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The Story Of The Boatman And The Teacher
 
Arya, the proud owner of a boat, invited the village teacher for an excursion on the Caspian Sea. The teacher relaxed on the cushioned seat then asked Arya, "What kind of weather will we have today?"

Arya checked the direction of the wind, looked up at the sun, wrinkled his brow, and answered, "If you ask me, we is going to have a storm."

Horrified by this reply, the teacher made a face and said critically, "Arya, you should not say 'we is' but say 'we are'. Didn't you ever learn grammar?"

Arya responded to this reprimand with nothing but a shrug of his shoulders. "What do I care about grammar?" he asked.

The teacher was at his wits' end. "You don't know grammar. That means half your life is down the drain!"

Just as Arya had predicted, dark clouds developed on the horizon, a strong wind whipped the waves, and the boat tossed about in the rough sea. Within minutes there was lots of water in the boat and Arya asked the teacher, "Have you learned to swim?"

The teacher answered, "No. Why should I learn to swim?"

Arya replied, "Well, in that case your whole life is down the drain, because our boat is going to sink any minute now!"

Note: The story above is an old Persian tale. The original author is unknown.

toptop