(Bilingual English-French edition) When a little boy wakes up with a dry throat, those around him run about trying to work out what caused the condition. One by one, servants, doctors, and medical students try remedies that only complicate the situation and make the condition worse, ignoring what readers will see as the obvious solution. This is one of a series of illustrated books for the young written by the Afghan philosopher and educator Idries Shah, whose collections of narratives and teaching stories have captivated the hearts and minds of people from all walks of life. It belongs to a rich storytelling tradition from Afghanistan, Central Asia and the Middle East that is more than 1,000 years old. Teaching stories are designed specifically to foster thinking skills and perception. They suggest in their structure and in the movement of their characters ways of looking at difficulties that can help solve them. This story illustrates in a very humorous way just how foolish people can be when they fail to consider a situation before springing into action.

(Edition bilingue anglais-francais) Un petit garcon se reveille un matin avec la gorge seche. Toutes les personnes de son entourage se demenent pour trouver la cause du mal dont il souffre. Les uns apres les autres, serviteurs, medecins et etudiants en medecine essayent des remedes qui ne font que compliquer les choses et aggraver le mal, laissant de cote ce que le lecteur voit comme etant la solution evidente. C'est un des titres de la collection de livres illustres pour les jeunes ecrits par le philosophe et educateur afghan Idries Shah, dont les recueils de recits et d'histoires-enseignements ont captive le coeur et l'esprit de lecteurs de tous horizons. Il s'inscrit dans une tradition feconde et plus que millenaire de storytelling qui a sa source en Afghanistan, en Asie centrale et au Moyen-Orient. Cette histoire illustre de facon tres humoristique a quel point les gens peuvent se montrer stupides quand ils ne prennent pas la peine de reflechir avant d'agir.