DROP A PEBBLE IN THE WATER
Drop a pebble
in the water, just a splash, and it is gone;
But there are half a
hundred ripples circling on and on and on,
Spreading, spreading
from the center, flowing on out to sea.
And there is no way of
telling where the end is going to be.
Drop a pebble in the
water; in a minute you will forget,
But there are little
waves a-flowing and there are ripples circling yet,
And those little waves
a-flowing to a great big wave have grown;
You've disturbed a
mighty river just by dropping in a stone.
Drop an unkind word, or
careless: in a minute it is gone;
But there's half a
hundred ripples circling on and on and on,
They keep spreading,
spreading, spreading from the center as they go.
And there is no way to
stop them, once you've started the flow.
Drop a word of cheer and
kindness: just a flash and it is gone;
But there are half a
hundred ripples circling on and on and on,
Bearing hope and joy and
comfort on each splashing, dashing wave,
Till you wouldn't
believe the volume of the one kind word you gave.
Drop a word of cheer and
kindness: in a minute you forget;
But there's gladness
still a-swelling, and there's joy circling yet.
And you've rolled a wave
of comfort whose sweet music can be heard,
Over miles and miles of
water just by dropping one kind word.
