The story revolves around a young boy who asks his mother about the meaning of "the whole" and she tells him that love is the whole. The boy then goes on to ask various people, including a priest, a philosopher, and a scientist, but none of them can provide a satisfactory answer. Eventually, he returns to his mother, who explains that love encompasses everything in the world, making it the whole.
By Edward Everett Hale · First published 1874 · Genre: Children's Literature, Fiction, Moral Tale