This is a retelling of the fable about six blind men who each get a limited understanding of what an elephant is by feeling only one part of it.

The Blind Men and the Elephant is a story of a group of blind men who touch an elephant to learn what it is like. Each concludes that the elephant is like a wall, snake, spear, tree, fan or rope, depending on where they had touched. Their heated debate is never resolved. Re-telling this Eastern parable, an American poet, John Godfrey Saxe, introduced the story to a Western audience in 1872. The poem is the poet’s best remembered work.

Prentenboek naar een oud verhaal waarin zes blinde mannen een olifant van verschillende kanten benaderen en denken dat hij een slang is, of een muur, een boom, een touw, een speer of een waaier.

Tolerance and co-existence are both great! In fact, they are necessary. If we are to live together in peace without hating each other, or physically harming each other over differences in race, culture, sexual orientation, political views, and religious beliefs, we must have tolerance. However, we must also recognize that every belief can't be equally valid. If two beliefs directly contradict each other, both of them cannot be true, no matter how "tolerant" we become. This means it is false to say that every religion is true, or that every religion leads to God. When people make such claims they show that they have not taken the time to study the world's religions, because a brief reading of the sacred texts of only a handful of religions quickly reveals contradictions on the most fundamental levels. Religious Contradictions Reincarnation (Hinduism and Buddhism) contradicts the belief that this is your only life before eternity (Christianity, Judaism, and Islam). Salvation from sin (Christianity) contradicts the belief that there is no sin to be saved from but simply pain that can be escaped through enlightenment (Buddhism). Jesus Christ is the incarnate, Son of God (Christianity), contradicts the teaching that he is just a prophet (Islam) or that he was a false prophet (Judaism). In light of these contradictions alone, all religions can't be true. They could all be false, but they can't all be true. Are any of them true? This is the most important question anyone can ask. Recognize religious contradictions. Embrace them. Test them. Seek the truth. www.contradictmovement.org

“The Blind Men and the Elephant” is more than just an amusing tale. It offers readers a final, meaningful thought—neither someone who is blind nor someone who can see well can truly judge the whole when only knowing part of it. “The Simpleton,” “The Foolish Weaver,” and “The Field of Boliauns” engage readers’ imaginations further, providing amusement as well as showcasing storytelling conventions, such as tone and creative word choice, that are part of the Common Core language arts curriculum. Illustrations complement each tale with colorful interpretations of characters and events.

Some blindfolded men learn how misleading it can be to make a judgment based on just one piece of information.

The Caldecott Honor book and modern classic now in boardbook format. Finally! Nearly twenty years ago, Ed Young translated the ancient parable of the seven blind men and the elephant into a modern children's classic, one as simple as it is profound. A lesson in colors, numbers, the days of the week and most important, knowledge, this beautifully illustrated book has stood the test of time and continues to entertain and teach. Now in board book format, even the youngest children can experience the beauty and wisdom.