A professor of English grammar once got into a boat with a boatman. he was very proud of his accomplishments in the literary field. Just to talk something, he asked the boatman, "Have you ever studied the science of grammar?" The boatman said, "No Sir, I haven't." The grammar professor exclaimed, "Then you have wasted half your life!" The boatman was upset by the professors statement but he kept quiet. 

After a while the professor asked -"But you must have read a little bit, tell me how much have you read?" The boatman answered hanging his neck - "I have not read anything, Sir. From the childhood I have been rowing the boats. Of course I have learnt swimming, in case of any mishap in boat rowing." Then the professor gave him a short lecture on the importance of education and got quiet.

Soon, a storm moved in as they sailed across the water. Suddenly, the boat became caught in a vortex of water and they could not maneuver the boat out of it. Fearing that the boat would capsize, the boatman yelled over the roaring waves, "O Professor, do you know how to swim?"

It was the turn of Grammar Professor - he replied with contempt, "Certainly not. Don't expect me to know swimming. I never wasted my time with such a pastime." The boatman told him, "Then, since the boat is going to sink, it is you who have wasted the other half of your life by not learning how to swim, because you are about to drown now!" and saying this the boatman jumped into the sea.

[This short story teaches us that everybody cannot know everything and cannot learn everything, still we should try to learn the practical things.]