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Senior Friendfinder and the Elephant As an English teacher who loved 's literature, I found fairy tales, fables and myths to be fascinating. They are the tools a society uses to pass on to the next generation the values and mores of the society. I soon realized that most of the great fairy tales, fables and myths have corresponding versions in almost every culture in the world and down through history. For years, I have collected Cinderella stories, from the Grimm Brothers version most known by the Disney adaptation, to the other books, oral tradition stories, and fables. At the time I quit actively collecting, there were over 900 versions of Cinderella and since then there have been many more produced. I,myself, have added to the list by weaving three stories/myths from India into one Cinderella story which I am now illustrating. From the flood story and creation, to Beauty and the Beast, even to Santa Claus, there is a version to be found from many cultures throughout time. Today I am going to share one fable with you that I found apropos to the situation on the blogs at the moment. The oldest version of this fable comes from the Han Dynasty in China, 202BC to 220AD. It was repeated with variations in Japanese Buddhism, to the Muslim poet Rumi in the 13 century to the Hindus of India about the same time. The version I first saw was a version written in poem form by an English author in the mid 1800's. The reason for my sharing: Monday evening I could not sleep, so I came online and began to read blogs. I read many posts from many of you, both those whom I agreed with and those I didn't. I wanted to get a feel of you, and of your blogs. I kept reading part of Tuesday also. I met a few new bloggers whose work I enjoyed and a few who I thought I disagreed with had posts that I actually liked. Some of you, Poet Dancer, Spirit Woman, Earthy Taurus, have reminded me of who I wanted to be back before life got in the way and inspired me to start working my way to being true to the woman I had buried inside, and I thank you for that. Some, Marbella, have lifted me up with her spiritual posts most often just when I needed to hear what she was posting. Roses has me looking at my surroundings again and seeing the beauty in the plants I do have, plus giving beautiful roses to look at. Others, Traveler, Rocket, MsEducator, Undup, have encouraged me by reading and commenting faithfully on what I write. Dinty, your blogs are always light and full of humor. Dandee makes me laugh almost as much as he makes me mad. Others surprised me, jiminycricket writes many thoughtful well balanced posts between his occasional rants. Skarr wrote so many thoughtful posts, I was impressed. Of the rest I read, too many of you to name individually, thank you for your blogs. I agree that we all have the right to post what we want and I am glad you are part of this site. Just because I don't agree with everything you say, I found something from all of you that I could applaud and appreciate. As I was reading all of these posts, I was struck by how much so many of you had in common, and could see areas when you actually could have agreement on, if not for the inability to see the other's views from their eyes. It reminded me of this poem/fable about the inability for us to agree because we are blind to the whole of the issue, or in the case of this fable, The Elephant. So enjoy. I hope we can all agree that we need to find common ground in order to stop the name calling and hate speech which is threatening our blog site. I do appreciate and am grateful to each and every one of you. Rosi 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, against his broad and sturdy side, at once began to bawl: 'God bless me! but the elephant, is nothing but a wall!' The second feeling of the tusk, cried: 'Ho! what have we here, so very round and smooth and sharp? To me tis mighty clear, this wonder of an elephant, is very like a spear!' The third approached the animal, and, happening to take, the squirming trunk within his hands, 'I see,' quoth he, the elephant is very like a snake!' The fourth reached out his eager hand, and felt about the knee: 'What most this wondrous beast is like, is mighty plain,' quoth he; 'Tis clear enough the elephant is very like a tree.' The fifth, who chanced to touch the ear, Said; 'E'en the blindest man can tell what this resembles most; Deny the fact who can, This marvel of an elephant, is very like a fan!' The sixth no sooner had begun, about the beast to grope, than, seizing on the swinging tail, that fell within his scope, 'I see,' quothe he, 'the elephant is very like a rope!' 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! So, oft in theologic wars, the disputants, I ween, tread on in utter ignorance, of what each other mean, and prate about the elephant, not one of them has seen! John Godfrey Saxe Two quotes from other versions: “These blind men, every one honest in his contentions and certain of having the truth, formed schools and sects and factions…” — Buddha "The five men quarreled and quarreled until, finally, a wandering priest came up to the men along the same path and inquired, “What, my good men, seems to be the trouble?” Each of the blind men described his own opinion of what the object was. The priest looked at the object, and, contemplating a moment upon the descriptions provided by the men, stated, “All of you are right, and none of you are wrong.” "The men were confused. "But, how can that be? How can we all be right when we have such different views?” The priest smiled softly, and spoke. “Each of you was addressing a different part of the same whole. You were simply limited in your perception by your inability to see, but given your sensory abilities, you were certainly not wrong in your assessments.” |
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Thank you for introducing me to John Godfrey Saxe. I also liked "Little Jerry the Miller" and will now enjoy more reading for sure. Again, thank you for the coming adventure. 
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A blog that lodges in my mind But nothing changes, I'm resigned; Perhaps we know not we are blind. Lee Live today as if it is your last For tomorrow will soon be in the past
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I had a Grimm's Fairy Tale book from when I was a child. When I moved to Georgia I gave it to my oldest granddaughter for her children. I remembe it was far different than the Fairy Tales of the same title today. In Cinderella a blackbird pecked at the eyes of the wicked sisters driving away from the castle after the wedding of Cinderella and the Prince.
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10/31/2013 10:25 am |
I love that fable. So so true. It is a wonderful way to describe a tenant that is basic to my belief system - that we must weigh our actions, wants and desires against the greater good and strive to choose the greater good over our own. This is the message the airplanes that kept reappearing in my life were telling me - rise above and see the big picture. Sometimes the obvious is so hard to see. On a positive note the story could be worse - no one in the story identified the elephant as a butt hole! Thank you for some positive feed back. Often when I see the negativity, anger and hate that comes up here I want to run but then I apply the lesson of the airplane and look at the big picture. As long as some find my ADD dyslexic babbling entertaining or useful I "rise above" the negativity. Spiritwoman ^i^
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Good blog, Rosi, and excelent fable. Wish we all learn something of this. Trust in dreams, for in them is hidden the gate to eternity.(Khalil Gibran)
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