A Scholar and a Boatman Story

Once upon a time, there was a smart person traveling on a boat. It was the start of the warmer season. The boat was moving along smoothly with the help of the person steering it. The smart person turned to the boat operator and asked, "Have you ever learned about the past?" The boat operator shook his head and said, "No, I haven't." The smart person explained that not knowing history was like wasting a quarter of one's life. 

While they enjoyed the pretty views, the smart person asked again, "Have you ever learned about places and maps?" The boat operator gave the same response, saying he hadn't. This time, the smart person shared that not knowing geography meant half of his life was wasted. They stayed quiet for a while after that. 

When it became afternoon, the smart person broke the silence, saying, "Do you know anything about how things work in the world, like science?" The boat operator sadly admitted he didn't know much about science. The smart person told him that most of his life was wasted then, about three-quarters of it. 

The boat operator listened quietly. Suddenly, the sky turned dark with clouds and a strong storm started blowing, making the boat rock. The smart person got really scared. At that moment, the boat operator turned to him and asked, "Sir, can you swim?" The smart person sadly said no. The boat operator then said, "The boat might sink. Your knowledge won't save you now. All those books you've read won't help in this situation."