Tale of Two Pebbles

[Wifeofdano]

Tale of two pebbles

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.

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) If she refused to pick a pebble, her father would be thrown into jail.

They 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 that 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 cannot 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, here is what she did ....
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. Start your day with this thought
provoking story and have a nice day.

[Art-n-Marge]

Very clever. So do you have a picture of the girl? jes' kiddin'...

[Glenn and Lorraine]

Had me thinking hard on that one and NO I didn't figure it out.

[Waynem]

I did, I did. I was thinking exactly that as I was reading about the two black pebbles. One was to squat down and pick up a white one, or drop the one out of the bag. But I was thinking honestly that I would then pick up a white one and put it in the bag and draw again - but I like your ending better.

[boylanag]

Good one, Lisa. Carol and I have always liked the way that you think. Keep 'em coming!

[Art-n-Marge]

I was thinking the girl would pick BOTH pebbles out of the bag, thereby revealing the fraudulent nature of the lender, but that would have done no good, if the lender just gave a "whoops, my bad" and went for more pebbles.

So I like what she ended up doing.