The Cookie-Thief

We like to think we know everything and that we are always right.

Many times, we misunderstand and misjudge people around us. 
We quickly jump to conclusions and wrongly accuse them of bad intentions.
Though, at times, it's possible that we may be wrong, and more than often, when 
we realize it, it's too late to even apologize.
We should, therefore, not hurry up in passing our judgment on people. 

Here is a wonderful heart-touching poem - a perfect example of this theme.

                           The Cookie-Thief
                                                 (By Valerie Cox )

A woman was waiting at an airport one night,
With several long hours before her flight.
She hunted for a book in the airport store,
bought a bag of cookies, and found a place to drop.

She was engrossed in her book, but happened to see,
That the man beside her, as bold as could be,
Grabbed a cookie or two from the bag between,
Which she tried to ignore, to avoid a scene.

She read, munched cookies, and watched the clock,
As the gutsy "cookie thief" diminished her stock.
She was getting more irritated as the minutes ticked by,
Thinking," If I wasn't so nice, I'd blacken his eye!"

With each cookie she took, he took one too.
When only one was left, she wondered what he'd do.
With a smile on his face and a nervous laugh,
He took the last cookie and broke it in half.

He offered her half and ate the other.
She snatched it from him and thought," Oh brother,
This guy has some nerve, and he's also rude,
Why, he didn't even show any gratitude!"

She had never known when she had been so galled
and sighed with relief when her flight was called.
She gathered her belongings and headed for the gate,
Refusing to look back at the "Thieving Ingrate"

She boarded the plane and sank in her seat,
Then sought her book, which was almost complete.
As she reached in her baggage, she gasped with surprise.
There was her bag of cookies in front of her eyes!

"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
That she was the rude one, the ingrate, the thief.