The Blind Men and the Elephant

1
The Blind Men and the Elephant
2
Reading

• Long ago in India there lived five blind
  men. Even though they were blind, they knew much
  about the world, because they used their hands to
  touch things. So they would spend their days
  discussing all that they knew.

3

• One day they were discussing elephants.
  It was difficult, because they had never touched
  one. They had never even been near one. They knew
  only that elephants were very big.

4

• Finally they decided to go and find
  one. If each of them could feel a real elephant,
  they would all know what this huge animals was
  like.
• They asked a friend to take them to an
  elephant. Then each of them placed his hands on
  the animal and begin to feel it.

5

• The first blind man touched the side of
  the elephant. It is like a great wall, he
  declared.
• No, said the second blind man, who was
  grabbling the elephants tail. It is like a
  long, thick rope.
• No, no, said the third, who was holding onto an
  ear. An elephant is like a large fan.

6

• It is something like a pillar, argued the
  fourth blind man, who was feeling the leg.
• You are all wrong, said the fifth man, as he
  ran his hands along the elephants trunk. It is
  shaped like a snake.

7

• Each of the blind men was sure that he was right.
  They begin to argue, and soon the argument became
  fierce.
• Finally, their friend realized what was going on.
  He laughed and said. There is nothing to argue
  about. You are all right. The elephant is all
  these things a wall, a rope, a fan, a pillar,
  and a snake.

8

• The blind men stopped arguing and turned toward
  their friend. They were confused. After all, each
  of them had touched the animal for himself.
• But each of you has touched only one part of the
  elephant, their friend said. Be patient. Dont
  judge too quickly. Wait until you have touched
  the whole animal, and then decide what it is
  like.

9

• Dont jump to conclusions or you will be like a
  blind man feeling an elephant.

Moral