Many years ago, somewhere in a small 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

LUCK 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) But 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.(Her father will be thrown in jail.)

2). The girl should show that there were two black pebbles in the bag

and expose the money-lender as a cheat.(But the money will still be owed.)

3). The girl should pick a black pebble and sacrifice herself in order

To save her father from his debt and imprisonment. (Girl will have to

marry the cruel lender.)

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. Think of the consequences if she chooses the

above logical answers..

What would you recommend to the Girl to do?

GIVE UP?

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. If only

we Think Logically and Out of the

Box...