The Blind Men and the Elephant

 

The Blind Men and the Elephant

                                    Image courtesy Wikimedia Commons 

John Godfrey Saxe (1816-1887) was an American poet who began his adult career as a lawyer, but turned to writing poetry, when the practice of law palled. The poem for which he is best remembered now was not the most admired one when he was alive.

‘The Blind Men and the Elephant’ refers to an old Indian parable, some of the earliest versions of which were recorded in around 500 BC in Buddhist, Hindu, and Jain texts. The parable explores the question of perception and man’s failure to see another’s point of view.

The six men meet an elephant for the first time and, each touching a different part of the beast, declare their description of the animal to be the correct interpretation. The first man claims that the elephant is like a wall, while the second, touching the tusk, says that it is like a spear. The third disagrees, for he has felt the trunk and so says the elephant is like a snake. When the fourth man touches the knee, he says the elephant resembles a tree, but the fifth man scorns him and says the elephant is like a fan. The part he has touched is an ear. The sixth man encounters the tail and says that the elephant is like a rope. The men then argue, each believing his interpretation and description to be the accurate one.

The penultimate verse states:

And so these men of Indostan

Disputed loud and long,

Each in his own opinion

Exceeding stiff and strong,

Though each was partly in the right,

And all were in the wrong!

In a slightly different vein, Irma E. Webber (1905-1995), wrote and illustrated, ‘It looks like this’ in 1949.

In this book, four mice called High Mouse, Side Mouse, Front Mouse and Back Mouse, live in different parts of a barn. They discover what a cow, a donkey and a pig look like from their different perspectives.

One day, they hear a new sound, a ‘Meow,’ and run to hide. To cover their discomfiture, they begin to talk about the animals they’ve seen that do not frighten them, and draw pictures of them on the wall with their tails. As they see each other’s drawings, which differ markedly, they begin to argue ferociously, each insisting he is right. 

The ‘Meow’ comes again. The animal making it, a cat, is standing on a box outside the window, looking in.

All the mice see a front view of the cat, and Front Mouse feels he has been vindicated, until the cat turns sideways, proving that Side Mouse has also been right. After that, the cat turns its back on them, and Back Mouse’s view is corroborated. High Mouse fears that his opinion will not be justified, but the cat jumps to the ground and the mice are able to view it from above.

 Just as High Mouse is about to comment, the cat rolls over on its back, showing yet another ‘side’ of itself, and the mice laugh and laugh, for, as the last page tells the reader, ‘ . . . that was how they all found out that one thing can look many different ways - as many different ways as there are ways to look at it.’

I’ve loved this book for many years and used to read it to my children at home and to my classes in school.

 If only politics could be so simple!

 

Winston’s late October blog, Camera Critters #81, Pet Pride

Winston here . . . p'rrrrr, p'rrrrr . . .

I told you about the conservatory, didn't I? Well, the men came back but there's still a leak so they've got to come back again. They're never done a roof with a flue going through it before so they're learning new skills. Monty and me really like the new roof – we can watch the birds and planes through it. It was ever so nice of the humans to put it up for us.

Anyway, the conservatory's all freshly deckerated and clean now and the furniture's back, only not so much and Mrs Human put some new throws on the chairs and stools. Trouble is me and Monty keep getting our claws caught in them – oops! She took our cat tree outside to clean it and left it out in the rain. Then she discovered the poles were only cardboard and they went all soggy and bendy. She said it was like a towel of pizza but me and Monty didn't mind – it was fun trying to balance. She said it was looking a bit very shabby anyway so she threw it out and me and Monty lost our look-out post. We was a bit miffed by that don'tcha know.

On Thursday a big box arrived and it was ever so heavy. We knew thought it was for us and we enjoyed sniffing it and sitting on it. I was the first one to check it out. Monty joined me and we posed prettily for our photos.

Then Mr H opened the box and that was even more fun. This was one of the things in the box - I don't think we would have fitted in anything smaller. Monty just had to get in the box - it's a cat thing, don'tcha know. Never known a cat yet that could resist a box.
He and Mrs H took all the bits in the conservatory and soon – well, not all that soon – he'd built us a brand new cat tree. He didn't start very early and it was dark by the time he finished so the photographs Mrs H took have got all sorts of reflections in them. Quite interesting, she thought. I think she should clean the windows again don'tcha know. This is the basket I was in earlier. Monty don't know whether he's coming or going! Everything had to be explored. It all smelt very strange but we think we like it, specially when the humans put our nice prawn treats in the different bits.

Still don't know what this GUS thing is though . . .

