In
a small Italian town, hundreds of years ago, a small business owner owed a
large sum of money to a loan-shark. The loan-shark was a very old, unattractive
looking guy that just so happened to fancy the business owner’s daughter.
He
decided to offer the businessman a deal that would completely wipe out the debt
he owed him. However, the catch was that we would only wipe out the debt if he
could marry the businessman’s daughter. Needless to say, this proposal was met
with a look of disgust.
The
loan-shark said that he would place two pebbles into a bag, one white and one
black.
The
daughter would then have to reach into the bag and pick out a pebble. If it was
black, the debt would be wiped, but the loan-shark would then marry her. If it
was white, the debt would also be wiped, but the daughter wouldn’t have to
marry the loan-shark.
Standing
on a pebble-strewn path in the businessman’s garden, the loan-shark bent over
and picked up two pebbles. Whilst he was picking them up, the daughter noticed
that he’d picked up two black pebbles and placed them both into the bag.
He
then asked the daughter to reach into the bag and pick one.
The
daughter naturally had three choices as to what she could have done:
1.
Refuse to pick a pebble from the bag.
2.
Take both pebbles out of the bag and expose the loan-shark for cheating.
3.
Pick a pebble from the bag fully well knowing it was black and sacrifice
herself for her father’s freedom.
She
drew out a pebble from the bag, and before looking at it ‘accidentally’ dropped
it into the midst of the other pebbles. She said to the loan-shark;
“Oh,
how clumsy of me. Never mind, if you look into the bag for the one that is
left, you will be able to tell which pebble I picked.”
The
pebble left in the bag is obviously black, and seeing as the loan-shark didn’t
want to be exposed, he had to play along as if the pebble the daughter dropped
was white, and clear her father’s debt.
Moral
of the story:
It’s
always possible to overcome a tough situation throughout of the box thinking,
and not give in to the only options you think you have to pick from.
she's very clever.. be like her. :D
ReplyDeletethinking out of the box...haha... i'm trying to train maself...
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