Time Tales – I

Present Time’s Present

In the kingdom of Amravati, King Yashodhwaj was very impressed by the witty Time Tales from the kingdom of Govardhini, which was now destroyed due to betrayal by their Senapati, but till very recently was ruled by King Vardhman.

Taking a decision to hold witty exchanges, King Yashodhwaj once asked his ministers to describe and define time without mentioning nano seconds, seconds, minutes, hours, days, fortnight, weeks, months, years, centuries, millenia and eons.

He also prohibited the usage of words, past, present and future, bad and good. The conditions included that they should use only present tense in all its forms and further announced that if the ministers failed to answer, he’d punish them with d*@th. He asked them to come with an answer within 7 days.

***

The ministers spend their days worrying and would, on several occasions, taunt the others in the palace about their lives being easier than those of the ministers.

One day, while the ministers were passing a corridor, they saw a court jester, who was new to the kingdom and began criticising him.

M1- Why, look at you! Having no worries, living a carefree life!

M2- While we work hard each day to protect the kingdom and give solutions to the king, you hardly have to do anything.

M3- Now don’t stand here staring at us. We have hard day ahead. Go away.

The court jester smiled at them, but didn’t attempt to move. Seeing his calmness, the ministers said a few more bitter words.

The jester now spoke, in a solemn tone, as it was going too far, “Respected Ministers. While you occupy a higher position, I have also a role to play. I make people’s lives better by giving them laughter. However, as you seem incapable of any such emotion, I’d request you to not demotivate me, as I’m new here”

M3- Then learn to pass by with a bowed head instead of looking at us.

M1- He’s too rash. Let him give an answer to the king tomorrow, as it’s the 6th day today. I’ll tell the king that the court jester wants to reply on our behalf.”

All of them laugh and leave.

***

The next day, all gather. Ministers tell the king that the court jester would answer him on their behalf and smirk at each other to have found a way to escape.

The king says to the Court Jester,” Go ahead. Give me the answer. What is time? You must not use any tense but forms of present while answering me or I’ll order them to hang you”

Court jester bows and replies, “Your majesty,
Some have spent it liberally,
It’s best tracked through smiles and tears,
Some just whine and blame everything and some have spent it long in fears,
It is so agile, that a memory brings it back, and so fragile that a sorrow breaks it into pieces,
With youth a shortage though is found,
With age its span increases,
O King mighty, of the kindest heart, the noblest lineage you’re of,
Yet It’s the only thing which you and I and all beings live or not, get an equal share of.
O King, it repeats itself punctually and yet is new with every dawn,
Lord you have given them seven, me just one, I thus speak of that which is and yet has gone,
O Lord, you have given it and taken it from me all the same,
I conclude, with humility all, within the given time frame,
Time is its name.”

The King is highly impressed by this outstanding, flawless description and still orders for imprisonment of the court jester for three days.

Why does he do so? – – – – – – (1)

When he’s being interrogated, the court jester only repeats one sentence ” Present Time’s Present “

What does it mean? – – – – – – (2)

The guards inform the king about this three worded reply of the court jester after two days and the king immediately sets him free and asks for him to be treated with respect.

Why does he order for release of the court jester? – – – – – – – (3)

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