TTFN
Thank you to the hosts of Camera Critters and Pet Pride for organising these memes.
To admire more stunners please click on the underlined names.

Cat in a box

 

Cat in a box

Cats cannot resist boxes. They sit on them, in them, under them. They jump onto them, leap off them, sharpen their claws on them.

The box may look too small for them, but they will squeeze themselves in, regardless.

The other day it was Herschel’s turn to explore a fairly sizeable box.

He jumped in, peeped over the top, sniffed about, looked around and then leapt out again.

This is what he said.

                                                    Peep-bo!

I can hear something. Who’s there? I’m warning you, keep out of my box. Yes, I mean you, Jellicoe.

What’s that over there? Shall I go and have a look? Can I be bothered?

Getting bored now. There’s not much going on in here. Think I’ll find something else to do.

 

Revolving doors

Before I embarked on this piece of completely superfluous writing I thought I had better investigate to discover whether 'revolving door' had an official nomenclature in the way that a moving staircase is correctly called an escalator and a lift is properly an elevator. I discovered that it hasn't. Wikipedia informs 'H. Bockhacker of Berlin was granted German patent DE18349 on December 22, 1881 for "Tür ohne Luftzug" or "Door without draft of air"' and that 'Theophilus Van Kannel, of Philadelphia, was granted US patent 387,571 on August 7, 1888 for a "Storm-Door Structure".'
Thereafter it was commonly known as a revolving door.
Whether they revolve clockwise or anti-clockwise (widdershins, like witches!) depends on which side of the road vehicles are driven. Now I wouldn't have thought that vehicles would need to enter buildings at all, let alone through revolving doors, and I was right! In fact, I am at a loss to understand why the direction in which they turn would make any difference. I drive on the left-hand side of the road in a right-hand drive car. I gather that revolving doors in this country turn counter-clockwise allowing my fellow Brits and I to enter and exit buildings only on the right side of the door. Citizens of countries who drive their left-hand drive cars on the right-hand side of the road should expect their revolving doors to turn clockwise, meaning they enter and exit constructions only on the left side of the door. Apparently this is not always the case. Counter-revolutionary designers and builders at work there, perhaps!
I have thought for a long time that revolving doors might be useful in our house. There are quite lengthy periods when Barry, the dogs, the cat and I are the main inhabitants (I don't class spiders, silverfish and assorted other invertebrates as residents) but there are many occasions when so many people and dogs are seeking access to the indoors, or the outdoors if they're already in, that revolving doors would make sense. Actually, it's the dogs that would benefit most from such an installation in the sitting room as they seem to prefer solitude when they're going into the garden. This means that my time is taken up with opening and closing the patio door as they exit and enter in turn. I half expect them to queue at the door, next in line for the great outdoors. Sometimes I simply leave the door open but this can be rather uncomfortable in winter when the rain is lashing and howling winds cause shivers.
The front door arranged as a circulating entrance and exit would be useful for family. Five arrive, three leave, another one appears and then they all go. It's rather like the ebb and flow of the tide. Numbers can rise from two humans and five animals to seven people and seven animals (there's a pleasing symmetry to that!) then another two humans appear, sometimes with a cat, then another two, and one more and finally the last five arrive. We play musical beds, too, though not quite Cox and Box as people stay at different times for different periods. The house is very quiet when the last visitor/s leave and feels rather empty, notwithstanding four dogs and a cat, but I am always thankful that I don't have to run a Bed and Breakfast establishment. Catering for my family is a labour of love and though I generally like my fellow humans I don't particularly want to share bed and board with them.
I don't think revolving doors would look quite right in our house after all so we'll stick with the conventional accesses.

The Twentieth Blog of Augustus Lazarus Cooke (Gus)

The Twentieth Blog of Augustus Lazarus Cooke (Gus)

Hello everyone!

It’s been very busy in our house. Bethan came to help Mr and Mrs H with ‘decluttering’, whatever that means. It was very unsettling for us dogs to see lots of stuff being put in boxes and taken off to what they call ‘charity shops’. I was worried we’d end up in a box.

We listened hard to see if we could find out what all the activity was about and discovered that Susannah and Frankie were coming to live with us for a few months until their new house is ready.

Then Mr H fitted some doors upstairs so that Susannah and Frankie could have their own space. The cats were a bit miffed ‘cos the corridor has been shut off and they used to like racing along there. Still, they’ve got the rest of the house so they shouldn’t complain – but they do!

When Susannah and Frankie arrived they brought lots of things with them, including a cat! We were a bit surprised to see her. She’s called Cleopatra but Susannah calls her Pats or sometimes Patricia. We’ve all met her and she’s all right but Mr and Mrs H won’t let Herschel and Isambard and Jellicoe see her, not yet, anyway.

