An 80-year-old man was sitting on the sofa in his house along with his 45-year-old highly educated son. Suddenly a crow(乌鸦) perched on the tree near their window.
The father asked his son, "What is this?" The son replied, "It is a crow. "
After a few minutes, the father asked his son the second time, "What is this?" The son said, "Father, I have just now told you 'It's a crow'. "
After a little while, the old father again asked his son the third time, "What is this?"
At this time some expression of irritation(恼怒) was felt in the son's tone when he said to his father unwillingly. "It's a crow, a crow. " A little while after, the father again asked his son the fourth time, "What is this?"
This time, the son shouted at his father, "Why do you keep asking me the same question again and again, although I have told you so many times ‘IT IS A CROW'? Are you not able to understand this?"
A little later the father went to his room and came back with an old tattered(发皱的) diary, which he had maintained since his son was born.
On opening a page, he asked his son to read that page.
When the son read it, the following words were written in the diary:
"Today my little son aged three was sitting with me on the sofa, while a crow was sitting on the window. My son asked me 23 times what it was, and I replied to him all 23 times that it was a crow. I hugged him lovingly each time he asked me the same question. I did not at all feel irritated but I rather felt affection for my innocent son. "
After reading the diary,
Feeling ashamed, the son got down on his knees before his father.
