A PUNdaMental Poem

My understanding of society has been shaped in LARGE measure by this poem.



The Blindmen and the Elephant

by John Godfrey Saxe (1816–1887)


It was six men of Hindustan
to learning much inclined,
Who went to see the Elephant
(Though all of them were blind)
That each by observation
Might satisfy the mind.

The first approached the Elephant
And happening to fall
Against his broad and sturdy side
At once began to bawl:
"Bless me, it seems the Elephant
Is very like a wall".

The second, feeling of his tusk,
Cried, "Ho! What have we here
So very round and smooth and sharp?
To me 'tis mighty clear
This wonder of an Elephant
Is very like a spear".

The third approached the animal,
And happening to take
The squirming trunk within his hands,
Then boldly up and spake:
"I see," quoth he, "the Elephant
Is very like a snake."

The Fourth reached out an eager hand,
And felt about the knee.
"What most this wondrous beast is like
Is mighty plain," quoth he:
"'Tis clear enough the Elephant
Is very like a tree!"

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!"

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!"

And so these men of Hindustan
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.

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!

Retrieved from "http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/The_Blindmen_and_the_Elephant"

The comment about rightness and wrongness reminds me of another bit of doggerel:

"A skunk sat on a stump.
The skunk thunk the stump stunk.
And the stump thunk the skunk stunk
But they was both wrong
Because they BOTH stunk."

Which leads to the truism from Paul Faulkner:

"Never get in a puking contest with a buzzard."

Punny Slideshow

I've just posted some photos from Abilene, Texas on u-lo-g.com. Several feature puns.
http://u-lo-g.com/abilene.aspx