# Οι τυφλοί και ο ελέφαντας



## nickel (Apr 11, 2011)

Αφού είδαμε για τον σκαντζόχοιρο που γνωρίζει μία μεγάλη αλήθεια και την αλεπού που γνωρίζει πολλές μικρές αλήθειες, ας δούμε και για τους έξι τυφλούς που ήξεραν έξι μικρές αλήθειες, ο καθένας από μία (ναι, έτσι δεν γίνεται δουλειά).

Για τη διαδρομή του ινδικού μύθου έχει αρκετά η Wikipedia. Εγώ φέρνω εδώ τους στίχους του ποιήματος που έγραψε ο John Godfrey Saxe με τίτλο _The Blind Men and the Elephant_. Αυτούς περίπου τους στίχους τραγουδά η Natalie Merchant στο ομότιτλο τραγούδι (από τον περσινό δίσκο της).






THE BLIND MEN AND THE ELEPHANT (1872).
*I.*
IT was six men of Indostan
To learning much inclined,
Who went to see the Elephant
(Though all of them were blind),
That each by observation
Might satisfy his mind.
*II.*
The _First_ approached the Elephant,
And happening to fall
Against his broad and sturdy side,
At once began to bawl:
"God bless me!—but the Elephant
Is very like a wall!"
*III.*
The _Second_, feeling of the tusk,
Cried:"Ho!—what have we here
So very round and smooth and sharp?
To me 't is mighty clear
This wonder of an Elephant
Is very like a spear!"
*IV.*
The _Third_ approached the animal,
And happening to take
The squirming trunk within his hands,
Thus boldly up and spake:
"I see," quoth he, "the Elephant
Is very like a snake!"
*V.*
The _Fourth_ reached out his eager hand,
And felt about the knee.
"What most this wondrous beast is like
Is mighty plain," quoth he;
"'T is clear enough the Elephant
Is very like a tree!"
*VI.*
The _Fifth_, who chanced to touch the ear,
Said: "E'en the blindest man
Can tell what this resembles most;
Deny the fact who can,
This marvel of an Elephant
Is very like a fan!"
*VII.*
The _Sixth_ no sooner had begun
About the beast to grope,
Than, seizing on the swinging tail
That fell within his scope,
"I see," quoth he, "the Elephant
Is very like a rope!"
*VIII.*
And so these men of Indostan
Disputed loud and long,
Each in his own opinion
Exceeding stiff and strong,
Though each was partly in the right,
And all were in the wrong!
*MORAL.*
So, oft in theologic wars
The disputants, I ween,
Rail on in utter ignorance
Of what each other mean,
_And prate about an Elephant_
_Not one of them has seen!_​

Πέρυσι επίσης η Μπάγιερ είχε κυκλοφορήσει την παρακάτω διαφήμιση, όπου ένας ρινόκερος έπαιρνε τη θέση του ελέφαντα.








(Τα παραπάνω είναι ιστορίες για παιδιά και για κυρίες και δεν αξιοποιούν όλα τα ξεχωριστά γνωρίσματα αυτών των θηρίων.)


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