Terry Pratchett on how to help someone, in life.

Lao Tzu, the supposed founder of Taoism, was, I hear, the coiner of the proverb: "Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime." Whether it is truly an ancient Chinese proverb, I do not know, since, sometimes, the origins of such things are difficult to discern, so long after the events, however, that doesn't change the fact that there is a certain wisdom in these words, one which, being familiar, we all take for granted. Of relevance here, is that some doubt that Lao Tzu was even a real person, which, too, makes his possibility of authorship rather uncertain!(see http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/Lao_Tzu.aspx)

Terry Pratchett, the fantasy author, whose existence is not in question, had his own take on this ancient understanding. He wrote, once:

"Give a man a fire and he's warm for the day. But set fire to him and he's warm for the rest of his life."

That made me laugh. Terry Pratchett, author of the Discworld books, is a man of some wit, at his best. It is sad that he now has Alzheimer's disease, though he is still relatively young, at just 62. I wish him well on the years, ahead, and I hope that the progress of his illness is slow enough to permit him to write a few more books yet.

(If you would like to learn more of Ainan Celeste Cawley, 10, or his gifted brothers, Fintan, 6 and Tiarnan, 4, this month, please go to:
http://scientific-child-prodigy.blogspot.com/2006/10/scientific-child-prodigy-guide.html

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