Complicating Obvious Things: This particular joke won the award for the best joke in a competition organized in Britain and it was sent by an Indian... Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson go on a camping trip, set up their tent, and fall asleep. Some hours later, Holmes wakes his faithful friend. "Watson, look up at the sky and tell me what you see." Watson replies, "I see millions of stars." "What does that tell you?" Watson ponders for a minute. "Astronomically speaking, it tells me that there are millions of galaxies and potentially billions of planets. Astrologically, it tells me that Saturn is in Leo. Time wise, it appears to be approximately a quarter past three. Theologically, it's evident the Lord is all-powerful and we are small and insignificant. Meteorologically, it seems we will have a beautiful day tomorrow. What does it tell you?" Holmes is silent for a moment, then speaks. "Someone has stolen our tent". The story is hilarious. What it brings out is how we tend to complicate issues and then miss the most obvious things. Too much knowledge is no help unless we have the wisdom to guide it to an effective conclusion.
A Very Good One, Ambika and Here's Another Sherlock Holmes Joke Especially the educated and the well-informed people miss the obvious. It is said that when the creator of Holmes, Sir Arthur Conan Dyle visited a town in England for the first time, the porter at the railway station after loading his baggage on to the cart said, "Have a nice day, Mr.Conan Dyle." The author was shocked to say the least. He gave an one pound note to the porter and asked him, 'How do you know that I am Conan Dyle the creator of Sherlock Holmes?' The porter after pocketing the money replied with a detective's professoinal look - Elemenatry, Mr.Conan Dyle - The way you walked, the way you talked in precise words and your bearing - I found out you were a writer. Then your looking for minute details on the way made me know that your genre is detective stories. And finally some of the expressions you used betrayed you as the creator of Mr.Holmes. But there is one thing I have not said...' Impressed by the porter's abilities Dyle asked 'What was that?' 'Your name is written on your baggage.' What you have said is a very important lesson for us to remember whenever we are overwhelmed by self-created complications. As a tax consultant, I do that moast of the time with my client's tax affairs. sridhar
