A Conversation Between A Cock, A Donkey, And A Farmer

A Conversation Between A Cock, A Donkey, And A Farmer

by Laren Grey Umphlett

A cock, a donkey, and a farmer were sitting around a table one day. This is how the conversation went.

Donkey: "See that glass on the table? What's that clear liquid in it?"

Cock: "I don't know. It might be milk. Farmer, do you know?"

Farmer: "It's not milk." (*referring to white cow milk)

Donkey: "You can't say it's not milk. You don't know what it is!"

Cock: "I believe it's milk."

Farmer: "I don't know what it is, but it's not milk."

Donkey: "Why are you being so hostile and negative? He can believe it's milk if he wants to. Just because YOU don't think it's milk doesn't mean it isn't. It could be anything, so you can't say it's not milk."

Cock: "Yeah! You are being closed-minded."

Farmer: "No. I'm not being closed-minded or negative. We can know what something isn't without fully understanding what it is."

Donkey: "How can you say it isn't milk?"

Cock: "Yeah!"

Farmer: "It's not only not milk. There are many things it isn't. For example, it isn't the Eiffel Tower, it isn't a kitten, it isn't a school bus, and it isn't milk. Milk is white. We can know what something isn't even if we don't understand what it is."

The farmer leans back into his creaking chair.

Cock: "Sounds like closed-mindedness to me."

Farmer: "No. Closed-mindedness is when one continues to believe something in light of the understanding that what they believe isn't actually true. It's an open mind that explores the possibilities and discards what isn't possible. In this case, milk is white. The liquid in the glass is clear. Therefore.."

Donkey: "This is ridiculous. I believe what the cock believes, and I will drink it to prove it to you!"

Farmer: "Experience is the best teacher! Go for it!"

The donkey takes a sip and coughs and kicks frantically all around the table. 

The farmer howls with laughter.

Cock: "What is it???"

Farmer: "It's turpentine! I was going to strip the paint off this table to refinish it! Instead this became a nice lesson in how belief inhibits the possibilities of the yet unknown truth!"