Some friends of mine decided to visit me one day and brought with them a variety of presents. One of them, having traveled to Dubai in the previous month handed me a small box with a similarly small rock attached to a string. Upon my inquires as to what it was, all that the fella could say is 'Guess...' And so we began,each of us giving a rather stupid use as well as the reason behind said use. It reminded me of an old poem by John
Godfrey Saxe about 6 Blind,Hindu wise men, who when faced with an elephant, and each touching at different parts of the beast, all assumed differently as to what it was.......
It was six men of Hindustan,
To learning much inclined,
Who went to see the Elephant,
(Though
all of them were blind)
That each by observation might,
Satisfy his mind.
The first approached the elephant,
And happening to fall,
Against his broad and sturdy side,
At once began to bawl:
“Bless me, it seems the elephant
Is very like a wall.”
The second feeling of his tusk,
Cried, “Ho! What have we here?
So very round and smooth and sharp…
To me tis mighty clear
This wonder of an elephant
Is very like a spear.”
The third approached the animal,
And happening to take
The squirming trunk within his hands,
Then boldly up and spoke:
“I see, “ quoth he, “the elephant
Is very like a snake.”
The fourth stretched out his eager hand,
And felt about the knee,
“What most this mighty beast is like,
Is mighty plain,” quoth he;
“Tis clear enough the elephant
Is very like a tree.”
The fifth who chanced to touch the ear
Said, “even the blindest man
Can tell what this resembles most;
Deny the fact who can,
This marvel of an elephant
Is very like a fan.”
The sixth no sooner had began
About the beast to grope,
Than seizing on the swinging tail
That fell within his scope,
“I see,” cried he, “the elephant
Is very like a rope.”
And so these men of Hindustan
Disputed loud and long,
Each to his own opinion
Exceeding stiff and strong,
Thought each was partially in the right
And all were in the wrong.
By John
Godfrey Saxe
