One day, an old man was walking through a forest when he noticed a little cat trapped inside a deep hole.
The poor cat was struggling desperately to climb out, but every time it tried, it slipped back down.
The old man felt sorry for it.
He reached down and tried to help the cat.
But as soon as his hand came close, the cat scratched him and tried to escape in the opposite direction.
The old man tried again.
Again, the cat scratched him.
A young man passing by saw what was happening.
“Why are you helping that cat?” he asked. “It keeps scratching you!”
The old man smiled.
“The cat is only trying to protect itself. It doesn’t understand that I’m trying to help.”
“But you’re getting hurt!” the young man replied.
The old man gently pulled the cat out of the hole and placed it safely on the ground.
Then he said,
“Sometimes, people—or animals—hurt us while we’re trying to help them. That doesn’t mean we should stop doing what is right.”
The young man nodded thoughtfully.
The old man walked away with a scratched hand but a peaceful smile.
The little cat quickly disappeared into the forest.
And the young man never forgot the lesson:
“Do good, even when others don’t understand your intentions.”
