* The Tale Of Two Pebbles *

---------- Forwarded message ----------

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.If she picked the
black pebble, she would become his wife and her father's debt would be
forgiven. If she picked the white pebble she need not marry him and
her father's debt would still be forgiven. 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?
Take a moment to ponder this. What would you recommend that the girl
do? 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."The moneylender dared not admit his
dishonesty. The girl changed what seemed an impossible situation into
an extremely advantageous one.

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