A new Entered Apprentice met with the Master Mason who was to be his instructor for the degrees. After the usual greetings, they began working on the traditional questions and answers for the first degree. Within a few weeks the EA proved to be a quick study, and the Master Mason determined to give him an additional challenge.
After the EA answered the first of the traditional questions with the prescribed answer, the Master Mason asked, "What else?"
The EA was caught off guard by this question. He asked, "What do you mean? I only know the answer you taught me."
The Master Mason only asked again, "What else?"
The EA was even more confused, "I don't know. What else am I supposed to say?"
Once again the Master Mason simply asked, "What else?"
"Is that what I am supposed to say? Am I supposed to respond to you with 'What else'?"
With no sign of agreement or disagreement, the Master Mason repeated the question.
Although some people might have become angry, the EA was very patient and keenly aware that he had something important to learn from this exchange. He kept responding with new questions of his own, or possible answers of all sorts, sometimes trying to be very witty or profound, hoping to get the Master Mason to give him some clue about what else he should say. Nevertheless, the Master Mason patiently continued to respond with the same question to everything the EA said.
Eventually the EA reached a point of complete befuddlement and exhaustion. When the instructor once again asked the question, the EA just stared blankly at the floor for a moment, his mind empty and his emotions stilled. In that silence, the Master Mason softly spoke, "Nothing else."
The EA was instantly brought to light. Years later, whenever he served as the instructor to new EAs, he challenged each one with that simple question: "What else?"