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Once upon a time, under a bright and cheerful sun, there was a kind man known as the Buddha. He loved to walk from one village to another, sharing stories and laughter, making everyone around him feel a little lighter and a lot happier. As he walked, he would often say to himself, “What a beautiful day for a stroll!” He enjoyed the warmth of the sun, the cool breeze, and the songs of the birds.

One day, while the Buddha was enjoying his walk, a man who was very, very angry came running up to him. This man’s face was red, his fists were clenched, and he seemed to be carrying a big, heavy cloud of anger with him. “Who do you think you are?” the angry man shouted.

The Buddha, with a calm and gentle smile, asked, “What seems to be the problem, my friend?”

The angry man huffed and puffed, “You! You walk around, acting all wise and kind, but I don’t believe you. You’re just pretending, wearing that orange robe and smiling all the time!”

The Buddha, still smiling, invited the angry man to sit with him under a big, shady tree. “Come, sit with me for a moment,” he said kindly.

The angry man was a bit surprised. “Why aren’t you mad at me for yelling at you?” he asked, puzzled.

The Buddha looked at him with kind eyes and said, “I have a question for you. If you buy a gift for someone, but they don’t accept it, who does the gift belong to?”

The angry man scratched his head. “Well, it would still be mine, I guess. I bought it.”

“Exactly,” said the Buddha with a gentle nod. “It’s the same with your anger. If you’re angry with me, but I don’t accept your anger, then the anger is still yours. You’re the one who feels upset, not me.”

The angry man thought about this for a moment, and then a light bulb went on in his head. “So, if I stay angry, I’m only hurting myself?” he asked.

“That’s right,” the Buddha replied. “If you let go of your anger and try to be kind, you’ll feel much better.”

The angry man took a deep breath and let out a big sigh. “I’ll try to be better. Thank you for helping me see that,” he said, feeling a little lighter.

They hugged as friends and said goodbye, waving to each other as they went their separate ways. The angry man felt a lot happier, and the Buddha continued his walk, ready to share more kindness with the world.

And so, the story teaches us a valuable lesson: holding onto anger only makes us unhappy. By choosing kindness and letting go of anger, we can find peace and happiness in our hearts.