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Along Life’s Way
All Hands on
Deck: A Fable
By Lois E. Wilson
Once upon a time, there was a young handmaiden. She was poor and
aspired to improve her lot in life. She had dated two cowhands, but
with either one of them she saw only living hand to mouth and a future
of handouts and hand-me-downs. They were prone to hand-to-hand
confrontations and were often away on cattle drives in the outback. It
seemed they weren’t ever on hand or willing to do anything constructive.
One day she was carrying a load of laundry along the wharf when a
handsome stranger walked up to her and said, “Miss, I see your basket
is heavy, may I lend a hand? My name is Byrd Handy. I draw freehand
designs and have a handicraft business of building boats.”
It was the beginning of their relationship. She thought that, hands
down, he was the perfect man of her dreams. In her mind, she handpicked
him to be her spouse. She often went to the wharf to watch him work
firsthand. He never sat on his hands; he was always involved hand and
foot in bettering his life situation and that of his work crew. He was
soon making money hand over fist.
Byrd decided to stop wringing his hands and take the matter into his
own hands. He decided to hand down a solution. He watched her diligence
in tending to her household duties and since she had never discouraged
his attention, he envisioned a handfast marriage with her.
Putting on a cool-hand facade, he approached her one day, “I’ve been
trying to keep a hands-off attitude toward you, but I find my feelings
have grown out of hand. Would you accept my hand in marriage?” The
handmaiden handily replied, “Yes, indeed!”
On their wedding day, they joined hands and said their vows. The pastor
introduced “Mr. and Mrs. Byrd Handy” to the guests. The crowd gave them
a hand; the applause grew as they walked hand in hand down the aisle.
Moral: A Byrd in the hand is handier than two hands in the bush.
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