Applesauce: A fable about animals -- (the human variety)

by Deanne Levitt

Their marriage was perfect, or so Mary thought. Her volunteer work at the local animal shelter gave her a sense of purpose and she enjoyed reading the books recommended by her book club. Her regular tennis game with "the girls" provided plenty of exercise. Her friends envied her; John was handsome and a very successful businessman. John, on the other hand, felt restless. They'd married young; he longed for freedom of choice, for dating, for tasting life's offerings as only a single man can.

One day, during a business trip to Asia, he decided to take a stroll through an open-air market. A vendor stopped John with a raised hand and beckoning finger, arousing John's curiosity. After John walked over to the stall, the vendor said, "I'd like to tell you about my tea leaves. They are very special." The vendor went on to explain, "My tea leaves are the most delicious in the whole world. And, they have a special quality you will not find anywhere else, Sir." With that, the vendor lowered his voice to a conspiratorial whisper: "They are poisonous; just a few of them inbibed every day for a month will destroy the liver of an enemy, and he will die a painful death." Although John wasn't aware of any enemies, he could think of another use for them. Business cards were exchanged and since the price was right, he bought a month's supply and took them directly to his hotel room for safekeeping. For the next two weeks, John continued to have business meetings; at the end of that time, he flew home, content in the knowledge that he did not have to travel again for many months. Guess what he packed in his carry-on bag?

The very next morning, when Mary inquired about his trip, John showed her the special tea leaves. John was not a time-waster. "Mary, you must taste these tea leaves. They are the most delicious in the entire world. Just add them each afternoon to your usual tea leaves, and you will be amazed by their deliciousness." John, however, was unaware that the day after his purchase, the vendor had sent him a thank-you e-mail in which he identified the tea leaves by name. Mary had read John's mail and followed up with some Internet research. When she learned that the leaves contained toxic ingredients, she returned to John's Inbox and hit the delete button.

John had a weakness for fresh applesauce which, through the years, Mary had devotedly cooked for him daily. When he was home, and not traveling, he enjoyed having applesauce every evening for dessert, without fail. Henceforth, Mary added a few "special" tea leaves to John's applesauce; when boiled together with the apples, cinnamon stick, lemon peel and water, the tea leaves became integrated and undetectable.

"Honey," she asked, "What do you think of the applesauce? It's a new recipe I discovered on the Internet." John replied, "Darling, it's simply delicious. Please use the new recipe every day from now on!"

And so she did. And so he died, in one month's time...of liver failure.

Moral: Justice is its own reward