Problem solving

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Almost put this in the humor section, but ...

Many hundreds of years ago in a small Italian town, a merchant had the misfortune of owing a
large sum of money to the moneylender. The moneylender, who was old and ugly, fancied the
merchant's beautiful daughter so he proposed a bargain. He said he would forgo the merchant's
debt if he could marry the daughter. Both the merchant and his daughter were horrified
by the proposal.

The moneylender told them that he would put a black pebble and a white pebble into an empty
bag. The girl would then have to pick one pebble from the bag. If she picked the black pebble,
she would become the moneylender's wife and her father's debt would be forgiven. If she
picked the white pebble she need not marry him and her father's debt would still be forgiven.
But if she refused to pick a pebble, her father would be thrown into jail. The daughter, ever concerned
for her father, accepted.

They were standing on a pebble strewn path in the merchant's garden. As they talked, the
moneylender bent over to pick up two pebbles. As he picked them up, the sharp-eyed girl noticed
that he had picked up two black pebbles and put them into the bag. He then asked the
girl to pick her pebble from the bag.

Logic produces three possibilities:
1. The girl should refuse to take a pebble.
2. The girl should show that there were two black pebbles in the bag and expose the moneylender
as a cheat.
3. The girl should pick a black pebble and sacrifice herself in order to save her father from his
debt and imprisonment.

However....
The girl put her hand into the moneybag and drew out a pebble. Without looking at it, she fumbled
and let it fall onto the pebble-strewn path where it immediately became lost among all the
other pebbles.

"Oh, how clumsy of me," she said. "But never mind, if you look into the bag for the one that is
left, you will be able to tell which pebble I picked."


MORAL OF THE STORY: Most complex problems do have a solution, sometimes we have to
think about them in a different way.
 
I love Italian girls. Pretty, personality, depth and pretty!
smile.gif
 
Originally Posted By: Kuato
Almost put this in the humor section, but ...

Many hundreds of years ago in a small Italian town, a merchant had the misfortune of owing a
large sum of money to the moneylender. The moneylender, who was old and ugly, fancied the
merchant's beautiful daughter so he proposed a bargain. He said he would forgo the merchant's
debt if he could marry the daughter. Both the merchant and his daughter were horrified
by the proposal.

The moneylender told them that he would put a black pebble and a white pebble into an empty
bag. The girl would then have to pick one pebble from the bag. If she picked the black pebble,
she would become the moneylender's wife and her father's debt would be forgiven. If she
picked the white pebble she need not marry him and her father's debt would still be forgiven.
But if she refused to pick a pebble, her father would be thrown into jail. The daughter, ever concerned
for her father, accepted.

They were standing on a pebble strewn path in the merchant's garden. As they talked, the
moneylender bent over to pick up two pebbles. As he picked them up, the sharp-eyed girl noticed
that he had picked up two black pebbles and put them into the bag. He then asked the
girl to pick her pebble from the bag.

Logic produces three possibilities:
1. The girl should refuse to take a pebble.
2. The girl should show that there were two black pebbles in the bag and expose the moneylender
as a cheat.
3. The girl should pick a black pebble and sacrifice herself in order to save her father from his
debt and imprisonment.

However....
The girl put her hand into the moneybag and drew out a pebble. Without looking at it, she fumbled
and let it fall onto the pebble-strewn path where it immediately became lost among all the
other pebbles.

"Oh, how clumsy of me," she said. "But never mind, if you look into the bag for the one that is
left, you will be able to tell which pebble I picked."


MORAL OF THE STORY: Most complex problems do have a solution, sometimes we have to
think about them in a different way.




In the spirt of the looking at things differently I have another moral...

MORAL OF THE STORY: Stay out of debt.
 
Originally Posted By: ATex7239


In the spirt of the looking at things differently I have another moral...

MORAL OF THE STORY: Stay out of debt.


Well spoken sir, well spoken indeed.
 
Originally Posted By: ATex7239
In the spirt of the looking at things differently I have another moral...

MORAL OF THE STORY: Stay out of debt.


Tell that to the now debt-free shop owner that wouldn't have a business without the loan. Seems like it worked out pretty well. Sometimes you have to take a risk a risk to get anywhere which includes debt.
 
why would the moneylender propose the game? why would the father accept if they are horrified?
that's the only reason the story is interesting to pull one over on a cheater and echos merchant of venice and the dogwhistles there.

if a moneylender really was a moneylender; they dont gamble away their portfolio. They'd just leave the proposal out as a straight deal and say marry me and debt of xxx is forgiven. Nothing is gained by gambling the debt away to chance. if she says no, better to just let the debt build, the father goes to debtors prison until the daughter is forced to marry for the dowry in a clean exchange. no need for chance. i suppose you say because he cheats theres no gambling, but no need for cheating if you already own them.
 
Last edited:
Originally Posted By: SatinSilver
Originally Posted By: ATex7239
In the spirt of the looking at things differently I have another moral...

MORAL OF THE STORY: Stay out of debt.


Tell that to the now debt-free shop owner that wouldn't have a business without the loan. Seems like it worked out pretty well. Sometimes you have to take a risk a risk to get anywhere which includes debt.


And my grandmother lived to be 95 smoking a pack a day and being a drunk. Doesn't make it best practices
 
Originally Posted By: ATex7239
And my grandmother lived to be 95 smoking a pack a day and being a drunk. Doesn't make it best practices


Never said they were.
 
Originally Posted By: raytseng
why would the moneylender propose the game? why would the father accept if they are horrified?
that's the only reason the story is interesting to pull one over on a cheater and echos merchant of venice and the dogwhistles there.

if a moneylender really was a moneylender; they dont gamble away their portfolio. They'd just leave the proposal out as a straight deal and say marry me and debt of xxx is forgiven. Nothing is gained by gambling the debt away to chance. if she says no, better to just let the debt build, the father goes to debtors prison until the daughter is forced to marry for the dowry in a clean exchange. no need for chance. i suppose you say because he cheats theres no gambling, but no need for cheating if you already own them.

iT'S not a true story, just a cool story.
 
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