A sage was dining as a guest of the district magistrate.

“Sir,” said the sage. “Suppose you were eating your dinner and a man rushed up and told you that there was a tiger in the middle of the city. Would you believe him?”

“Just one man?”

“Just one.”

“No, I wouldn’t believe there was a tiger in the city if I only heard it from one man.”

“What about two men?”

“Just two?”

“Just two.”

The magistrate took longer to answer this time. Finally he said, “No, no, I don’t think so. I wouldn’t believe it if I only heard it from two men.”

“What about three?”

“Yes,” said the magistrate. “If I heard it from three men, I’d believe it.”

“That’s interesting,” said the sage, “because there’s still no tiger in the city.”

(Chinese fable translated by Carol Deppe)