Rabbi Joshua was walking along a road when he came to a crossroads and encountered a young girl. "Which road leads to the city?" he asked. The girl pointed to one of the paths. "That road is short but long," she said. Then she pointed to another. "And that road is long but short."
Rabbi Joshua, a brilliant sage of the 1st-2nd century CE, chose the short road. He walked briskly and soon saw the city walls rising ahead of him. But as he drew close, he discovered the path was blocked by gardens and orchards — private property with no way through. He could see the city, but he could not reach it. He had to turn back.
Returning to the crossroads, he found the girl still there. "Did you not tell me this road was short?" he asked. "I said it was short but long," she replied. "And I told you the other road was long but short."
The tale, preserved in the Exempla of the Rabbis (compiled by Moses Gaster in 1924 from medieval sources) and rooted in the Talmud (Eruvin 53b), became a foundational teaching about the nature of shortcuts. The "short" road — the one that looks easy, that promises quick results — often leads to dead ends. The "long" road — the one that requires patience and sustained effort — actually gets you where you need to go.
Rabbi Joshua, one of the greatest minds of his generation, was outwitted by a child. He was so impressed that the encounter became a lesson he taught others. The Talmud records this under the broader heading of derekh eretz (דרך ארץ) — proper conduct and practical wisdom. The deepest lessons, the rabbis acknowledged, sometimes come from the most unexpected teachers.