Us dogs are very interested in Frankie – he smells fascinating and he’s just the right height for us to lick his face though we’re not supposed to do that. We’re not allowed in the dining room when he’s eating but we go in afterwards to clear up – there’s usually something tasty on the floor as well as on Frankie.

Life has changed. Mr H takes Susannah to the station early every morning and Mrs H is busy all the time with Frankie. Us dogs could feel a bit left out but the Humans make a big fuss of us when Frankie’s in bed. He goes to bed a lot!

Me and Jenna had to go and see Phil-the-Vet the other day for our injections* ‘cos some of our joints are a bit painful sometimes. Mr H asked him to look at a small lump on the inside of my ear flap. I didn’t mind him looking but when he brought out a needle to stick in it I wasn’t very keen. I was a brave boy, though, and Phil-the-Vet only took a little of my blood. My Humans should hear soon what it is and whether to worry.

I think we’re going to have breakfast soon and later we’re all going for a walk. Frankie might walk a little way but most of the time he’ll be in his buggy. That must be funny – sitting in a chair with wheels and being pushed along. I think I might like that.

Be good.

Hwyl fawr am nawr! (That’s Welsh for ‘Goodbye for now!’)

*Cartrophen

Conservatory Cats’ Chats (C3) February 2013

Conservatory Cats’ Chats (C3) February 2013

Our Servants have informed us that our arrival has been announced to the world. They suggested that we might care to tell the wider public a little about ourselves and we indicated that we would be happy so to do. They asked if we would like to have a blog of our own but we declined. We don’t feel we could commit to such an undertaking with our busy schedule. We believe it is understood that there are three of us. There were four in our litter but our other brother had already been chosen by different Servants – the last choice they will have before they learn who is Master. We shall take turns in composing this entry. Herschel will start.

Like my brothers I am an Ocicat. I am a Cinnamon Silver and allegedly I am the most sensitive of the three of us.

You may be wondering about my name. Sir John Herschel, Ist Baronet, was ahead of his time and was named after me. He was an astronomer so it is natural that he was interested in Time Warps. Time Travel is nothing new!!

We were all rather alarmed when we were taken from the Servants who had served us all our lives. We travelled to our new Kingdom in a box that smelled of another Ocicat which was quite comforting. I believe his name was Winston but I do not know where he went. It was a long journey and we were tired when the Servants stopped the car and took us into our new Palace. It makes me quite faint to think about it so I am going to ask Isambard to take over.

Thank you, Herschel. Before I continue the saga let me first explain that I am named after Isambard Kingdom Brunel, the great Victorian engineer. I am a Tawny Ocicat, quite an appropriate colour for an engineer.

Back to the blog. The first thing we noticed was that the floors were bare. Could our new Servants not afford carpets? As we were carried through to another room we were shocked to see four enormous beasts in the Palace grounds, staring through the glass and making extraordinary and very loud noises. The Servants placed us in what appeared to be a prison. What had we done to deserve such treatment? We were relieved to see a large litter tray in there and we leapt on top of it and huddled together for courage when the dreadful, slavering creatures burst into the room and came to sniff us. 

We soon discovered that they were interested more in our food than in us but hissed and growled at them nonetheless. One of them had spots like Herschel and me but he was enormous. We learnt that these fearsome beings were DOGS and they appeared to be the Servants’ servants so of little account to us. We tolerate Servants but their minions are beneath contempt and we shall lose no opportunity to emphasise that when eventually we allow them to mix with us. I think Jellicoe should continue.

Only too pleased to oblige, Brother.

You may have noticed that Isambard said one of the DOGS had spots like him and Herschel. I have spots too, on my tummy, but I am a Black Silver Ocicat Classic – a superior type of tabby of impeccable breeding. In keeping with my very smart uniform and military bearing I am named after Admiral Jellicoe, 1^st Earl Jellicoe. I have a loud voice, a necessary requirement for issuing orders to the other ranks on the poop deck, though in my case I have just my brothers to command. When the Servants are required to attend to us we all shout orders.

The time is fast approaching when we shall allow the DOGS to come into our domain – the Conservatory – and we shall venture into their quarters. Our Servants carry us into the Conservatory in the mornings and one of them sits with us to admire our agility and beauty and to play with us. Sometimes both of them come in and the DOGS stand at the glass door and stare at our food while the Servants talk to us and take photographs and moving images (video) of us. We may be able to include some video of us on one of our blog posts one day if the Servants can find time to upload it. We understand that we take up a lot of their time. They are simple souls and learn slowly what is required.

