/ / j g p a l a n c a . c o m
A MAN WHO JUST ARRIVED IN HEAVEN COULD HARDLY STOP TELLING ST. PETER HOW GRATEFUL HE WAS TO BE IN SUCH A GLORIOUS PLACE.  HE ASKED PETER TO GIVE HIM ONE GLIMPSE INTO HADES SO THAT HE MIGHT FURTHER APPRECIATE HIS GOOD FORTUNE, AND PETER ALLOWED THIS.

IN HADES HE SAW A LONG TABLE EXTENDING AS FAR AS HIS EYE COULD BEHOLD.  THE TABLE WAS COVERED WITH THE MOST DELICIOUS AND VARIED FOODS THE MAN HAD EVER SEEN.  YET, EVERYONE SEATED AROUND THE TABLE WAS STARVING.  THE MAN ASKED PETER, WHY DON'T THEY EAT?  PETER REPLIED, "EVERYONE IS REQUIRED TO TAKE FOOD FROM THE TABLE ONLY WITH FOUR-FOOT-LONG FORKS.  THEY ARE SO LONG THAT NO ONE CAN REACH THE FOOD FROM THE TABLE TO HIS MOUTH, AND THEREFORE EACH ONE IS SLOWLY DYING."

UPON HIS RETURN TO HEAVEN, THE MAN SAW A TABLE THAT APPEARED IDENTICAL.  IT, TOO, WAS LADEN WITH DELICIOUS FOODS OF EVERY TYPE. YET THE PEOPLE AROUND THIS TABLE WERE WELL FED.  THE MAN SAID TO PETER, "THEY MUST HAVE SHORTER FORKS HERE IN HEAVEN."   PETER REPLIED, "NO, ONLY FOUR-FOOT-LONG FORKS."

PUZZLED, THE MAN ASKED, "THEN WHY ARE THOSE IN HADES STARVING TO DEATH AND THOSE IN HEAVEN SEEM TO BE HAPPY AND WELL FED?" PETER REPLIED, "IN HEAVEN, THE PEOPLE FEED EACH OTHER."


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