Socrates was one of the wisest men of the City State of Athens. Often he stood at the street corners, gathered young men around him, asked them questions and helped them find answers on their own. The members of the City Council felt that Socrates was turning the young against them. They ordered his arrest on charges of sedition. He was tried and sentenced to death. The date for his execution was fixed and Socrates was detained in prison. It was decided that on the appointed day, he would be, made to drink a glass of Hemlock, a deadly poison. Socrates had a large circle of friends and followers. They came every day to the prison and spent hours talking to him. They found him calm and composed. He did not show the slightest sign of fear. His attitude seemed to say, "Death! Do thy worst. I, for one, am not scared." A few days before his execution, a musical tune wafted into the cell through the window which opened out to the road beyond the prison wall. Socrates walked to the window and looked out. He saw an old man sitting with his back to the trunk of a tree, strumming on his harp. Socrates turned to his friends and said, "That music is truly divine. I wish I could learn to sing that song. Can you get hold of the singer and bring him to me?" His friends were taken aback. They asked, "Why do you want to meet him?" "I want to learn that tune. It is truly divine," Socrates replied. "Why waste effort? You know you are going to die in less than a week," a friend pointed out. "That is all the more the reason why I must learn that tune. I won't get a chance, again. Please hurry up. Get hold of the singer. Otherwise, we may not be able to trace him. And I will never learn that tune," Socrates appealed to his friends.
One of them wen to the prison official and presented the request of Socrates. The official, who held Socrates in great esteem, sent a guard to fetch the singer. A little later, the guard returned, leading the singer to Socrates. After polite exchanges, Socrates requested the singer, "Will you please teach me that tune. It is truly soulful music." The singer sat down and went over and over the musical notes. Socrates repeated them. For nearly two hours, he practised. Then the singer said, "You know it well, Oh Revered Sire. You can sing it as well as me." "Thank you. Today I am better informed than I was yesterday. Everyday, till death, I want to learn something new. It is never too late to learn. Thank you for teaching me the tune," Socrates sent the man away, respectfully.
Meaning: Knowledge is vast. Nobody, however studious he be, ever learns everything. The wise man knows more today than yesterday. Every day he increases his knowledge.
Alternative: One is never too old to learn
One of them wen to the prison official and presented the request of Socrates. The official, who held Socrates in great esteem, sent a guard to fetch the singer. A little later, the guard returned, leading the singer to Socrates. After polite exchanges, Socrates requested the singer, "Will you please teach me that tune. It is truly soulful music." The singer sat down and went over and over the musical notes. Socrates repeated them. For nearly two hours, he practised. Then the singer said, "You know it well, Oh Revered Sire. You can sing it as well as me." "Thank you. Today I am better informed than I was yesterday. Everyday, till death, I want to learn something new. It is never too late to learn. Thank you for teaching me the tune," Socrates sent the man away, respectfully.
Meaning: Knowledge is vast. Nobody, however studious he be, ever learns everything. The wise man knows more today than yesterday. Every day he increases his knowledge.
Alternative: One is never too old to learn
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