Chicken Soup for the Soul

The Touch Of The Master's Hand 
'Twas battered and scarred, and the auctioneer 
Thought it scarcely worth his while 
To waste much time on the old violin, 
But held it up with a smile. 
"What am I bidden, good folks," he cried, 
"Who'll start the bidding for me?" 
"A dollar, a dollar," then, two! Only two? 
"Two dollars, and who'll make it three? 
'Three dollars, once; three dollars, twice; 
Going for three ..." But no, 
From the room, far back, a gray-haired man 
Came forward and picked up the bow; 
Then, wiping the dust from the old violin, 
And tightening the loose strings, 
He played a melody pure and sweet 
As a caroling angel sings. 
The music ceased, and the auctioneer, With a voice that was quiet and 
low, Said: "What am I bid for the old violin?" And he held it up with the 
bow. "A thousand dollars, and who'll make it two? 
Two thousand! And who'll make it three? 
Three thousand, once; three thousand, twice; 
And going and gone," said he. 
The people cheered, but some of them cried, 
"We do not quite understand 
What changed its worth?" 
Swift came the reply: 
"The touch of a master's hand." 
And many a man with life out of tune, 
And battered and scarred with sin, 
Is auctioned cheap to the thoughtless crowd, 
Much like the old violin. 
A "mess of potage," a glass of wine; 
A game—and he travels on. 
He is "going" once, and "going" twice, 
He's "going" and almost "gone." 
But the Master comes and the foolish crowd 

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Never can quite understand 
The worth of a soul and the change that's wrought 
By the touch of the Master's hand. 
Myra B. Welch 

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More Chicken Soup? 
Many of the stories and poems you have read in this book were 
submitted by readers like you. We are planning to publish five or six 
Chicken Soup For The Soul books every year. We invite you to 
contribute a story. 
Stories may be up to 1,200 words and must uplift or inspire. You may 
submit an original piece or something you clip out of a local newspaper, 
a magazine, a church bulletin or a company newsletter. It could also be 
your favorite quotation that you've put on your refrigerator door or a 
personal experience that has touched you deeply. 
In addition to future Servings of Chicken Soup For The Soul, some of 
the other books we have planned are Chicken Soup For The Woman's 
Soul as well as Chicken Soup For The . . . Teacher's Soul, Jewish Soul, 
Pet Lover's Soul, Kid's Soul, Country Soul, Laughing Soul, Grieving 
Soul, Unsinkable Soul, Divorced Soul and Loving Couple's Soul. 
Just send a copy of your stories and other pieces, indicating which 
edition they are for, to the following address: 
Chicken Soup For The (Specify Which Edition) Soul 
P.O. Box 30880 
Santa Barbara, CA 93130 
Tel: [phone] 
Fax: [phone] 
Web site: http://www.chickensoup.com 
You can also visit our Chicken Soup For The Soul site on AOL at 
keyword: chickensoup. 
We will be sure that both you and the author are credited for your 
submission. 
For information about speaking engagements, other books, audiotapes, 
workshops and training programs contact any of the authors directly. 
Who Is Jack Canfield? 
Jack Canfield is one of America's leading experts in the development of 
human potential and personal effectiveness. He is both a dynamic, 
entertaining speaker and a highly sought-after trainer. Jack has a 
wonderful ability to inform and inspire audiences toward increased 
levels of self-esteem and peak performance. 
He is the author and narrator of several bestselling audio- and 
videocassette programs, including Self-Esteem And Peak Performance, 

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How To Build High Self-Esteem, Self-Esteem In The Classroom and 
Chicken Soup For The Soul—Live. He is regularly seen on television 
shows such as Good Morning America, 20/20 and NBC Nightly News. 
Jack has co-authored numerous books, including the Chicken Soup For 
The Soul series, Dare To Win and The Aladdin Factor (all with Mark 
Victor Hansen), 100 Ways To Build Self-Concept In The Classroom 
(with Harold C. Wells) and Heart At Work (with Jacqueline Miller). 
Jack is a regularly featured speaker for professional associations, school 
districts, government agencies, churches, hospitals, sales organizations 
and corporations. His clients have included the American Dental 
Association, the American Management Association, AT&T, Campbell 
Soup, Clairol, Domino's Pizza, GE, ITT, Hartford Insurance, Johnson & 
Johnson, the Million Dollar Roundtable, NCR, New England 
Telephone, Re/Max, Scott Paper, TRW and Virgin Records. Jack is also 
on the faculty of Income Builders International, a school for 
entrepreneurs. 
Jack conducts an annual eight-day Training of Trainers program in the 
areas of self-esteem and peak performance. It attracts educators, 
counselors, parenting trainers, corporate trainers, professional speakers, 
ministers and others interested in developing their speaking and seminar 
leading skills. 
For further information about Jack's books, tapes and training programs, 
or to schedule him for a presentation, please contact: 
The Canfield Training Group 
P.O. Box 30880 —Santa Barbara, CA 93130 
phone: [phone] —fax: [phone] 
Web site: www.chickensoup.com 
Who Is Mark Victor Hansen? 
Mark Victor Hansen is a professional speaker who, in the last 20 years, 
has made over 4,000 presentations to more than 2 million people in 32 
countries. His presentations cover sales excellence and strategies; 
personal empowerment and development; and how to triple your 
income and double your time off. 
Mark has spent a lifetime dedicated to his mission of making a profound 
and positive difference in people's lives. Throughout his career, he has 
inspired hundreds of thousands of people to create a more powerful and 
purposeful future for themselves while stimulating the sale of billions of 
dollars worth of goods and services. 

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Mark is a prolific writer and has authored Future Diary, How To 
Achieve Total Prosperity and The Miracle Of Tithing. He is coauthor of 
the Chicken Soup For The Soul series, Dare To Win and The Aladdin 
Factor (all with Jack Canfield) and The Master Motivator (with Joe 
Batten). 
Mark has also produced a complete library of personal empowerment 
audio- and videocassette programs that have enabled his listeners to 
recognize and use their innate abilities in their business and personal 
lives. His message has made him a popular television and radio 
personality, with appearances on ABC, NBC, CBS, HBO, PBS and 
CNN. He has also appeared on the cover of numerous magazines, 
including Success, Entrepreneur and Changes. 
Mark is a big man with a heart and spirit to match—an inspiration to all 
who seek to better themselves. 
You can contact Mark at: 
P.O. Box 7665 
Newport Beach, CA 92658 
phone: [phone] or 800-433-2314 
fax: [phone] Web site: www.chickensoup.com 

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