Once upon a time there was a peasant woman, and a very wicked woman she was. When the woman died, she did not leave a single good deed behind.

The devil caught her and plunged her into a lake of fire. So, her guardian angel stood and wondered what good deed of hers he could remember to tell God. “She once pulled up an onion in her garden,” said the angel, “and gave it to a beggar woman.” And God answered, “You take that onion then, hold it out to her in the lake, and let her take hold and be pulled out. And if you pull her out of the lake, let her come to paradise, but if the onion breaks, then the woman must stay where she is.”

The angel ran to the woman and held out the onion to her. “Come,” said he, “catch hold and I’ll pull you out.” And he began cautiously pulling her out. He had just pulled her out when the other sinners in the lake, seeing how she was being drawn out, began catching hold of her so as to be pulled out with her. But she was a very wicked woman, and she began kicking them. “I’m to be pulled out, not you. It’s my onion, not yours.” As soon as she said this, the onion broke. The woman fell back into the lake – and she is burning there to this day.

So, the angel wept and went away.

Remember, you get what you give. The more good deeds that you could do in your life, the more fulfilling your life is going to be, and your Father in heaven will rejoice.

Give and gifts will be given to you; a good measure, packed together, shaken down, and overflowing, will be poured into your lap. For the measure with which you measure will in return be measured out to you. ~Luke 6:38