Her father, a chef, took her to the kitchen. He filled three pots with water and placed each on a high fire. Soon the pots came to a boil. In one he placed a carrot, in the second he placed an egg and the last he placed some coffee beans. He let them sit and boil, without saying a word.

The daughter sucked her teeth and impatiently waited, wondering what her father was doing. In about twenty minutes he turned off the fire. He fished the carrot out and placed it in a bowl. He scooped the egg out and placed it a bowl. Then he ladled the coffee out and placed it in a bowl. Turning to her he asked, "What do you see?"

"Carrot, egg and coffee," she replied.

He brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrot. She did and noted that it was soft. He then asked her to take the egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, she observed the hard-boiled egg. Finally, he asked her to sip the coffee. She smiled as she tasted its rich aroma.

She said, "What's the point?"

He explained that each of the items had faced the same adversity - boiling water - but each reacted differently. The carrot went in strong and hard but after being subjected to the boiling water, it softened and became weak. The egg had been fragile. Its thin outer shell had protected its liquid contents. But after sitting through the boiling water, its inside became hardened. The coffee beans were unique, however. After they were in the boiling water, they had changed the water.