There once was a man named George Thomas,Priest in a small New England town.One Easter Sunday morning he came to the Church carrying a rusty, bent, old bird cage,and set it by the pulpit.Eyebrows were raised and, as if in response, Priest Thomas began to speak…

“I was walking through town yesterday when I saw a young boy coming toward me swinging this bird cage.On the bottom of the cage were three little wild birds,shivering with cold and fright.I stopped the lad and asked,”What do you have there, son?” “Just some old birds,”came the reply.”What are you going to do with them?”I asked.”Take them home and have fun with them,”he answered.”I am going to tease them and pull out their feathers to make them fight.I’m going to have good time.” “But you’ll get tired of those birds sooner or later.What will you do then?” “Oh,I got some cats, “said the little boy.”They like birds.I will take them to them.” The priest was silent for a moment.”How much do you want for those birds,son?””Huh??!!!Why,you want the birds, mister?They are just plain field birds.They don’t sing. They aren’t even pretty!” “How much?”the priest asked again.The boy sized up the Priest as if he was crazy and said “$10?”.

The Priest reached in his pocket and took out a ten dollar bill.He placed it in the boy’s hand.In a flash,the boy was gone.The Priest picked up the cage and gently carried it to the end of the alley where there was a tree and a grassy spot.Setting the cage down, he opened the door,and by softly tapping the bars persuaded the birds out,setting them free.Well, that explained the empty bird cage on the pulpit,and then the Priest began to tell this story:

One day Satan (The devil) and Jesus were having a conversation. Satan had just come from the garden of Eden,and he was gloating and boasting.”Yes,sir,I just caught a world full of people down there. Set them a trap,used bait I knew they couldn’t resist.Got them all!” “What are you going to do with them?”Jesus asked.

Satan replied,’Oh I am going to have fun!I am going to teach them how to marry and divorce each other and make them again remarry some body else,I shall teach them how to hate and abuse each other, how to drink and smoke and curse. I’m going to teach them how to invent guns and bombs and kill each other.I’m really going to have fun!”

“And what will you do when you are done with them”Jesus asked?”Oh,I’ll kill them, “satan glared proudly.

How much do you want for them?”

Jesus asked.

“Oh you don’t want those people, They aren’t good.Why,you’ll take them and they’ll just hate you.

They’ll spit on you,curse you and kill you.You don’t want those people!!”

“How much?He asked again.

Satan looked at Jesus and sneered,”ALL YOUR BLOOD,TEARS AND YOUR LIFE.”

Jesus said, “DONE!”Then he paid the price.The Priest picked up the cage and walked from the pulpit.

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