Thank you, my Brothers. I am recovered enough to resume. We had not been long in our new Palace before more Servants came to admire us. Bethan and Robert spent much time playing with us. Robert is a Cat Whisperer- at least that is what our Servants called him – and we were happy to permit him to pick us up. I was still quite skittish.

Then last weekend even more Servants came, including a very small Servant who had to be carried everywhere. Our Servants called them FAMILY. There were a number of younger Servants who spent a lot of time in our domain. We were tired at the end of the day but discovered that we were beginning to enjoy the Servants picking us up.

I am always the first to purr. Whenever a Servant speaks to me I purr – it’s only courteous – and of course I have a very loud purr. We were taken to the STAIRS the other day. We had never seen such things before but we are wonderful athletes and had no problem leaping up and down them. I feel there is much more to this Palace than we have yet seen. The prospect of exploring it appeals to me.

We enjoy the Conservatory as it is warm and full of things to climb on and race around and allows us to enjoy one of our favourite pastimes – ornithology. Now, as we are still quite young, we must stop writing and take a nap. We are sure there are exciting times ahead.

Ciao!

Conservatory Cats’ Chats (C3) March 2013

Conservatory Cats’ Chats (C3) March 2013

Jellicoe: We have been in our new Palace for four whole weeks and we have learnt quite a lot. Our Servants have different duties and I would say they perform them adequately. There is room for improvement in certain areas but in general we are pleased with them.

Isambard: I agree. We refer to The Servant commonly known as BARRY as The THINKER. He does a lot of thinking and planning, researching and speaking on the telephone. His head is full of ideas. He is the one who usually takes video and photographs of us though sometimes the Servant known as JANICE takes a turn with the camera.

Herschel: We call JANICE The HOUSEKEEPER or occasionally just The MAID. She is the one who makes sure our sleeping quarters are clean and our food and water bowls are filled. We like spending time with The THINKER and The MAID because we know they are flattered by our attention.

Jellicoe: That is very true. Although we are not very old, we quickly learnt that Servants are easily pleased by a show of affection. It doesn’t take much effort – a miaou, a purr, a rub of the head. They even like us using them as stepping stones.

Isambard: We also do what one of the FAMILY, the one called SUSANNAH calls ‘the nose thing.’ SUSANNAH is the one with the small Servant who has to be carried everywhere and she says the CAT who owns her does ‘the nose thing’ all the time. Why are Servants so delighted by such commonplace acts? 

We nose touch all the time but you don’t find us getting excited about it.

Here I am with the DOG the Servants call Bertie

Herschel: We are keen to meet the DOGS face to face and teach them who’s in charge but the Servants say we must wait a little longer. The DOGS are silly creatures but the Servants seem fond of them. They have to take them out to exercise whereas we can do everything we want to in our Palace. I don’t think DOGS can climb like us – at least I’ve never seen them do it.

Jellicoe: One phenomenon we have all noticed is that things appear to be getting smaller. The DOGS have shrunk, though of course they are still enormous, particularly the spotted one. Mostly it’s the furniture that has reduced in size. We can no longer fit under the table in the conservatory.

Isambard: The MAID took our sleeping box out of our pen and put a large cushion in its place. We liked the box – it was like a cave – but we couldn’t fit in it any more, not all of us at the same time – so that’s another thing that has contracted. The STAIRS have condensed, too.

Herschel: Our cat tree is not as big as it was, either. It’s very strange. At the same time my brothers have grown larger and they tell me I have too. It’s odd because I don’t feel any different and neither do they. Life is certainly very interesting for us kittens.

Jellicoe: I just hope things don’t keep on getting smaller or we shall be crawling around on our knees. That wouldn’t be much fun.

Herschel: Maybe we’ll end up being larger than the DOGS – that would be so good!

Isambard: Do you think the Servants will shrink, too? They mustn’t get so small they can’t carry our food and water bowls – and who would change the cat litter?

Jellicoe: They haven’t shrunk so far so I think we’ll be all right.

Herschel: You speak sense, my Brother.

Isambard: It’s time for another nap so I’ll say goodbye from all of us.

Ciao!

Winston’s late August blog

Winston here . . . p'rrrrr, p'rrrrr . . .

Do you like my latest portraits? Mrs Human thinks I'm putting on too much weight but Mr H says I've got a lovely tiger tummy – it swings when I walk and even faster when I run don'tcha know. Anyway Mrs H says she's putting me on a diet. Monty's got a tiger tummy too but she's not putting him on a diet. Well, she started it the other day and Gillian laughed and said I'd turned into Hunter Cat coz I was prowling around by the conservatory door while Monty ate his chicken wings. Then I went in and had mine. It's all right – I mean, I'm not starving – well, not yet, anyway.

