horse out of the hole. When they devised a plan they thought might work, the horse wasn't in agreement with their efforts. And no one would climb down to harness the horse for fear of getting bucked to death.
No Other Options Left
Exasperated and at his wits end, the farmer decided there was nothing left to be done to try to save the horse. He made the terrible decision and began shoveling the pile of dirt back into the hole.
The farmer didn't plan on letting the horse suffer but he also didn't expect what happened next. And so he kept shoveling.
As the dirt rained down, much of it landed on the horse. Well the horse didn't like that one bit and became rather upset. It started kicking, neighing, shaking, and stomping its hooves.
And the reason the farmer kept shoveling instead of going for his gun and mercy, is what he noticed was happening to the horse. As it stomped its hooves in anger, it stayed on top of the incoming soil. The horse had come up ten feet in just an hour.
This whole commotion drew the attention of a couple neighbors who were nosy as farm folk can be. They came over to see what was happening and couldn't believe it either. But they helped that farmer fill in dirt.
Two hours later the horse was filthy, but it set hooves on hard level ground and bolted away to a safe pasture. All the farmers sat down tired and in bewildered disbelief. If they hadn't have seen it with their own eyes....
The Moral Of The Story Is
When you realize how deep the hole is and you're ready to stop digging, help will be there. It won't likely be the kind of help you want and it's still going to take a ton of effort on your part to get out of that ditch.
Hope you liked the tale and as always....
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