“To learn,” the Student said.

“And why should anyone learn?”

The Student pondered this. “Why do we learn?” he asked.

“Ask the Sage of the Mountain Cave,” the Bard said.

***

The Student walked a long, long ways. Passing a Minstrel on the road, he asked, “Why do you learn?”

“To Sing and Dance,” the Minstrel said and continued on his way.

A longer while, he passed a Translator. “Why do you learn?” The Student asked. 

“To be understood,” the Translator said, and hurried, pensively along.

A short time after, the Student came to the Mountain and he climbed hard and long. 

Until he came to a Mother on the same path.

“Why do we learn?”  asked he Student.

“To be a Good Mother,” the Mother said and continued with her path. 

At last, the Student arrived at the Mountain Cave of the Sage. 

“Why do we learn?” the Student asked once the Sage opened the door to him.

“That depends,” said the Sage, “What is it you seek to learn?” 

“I want to know how to become the best teacher,” answered the student. 

“Then I would think you would want to know how do you know what to learn,” said the Sage. “That way you would know what to teach.”

The student pondered this awhile. 

“How do we know what to learn?” asked the Sage. “If others are not there to tell us what to learn, then how do we know what to learn?”

_____