THE OYSTER
There once was an oyster whose story I tell,
who found that sand had got under his shell;
just one little grain,
but it gave him much pain,
for oysters have feelings although they're so plain.
Now, did he berate
the working of Fate
which had led him to such a deplorable state?
Did he turn to the Government, or blame other oysters?
No; as he lay on the shelf,
he said to himself,
"If I cannot remove it,
I'll try to improve it."
So the years rolled by as the years always do,
and he came to his ultimate destiny--stew.
And this small grain of sand which had bothered him so,
had become a beautiful pearl, all richly aglow.
Now this tale has a moral--for isn't it grand
what an oyster can do with a grain of sand--
And what splendid results may occur if we begin
to work on problems that get under our skin!
13 Jun 1999