One of Lincoln’s favorite expressions was, “That reminds me of a story.” Then he would tell a story, or a joke, that was always pointed to the issue at hand.
On one occasion he was confronted with a person who overreacted – a 20-foot reaction to a 2-inch stimulus – and told the following story:
“A man on foot, with his clothes in a bundle, came to a running stream which he knew he must ford. So he made elaborate preparations by stripping off his garments, adding them to his bundle, then tying the bundle to the top of a stick.
“That enabled him to raise the bundle high above his head to keep them dry during the crossing. When all preparations were complete he fearlessly waded in and carefully made his way across the rippling stream, and found it in no place up to his ankles."
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