The greatest of them all

By sofs
@sofssu (23660)
July 10, 2016 9:54pm CST
I read a story about a little girl who had major difficulties with her multiplication and addition. This young girl decided to seek the help of one of the greatest scientists of all times. The story goes this way that the eight year old Adelaide Delong struggled with her math homework and decided that her neighbor who was very good in Math would be the one to help her. The little girl knocked on Albert Einstein's door clutching a plate of homemade fudge and her math book in her hand. She innocently asked the shaggy, grey haired man "Will you show me how to do my homework?" The world's greatest scientist instead of shooing her off is said to taken her in and gently told her that he said 'he would love teach her to add and subtract, but that wouldn't be fair to the other girls at school.' He gave her a cookie in return for her plate of fudge goes the story. I found this story charming and wanted to share it here with you.
11 people like this
15 responses
s sivasubrahmanyam
@shivamani10 (11035)
• Hyderabad, India
11 Jul 16
very nice incident to remember forever. Great people are always great.
2 people like this
sofs
@sofssu (23660)
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11 Jul 16
@shivamani10 I guess his greatness is in his ability to invite her in and share a bite with her before letting her know that she should do her own work.
Judy Evans
@JudyEv (382240)
• Rockingham, Australia
11 Jul 16
While it is charming it's a pity he didn't give her a bit of help - without doing it for her of course.
1 person likes this
sofs
@sofssu (23660)
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11 Jul 16
@JudyEv There are other versions going around which say that he did help a lot of children with their difficult problems in Maths. .. but I couldn't check the veracity of those .
1 person likes this
sofs
@sofssu (23660)
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11 Jul 16
@JudyEv My heart also tends to sway towards the other story. We just love perfect endings I guess.
1 person likes this
Judy Evans
@JudyEv (382240)
• Rockingham, Australia
11 Jul 16
@sofssu In that case I'll choose to believe that he did help a little bit!
1 person likes this
marcyaz
@Marcyaz (35316)
• United States
11 Jul 16
Charming really when he wouldn't help her? I don't like this story.
1 person likes this
marcyaz
@Marcyaz (35316)
• United States
11 Jul 16
@sofssu I can't image anyone saying no to a child asking for help with math.
1 person likes this
sofs
@sofssu (23660)
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11 Jul 16
@Marcyaz I found the whole story charming. He was at the peak of his career at that point. He invited the little girl and even had a snack with her. He probably understood her intentions hence tactfully refused to help her. I say this based on the fact that he often helped children understand difficult mathematical problems. This has been well documented. So i don't see him as one who would not help a little child.
Morning Girl
@salonga (27775)
• Philippines
13 Jul 16
But if I were the girl I would be happier to get tutoring from him instead of just cookie or better yet, both. I guess he was too busy experimenting on something. so he just gave an alibi.
1 person likes this
Morning Girl
@salonga (27775)
• Philippines
14 Jul 16
@sofssu Hmmm that was very probable.
1 person likes this
sofs
@sofssu (23660)
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14 Jul 16
@salonga Or may be he spied a teeny bit of laziness in the child.. because he is said to have helped many others.
1 person likes this
celticeagle
@celticeagle (189890)
• Boise, Idaho
11 Jul 16
That is cute and makes sense too.
1 person likes this
celticeagle
@celticeagle (189890)
• Boise, Idaho
12 Jul 16
@sofssu .....Really? That is too bad.
1 person likes this
sofs
@sofssu (23660)
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12 Jul 16
@celticeagle You are one of the very few people it makes sense to. Thank you.
1 person likes this
Kimberley
@mom210 (9170)
• United States
11 Jul 16
Why would it not be fair? I do not understand that part. The other kids could ask if they needed help as well couldn't they?
1 person likes this
sofs
@sofssu (23660)
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12 Jul 16
@mom210 Perhaps he did spy a touch of laziness on the part of the child. In fact its is documented that he helped children who had genuine difficulty with certain mathematical problems.
