Author: UnknownIllustrator: Mr. Krokos

A boy had a very bad temper. When he was angry A boy had a very bad temper. When he was angry he would say mean things. he would say mean things.

After the boy said something really mean to his After the boy said something really mean to his mom, his dad talked to him about trying to get mom, his dad talked to him about trying to get his temper under control.his temper under control.

He took his son to the backyard and showed him He took his son to the backyard and showed him part of a wooden fence.part of a wooden fence.

He also showed the boy a can of nails and a He also showed the boy a can of nails and a hammer that were by the fence.hammer that were by the fence.

The dad told the boy that when he is angry, he The dad told the boy that when he is angry, he should come back to the fence and pound a nail should come back to the fence and pound a nail into the fence.into the fence.

He said, “This will give you something to do when He said, “This will give you something to do when you are angry instead of saying mean things to you are angry instead of saying mean things to other people.”other people.”

So the boy tried it. When he was feeling angry So the boy tried it. When he was feeling angry and was about to say something mean to and was about to say something mean to someone, he would go into his backyard, pick up someone, he would go into his backyard, pick up the hammer and a nail, and just pound it into the the hammer and a nail, and just pound it into the fence.fence.

In the beginning the boy was going through lots In the beginning the boy was going through lots of nails. He felt angry alot.of nails. He felt angry alot.

In time, though, he was using fewer and fewer In time, though, he was using fewer and fewer nails until one day he realized that he had not nails until one day he realized that he had not hammered any nails into the fence for a while. hammered any nails into the fence for a while. He felt good and went to tell his dad.He felt good and went to tell his dad.

Together they went back to look at the fence. It Together they went back to look at the fence. It was was coveredcovered with nails! It didn’t look like a fence with nails! It didn’t look like a fence at all. It looked like a porcupine!at all. It looked like a porcupine!

The boy’s dad gave him the hammer and showed The boy’s dad gave him the hammer and showed him how to use it to pull a nail out of the fence. him how to use it to pull a nail out of the fence. Then he told the boy he had to pull all the nails Then he told the boy he had to pull all the nails out of the fence.out of the fence.

It took the boy a long time to pull all of those It took the boy a long time to pull all of those nails out. It took him much much longer to pull nails out. It took him much much longer to pull them out than it took to hammer them in.them out than it took to hammer them in.

Finally, when all the nails had been pulled out, Finally, when all the nails had been pulled out, the boy looked at the fence again with his dad. the boy looked at the fence again with his dad. The boy noticed that each nail he put in the fence The boy noticed that each nail he put in the fence left a hole.left a hole.

The boy’s father reminded him that he The boy’s father reminded him that he hammered all the nails in when he was angry. hammered all the nails in when he was angry. The boy’s dad said, “Just imagine, that all those The boy’s dad said, “Just imagine, that all those nails were words.” “Do you see what mean words nails were words.” “Do you see what mean words can do?”can do?”

Author: UnknownIllustrator: Mr. Krokos