#three dolls

[okbyokaybye]

[dangitjerry]

The Three Dolls

One day a king was bored.

he decided to ask his kingdom for something to occupy his time.  in return he would offer a handsome reward.

many people brought many different things, but nothing satisfied the king's boredom.

finally one day a man showed up carrying three dolls.  the three dolls all looked identical.  they had a spherical head with a face and a cylindrical body with arms and legs carved out.

when the man was granted an audience with the king he confidently strode into the hall.  handing the dolls to the king, he asked, "what is different about these three dolls?"  the king picked them up and turned them over one by one, carefully inspecting them.  he could see nothing different between the three.

"i can see no difference between the three dolls."

"but there is one."  the man left the king and the dolls and returned home.

the king spent days trying to find the difference between the three dolls.  he decided he needed help.

first he called in the court wise (ass) man.  "what is different about these dolls?"  the wise (ass) man took each doll in turn and carefully inspected them.  when he was done looking at them he put them down and didn't say a word.

the king asked two more times, "what is different about these dolls?" still no answer.  with that the king sent the wise (ass) man away.

next he called in the court (tom) fool.  "what is different about these dolls?" the fool looked quickly over the dolls, put them back and began telling jokes and generally acting a fool.

the king asked two more times, "what is different about these dolls?"  the fool kept acting a fool.  with that the king sent the court (tom) fool away.

then he called the court story teller. "what is different about these dolls?"  the story looked over all the dolls and noticed there were three holes in the dolls heads.  one for each ear and one in the mouth.

"i may have an idea, but i must borrow a strand of hair from you."  the king obliged and plucked a hair from his long beard.

the story teller picked up the first doll and inserted the hair into its left ear. he kept pushing until the hair was gone.

"i fail to see how this shows they are different."

"that's because it was only the first doll.  now if you'll humor me i'd like two more hairs."  the king was not happy about having two more hairs plucked, but he obliged.

the story teller took up the second doll and inserted the hair into its left ear.  as he would put it in, you could see the hair coming out the other end.  with the hair half way in, half way out, he put the doll down.

the story teller then took up the last doll and inserted the hair into its left ear.  as he would put more of the hair in the doll, it would reappear curling out of his mouth.  with the hair half way in, half way out, he put the doll down.

the king looked at the three dolls placed before him, and laughed.