The Blind Men and the Elephant *Anonymous* (2009) with apologies to John Godfrey Saxe <http://constitution.org/col/blind_men.htm>
It was six men of Indostan To learning much inclined, Who went to see the Elephant (Though all of them were blind), That each by observation Might satisfy his mind. The /First/ approached the Elephant, And happening to fall Into its warm and steaming stool, At once began to bawl: "God bless me! but the Elephant Is very like a STALL!" The /Second/, feeling of the parts, Cried, "Ho, what have we here, So very round and soft and squishy? To me 'tis mighty clear This wonder of an Elephant Is very like a PEAR!" The /Third/ approached the animal, And happening to take The dripping drool within his hands, Thus boldly up and spake: "I see," quoth he, "the Elephant Is very like a LAKE!" The /Fourth/ reached out an eager hand, But passed by the behemoth "What most this wondrous beast is like Is mighty plain," he quoth: "'Tis clear enough the Elephant Is very like a TRUTH!" The /Fifth/, who touched a fellow scholar, Said: "E'en the blindest fan Can tell what this resembles most; Deny the fact who can, This marvel of an Elephant Is very like a MAN!" The /Sixth/ no sooner had begun About the beast to grope, Than sensing of the blowing breath That hit him like bad dope, "I see," quoth he, "the Elephant Is very like a HOPE!" And so these men of Indostan Disputed loud and long, Each in his own opinion Exceeding stiff and strong, Though each was partly in the right, And all were in the wrong! -- ------------------------------------------------------------------- Constitution Society 2900 W Anderson Ln C-200-322, Austin, TX 78757 512/299-5001 www.constitution.org [email protected] ------------------------------------------------------------------- [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