Gillian and Mrs H have been fiddling about with small bits of coloured cardboard. Someone must have broken something and they were trying to put it back together again. It takes hours to mend just a little bit. Anyway, they mended one the other day and they were quite pleased 'cept they said there was a piece missing and wasn't that a shame? Looked all right to me and it was nice and warm to sleep on.

Next thing I know Marnie's broken it again. Monty and me thought she'd get into trouble after all the time it took Gillian and Mrs H to put it together but they actually thanked her. Then Mrs H brought in another box of broken bits and they started all over again. There's a special board they put it on and it's just right for stretching my claws, then I curl up on it and watch them till I fall asleep. Monty's a bit of a pest though coz he likes to get in the box with the bits and scrabble around. Gillian's afraid he'll think it's another litter tray coz the bits make a rattling noise like our litter. Sometimes he walks all over the mended bits and pulls them up with his claws. I walk over them too but I don't break them. I only pull up the keys on Mrs H's laptop – only by mistake though.

Everyone's getting excited coz Gareth and Nina's coming at the weekend. They've been in Noo Yawk for two years in a place called Man at'em ever so high up and now they're coming home. There's goin'to be a party coz it's Kiri's birthday on Sunday – she's ever so old don'tcha know – fourteen. It's goin' to be a party for Eve too coz she was eight in July but they were busy packing up to come back so Mr and Mrs H kept her presents here. Don't know if the others are coming. I'll tell you in my next blog.

TTFN

Of Cats and Butterflies and Trees

Of Cats and Butterflies and Trees

Our kittens are growing fast. Still lanky of leg and long of body they are extremely lively and very vocal. Each kitten has adopted a different member of the family though they are all very affectionate and demand a lot of attention from whoever happens to be available for a good purring. Isambard’s favourite person is Barry and Jellicoe favours me. Herschel’s chosen companion is Bertie. Actually, they all like Bertie.

The morning ritual involves the kittens calling as soon as they hear our voices. They do not, as yet, sleep in our bedroom – the dogs deserve a place of sanctuary!

Barry emerges to ecstatic miaous and purrs and then he calls Bertie out. Immediately the kittens flock to our golden boy and rub all round him, curling their tails about his body and pushing their faces against his and Bertie loves it.

Recently we have had weather warm enough to encourage us to open the patio door. Across it there is a mesh screen to allow fresh air in and prevent kittens going out. Soon we shall erect a fence within the garden to enable the little boys access to the Great Outdoors. 

The Purr…fect Cat Fence has been delivered from the States and awaits our endeavours to assemble it. First, though, shrubs and trees in the garden have had to be lopped and trimmed so that adventurous felines do not find a way to escape into the even Greater Outdoors. 

The most drastic operation has involved the slaughter pruning of our holly tree. 

No longer can the starlings and blue tits, blackbirds and thrushes rely on its prickly cover to protect them from the attentions of the sparrowhawk.

In the course of all this woodwork gardening Barry discovered that our garden shredder was not up to the job of reducing the extraneous limbs and branches to mulch and spent several happy hours researching the best machine for the job.  We were surprised when it was delivered to see how big – and heavy – it was. ‘It’s a big bugger, innit?’ we said to each other in our best Mummerset accents. 

Naturally the box it came in had to be explored . . . 

 . . . as did the shredder basket.

It is very efficient and reasonably quiet. We haven’t quite got to the stage of looking for things to cut down so that we can use it but that time is not far off, I suspect.

We shan't see any of these this year! 

I noticed a solitary holly blue butterfly disconsolately circling the remains of the tree, wondering where she was now going to lay her eggs. I hope I’m sure the tree will recover and send forth new green shoots. 

However, visiting redwings will be sorely disappointed when they fly in to feast on holly berries in the winter – there will be none this year.

We are wondering how many times the brothers will fall in the pond. My guess is probably only once, unless they decide they like swimming. The bird feeders will have to be moved to a spot beyond the fence. It means we shall not be able to observe them at quite such close quarters but at least we will remain innocent of putting them on the menu for the boys!

The sun has disappeared again so the fence will remain in its component parts in the garage and the cats will have to remain content with gazing at the garden from the safety of indoors.

I hope the Saga of the Cat Fence will be a short one – I have my doubts, though;-) 

I am linking this post to 'Camera Critters'. Thank you, Misty, for hosting this meme.