On The "Old" Or The "Elderly".

( I took this story from the book of Henri Nouwen, "Aging, The Fulfillment Of Life". He said this is an old Balinese legend which gives a strong message about how present society treats the old and the importance of imparting to our children the treasures of our generation.)

"It is said that once upon a time the people of a remote mountain village used to sacrifice and eat their old men. A day came when there was not a single old man left, and the traditions were lost. They wanted to build a great house for the meetings of the assembly, but when they came to look at the tree-trunks that had been cut for that purpose no one could tell the top from the bottom: if the timber were placed the wrong way up, it would set off a series of disasters. A young man said that if they promised never to eat the old men any more, he would be able to find a solution. They promised. He brought his grandfather, whom he had hidden; and the old man taught the community to tell top from bottom!"