A Story Of Differences: The Three Answers

This story of differences is an adaptation of a story written by Lev Tolstoy. It was once a small town that experienced harsh winters with daily snowfall and temperatures that made all the inhabitants tremble.

A childless couple lived in the city. They felt cold all the time and no matter how hot they were, they rarely managed to gather enough heat to feel comfortable. They were both frustrated by the frustration, but did not know how to resolve it.

One of their neighbors had a large house and a large family. He never complained about the cold and enjoyed warm evenings throughout the long winter. When they discovered this, they could not help but wonder why the neighbor did not freeze in the same way as they did.

The story goes that the neighbor answered their questions kindly. Since it was often cold, he had taken reservations and insulated walls and ceilings with a very warm type of wool. Maybe that could be the solution for them too?

A changed house

The couple realized that their ceilings and walls were very fragile. So they started saving money, and they saved money for a while, before they had enough to insulate the house with beautiful, warm wood.

Summer came and they began to experience an unbearable heat. The only way they could get relief from the heat was by leaving the house, as it became a bit of an oven during the hot summer days. They thought that this might be the price they had to pay to stay warm during the winter.

But when winter came again, they did not experience the warmth they had expected. They may not have shivered as they once did, but they were still cold. Outraged by the situation, they went back to the neighbor to get an answer.

A new answer

The couple again discussed their situation with the neighbor. The neighbor thought for a moment and then said that they might need a good stove. Maybe they could remove the wood they had used to insulate the house and use it as firewood. Thus, they would get cooler in the summer without having to suffer during cold winters.

The man took a good look at the stove so that he could buy the same one at a later date. It was large and powerful and gave off a delicious warmth. What the neighbor had told them was logical. By buying the same stove they would certainly find a solution to the problem.

Again, the couple spent a long time saving up money. And in the end, they had enough to buy a stove as big and as nice as the neighbor’s. They took all the wood out of the walls and stored it on the porch. The following winter, for the first time, they felt no cold thanks to all the wood they had to fire with.

A story of differences

Time passed and it was time again for summer and hot days. As planned, the house felt cool and comfortable. The couple was finally happy. But before winter came, they gathered a good stock of firewood. Due to the large size of the stove, a lot of wood was needed to feed the stove.

But with the winter also came a new disappointment e. All the wood they had collected lasted only a few weeks. The man therefore took some wood from the walls and put them on the stove. He repeated the same procedure several times. In this story of differences, it soon becomes clear that the more he takes from the walls, the colder they become.

There came a time when almost all the walls in the house were gone and they therefore started with the roof. The neighbor who observed the situation began to worry about the situation and went to talk to them. He explained that there was no point in destroying the house to feed the stove. And if they destroyed the roof, there was no way in the world for the stove to protect them from the cold.

The couple was upset. They had followed the neighbor’s advice and failed to solve their problem. What advice would he give them now? The neighbor now gave them his third piece of advice. His house was large and had large windows. Therefore, it was not hot in the summer and therefore they also needed a large stove. And that was where their problem lay. They had borrowed solutions that were meant to solve someone else’s problem.