There was a certain farmer who wished to have a picture of his dead father as a memorial. So he went to a famous painter and said: ‘Will you kindly paint a portrait of my father?’

The painter said: ‘I have never seen your father, so how can I paint his picture?’

The farmer said: ‘You can’t see him, for he is dead and buried. But I will describe him for you.’

So the painter wrote down the description and did his best to make a picture from it. When he had finished it, he invited the farmer to go and see it. As soon as the farmer saw the portrait, lie said : ‘My goodness! How my father has changed since his death!’