Moral: "When someone gives you an answer that is different from what you expect, don't think they are wrong. There may be an angle that you have not understood at all. You will have to listen and understand, but never listen with a predetermined notion. Most of the times, we do not try to understand the view of the other person and we find them wrong, but in reality it is just the matter of giving other person a chance to explain."

A teacher teaching Maths to seven-year-old Arnav asked him, "If I give you

one apple and one apple and one apple, how many apples will you have?

"Within a few seconds Arnav replied confidently, "Four!"

The dismayed teacher was expecting an effortless correct answer (three).

She was disappointed. "Maybe the child did not listen properly," she

thought. She repeated, "Arnav, listen carefully.. If I give you one

apple and one apple and one apple, how many apples will you have?"

Arnav had seen the disappointment on his teacher's face. He calculated

again on his fingers. But within him he was also searching for the answer

that will make the teacher happy. His search for the answer was not for

the correct one, but the one that will make his teacher happy. This time

hesitatingly he replied, "Four."

The disappointment stayed on the teacher's face. She remembered that

Arnav liked strawberries. She thought maybe he doesn't like apples and

that is making him loose focus. This time with an exaggerated excitement

and twinkling in her eyes she asked, "If I give you one strawberry and one

strawberry and one strawberry, then how many you will have?"

Seeing the teacher happy, young Arnav calculated on his fingers again.

There was no pressure on him, but a little on the teacher. She wanted her

new approach to succeed. With a hesitating smile young Arnav enquired,

"Three?"

The teacher now had a victorious smile. Her approach had succeeded. She

wanted to congratulate herself. But one last thing remained. Once again

she asked him, "Now if I give you one apple and one apple and one more

apple how many will you have?"

Promptly Arnav answered, "Four!"

The teacher was aghast. "How Arnav, how?" she demanded in a little stern

and irritated voice.

In a voice that was low and hesitating young Arnav replied, "Because I

already have one apple in my bag."