Write a short story about a scholar who is renowned for his intelligence has a dream about a man in a neighboring kingdom who is even smarter than he is. The scholar sets out to find this man and eventually finds him. To test the shepherd's intelligence, the scholar asks him to reveal what he knows that the scholar does not. The shepherd challenges the scholar to fill a waterskin with water, but the scholar finds it already full. The shepherd then explains that the scholar is like the waterskin – when he believes he knows everything, he cannot take in more knowledge. The story should teach the lesson that admitting one's limitations and having humility is necessary for continued learning and growth.
Once upon a time, there was a scholar who loved knowledge so much, he traveled far and wide in search of it. He had read every book in every library he came across, studied from the greatest of teachers, and even served as the king’s royal advisor. Soon enough, the learned man was declared the smartest man in the kingdom. He was touted as someone who knew everything.
One night, the scholar had a dream in which he was told by the angels of a man in a neighboring kingdom that was far smarter than him. Perturbed but curious to meet the man and see what he could learn from him, the scholar set off to find him. After traveling many days and nights, he finally found the man – he was a simple shepherd who spent his days walking his flock of goats through the meadows.
The scholar approached him and told him about his dream. “They say you know even more than I do, but I don’t believe it,” he concluded. “Tell me what it is that a mere shepherd knows and I don’t.”
The shepherd considered his request for some time, and then said, “I will tell you what you do not know if you can fill this waterskin with water for me.”
“Very well,” the scholar said. But when he opened the waterskin, he found it already filled to the brim with cool water. “It’s already full; I can’t possibly fill it further.”
“You are like that waterskin,” the shepherd said. “When your heart believes that you are filled with all the knowledge the world has, you will never be able to take in more.”
The shepherd continued, “But if you admit you do not know everything and pour a little of that arrogance out of yourself, you’ll find there are still plenty of other things you have yet to learn.”