It once occurred to a certain
king, that if he always knew
the right
time to begin everything; if
he knew who were the right
people to
listen to, and whom to avoid;
and, above all, if he always
knew what
was the most important
thing to do, he would never
fail in anything
he might undertake.
And this thought having
occurred to him, he had it
proclaimed
throughout his kingdom that
he would give a great
reward to any one
who would teach him what
was the right time for every
action, and
who were the most necessary
people, and how he might
know what was
the most important thing to
do.
And learned men came to
the King, but they all
answered his
questions differently.
In reply to the first question,
some said that to know the
right
time for every action, one
must draw up in advance, a
table of days,
months and years, and must
live strictly according to it.
Only
thus, said they, could
everything be done at its
proper time.
Others declared that it was
impossible to decide
beforehand the
right time for every action;
but that, not letting oneself
be
absorbed in idle pastimes,
one should always attend to
all that was
going on, and then do what
was most needful. Others,
again, said
that however attentive the
King might be to what was
going on, it
was impossible for one man
to decide correctly the right
time for
every action, but that he
should have a Council of
wise men, who
would help him to fix the
proper time for everything.
But then again others said
there were some things which
could not
wait to be laid before a
Council, but about which one
had at once to
decide whether to undertake
them or not. But in order to
decide
that, one must know
beforehand what was going
to happen. It is only
magicians who know that;
and, therefore, in order to
know the right
time for every action, one
must consult magicians.
Equally various were the
answers to the second
question. Some said,
the people the King most
needed were his councillors;
others, the
priests; others, the doctors;
while some said the warriors
were the
most necessary.
To the third question, as to
what was the most important
occupation:
some replied that the most
important thing in the world
was science.
Others said it was skill in
warfare; and others, again,
that it was
religious worship.
All the answers being
different, the King agreed
with none of them,
and gave the reward to
none. But still wishing to
find the right
answers to his questions, he
decided to consult a hermit,
widely
renowned for his wisdom.
The hermit lived in a wood
which he never quitted, and
he received
none but common folk. So
the King put on simple
clothes, and before
reaching the hermit's cell
dismounted from his horse,
and, leaving
his body-guard behind, went
on alone.
When the King approached,
the hermit was digging the
ground in front
of his hut. Seeing the King,
he greeted him and went on
digging.
The hermit was frail and
weak, and each time he
stuck his spade into
the ground and turned a
little earth, he breathed
heavily.
The King went up to him and
said: "I have come to you,
wise hermit,
to ask you to answer three
questions: How can I learn
to do the
right thing at the right time?
Who are the people I most
need, and
to whom should I, therefore,
pay more attention than to
the rest?
And, what affairs are the
most important, and need
my first attention?"
The hermit listened to the
King, but answered nothing.
He just spat
on his hand and
recommenced digging.
"You are tired," said the
King, "let me take the spade
and work
awhile for you."
"Thanks!" said the hermit,
and, giving the spade to the
King, he
sat down on the ground.
When he had dug two beds,
the King stopped and
repeated his
questions. The hermit again
gave no answer, but rose,
stretched out
his hand for the spade, and
said:
"Now rest awhile-and let me
work a bit."
But the King did not give
him the spade, and
continued to dig. One
hour passed, and another.
The sun began to sink
behind the trees,
and the King at last stuck
the spade into the ground,
and said:
"I came to you, wise man, for
an answer to my questions.
If you can
give me none, tell me so,
and I will return home."
"Here comes some one
running," said the hermit,
"let us see who it is."
The King turned round, and
saw a bearded man come
running out of the
wood. The man held his
hands pressed against his
stomach, and blood
was flowing from under
them. When he reached the
King, he fell
fainting on the ground
moaning feebly. The King
and the hermit
unfastened the man's
clothing. There was a large
wound in his
stomach. The King washed it
as best he could, and
bandaged it with
his handkerchief and with a
towel the hermit had. But
the blood
would not stop flowing, and
the King again and again
removed the
bandage soaked with warm
blood, and washed and
rebandaged the wound.
When at last the blood
ceased flowing, the man
revived and asked for
something to drink. The King
brought fresh water and
gave it to
him. Meanwhile the sun had
set, and it had become cool.
So the
King, with the hermit's help,
carried the wounded man
into the hut
and laid him on the bed.
Lying on the bed the man
closed his eyes
and was quiet; but the King
was so tired with his walk
and with the
work he had done, that he
crouched down on the
threshold, and also
fell asleep--so soundly that
he slept all through the short
summer
night. When he awoke in the
morning, it was long before
he could
remember where he was, or
who was the strange
bearded man lying on
the bed and gazing intently
at him with shining eyes.
"Forgive me!" said the
bearded man in a weak
voice, when he saw
that the King was awake
and was looking at him.
"I do not know you, and have
nothing to forgive you for,"
said the King.
"You do not know me, but I
know you. I am that enemy of
yours who
swore to revenge himself on
you, because you executed
his brother
and seized his property. I
knew you had gone alone to
see the
hermit, and I resolved to kill
you on your way back. But
the day
passed and you did not
return. So I came out from
my ambush to find
you, and I came upon your
bodyguard, and they
recognized me, and
wounded me. I escaped from
them, but should have bled
to death had
you not dressed my wound. I
wished to kill you, and you
have saved
my life. Now, if I live, and if
you wish it, I will serve you
as your
most faithful slave, and will
bid my sons do the same.
Forgive me!"
The King was very glad to
have made peace with his
enemy so easily,
and to have gained him for
a friend, and he not only
forgave him,
but said he would send his
servants and his own
physician to attend
him, and promised to
restore his property.
Having taken leave of the
wounded man, the King went
out into the
porch and looked around
for the hermit. Before going
away he wished
once more to beg an answer
to the questions he had put.
The hermit
was outside, on his knees,
sowing seeds in the beds
that had been
dug the day before.
The King approached him,
and said:
"For the last time, I pray you
to answer my questions, wise
man."
"You have already been
answered!" said the hermit,
still crouching
on his thin legs, and looking
up at the King, who stood
before him.