三個玩偶
人生百味
The 1)Sultan of Persia was a clever man—well read. And there was nothing he loved more than solving problems, puzzles, riddles. One day, he received a parcel; he knew not from whom. He opened that package and found a box. And when he opened the lid of the box, inside were the three most beautifully carved wooden dolls. He picked them up one by one and admired the craftsmanship, and then saw that there was a note in the box as well...
“Tell these three dolls apart.”
“Ah, a challenge,” thought the Sultan. “...to tell these three dolls apart!”
He picked up the first doll and examined it. The features of the face were beautifully carved, the clothes of silk so brightly patterned.
He picked up the second. It was 2)identical, even the grain of the wood; and the third, the same again.
“These three dolls are identical.”
Now he examined further: “They look the same, perhaps they will not smell the same.”
But as he sniffed at each one, the smell of 3)sandalwood greeted his 4)nostrils. “These are finely made, beautiful dolls.”
He took the first doll and now thought,“Perhaps it is hollow.” He shook the doll next to his ear... No, it was solid. And the second doll too, and the third. They were alike in everything, even their weight.
The court had gathered. They watched the Sultan who was now mystified. He called forth the wisest man he knew: the Scholar. The Scholar who knew everything that was to be known, the Scholar who spent so many hours in the library.
The Scholar looked at each doll in turn: felt them, weighed them, shook them, but could find no difference. He walked away silently.