There is a Hindu story...
Illustration
There is a Hindu story about four Brahmins who were friends. Three of them had great learning, so they could do almost anything, but they lacked common sense. The other was not interested in scholarship, but had good, practical sense. One day, they decided to travel about the world, and become rich and famous. However, the eldest said, "If we are to gain the attention of kings and nobles, and gain riches, we must rid ourselves of the dullard amongst us. Scholarship impresses, but ordinary sense is not admired. Therefore, let the uneducated one stay home." And the second Brahmin agreed. But the third rebuked his friends. "This is no way to behave toward one we have known since childhood! He deserves to share in our riches. Come along, friend." And so he convinced them. They had travelled barely one day when they happened upon the bones of a dead lion. One of them said, "Here is a good opportunity to put to work all that we have learned. Here lies some kind of creature, dead. Let us put our knowledge to work and bring it to life." The second agreed, saying, "I can assemble the skeleton." The third said, "I can supply it muscle and blood." The eldest said, "I can give it life." So they set to work, and quickly had a lion lying before them. Just as the eldest started to breathe life into it, the simple man said, "Wait! This is a lion! If you bring it to life, it will eat us all!" But they scorned his advice. "We have come this far, and shall we not give it life? You would undo all the knowledge that we have gathered!" "Well," said the simpleton, "if you are going to finish what you have started, allow me a moment to climb a convenient tree." And so saying, he climbed up and sat on a branch. As soon as the lion came alive, it pounced on the three Brahmins and ate them. The man of common sense waited in his tree until the lion left, and returned to the village where he had grown up, leaving the bones of the scholars where they lay. -- Herrmann
