Little Johnny went fishing with his father one quiet Saturday morning.

They sat together in a small boat on the lake, waiting patiently for the fish to bite. For a while, everything was peaceful — just the sound of the water, the birds, and the occasional splash.

After a couple of hours, Johnny began looking around and thinking.

“Dad,” he asked, “how does this boat float?”

His father stared at the water for a moment and said, “I don’t rightly know, son.”

Johnny nodded and went back to watching the lake.

A few minutes later, he asked, “Dad, how do fish breathe underwater?”

His father scratched his head. “Don’t rightly know, son.”

Johnny thought about that, then looked up at the sky.

“Dad, why is the sky blue?”

Again, his father replied, “Don’t rightly know, son.”

Johnny became quiet for a while. Then, worried he might be annoying him, he said, “Dad, do you mind me asking so many questions?”

His father smiled and patted him on the shoulder.

“Of course not, son. If you don’t ask questions, you’ll never learn anything.”