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The Cookie Thief A highly.educated professional woman bought some cookies and a book at an airport and sat down to read and nibble while waiting for her plane. Soon she noticed that a man sitting next to her casually took a cookie from the bag in between them. The lady was shocked but remained silent, seeing, as this man, without the slightest sign of shame or gratitude, quietly helped himself, matching her consumption cookie for cookie.
When there was only one cookie left, she watched in amazement as he picked up, smiled at her as if he were being gracious, and broke the cookie in half. He ate one half and gave her the other. She congratulated herself for maintaining her cool and saying nothing to this rude cookie thief, simply astonished at the nerve of some people.
Later, when she was settling in her seat on the plane, she rummaged through her purse and discovered the bag of cookies she'd purchased, still unopened. The moral message is contained in the closing stanza:
"If mine are here,” she moaned with despair,
“Then the others were his and he tried to share."
Too late to apologize, she realized with grief, Jair E20 ch InternaPath to Righteousness Only
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