"
And the man was content, and went away feeling that his money had been
well invested.
At another time the mother of a pair of baby twins came to him in
great trouble.
"O most wise Sophocles!" she said, "I am in despair! For my little
twin girls are just alike, and I have lost the ribbon that I placed on
one that I might be able to tell them apart. Therefore I cannot
determine which is Amelia and which is Ophelia, and as the priest has
christened them by their proper names it would be a sin to call them
wrongly."
"Cannot the priest tell?" asked the wise man.
"No one can tell," answered the woman; "neither the priest nor their
father nor myself, for they are just alike. And they are yet too young
to remember their own names. Therefore your great wisdom is our only
resource."
"Bring them to me," commanded Sophocles.
And when they were brought he looked at them attentively and said,
"This is Ophelia and this Amelia. Now tie a red ribbon about
Ophelia's wrist and put a blue ribbon on Amelia, and so long as they
wear them you will not be troubled to tell them apart."
Everyone marvelled greatly that Sophocles should know the children
better than their own mother, but he said to himself,
"Since no no [both nos in original] one can prove that I am wrong I am
sure to be right;" and thus he maintained his reputation for wisdom.
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