A rat looked through a crack in the wall to see the farmer and his wife opening a package. What food might it contain? He was aghast to discover that it was a rat trap. Retreating to the farmyard the rat proclaimed the warning, “There is a rat trap in the house, a rat trap in the house!”
The chicken clucked and scratched, raised her head and said, “Excuse me, Mr. Rat, I can tell this is a grave concern to you, but it is of no consequence to me. I cannot be bothered by it.”
The rat turned to the pig and told him, “There is a rat trap in the house, a rat trap in the house!” “I am so very sorry Mr. Rat,” sympathized the pig, “but there is nothing I can do about it but pray. Be assured that you are in my prayers.”
The rat turned to the cow. She said, “Like wow, Mr. Rat! A rat trap. I am in grave danger. Duh?”
So the rat returned to the house, head down and dejected, to face the farmer’s rat trap alone. That very night a sound was heard throughout the house, like the sound of a rat trap catching its prey. The farmer’s wife rushed to see what was caught. In the darkness, she did not see that it was a venomous snake whose tail the trap had caught. The snake bit the farmer’s wife.
The farmer rushed her to the hospital. She returned home with a fever. Now everyone knows you treat a fever with fresh chicken soup, so the farmer took his hatchet to the farmyard for the soup’s main ingredient. His wife’s sickness continued so that friends and neighbors came to sit with her around the clock. To feed them the farmer butchered the pig.
The farmer’s wife did not get well. She died, and so many people came for her funeral that the farmer had the cow slaughtered to provide meat for all of them to eat.
So the next time you hear that someone is facing a problem and think that it does not concern you, remember that when there is a rat trap in the house, the whole farmyard is at risk.
Today was the first day of pre-planning for teachers. We were in training all day, but during a break a friend and fellow teacher told me how the story of “The Rat Trap” affected the life of her son. I have asked her to tell her story in the comment section of this post, so make sure you check out the comments.
The story is fabulous, but the impact it made on my thirteen year old son was profound. Howard only had James for a short period of time as a teacher, but the inspiring story touched James in a way he will perhaps never forget. You see, we have been involved with a needy family for several years, ever since James and the youngest son were in first grade. Over the years, this young man has been included in every facet of our family life. Vacations, church, sports, school, dinner around the table (yes, we still try to work that in at least a few times a week). Two years ago this boys older brother was thought to have been involved in gang activity. It was only a short period of time before our name was brought up, and I was asked to try and intervene before the youngest brother, James’ friend, became involved as well. To our dismay, back in the Spring of this past school year, the oldest brother was shot by a rival gang member. However, he survived. This propelled him to the upper flight, if you will, of the gang hierarchy. I suppose it was at this point, the mother wanted to try and prevent a similiar situation with the other son, no longer the youngest, as they now have twin brothers. She brought him to our house and simply tried to leave him. We had been warned by numerous police friends, officially and unofficially, our family was in danger, just because we could be associated with the older brother. We would make easy targets. How do you simply give up on a young life? Do we risk our families safety? How do we help in a hopeless situation? We were informed that the young man had been recently “jumped in” to the gang, and if we did not want our family to risk trouble of the worst sort, we should cut all ties with him. Please keep in mind we hid none of this from James. This was his friend and he needed to be informed, for his safety and his peace of mind. The following Sunday, the mother brought this young man back to the house. He stayed for dinner, he and James played together in the back yard, and then around dark, my husband and James took him home. On the way home that night, James shared “The Rat Trap” story with his dad. Later that evening, Tom shared it with me. James wondered why people don’t do more to help others in need. We simply couldn’t just stand by and not help. His friend didn’t need to be abandoned, he needed our help and support. According to James, everyone else had looked the other way and allowed this situation to become dangerous. My husband and I were torn. How can we keep involved in this young man’s life, but also keep our family safe? Were we, in fact, just standing by? Unfortunately, the young man’s family moved and we have only seen him at school this year. He has not been to our house since that last evening he and James spent together so innocently out in our backyard. We pray constantly for him and his entire family. I pray that my son will continue to show the same compassion for his fellow man as he matures into an outstanding young man himself. I pray that as a society we will not let our fellow man face “the rat traps” of life alone. That we would be brave enough, compassionate enough, like my son James, to lend a helping hand. If not, as James as told us so many times, it will happen again and again in a neverending cycle.
Thank you, Howard, for sharing this with James. It has affected our whole family and given us a glimpse of the young man our James is yet to become.
Wow, Lori! You are quite the writer! Thanks so much for sharing your story with me and all of the readers who pass through this site. I am reminded today, as I was the day you told me in person how “The Rat Trap” story affected James, how even the smallest story or even a word well-spoken can change the life of a child. As teachers you and I have the opportunity to affect the lives of so many every day. It’s rewarding to know that a seed I planted in Character Education class has borne fruit.
As I was writing this comment, the scripture we recited as a benediction every Sunday at the end of Children’s Church when I was a child, so appropriately came to mind . . . .
“Let the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be acceptable in Thy sight, oh Lord, my Strength and my Redeemer.”
Thank you, Sister Bobbie!
The “Rat Trap” is what we live with constantly. One choice can cause a tremendous change in life itself. Think of the repercussions that will happen if the Honey Bee was to be removed from the face of the earth. Humans would have to find out another way of making sure that the very thing that fills our stomachs needs to be pollinated. What happens if grass, grain or wheat was to be removed from the earth? We would be forced to make drastic changes again due to one decision. What would happen if GOD decided to take all the water away from the earth? Would we live or perish? One decision is all that it takes. In all truth and honesty, if your heart is in the right place then your mind is in the right place and your actions will be positive and your decisions won’t be based on self and things will take a turn for the better.
We live in this world with the notion that we control everything when we really don’t control anything. This in turn is humility in a positive manner. The materialistic values I don’t cherish, only those that are of a positive spirit. Materials can be changed or replaced but that one person who filled our hearts with joy can’t. WWJD
We are all in this “world” together and the sooner we realize it the better we will be equip to deal with the problems tha affect us all. Jesus reminds us that we should love ye one another. I pray to God that we do a better job of showing the love of God to others as he has shown it to us.
Love Ya!