[dylug] Fw: The pebble story
"Abhijit Deodhar" <[email protected]>
| Newsgroups | gmane.user-groups.linux.dylug |
|---|---|
| Message-ID | <[email protected]> |
----- Original Message ----- From: Payal Chowksey To: [email protected] Cc: [email protected] Sent: Tuesday, August 24, 2004 1:45 PM Subject: The pebble story THE PEBBLE STORY > >Many years ago in a small Indian village, a farmer had >the misfortune of owing a large sum of money to a >village moneylender. The moneylender, who >was old and ugly, fancied the farmer's beautiful >daughter. So he proposed a bargain. He said he would >forgo the farmer's debt if he could marry his >daughter. > >Both the farmer and his daughter were horrified by the >proposal. So the cunning money-lender suggested that >they let providence decide the matter. > >He told them that he would put a black pebble and a >white pebble into an empty money bag. Then the girl >would have to pick one pebble from the bag. >If she picked the black pebble, she would become his >wife and her father's debt would be forgiven. If she >picked the white pebble she need not marry >him and her father's debt would still be forgiven. But >if she refused to pick a pebble, her father would be >thrown into jail. > >All the villagers were standing on a pebble strewn >path in the farmer's field. As they talked, the >moneylender bent over to pick up two pebbles. > >As he picked them up, the sharp-eyed girl noticed that >he had picked up two black pebbles and put them into >the bag. He then asked the girl to pick a >pebble from the bag. Now, imagine you were standing in >the field. > >What would you have done if you were the girl? If you >had to advise her, what would you have told her? > >Careful analysis would produce three possibilities: > >1. The girl should refuse to take a pebble. > >2. The girl should show that there were two black >pebbles in the bag and expose the money-lender as a >cheat. > >3. The girl should pick a black pebble and sacrifice >herself in order to save her father from his debt and >imprisonment. > >Take a moment to ponder over the story. The above >story is used with the hope that it will make us >appreciate the difference between lateral and >logical thinking. > >The girl's dilemma can not be solved with traditional >logical thinking. >Think of the consequences if she chooses the above >logical answers. > >What would you recommend to the Girl to do? ;;;;;;; > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >Well, what she did was : > >The girl put her hand into the moneybag and drew out a >pebble. Without looking at it, she fumbled and let it >fall onto the pebble-strewn path where it immediately >became lost among all the other pebbles. > >"Oh, how clumsy of me," she said. "But never mind, if >you look into the bag for the one that is left, you >will be able to tell which pebble I picked." > >Since the remaining pebble is black, it must be >assumed that she had picked the white one. And since >the money-lender dared not admit his dishonesty, >the girl changed what seemed an impossible situation >into an extremely advantageous one. > MORAL OF THE STORY: Most complex problems do have a solution. It is only that we don't attempt to think.