An old monk was going about his duties one day. Unfortunately, he could not enjoy the ideal monastic silence. It had been shattered by the loud commotion of a nearby group of shepherd boys. The rowdy bunch went on and on. It seemed like the deafening noise would never end! It would be annoying enough for anyone - but especially for a man trying to lead a prayerful life.

The solution was simple enough: call out to those boys (if they could even hear beyond their own voices), and ask them to stop. However, the old monk held his peace. He patiently endured the ruckus until, eventually, it quieted down.

When asked how he could endure such noise, the good monk answered: "I was at first inclined to say something to them. But I thought better of it, and said to myself, ‘If I cannot endure so little as this, how shall I endure greater trials, when they come to me?’ "