4.2 THREE QUESTIONS

BBA & BHM – I STUDY MATERIAL

UNIT IV – SHORT STORY

4.2 THREE QUESTIONS

– LEO TOLSTOY

 

INTRODUCTION:

Count Leo Tolstoy is one of the most popular Russian writers. He was a great philosopher and novelist. His writings are marked by great faith in God and respect for moral values. Three questions is a short story which deals with the questions which a king wanted to know so that he would never fail.

 

EXPLANATION:

Once a certain king gets a thought that he would never fail if he knew three things. These three things were:

1. What was the right time to begin everything?
2. Who were the right people to listen to, and whom to avoid?
3. What was the most important thing to do?

 

He proclaimed that the ones who give the right answers shall be rewarded. Many learned men attempted to answer the king’s questions, but they all came up with different answers. 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, could everything be done at its proper time. Others declared that it was impossible to decide beforehand the right time for every action. The king decided that he needed to ask a wise hermit in a nearby village.

 

The hermit lived in the wood and would only see common people, however, so the king put on simple dress, left his guards behind, and went to see the hermit. When the King approached, the hermit was digging the ground in front of his hut. The king asked his questions, but the hermit went on digging. The king offered to dig for him for a while. After digging for some time, the king again asked his questions. Before the hermit could answer, a man emerged from the woods. He was bleeding from a terrible stomach wound. So, the king and Hermit washed the wound and bandaged till the blood ceased. The king stayed the night in the hermit’s hut. Next morning the wounded man was doing better and was gazing intently at the king.  He confess to the king that he knew who the king was, and that the king had executed his brother and seized his property. He had come to kill the king, but the king’s guards had wounded him. The king forgives him and make pace with his enemy and promised to restore the property to the wounded man.

 

The king asked the hermit again for his answers, and the hermit responded that he had just had his questions answered. Hermit says that the king had pitied his weakness, and had dug those beds for him. So, the most important time was when the king was digging the beds and he was the most important man. The most important time was when king was attending to the wounded man and was the important man at that time.

 

CONCLUSION:

 

Leo Tolstoy from this short story tries to convey to that a can be successful and will never fail in life if he follow the below three things.

1. The most important time is NOW. The present is the only time over which we have power.
2. The most important person is whoever you are with.
3. The most important thing is to do good to the person you are with.