I remember this story from my childhood.

A man who was the wealthiest man in his town had a big home.  He was known for the beautiful garden surrounding it.  He made passage through it so that all the people of his town could share it.  Surrounding this garden was a wall so that people could only make enter and exit the same way.  He did it to protect the gardner's work, as he felt that the people were not careful enough to do so themselves.

In order to remove soil, stones and other debris that was in the way of his planting of flowers, he instructed his workers to toss it over the wall.  On the other side of the wall was a common road, in which all the people of the town use.  At first, the townspeople tolarated it, cleaning up the debris, but then it became more than the townspeople could handle.  Soon, the stones we cutting the feet of the women and children and the beasts of burden.  It was breaking the wheels of the carriages and carts, and becoming unsightly.

The townspeople decided to go to the man and ask him to stop instucting the gardners to toss things over the wall and into the road.  "My brother, the ombudsman said, we come to ask you to instruct your workers to stop tossing debris over the wall.  You have plenty of land and can instruct them to place it somewhere else."  The wealthy man replied in anger. "Look at what I bring to you.  You enjoy the garden, and yet you can't put up with a few stones?.  Are your women's feet so tender and your workmanship so shoddy that you blame me for your problems?"  He continued arrogantly "I know what is best for you, and you are incapable of knowing for yourselves.  I bring you beauty, peace, and serenity, and you complain."  Seeing that there was no willingness for compromise, the ombudsman said to the wealthy man "The only thing that stays the same is that change will come.  Peace to you my brother"

The wealthy man made no effort to change his policy of having the gardners toss the debris onver the wall.  This went on for years.   He was so angry that he had the wall built higher, and closed himself off from the rest of the town.  He forbad visitors to his garden.  He became fearful of even his faithful gardners and had them killed.  For years, this wealthy man hid in fear and became irrational.

Because of his behavior he was no longer able to manage his money.  He became so indebted that he lost everything.  He was evicted from his home.  He had nothing, not even sandles for his tender feet so catered by his wealth.  Now, as the stones began to take their toll on every step of his laboured walk, he remembered the day when the ombudsman came.  He remembered the arrogance he expressed.  He prayed that the townspeople would forget. 

As he rounded the corner onto the road, he saw the many stones he had tossed over the wall.  He saw women and children walking unfettered over them.  He saw the road was not straight, but the well used trail was curved in such a way to avoid the boulders he tossed over the wall.  He saw a humble, but beautiful garden, where there was no path, where children picked the flowers, and women laughed and sang as they tended it. 

As his face contorted in pain from his walk, elderly men came, walking briskly over the stones to greet him.  They brought to him a pair of well worn sandals.  He had no choice.  The elderly men told him, "we no longer find the need for sandals, as we have gotten used to the road as it is.  These will last you only for a while, but you must get used to the path, as we all have.