Hidden Gems

There is a pattern that some old fairy tales follow: the hero or heroine begins a journey in which they meet along the way various people who request their help. Sometimes it is an old man with a long beard that has become caught in the brambles and cannot free himself. Sometimes it is an old woman in rags waiting by a well, requesting a drink. The kind-hearted heroine, unlike her previous sisters, helps the stranger, who eventually reveals her true nature as a magical being, and gives the young girl a talisman or gift that helps her reach her destiny.

I remember being very young and reading one such story that made a big impression on me. It was about a girl who gave the woman at the well a drink and was rewarded with the gift of having jewels and flowers fall from her lips every time she opened her mouth to speak. When her sister saw this, she too went to the well, but in her haughtiness would not give the old woman a drink, so she was cursed with frogs and snakes coming from her lips.

In the Bible, the same sort of theme is echoed in the parable of the good Samaritan, as well as in the story of the Samaritan woman at the well. It seems that in order for the magic to work, the person must have had no selfish motive for helping the stranger, but be moved purely by benevolence. Furthermore, the stranger represents Christ, as in Matthew 25 where it says, "Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me." In the case of the good Samaritan, the reward is spiritual not physical.

Sometimes I wonder if fairy tales, even Greek myths, aren't just corruptions, variations, and elaborations of old biblical themes. I've had this on my mind today because it seems like I was helping little old ladies right and left this afternoon. At the bus stop, a lost woman asked me how to get to the East side and I told her to get on the bus I was getting on and she'd be there in no time. The same thing happened when I was waiting for the subway. A little old lady asked me how to get to 125th street, and I told her to follow me--I was going that way too. At the grocery store, being tall, I was able to assist little old ladies in getting the merchandise they desired.

No gems and flowers fall from my lips, and I have not been the recipient of any magical tokens. However, I do feel good about my day, and that's enough reward. I am able to forget personal problems and feel grateful for the abilities and blessings that I do have. Now if only we could get to the part in the story where the prince charming rides up...