1 person likes this
sofs
@sofssu (23660)
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13 Jul 16
@mom210 and much more to ask a genius like Einstein.
1 person likes this
Kimberley
@mom210 (9170)
• United States
13 Jul 16
@sofssu that is good to hear. It takes a lot of courage to ask for help from an adult
1 person likes this
rebel_woman06
@SIMPLYD (90717)
• Philippines
11 Jul 16
I am just disappointed that he said that instead of teaching the girl even for some few lessons.
1 person likes this
rebel_woman06
@SIMPLYD (90717)
• Philippines
11 Jul 16
@sofssu Yes, most likely indeed .
1 person likes this
sofs
@sofssu (23660)
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11 Jul 16
@SIMPLYD Considering the fact that he actually helped a number of children with difficult mathematical problems he may have understood that this little one was seeking a easy way to tackle her homework he might have changed his tactics.
1 person likes this
Sky
@skysnap (20152)
•
11 Jul 16
Interesting story.
1 person likes this
Sky
@skysnap (20152)
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11 Jul 16
@sofssu It is.
1 person likes this
sofs
@sofssu (23660)
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11 Jul 16
@skysnap I found it very interesting and charming indeed.
Hazel Vee
@epiffanie (11327)
• Australia
12 Jul 16
I love it! Thank you for sharing this story .. It is indeed wise to teach children to be fair and to treat others equal ..
1 person likes this
sofs
@sofssu (23660)
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12 Jul 16
@epiffanie Looks like very few of us think that way. I am glad you liked the story.
1 person likes this
Charlene Sally Collins
@OreoBrownie (3755)
• Commerce, Georgia
12 Jul 16
It is a charming story.
1 person likes this
sofs
@sofssu (23660)
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12 Jul 16
@OreoBrownie What a sweet name 'Oreaobrownie'. I am glad you think so.
Jekca
@Jessicalynnt (50523)
• Centralia, Missouri
11 Jul 16
from what I have read about him, if he was that nice, she was lucky to not catch him in a mood.
1 person likes this
sofs
@sofssu (23660)
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12 Jul 16
@Jessicalynnt Yes, there is documented proof that he went out of his to help children understand difficult mathematical problems. Probably he detected some laziness in her.
1 person likes this
crazyhorseladycx
@crazyhorseladycx (39503)
• United States
12 Jul 16
dang, i'd hoped that he'd helped the poor young'un :( 't least volunteered to help 'em all, perhaps? interestin' story :)
1 person likes this
sofs
@sofssu (23660)
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12 Jul 16
@crazyhorseladycx Most of these great scientist are eccentrics I was expecting him to shoo her away.
1 person likes this
JB_girl
@sol_cee (38669)
• Philippines
11 Jul 16
It must have been an honor meeting Mr. e=mc2.
1 person likes this
sofs
@sofssu (23660)
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11 Jul 16
@sol_cee I guess Adelaide had no clue who he really was.
JB_girl
@sol_cee (38669)
• Philippines
11 Jul 16
@sofssu Kids and their innocence.
1 person likes this
Betty Belekis
@BettyB (4117)
• Summerville, South Carolina
11 Jul 16
Its a sweet story and I believe he would say something like that. For all his brilliance, he had little patience and wasn't a good teacher.
1 person likes this
sofs
@sofssu (23660)
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11 Jul 16
@BettyB That wouldn't be true because he is said to have written letters to children to help them understand difficult mathematical problems.( I wonder if anyone in his position would have bothered with that.) It is said that he often went out of his way to do so.. even though this story does not highlight this quality so well.
Judy Story
@jstory07 (148734)
• Roseburg, Oregon
11 Jul 16
He should have helped her to learn math. It is a charming story.
1 person likes this
sofs
@sofssu (23660)
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11 Jul 16
@jstory07 Another version has it that he did teach her and she made habit of coming everyday.. and when her mother apologized to the scientist for the child's behavior he is said to have told her 'she is learning and so am I'. However, I am not sure that if that is true. The reliable versions say he didn't.