A man who flatters his neighbor spreads a net for his feet.
Proverbs 29:5
“It's great." said young Felix, nodding his nose hesitantly as he looked at the ramshackle cart his friend had built the day before.
"You're sure?" Said Diggory Dog, an uncertain look on his face.
"Well, I…" started Felix, but he never got a chance to finish.
"Only, I've been working on it so hard and I really hoped it would be right in time for the fair later. It took me ages, and see, there's a shelf here for carrying stuff. And I think the stripes on the side are so dashing and…"
Diggory droned on and on, pointing out the various features of a cart that Felix was around ninety percent certain would collapse the second he sat in it, but he never quite had the heart to say.
"So what do you think?"
"I… I think it's the best cart I've ever seen." said Felix.
"Thank you Felix! You're such a pal. You always say the nicest things about my little projects and I'd probably have not bothered with this one if you hadn’t."
And with that, Diggory ran off, trailing the cart behind him.
"Hmmm" said old Felix, young Felix's grandad. He was a wise fox, a fox of few words, and most of them were along the lines of "Hmmm". But then, that hmmm communicated a great deal. In this case, it communicated strong disapproval and young Felix couldn't quite figure out why.
"What's wrong grandad?" Asked Young Felix. His grandad just raised one bushy eyebrow and fixed him with an "I know you know perfectly well what's wrong young fox."
"I couldn't tell him it's awful, could I?" he blustered, "Mother is always telling me to be kind. And gentle. And Diggory was so proud of the cart, I know the axles are loose and it might come apart, and the wheels are lopsided and his brakes don't really attach but…"
Old Felix just looked at him and said nothing at all.
Later that day, they packed up their market stall and went over to the fair.
It was a beautiful evening, and the two foxes had a great time with their family. They had candyfloss, Old Felix won a soft toy rabbit at the coconut shy and Young Felix spent his last coins on a huge bag of sweets. As they were heading out the gate on their way home, young Felix heard a shout from outside the fairground.
"Felix! Felix!"
It was Diggory, sitting in his homemade ramshackle cart at the top of the big hill by the fairground.
"It's ready for the big run!" He shouted.
"Diggory…" said Felix, but it was too late. His friend pushed off, careening madly down the hill towards the gateway. Only… he wasn't heading for the gateway for long. The lopsided wheels pulled him off to the side, and soon he was heading straight for the stalls.
"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh." yelled Diggory.
"Pull the brakes!" shouted the family of foxes. Diggory did just that, but they snapped right off in his hands. He went crashing through the stalls, smearing his face in candyfloss, sending the stall flying, then went straight through a tent. As he came flying out the other side, pursued by an angry stall owner, the wheels came right off his cart and he skidded to a halt in a huge puddle, dripping wet.
"Right young dog, you're for it." said the angry badger in charge of the sweet stall, and proceeded to give Diggory a good thrashing.
"So, Felix," said old Felix as Young Felix shuffled from side to side awkwardly as they left to the sound of Diggory's wails, "perhaps you weren't so kind with your flattering words after all?"
Young Felix said not one more word, and it was a long time before Diggory spoke to him again as well.
Father, thank you that you sent Christ the Word to teach us to speak in truth and love. We pray that you would help us not to flatter, but to be honest in all we say. Amen.