A DIALOGUE IN SILENCE- A Good Story

A DIALOGUE IN SILENCE- A Good Story

Long, "long ago, there lived a giant who travelled from land to land declaring, 

"Whoever answers my ques- tions two, Shall be rewarded with the magic pearl; But if he fails to do so, He shall turn to a golden doe!"

Many made an attempt to give a satisfactory answer to the giant's questions. For, the reward he offered was indeed very attractive. It was an extraor- dinary pearl that shone like a dozen stars.

One day, the giant came to a small country on top of a hill. He sang his refrain loud and clear. The king summoned all his counsellors and wise men. But none could answer the questions and they were forthwith changed into wee little animals. The king was indeed a sad man for having lost his circle of wise advisors. 

"Who's going to counsel me now?" he lamented.

It was evening and a poor shepherd boy was returning home from the pasture when he heard the giant's loud refrain,

"Whoever answers my ques- tions two,

Shall be rewarded with the magic pearl;

But if he fails to do so,

"He shall turn to a golden doe!"

"I'll answer your questions," he said with a confident air, and begged admittance to the royal court , The giant surveyed his challenger with much interest.

"You're just a young lad! How can you answer what all the wise men of the land have failed to answer? Do you too want to lose your human form?" asked the king trying to dissuade the boy.

But the shepherd did not give up. Straining his neck to look up at the gaint's face, he shouted so as to make his voice heard, "You great bully! Now, will you please shoot your questions?"

The ogre was surprised at the audacity of this puny little boy. Never had he met such a brave adversary. He was to put his questions by way of signs, and the answers also were to be given in the same manner.

The giant showed one finger to the shepherd by way of his question and the boy promptly answered by showing him two. Thereupon the giant showed both his hands towards him and then threw them upwards towards the sky. But his oppo- nent stretched his hands towards the earth and took a short jump.

While all waited in pin drop silence, expecting the boy to turn into a doe any moment, nothing happened. The shepherd continued to stand erect in his human form. He bowed gra- ciously to everyone and took his leave to join the awaiting sheep, who had begun bleating impa- tiently for their master.

The giant went up to the king and said, "O king, this simple shepherd boy has given the right answers to my questions. I'm satisfied."

"But would you explain the meaning of your silent dia- logue?" asked the king.

"The questions were very hard as they were put by signs. But the boy is indeed clever; he sué- ceeded where all others failed," replied the giant. "By showing one finger, I asked whether there is only one principle in Nature. He answered by showing two fingers, which meant that there are two and not one, Matter and Spirit."

"That was indeed brilliant!" exclaimed the king.

"I then asked him," continued the big creature, "how was it that he did not fall off from the round earth? His signs indicated that it was the attraction towards the centre of the earth that held him to it. He even illustrated this phenomenon by a jump."

"He is no doubt a genius! A great man of wisdom!" mur- mured all those who were present.

"Now, Your Majesty, I must take leave of you. But before I do so, here is this magic pearl to be given to the shepherd boy as the promised reward. You have just to touch with this pearl the golden does and they will once again assume their human forms," said the giant, and he disappeared in a trice.

The next morning, the king summoned the shepherd and addressed him thus: "Dear lad, we're indeed proud that in our kingdom there is such a clever boy as you, with the wit and wisdom to answer the questions that have baffled the best minds of our realm. But tell us, how could you read the questions? How could you master the knowledge of science and philo- sophy to answer them?"

"O King," replied the boy with a gentle bow, "it was very simple. With one finger the giant meant to say that he'll pierce one of my eyes. With two fingers I conveyed to him that if he pierced one of my eyes, I would pierce both his eyes."

"Oh, I see," said the king with a short sigh.

"Then he showed by his hands that he would lift me and throw. me into the air. I, by my gestures, told him that I would come down quite safe onto the ground and. bolt away!"

"Bravo! Bravo!" exclaimed all present in the royal court.

The king came down from his throne and affectionately patting the shepherd boy on his back said, "This is the prize that the giant has left for you. Would you now touch with this magic pearl those golden does roaming in the palace courtyard?"

The boy did so. Lo and behold! The wise men once again assumed their human forms.

The shepherd was offered lots of wealth and a place in the king's durbar. But he preferred to live with his flock of sheep, in his wee little hut beside the river.

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