ThethreequestionsbyLevTolstoy
OnceaKingthoughtthatifhewouldalwaysknowtherighttimewhento startanybusiness,andifhewouldalsoknowwithwhomheshouldandwith whomshouldnotdealwith,and,mostimportantly,ifhewouldalwaysknow whichoneofallthedeedsisthemostimportant,thenhewouldnotknowa failureinanything.
Andhavingthoughtso,thekingannouncedaroundhiskingdomthathewill givegreatrewardtothepersonwhowillteachhimhowtoknowtheright timeforeverycase,howtoknowwhatpeoplearethemostimportant,and hownottoerrinchoosingwhichbusinessofallisthemostimportant. Learnedpeoplebegancomingtotheking,buttheyallhavedifferentanswers tohisquestions.
Tothefirstquestion,someansweredthat,inordertoknowtherighttimefor eachcase,itisnecessarytomakeinaheadascheduleofday,month,year, andstrictlyadheretowhatisscheduled.Onlythen,theysaid,anydealwillbe doneinduetime.
Otherssaidthatitisnotpossibletoseeinadvancewhichcasetodoatwhat time,butneednotbedistractedwithvainamusementsandalwayspay attentiontowhatisgoingon,andthendowhatisnecessary.
Athirdgroupsaidthatnomatterhowattentiveyouaretowhatisgoingon, noonepersoncanalwayscorrectlydecideatwhattimewhattodo,butneed tohaveacouncilofwisementodecide:atwhattimetoact.
Afourthgroupsaidthattherearesuchcasesthatleavenotimetodecide: timeornottimetostartdealingwiththem.Butinordertoknowthis,itis necessarytoknowinaheadwhat'sgoingtohappen.AndonlytheMagican knowthat.Therefore,inordertoknowtherighttimeforeverycase,needto asktheMagiaboutthat.
Tothesecondquestion,theanswersalsovaried.
Somesaidthatthemostnecessarypeopletothekingarehisadministrators, otherssaidthepriests,whileotherssaidthedoctors,andotherssaidthatthe mostnecessaryofallpeopleforthekingarethewarriors.
Justasdifferentweretheanswerstothethirdquestion:whatisthemost importantthingtodo?Sometoldthatthemostimportantthingintheworldis science,otherssaidthatthemostimportantthingistheartofwar,otherssaid themostimportantistheworshipofGod.
Alltheanswersweredifferent,sothekingdidnotagreewithanyofthem andrewardednoone.Buttolearnthetrueranswerstohisquestions,he decidedtoaskthehermit,whowasfamousforhiswisdom.
Thehermitlivedintheforest,neverwentoutofit,andreceivedonlysimple folks.Andthereforethekingdressedinsimpleclothesand,dismounting beforehereachedthehermit'sdwelling,helefthisknightsbehindandwent onalone.
Thekingfoundthehermitdiggingagardeninfrontofhishut.Whenhesaw theking,thehermitgreetedhimandimmediatelyreturnedtohisdigging.He wasthinandfrail,andeachtimehethrusthisshovelintothegroundand turnedalittleclodofearth,hebreathedheavily.
Thekingapproachedhimandsaid:“Icametoyou,wisehermit,toaskyouto givemetheanswerstothreequestions:whattimeneedtorememberandnot tomiss,sonottoregretlater?whatpeoplearethemostimportant,and thereforewithwhatthepeopleneedtodealmoreandwithwhat-less?and whatarethemostimportantpursuitsandwhichonethereforehastobe undertakenbeforeothers?
Thehermitlistenedtothekingbutdidnotanswerandspatinhishandand againstartedtodigthesoil."Youhaveexhaustedyourself,"thekingsaid. “Givemetheshovel,I'llworkinsteadofyou.”
"Thanks,"saidthehermit.Hehandedhimtheshovelandsatdownonthe ground.
After digging two beds, the king stopped and repeated his questions. The hermit did not answer, but got up and held out his hand for the shovel, saying:"NowyourestandI'llwork."
Butthekingdidnotgivehimtheshovel;hekeptondigging.Anhourpassed, thenanother;thesunhadbeguntogooverthetreeswhenthekingstuckthe shovelintothegroundandsaid:
"Icametoyou,wiseman,fortheanswerstomyquestions.Ifyoucan't answer,thentellmestraight,andI’llgohome."
