Two centuries ago, as the White Man was forging west across the plains of America, he came across many native tribes and settlements, and was eager to prove his superiority and dominance over the Red Man.
On one such occasion, the White Man came riding into camp with his guns and liquor and coloured trade beads. Sliding down off his horse, he demanded to see the tribal chief, an old man who seemed far too frail to lead his warriors.
To make the message plain and simple, the White Man took a stick and drew a circle in the dust outside the chief's tepee. Through an interpreter, he said, "This is what the Red Man knows."
Then he drew a larger circle around the first.
"And this is what the White Man knows, so you should be respectful."
The old chief considered this carefully. Then he took a stick and drew a larger circle around the other two, that filled the encampment's central clearing.
"And this," he replied, "is what none of us knows. So we should all be respectful....."
From the book "A Little Book of Joy" by Stephen Bowkett.
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