An old wiseman story

This was an old folklore or whatever you call it. I heard it a few times when I was younger, well I've heard it again in one of the closing arguments of the defense counsel in "The Practice" Season 1 (well I am actually having a dvd marathon of it, well been a fan since highschool!, just want to have a serious take on it as a law student..)

Well it isn't that applicable in the country since we don't have a jury system here, but anyway, it's quite inspiring! Here it is:

"There was a wise man in a town. A young boy wanted to test-him and later fool the old man. The young man planned to hold a bird in his hands and cover it tightly with both and ask the old man if the bird is alive or dead. The young man thought that if the wise man would tell that it is alive he would squeeze the bird to death and if the old man would tell him that it-is dead he would just release it and let it fly. But when the young boy asked the old man, he just said the bird's life is in your hands."