In an old Indian village, six blind men heard that an elephant had arrived in their village. None of them had ever touched an elephant before, so they decided to go together to find out what this huge animal was like.

Each man stood at a different part of the elephant's body and touched it with his hands. The first touched its large ear and said, An elephant is like a wide fan! The second touched its leg and said, No, it is like a strong tree trunk!

The third touched its tail and said, You are both wrong, an elephant is like a long, thin rope! The fourth, who touched its trunk, said, No, an elephant is like a thick, twisting snake!

The fifth, who touched its tusk, said, It is like a hard, sharp spear! And the sixth, who touched its belly, said, You are all wrong, an elephant is like a wide, smooth wall!

The six men began to argue, each raising his voice, insisting he alone was right, until a wise man from the village came and listened to them. He said with a smile, Each of you touched a true part of the elephant, but the elephant is all these parts together. If you had listened to one another instead of arguing, you would have known the whole truth.

The Lesson: The whole truth is sometimes made of many points of view, so it is wise to listen to others rather than rush to judge.