(Photo credit: Flickr)
A very brilliant professor with multiple PhD was in a village and wanted to go to the next village, and the only way was through the river. He spotted a boy manning a canoe and hired him to take him across. As the boy paddled on, the professor stared at the water and his eyes strayed to a leaf floating on the river.
‘Do you know anything about botany?’ The professor asked suddenly.
The boy looked at him and replied,
‘No sir!’
‘You’ve lost five percent of your life!’
The poor boy was saddened by the news. A few minutes passed by and the professor asked again,
‘Do you know anything about hydrology?’
The boy looked on in despair and replied slowly,
‘No!’
‘Then you have lost another five percent of your life!’ Came the verdict.
The poor boy continued paddling down the fast-moving river. The professor looked up at the bright blue sky and asked with a self-righteous grin on his bearded face,
‘Do you know anything about astronomy?’
The boy merely shook his head.
Gleefully, the professor declared, ‘then you have lost another five percent of your life.’
The boy ignored the professor as he battled with his canoe because the weather had suddenly taken a turn for the worse. The Professor watched uneasily as the wind howled and ripped through the tiny canoe, sensing fear in his passenger, the boy asked with a mischievous grin on his flushed face,
‘Do you know anything about swimming?’
‘No son!’ The hapless professor replied as his countenance fell.
‘Then you have lost hundred percent of your life.’ The boy said as he bailed out of the stricken canoe.
******
I don’t know your take on this story but I find it a bit funny. We can’t all know everything about life, and we shouldn’t look down on people less fortunate than we are. I wish you all a lovely, fun-filled week!
Much love, always!
🙂
Seyi Sandra David 
The story is very interesting, and quiet meaningful too. Knowledge is inexhaustible, and the professor seemed to be flaunting his. Hopefully, he learnt his lessons. Have a great week seyi.
🙂
I thought so too. He couldn’t even swim with all his PhDs! I’m grateful for your visit Christy!
Cheers. 🙂
Happy Monday Seyi 🙂
Yes…nice message. True character is easily measured by how we treat those we don’t ‘need’ 😉
Great week to you too my dear 🙂
JC
Same to you JC. I agree with your assertion, we ought to respect everyone we come in contact with. Thanks for your visit. I hope you had a great vacation! 🙂
Much love and do enjoy the rest of this week!
Some types of skill or knowledge are clearly more important than others. Having respect for others features somewhere fairly high up the list , I would think, but, like swimming, this is one he never managed to master.
No he didn’t think swimming is a priority, yet he travelled to a place where he could only get by through boats. Also, he apparent had an overbearing attitude… I’m glad you like the story, thanks for stopping by Ben.
That made me laugh (and I needed that right now) The young lad may not have known much about astronomy, hydrology or botany, but he was the one paddling the canoe, he was the one in control, and in the end, he was the one that survived. A good story Seyi. Thank you
Thanks for reading Al, I’m happy it made you laugh. The poor professor might be knowledgeable but he lacked some life skills. The boy apparently survived because he knew all there was to know about his environment without the fancy names.
Appreciate your visit Al, do take care.
Yep, names mean nothing.
Do you know about hydrology?
No but I know about water
Do you know astronomy?
No, but i know the stars
Do you know botany?
No, but I know plants
Yeah, I guess the prof confused the boy about the terminologies which means nothing. I like the way you broke it down! 🙂
🙂
Maybe that’s why I’ve never seen a professor at the beach – they can’t swim… 😎
AQlways a pleasure visiting your place… 😉
Thanks for your witty comment my friend. I bet professors are busy reading, that’s why they can’t swim. I appreciate your visit. Thanks! 🙂
Is the moral: don’t get near the water if you can’t swim?
I wonder why he did! Thanks for stopping by!
Blessings. 🙂
A moral tale indeed, don’t forget the basics! Those things he was learned in are mostly about learning names that others have given things. The boy was rich in living in his own environment.
He was, besides, the professor couldn’t even paddle a canoe with all his PhDs which shows that he wasn’t that versatile after all! I appreciate your visit Brenda!
Cheers. 🙂
Diplomas don’t make good oars.
You’re right!
I enjoyed this story. But I do think that there is some truth in it. One should never stop learning. One should learn out of one’s comfort zone. Try new things.
Have a Happy Day 🙂
You’re right Carol, one should always learn new things everyday! Thanks for stopping by, I appreciate it!
Blessings. 🙂
I definitely saw the humor in this – but – more importantly – the lesson. 😉
Have a wonderful day & an even more wonderful week!
{Hugs}
I’m glad you did. Enjoy the rest of your week too my friend!
