A ship was destroyed* during a storm at sea and only two of the men on it were able to swim to a small and quiet island.
The two survivors*, also good friends, not knowing what else to do, agreed that they had no other choice but to pray* to God. However, to find out whose prayers were more useful on the hopeless days, they made the island into two parts and stayed on opposite sides of the island. .
The first thing they prayed for was food. The next morning, the first man saw a fruit-bearing tree beside him and he ate its fruit himself. The other man's land remained barren.
After a week, the first man was lonely so he prayed for a wife. The next day, another ship was completely destroyed, and the only woman survivor soon became his wife. On the other side of the island, there was still nothing.
Soon the first man prayed for a house, clothes and more food. The next day, like magic, all of these were given to him. However, the second man still had nothing.
Finally, the first man prayed for a ship. In the morning, he found a ship at his side of the island. The first man boarded the ship with his wife and decided to leave the second man on the island behind, because he thought the other man did not deserve* to receive God's blessings, since his prayers had never been answered.
As the ship was about to leave, the first man heard a voice from Heaven, "Why are you leaving your friend on the island?"
"My blessings are mine alone, since I was the one who prayed for them," the first man answered. "His prayers were all unanswered and so he does not deserve anything"
"You are mistaken!" the voice sounded unhappy and angry. "He had only one prayer, which I answered. If not for that, you would not have received any of my blessings."
"Tell me," the first man asked in surprise, "What did he pray for?"
"He prayed that all your prayers would be answered."
