Long ago, there lived a man named Dull Jack who married a woman known as Sharp Clara. Jack lived up to his name. He could barely read, rarely went outside, and relied on his wife for every decision, from daily chores to major life choices. The more he depended on her, the more helpless he became. Clara, by contrast, was confident, outspoken, and quick minded. Their marriage reflected a familiar pattern: a foolish husband and a clever wife, which led to constant arguments and endless scolding. Clara never missed a chance to mock him, calling him hopelessly stupid and reminding him how far behind everyone else he was.
At first, Jack accepted the insults quietly, pretending not to hear. But after listening to neighbors talk, he occasionally tried to argue back, insisting that even if he was slow, he was still a man. Clara only laughed harder. She told him that if he truly wanted respect, he needed to go out into the world and learn wisdom the hard way. According to her, real intelligence came from experience, not words. She explained that when meeting people, one must act friendly, smile, shake hands, and say the right things at the right time. In her view, social behavior was the key to learning how the world worked.
Encouraged, Jack set off early the next morning with food packed by Clara. He followed her advice exactly. Everyone he met was greeted with exaggerated smiles, enthusiastic handshakes, and nonstop wishes of good luck and happiness. Instead of making friends, he frightened people away. They stared at him in confusion, then hurried off, convinced he was unstable. All morning, not a single person stopped to talk to him.
Near noon, Jack encountered a large procession with loud music and drums. Believing this was his chance to learn wisdom, he rushed in and loudly congratulated everyone he saw. The crowd stared and silently moved on. Behind them, Jack noticed a group of people dressed in white, carrying a large coffin and leaning on sticks. Thinking these must be important people worth learning from, he eagerly shook their hands and congratulated them repeatedly. Instantly, the mourners exploded in anger and beat him with their sticks, accusing him of mocking their grief. Terrified and injured, Jack barely escaped and ran home.
Before he could finish telling the story, Clara scolded him fiercely. She explained that funerals required sympathy, not congratulations, and that his behavior was deeply offensive. Jack, confused and frustrated, asked why she had not explained this earlier. Clara then taught him new words to use at funerals and told him to look sad instead of cheerful.
The next day, Jack tried again. He walked around muttering funeral condolences to everyone he met. People avoided him completely, believing he brought bad luck. Later that day, he encountered a joyful wedding procession. Remembering his wife’s instructions, he solemnly offered funeral blessings to the bride and groom. The bride fainted in shock, and the groom attacked Jack in rage. Once again, Jack barely escaped with his life.
At home, Clara scolded him again and explained that weddings required joyful blessings. She told him to say words praising couples and harmony. The following day, Jack repeated the phrase happily to everyone he met, regardless of the situation. When he encountered a house fire, he congratulated the elderly homeowners for being a good couple. In the chaos, they accused him of being the arsonist and tried to capture him. Jack escaped only by luck.
Each time, Clara corrected him and insisted he was learning, even though his lessons came through pain. Eventually, she told him that in dangerous situations, the smartest thing was to observe others and copy their actions carefully. Determined to succeed, Jack set out once more.
Soon, he encountered two large men fighting violently on a deserted road. Believing this was another chance to help, Jack rushed in shouting that he would assist. The men mistook him for an attacker and beat him badly before fleeing. Clara scolded him yet again, explaining that conflicts should be mediated calmly, not joined recklessly.
Finally, Jack decided to travel far to gain true wisdom. He journeyed deep into the forest, where he encountered two massive tigers play fighting. Thinking they were fighting seriously, he tried to mediate. One tiger fled, but the other roared and chased Jack. Terrified, Jack climbed a tree and waited through the night as the tiger slept beneath him. At dawn, he escaped and ran home in fear.
After hearing the story, Clara laughed and praised him for the first time. She explained that true wisdom sometimes means knowing when to run away. Jack realized that survival itself was a form of intelligence. For the first time in his life, he had learned something real, not through words, but through experience.
And so, Jack finally understood that wisdom is not taught directly. It is learned through mistakes, pain, and knowing when to stop.