介绍:
Two men, both seriously ill, lived in the same room in a hospital. One man was allowed to sit up for an hour each afternoon to help drain fluids from his lungs, and his bed was next to the room’s only window. The other man had to spend all his time lying on the back.
Every afternoon when the man by the window sat up, he would pass the time by describing to his roommate all the things he could see outside the window.
The window overlooked a park with a lovely lake. Ducks swam in the water while children sailed their model boats. Grand old trees graced the landscape, and a fine view of the city skyline could be seen in the distance.
As the man by the window described all these in detail, his roommate would close his eyes and imagine the picturesque scene.
Days and weeks passed. One morning, the day nurse arrived to bring water for their baths, only to find the lifeless body of the man by the window, who had died peacefully in his sleep. The nurse was sad and called the hospital attendants to take the body away.
As soon as it seemed appropriate, the other man asked if he could be moved next to the window. The nurse was happy to make the exchange for him.
One day, slowly and painfully, he propped himself up on one elbow to take his first look at the world outside. Finally, he could have the joy of seeing it for himself. Slowly he looked out of the window, but only saw a blank wall.
The nurse told him that the other man was blind and could not even see the wall. She said, “He just wanted to encourage you.”