"Herecomessomeonerunning,"saidthehermit."Letusseewhoitis."
Thekinglookedaroundandsaw,indeed,abeardedmanwasrunningoutof thewoods.Themanheldhishandspressedtohisstomach,andbloodflowed frombetweenhisfingers.Heranuptothekingandfellfaintingtothe ground,wherehelaymotionless,weaklymoaning.Thekingandthehermit openedtheman'sclothing.Therewasalargewoundinhisstomach.Theking washeditaswellashecouldandbandageditwithhisownhandkerchiefand thehermit'stowel;buttheflowofblooddidnotsubside.Againandagainthe kingremovedthebandagesoakedwithwarmblood,washedit,andrebandagedthewound.Whenthebloodatlastceasedflowing,thewounded manrevivedandaskedforwater.Thekingbroughtfreshwaterandgavehim adrink.
Meanwhilethesunhadsetanditgrewcool.Theking,withthehermit'shelp, carriedthewoundedmanintothehutandlaidhimonthebed.Heclosedhis eyesandgrewstill.Thekingwassotiredfromhiswalkandtheworkhehad donethathelaydownonthethresholdandfellasleep.Andhesleptso soundlythroughtheshortsummernightthatwhenhewokeupinthemorning itwassometimebeforeherealizedwherehewasandrecalledthebearded strangerlyingonthebed,whowasnowgazingintentlyathimwithluminous eyes.
"Forgiveme,"saidthebeardedmaninafaintvoice,whenhesawthatthe kingwasawakeandlookingathim.
"Idonotknowyouandhavenothingtoforgiveyou,"repliedtheking.
"Youdonotknowme,butIknowyou.Iamyourenemy,andIsworetotake vengeanceonyouforkillingmybrotherandseizingmyproperty.Iknewyou hadcomealonetoseethehermit,andIresolvedtokillyouonyourway back.Butwhenthewholedaypassedandyoudidnotreturn,Ileftmy ambushtoseekyouout,andcameuponyourknightsinstead.They recognizedme,felluponme,andwoundedme.Iescapedfromthem,butI shouldhavebledtodeathifyouhadnotcaredformywound.Iintendedto killyou,andyouhavesavedmylife.Now,ifIlive,andifyouwishit,Iwill serveyouasyourmostfaithfulslave,andbidmysonstodothesame. Forgiveme!"
Thekingwashappytobesoeasilyreconciledwithhisenemy,andhenot onlyforgavehimbutpromisedtoreturnhispropertyandsendhisown physicianandservantstoattendhim.
Havingtakenleaveofthewoundedman,thekingwentouttolookforthe hermit.Beforeleavinghimhewishedforthelasttimetoaskhimtoanswer hisquestions.Thehermitwasonhiskneesintheyardsowingseedsinthe bedsthathadbeendugthedaybefore.
Thekingapproachedhimandsaid:"Forthelasttime,wiseman,Iaskyouto answermyquestions."
"Butyouhavealreadybeenanswered,"saidthehermit,squattingonhisthin calvesandlookingupatthekingwhostoodbeforehim.
"HowhaveIbeenanswered?"askedtheking.
Ifyouhadnothavemercyofmyweaknessyesterday,haveyounotdugthese bedsforme,andifyouwouldinsteadgobackalone,thatfellowwouldhave attackedyou,andyouwouldhaveregrettedthatyoudidnotstaywithme.
Therefore,themostimportanttimewaswhenyouwerediggingthebeds;I wasthemostimportantperson;andthemostimportantpursuitwastodo goodtome.
Andlater,whenthatmancamerunningtous,themostimportanttimewas whenyouweretakingcareofhim,forifyouhadnotbounduphiswound,he wouldhavediedwithouthavingmadepeacewithyou;thereforehewasthe mostimportantperson,andwhatyoudidforhimwasthemostimportant deed.
Rememberthen:themostimportanttimeisonlyNow;anditisthemost importantbecauseitistheonlytimewehavepoweroverourselves;andthe mostimportantpersoniswithwhomyouarenow,fornoonecanknow whetherornothewilleverhaveadealwithanyotherperson;andthemost importantpursuitistodogoodtohim,sinceitisforthatpurposealonethat manissentintothislife."
1903