I used to use the following fable in my creative writing classes. I loved this story, and I lost it. Now so many years later, it turns up in Russ Michael’s newsletter!In Russ’ newsletter,  it is called Thinking Out of the Box. I don’t remember the original title, but it had to be something like The Two Pebbles. Maybe you can think of a good title for this irresistible story:

Many hundreds of years ago in a small town, a merchant had the misfortune of owing a large sum of money to the moneylender. The moneylender, who was old and ugly, fancied the merchant’s beautiful daughter, so he proposed a bargain. He said he would forgo the merchant’ debt if he, the ugly old man, could marry the merchant’s daughter. Both the merchant and his daughter were horrified by the proposal. The cunning money lender suggested that they let providence decide the matter.

The moneylender told them that he would put a black pebble and a white pebble into an empty bag. The girl would then have to pick one pebble from the bag. If she picked the black pebble, she would become the moneylender’s wife, and her father’s debt would be forgiven. If she picked the white pebble, she need not marry him and her father’s debt would still be forgiven. But if she refused to pick a pebble, her father would be thrown into jail.

They were standing on a pebble strewn path in the merchant’s garden. As they talked, the moneylender bent over to pick up two pebbles. As he picked them up, the sharp-eyed girl noticed that he had picked up two black pebbles and put them into the bag. He then asked the girl to pick her pebble from the bag.

Now, imagine you were standing in the merchant’s garden. What would you have done if you were the girl? If you had to advise her, what would you have told her? Careful analysis would produce three possibilities:

1. The girl should refuse to take a pebble.

2. The girl should show that there were two black pebbles in the bag and expose the moneylender as a cheat.

3. The girl should pick a black pebble and sacrifice herself in order to save her father from his debt and imprisonment.

Now I’m pretty sure someone has editorialized the original story and added:

Take a moment to ponder over the story. The above story is used with the hope that it will make us appreciate the difference between right brain free thinking and left brain logical thinking. The girl’s dilemma cannot be solved with traditional logical thinking. Think of the consequences if she chooses the logical answers.

I am sure that the original story didn’t say this. I agree with the statement above about left brain/right brain; it’s just that I don’t think it belongs in the middle of the story.

When I used this fable with my creative writing students, I didn’t let them see the solution that is given in the story. I had them use their imaginations to write their own ending to this story. They had some really beautiful creative satisfying endings.

Now I wonder how you might end the story. I also wonder if I dare withhold the ending from you until tomorrow. Do I dare?

I would love to see your solutions before you read the ending. I bet you will come up with some just as original as the given ending.

Okay, tomorrow I will supply the ending. Meanwhile I will enjoy your finish to the story!