Originally Posted by Mr. Charlie

The Stone Cutter

There was once a stone cutter who was dissatisfied with himself and with his position in life.

One day he passed a wealthy merchant’s house. Through the open gateway, he saw many fine possessions and important visitors. “How powerful that merchant must be!” thought the stone cutter. He became very envious and wished that he could be like the merchant.

To his great surprise, he suddenly became the merchant, enjoying more luxuries and power than he had ever imagined, but envied and detested by those less wealthy than himself. Soon a high official passed by, carried in a sedan chair, accompanied by attendants and escorted by soldiers beating gongs. Everyone, no matter how wealthy, had to bow low before the procession. “How powerful that official is!” he thought. “I wish that I could be a high official!”

Then he became the high official, carried everywhere in his embroidered sedan chair, feared and hated by the people all around. It was a hot summer day, so the official felt very uncomfortable in the sticky sedan chair. He looked up at the sun. It shone proudly in the sky, unaffected by his presence. “How powerful the sun is!” he thought. “I wish that I could be the sun!”

Then he became the sun, shining fiercely down on everyone, scorching the fields, cursed by the farmers and laborers. But a huge black cloud moved between him and the earth, so that his light could no longer shine on everything below. “How powerful that storm cloud is!” he thought. “I wish that I could be a cloud!”

Then he became the cloud, flooding the fields and villages, shouted at by everyone. But soon he found that he was being pushed away by some great force, and realized that it was the wind. “How powerful it is!” he thought. “I wish that I could be the wind!”

Then he became the wind, blowing tiles off the roofs of houses, uprooting trees, feared and hated by all below him. But after a while, he ran up against something that would not move, no matter how forcefully he blew against it – a huge, towering rock. “How powerful that rock is!” he thought. “I wish that I could be a rock!”

Then he became the rock, more powerful than anything else on earth. But as he stood there, he heard the sound of a hammer pounding a chisel into the hard surface, and felt himself being changed. “What could be more powerful than I, the rock?” he thought.

He looked down and saw far below him the figure of a stone cutter.

Originally Posted by Trollheart

Here's one of mine. I may get it a bit wrong, it's been a while, but the general idea is easy to get.

A fisherman's wife was unhappy with her lot, and she petitioned God. "Oh Lord!" she prayed. "Why is my life so poor and miserable? Please make me like a princess!" And lo! She was in a castle, with servants and fine dresses and all the food she could eat and so on. Days went by, weeks and she again became restless. "Lord!" she prayed. "This princess life is boring. Make me like a king!" And God did so, and she had dominion over many lands. Princes and lords came to see and bow before her, and mighty armies bent to her will. Yet still she was not happy.

"Lord!" she cried. "This is not enough. Make me an emperor!" And so God did, and she was even more powerful than before, but again this was not enough and she wailed "Lord! Make me like the Pope!" And again God did so, and she was the most powerful figure in the land. And now she was happy.

But life as a king, an emperor, even a princess had had some excitement and life as the Pope was boring. Plus she wanted to rise even higher, be more powerful. So the wicked, ungrateful woman cried "Lord! Make me like God!"

And she found herself back at her fisherman's hovel...