Once there were 2 small hummingbirds who lived in a garden. One lived on the West side of the garden and the other lived on the East side.
They were good friends. Every morning they met to get a drink of water and talk. One morning, West said to East, "The water on my side is sweeter than the water on your side."
East took a drink and answered, "No, I'm sure the water on my side is sweeter."
West said, "How do you know? You never tasted the water on my side."
East answered, "How do YOU know? You never tasted the water on my side! I invite you to come taste the water on my side."
But West said, "I can't."
"Why not?" asked East.
"Because if your water is better I will be sad. I will want your water."
For a long time they were silent. Then West said, "I invite you to come taste the water on my side. If my side is the best I will let you come drink some from my side every day. OK?"
"No," answered East.
"Why not?" asked West.
"Because it will become a habit for me to drink your water. I will stop drinking my own water. I won't be free."
For a long time they were silent again.
Finally, East looked down at the water and said, "Look! There's an ant swimming in the water. Let's ask him which water is better: your side or my side."
So West called to the ant and said, "Could you please tell us which side of the water is sweeter? The East side or the West side."
The ant looked at the West hummingbird and then at the East hummingbird and started to laugh!
The hummingbirds said to him, "Why are you laughing at us?"
The ant said, "What do you mean, whose water is better?! IT'S ALL THE SAME WATER!"
West looked at East, and East looked at West, and then both birds looked down at the ant who was laughing very hard at them. Finally West said, "An ant is too small to know anything!" Then East said, "You can't trust anything that has antennae!"
📌 Why didn't the birds ever come back to drink again?!