you one apple and one apple and one apple, how many apples
will you have?"
Within a few seconds Laiq replied confidently, "Four!"
The dismayed teacher was expecting an effortless correct answer, three.
She was disappointed. "Maybe the child did not listen
properly." – she thought.
She repeated, "Laiq, listen carefully. If I give you one apple and one
apple and one apple, how many apples will you have?"
Laiq had seen the disappointment on his teacher's face. He calculated
again on his fingers. But within him he was also searching for
the answer that will make the teacher happy. His search for the answer
was not for the correct one, but the one that will make his
teacher happy.
This time hesitatingly he replied, "Four."
The disappointment stayed on the teacher's face. She remembered that
Laiq liked strawberries.
She thought maybe he doesn't like apples and that is making him loose
focus.
This time with an exaggerated excitement and twinkling in her eyes she
asked, "If I give you one strawberry and one strawberry and one
strawberry, then how many you will have?"
Seeing the teacher happy, young Laiq calculated on his fingers again.
There was no pressure on him, but a little on the teacher. She wanted
her new approach to succeed.
With a hesitating smile young Laiq replied, "Three?"
The teacher now had a victorious smile. Her approach had succeeded. She
wanted to congratulate herself.
But one last thing remained. Once again she asked him, "Now if I give
you one apple and one apple and one more apple how many will you have?"
Promptly Laiq answered, "Four!"
The teacher was aghast. "How Laiq, how?" she demanded in a little stern
and irritated voice.
In a voice that was low and hesitating young Laiq replied, "Because I
already have one apple in my bag."
Author Unknown
Story submitted by Kshama
When someone gives you an answer that is different from what you
expect, don't think they are wrong. There shall be an angle that you
may not have thought about yet.
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