According to legend, a young man while roaming the desert came across a spring of delicious crystal-clear water. The water was so sweet, he filled his leather canteen（水壶） so he could bring some back to a tribal1 elder who had been his teacher.
After a four-day journey he presented the water to the old man who took a deep drink, smiled warmly and thanked his student lavishly2（丰富地） for the sweet water. The young man returned to his village with a happy heart.
Later, the teacher let another student taste the water. He spat3 it out, saying it was awful. It apparently4 had become stale（不新鲜的） because of the old leather container.
The student challenged his teacher: "Master, the water was foul5. Why did you pretend to like it?"
The teacher replied, "You only tasted the water. I tasted the gift. The water was simply the container for an act of loving-kindness and nothing could be sweeter."
I think we understand this lesson best when we receive innocent gifts of love from young children. Whether it's a ceramic6（陶瓷的） tray or a macaroni bracelet7, the natural and proper response is appreciation8 and expressed thankfulness because we love the idea within the gift.
Gratitude9 doesn't always come naturally. Unfortunately, most children and many adults value only the thing given rather than the feeling embodied10 in it. We should remind ourselves and teach our children about the beauty and purity of feelings and expressions of gratitude. After all, gifts from the heart are really gifts of the heart.
