Some stories are just wonderful by themselves.  This is one 
of them.

LadyHawke
*~*~*~*~*~*

 Eating in Heaven & Hell

One day a man was given the opportunity to see what Hell was like. 
 
From a distance, he looked into Hell itself and saw a beautifully 
and bountifully decorated table FILLED to overflowing with all 
kinds of good things to eat. Yet the people that sat around the 
table were emaciated and looked really terrible. They were all 
very skinny and pale. Their faces were drawn and gaunt. They 
were literally starving. All this magnificent food and they were 
still starving? 
 
The astonished man looked around for a reason for this. Then 
he saw it. The only utensils that the people had to use were all 
3 feet long. The people were starving because they couldn't get 
any of that nourishing food into their mouths.  The man thought 
to himself, Isn't this just like the devil to put marvelous and 
abundant food in front of you and then give you 3 foot utensils 
so you can't eat any of it? 
 
Then the man was taken up to see what Heaven was like. He 
excitedly looked forward to seeing that. When he got there, he 
saw that there too was a lavishly decorated table filled to 
overflowing with good things to eat. The people that sat around 
this table however all looked VERY healthy and happy.   Not at 
all like the people in Hell which of course was to be expected. 
 
Upon closer inspection however he saw something that really 
amazed him.  This table too was set with 3 foot utensils. He 
wondered to himself,  Why are all the people in Hell so miserable 
and starving and these people in heaven are so happy and full? 
The people in Hell have everything the same as the people in 
Heaven have.  His question was soon answered.

After the people at the table had offered up a prayer of 
thanksgiving, they all picked up their 3 foot utensils and 
began to feed each other.
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Then ten most powerful two-letter words are:
"IF IT IS TO BE, IT IS UP TO ME."  - Dale Carnegie