Much love. 🙂
An excellent story Seyi which really does show that looking down on others deemed to be less worthy than ourselves is not only arrogant and demeaning but can be downright dangerous too! Thanks for sharing this, loved the twist and can still see the professor’s look of horror and the boy’s glee!
Wishing you a wonderful week my friend.
Love and hugs 🙂
Thanks Sherri. I guess if the professor survived it (he probably did) he would have learnt the crucial lesson that life isn’t about all the degrees but that one’s wit also comes into play. I’m grateful for your visit, and I hope the week would bring you much joy and peace!
Much love. 🙂
I love this! Too often we do look down upon others for not being on the same level emotionally, intellectually, physically as ourselves. At times, we are even overly critical of ourselves. Thanks for reminding me of an important lesson and brightening my day!
I’m glad you like it! 🙂 I agree with your take on this, ‘at times, we are even overly critical of ourselves,’ and we are. I appreciate your visit, do enjoy the rest of this week!
Blessings. 🙂
Made me laugh! I had not heard that one, and my husband seems to have heard them all. I’ll have to share this one with him. Some of the nurses I used to work with looked down on the nursing assistant because of their lack of formal education. I always looked at it like they were a vital link in the job we had to accomplish together. I would have been so totally lost without their eyes, ears and hands…crippled.
Thanks for your kind comment. We should always respect people because we’re can’t possibly do everything ourselves. In your case, the nursing assistant is also important to the smooth running of your department, regardless of their lack of formal education. No matter how good a surgeon is, I don’t think he can operate on himself.
I’m grateful for your visit my friend!
Blessings. 🙂
Loved it. And I want to thank you again for liking another one of my posts. This time is was “Telephone Killer- Excerpt 26” on papermudandme.wordpress.com. Again, thank you and Aloha – pjs –
Thanks Paul for stopping by, I always like your posts, you write simply and straight to the point. I’m also grateful for your visit!
Blessings. 🙂
Great joke! I’ve never heard this one before.
The prof studied so much and learned so little.
Boy: Do you have living skills?
Prof: Yes, I’ve many skills to make a living.
Boy: Wrong answer but you do have dying skills. See ya!
A meaningful story and thank you for sharing. That photo image is truly striking.
Cheers,
Eric
This is so much better Eric! The prof’s naivety at being educated was his undoing. I appreciate your visit. Have a nice day!
Blessings. 🙂
The ending was unexpected! The boy was the witty one in the end 🙂
He was! Thanks for stopping by Christy!
Blessings. 🙂
Shame on the proffesor. Does he think that bagging multiple PhD makes him all-knowing? This arrogance is seen among some ‘intellectuals.’ They think t less of the next person around them.
Enjoyed the humor in the story. Thanks for sharing, sis.
My regards to your family.
Thanks for reading my brother. I’m sure he learnt his lessons, that is, if he survived.
I can’t wait to read the concluding part of your serials. No pressure though! 🙂 I want you to be very strong before you start blogging again.
I’m so grateful you stopped by! God be with you.
Much love. 🙂
Pride goes before a fall. Serves him right! 🙂
It sure does, thanks for your visit my friend! 🙂
It is an interesting story, firstly funny, then again like you say we shouldn’t look down on those who know less than us…Odds are they can teach us whet they do know…there’s always an opportunity to further ourselves..there’s plenty of knowledge to go around.
I agree Ste J. I’m sorry for just replying now, life is just crazy sometimes. My dad is ill, the kids are screaming, at least intermittently, and my editor is breathing fire and brimstone.
All in all, I believe knowledge is inexhaustible. I hope you’re doing good old friend!
Blessings.
Most people are living in their own world, that’s sad. Wonderful post, Seyi!
Thank you for your like of my post “does university education truly determine success?”. I discovered from there that you have your own blog as well. This story is very interesting. Looking forward to reading more great works of yours.
Thanks Tope, I use the blog as my website too. I’m glad you stopped by, your blog brims with brilliance. Have a great weekend!
blessings. 🙂
I knew where this story was going but definitely a lesson to learn. Well written.
Well written. Great photo
Håvard
Thanks Havard!
As I venture further, and further into the tale, the moment the wind picked up… Perhaps there are still many people in the world whom think, believe intelligence and knowledge exists only inside of formal educated societies, where in true, both are more vast than one might imagine. Loved the tale, Seyi!
Ever the wordsmith Sean! 🙂
Swimming is important! Especially when you live near a lake or river.
Yeah it is! 🙂
Reblogged this on We have no Secrets and commented:
From I wish history would not repeat itself… There shouldn’t be any more wars, or murders or shedding of innocent blood. Social networking blitz es Krieg of #good I am technically ha bind difficulty #justgowithit
Thanks for the Reblog, appreciate it! 🙂
You have a gentle soul it seems & I appreciated your words.