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In a small village, a farmer had the misfortune of owing a large
amount of money to a moneylender. The moneylender was old and
ugly. He fancied the farmer’s beautiful daughter. So he proposed a
bargain. He said he would drop the farmer’s debt, if he could marry
his daughter.
.
Both the farmer and his daughter were horrified by the proposal.
So the money-lender suggested a game of pebbles (small stones).
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.
.
1) If she picked the black pebble, she would become his wife
and her father’s debt would be forgiven.
2) If she picked the white pebble she need not marry him
and her father’s debt would still be forgiven.
3) But if she refused to pick a pebble,
her father would be thrown into jail.
.
The father and daughter had to accept the game. All people gathered
in the middle of the village to see this game. They were standing on a
location, where there were uncountable pebbles. It was a pebble
filled land. The moneylender bent over to pick up two pebbles. When
he picked them up, the sharp-eyed girl noticed that he had picked up
two black pebbles and put them into the bag. Then he asked the girl
to pick a pebble from the bag.
.
Dear friend, Stop reading this story and think about the solution.
Now, imagine that you were standing in the field.
If you were that girl, what would have you done ?
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
to save her father from his debt and imprisonment.
.
The girl’s problem cannot be solved with traditional logical thinking.
Well, here is what she did….
.
The girl put her hand into the moneybag and drew out a pebble.
Without looking at it, she dropped it on the land where there were
uncountable pebbles. It immediately became lost among all the other
pebbles.
.
The girl : I picked white pebble. But by mistake, it was dropped
from my hand.
Moneylender : No. You picked black pebble. You are lying.
The girl : No. I surely picked white pebble. If you have any doubt,
check inside the bag. Black pebble is still in the bag. You all people
can see that. But white pebble is not there. Because I picked it.
.
Since the remaining pebble in the bag is black, it must be assumed
that she had picked the white one.The moneylender had no courage
to tell that he had put two black pebbles inside the bag. The girl won
the game. So her father needed not to pay back the debt. And the
girl needed not to marry the cunning moneylender. They happily went
home. The girl changed an impossible situation into an extremely
advantageous situation.
amount of money to a moneylender. The moneylender was old and
ugly. He fancied the farmer’s beautiful daughter. So he proposed a
bargain. He said he would drop the farmer’s debt, if he could marry
his daughter.
.
Both the farmer and his daughter were horrified by the proposal.
So the money-lender suggested a game of pebbles (small stones).
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.
.
1) If she picked the black pebble, she would become his wife
and her father’s debt would be forgiven.
2) If she picked the white pebble she need not marry him
and her father’s debt would still be forgiven.
3) But if she refused to pick a pebble,
her father would be thrown into jail.
.
The father and daughter had to accept the game. All people gathered
in the middle of the village to see this game. They were standing on a
location, where there were uncountable pebbles. It was a pebble
filled land. The moneylender bent over to pick up two pebbles. When
he picked them up, the sharp-eyed girl noticed that he had picked up
two black pebbles and put them into the bag. Then he asked the girl
to pick a pebble from the bag.
.
Dear friend, Stop reading this story and think about the solution.
Now, imagine that you were standing in the field.
If you were that girl, what would have you done ?
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
to save her father from his debt and imprisonment.
.
The girl’s problem cannot be solved with traditional logical thinking.
Well, here is what she did….
.
The girl put her hand into the moneybag and drew out a pebble.
Without looking at it, she dropped it on the land where there were
uncountable pebbles. It immediately became lost among all the other
pebbles.
.
The girl : I picked white pebble. But by mistake, it was dropped
from my hand.
Moneylender : No. You picked black pebble. You are lying.
The girl : No. I surely picked white pebble. If you have any doubt,
check inside the bag. Black pebble is still in the bag. You all people
can see that. But white pebble is not there. Because I picked it.
.
Since the remaining pebble in the bag is black, it must be assumed
that she had picked the white one.The moneylender had no courage
to tell that he had put two black pebbles inside the bag. The girl won
the game. So her father needed not to pay back the debt. And the
girl needed not to marry the cunning moneylender. They happily went
home. The girl changed an impossible situation into an extremely
advantageous situation.
MORAL OF THE STORY: The most complex problems also have
solutions. We have to think carefully in all directions.
solutions. We have to think carefully in all directions.
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