The Four Blind People and the Elephant

 The Four Blind People and the Elephant

Once upon a time, four blind people were sitting beside a road. They had heard people talking about a large animal called an elephant, but none of them had ever met one.

“I wonder what an elephant is like,” said the first person.

“I would like to know too,” said the second.

Just then, a kind man came along with his elephant.

“Would you like to touch the elephant?” he asked.

“Yes, please!” said the four friends.

The kind man led them close to the elephant. Each person reached out and touched a different part.

The first person touched the elephant’s leg.

“Ah!” he said. “An elephant is like a big tree trunk.”

The second person touched the elephant’s trunk.

“No,” he said. “An elephant is like a long, thick snake.”

The third person touched the elephant’s tusk.

“You are both wrong,” he said. “An elephant is hard and smooth like a pointed stick.”

The fourth person touched the elephant’s ear.

“No, no!” she said. “An elephant is like a huge leaf.”

Soon, the four friends began to argue.

“An elephant is like a tree trunk!” said the first.

“It is like a snake!” said the second.

“It is like a pointed stick!” said the third.

“It is like a giant leaf!” said the fourth.

The kind man listened for a moment. Then he smiled and said, “You are all partly right. Each of you touched one part of the elephant. But none of you touched the whole elephant.”

The four friends became quiet. They understood that each person had learned a small part of the truth.

Moral

Sometimes people argue because each person sees or knows only one small part of a bigger truth. We should listen to others, learn more, and try to understand the whole picture before saying that we are completely right.