Homogeneous parts; the tale of Ibn Sina

In the tale Ibn Sina tests young men who want to become his pupils: he orders them to roam mountains and deserts and gather a thousand herbs each. The first boy brings the most medicinal herbs but does not know what cures a blister on the foot: in those ten days he learned nothing of medicine, so Ibn Sina sends him away. The second boy not only brought herbs but knows their properties: wild basil or mint helps a blister, and the juice of camel-thorn helps thirst. Ibn Sina accepts him as “not only a pupil but a son”. The tale shows that knowledge is not in gathering but in understanding.