1 . One day, a kind woman happened to say something that hurt her best friend of many years. She _________ immediately and would do anything to take the words back. What she said hurt the friend so _________ that this good woman was herself hurt for the _________ she caused. In an effort to undo what she had done, she went to an older, wiser woman in the village, explained her ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ her. She also knew she could never _________ her pain, but she could teach. She knew the outcome would only _________ the character of the younger woman. She said, “Tonight, _________ your best feather pillows and put a single feather on the _________ of each house in town before the sun rises.”

The young woman hurried home to prepare for it, even though the feather pillows were very dear to her. All night long, she labored alone in the cold. Finally the sky was getting light. She placed the last feather on the step of the last house. Just as the sun rose, she ____________ to the older woman.

“Now,” said the wise woman, “Go back and ____________ your pillows with the feather you have put on the steps. Then everything will be as it was before.”

“You know that’s impossible! The wind ____________ away the feathers as fast as I placed them on the steps!” The young woman was surprised.

“That’s true, ” said the older woman. “Never forget. Each of your ____________ is like a feather in the wind. Once spoken, no amount of ____________, no matter how heartfelt or sincere, can return them to your ____________. Choose your words well and, most of all, guard them in the presence of those you love.”