A lion overheard the Sun and Moon talking about recursion, but because he didn’t understand the meaning of the word he rushed back to his lair to consult a dictionary.
Although he had difficulty turning the pages with his paws, he located the word successfully but the definition confused him. Under ‘Recursion’ were the words: Another name for ‘Recursion’. The lion shook his head at this, shut the book and opened it again in order to look up the new word. But under ‘Recursion’ were the words: Another name for ‘Recursion’. The lion was none the wiser, so it closed the book again, opened it a third time and looked up the word ‘Recursion’. But still it found the words: Another name for ‘Recursion’.
At this point, the lion began to suspect a trick. So he left his lair and went to visit a friend, a giant gastropod who also owned a dictionary. The gastropod was proud of his dictionary, which he claimed had been given to him by a sentient hot-air balloon.
“I nearly got stuck in a loop,” explained the lion, “but I saw the trap in time; and that’s probably why I’m the king of the beasts. Let me use your dictionary, if you have no objection.”
“Certainly. Here you are,” said the gastropod helpfully.
The lion opened the book and looked up the word ‘Recursion’. At first he was pleased to encounter a definition different from the one in his own dictionary, but ultimately it was no less baffling. Under ‘Recursion’ were the words: A lion overheard the Sun and Moon talking about recursion, but because he didn’t understand the meaning of the word he rushed back to his lair to consult a dictionary…
¶ I could go on like this all day, but that would be wrong.