Fork in the Road

Chances are where you are is where you are to be. By whatever road, by whatever means you have arrived at this place and time. If you will allow, this is an extremely comforting thought. It brings acceptance of all that has come before. It provides a soft landing in the place which is today’s place.

Next there comes the question of the steps that are yet to come. As Yogi Berra wisely said, “When you come to a fork in the road take it,” but which way? Robert Frost reminds us, “Yet knowing how way leads on to way, I doubted if I should ever come back.” So the choice is an important one.

A traveler comes to a fork in the road which leads to two villages. In one village the people always tell lies, and in the other village the people always tell the truth. The traveler needs to conduct business in the village where everyone tells the truth. A man from one of the villages is standing in the middle of the fork, but there is no indication of which village he is from. The traveler approaches the man and asks him one question. From the villager's answer, he knows which road to follow. What did the traveler ask?

The Answer is: "Which road goes to your village?"

The liar will point to the village of the truth tellers. The truth teller will point to his own village.