The Burial of a Mule

A farmer discovers that his mule has fallen into a dry well. The farmer heard the mule making noise and discovered the poor animal’s misfortune. After assessing the situation, the farmer decided the mule wasn’t worth the time and expense it would take to save it. Essentially, he lost hope in the old mule. So he called his neighbors together and asked them to help him haul dirt to bury the animal and put it out of its misery.


When the first shovelfuls of dirt came down, the mule became hysterical and began to kick. But as the dirt continued to hit his back, it dawned on the creature that he should shake it off each time and step up on the growing mound of dirt beneath him. Load after load of dirt hit him square in the back, but no matter how painful it was, he shook the dirt off and stepped on it.

Before long, the accumulation of dirt was such that the old mule, battered and exhausted, stepped triumphantly over the wall of the well. The dirt that had been meant to bury him had actually saved his life because of the manner in which he responded to the situation.

There are not a lot of things in our daily lives that we cannot overcome! We must see negative situations as merely stepping stones. We must have hope that our problems can actually propel us toward our goals rather than hinder us.