Three friends, who
loved to cook, were experimenting one day. They found themselves
making a most marvellous fudge, the likes of which they had never
tasted. Worried it was a fluke, they tried to repeat the recipe, and
found they could reproduce it without great difficulty. Indeed, each
attempt became easier, and produced gradually better results.
At once, the friends
knew they had found something special, and wished to share it. They
disagreed on how to do so, however.
The first friend
approached everyone they knew, telling them how wonderful the fudge
was. They spoke with such enthusiasm, however, and offered the fudge
with such insistence, that people thought they were deranged, and
very few accepted the fudge.
The second friend
committed themselves to make all the fudge they could, and gave it
away without comment. People accepted free fudge offered casually,
and marvelled at it, but could appreciate it only occasionally when
they came across it, as they could not reproduce it.
The third carefully
wrote down the recipe, with detailed instructions. They experimented
further, and made notes on what difference was found in the fudge
with variations in the recipe. They made more fudge, of course, and
offered it to people – but when people expressed appreciation for
it, they offered them their recipe, and their notes. They even
offered to help people when they tried the recipe for themselves.
And some of these
people did try to make it, with help or on their own. And many
succeeded. Some of those that succeeded shared the fudge in the
manner of the first friend, and some in the manner of the second
friend, and some in the manner of the third friend.
Written May 2016
