String: A True Story

One day the King was troubled and called all the wise men to his court
(the wise women were busy running the country).

"I have several important questions," began the King, "All my
astrologers, augury experts and other men of science give me different
advice. What should I believe?"

One of the wise men stepped forward and said, "Never think for
yourself Your Majesty, if someone else is willing to do it for you.
Most people have many opinions and ideas but you Dear King have the
court advisers. They are the many thoughts and possibilities that the
common folk have to invent for themselves."

"But who has the Truth?" the King insisted.

The holy men laughed and a senior one explained, "Nobody has the
Truth, for the Truth is within and who has time to look there when so
many distractions are freely available?"

"Can one know the Truth?" asked the perplexed King.

A helpful wise man laughingly assured the confused King, "No, no your
Majesty, anything called 'the Truth' can be contradicted. As King you
may insist that your beliefs are obeyed as 'the Truth'."

"So is there a God?" asked the King in exasperation.

One of the wise men assured him, "What difference does it make Dear
King? You don't even know all the possibilities of your own
magnificence. Why bother with what can not be known when so much of
oneself is undiscovered?"

Then the Kings youngest grandson stepped forward and said, "I have an
important question."

A spokesmen from the wise said, "We would be honoured to contemplate
your question for has it not been said. 'Look to your own children for
the nature of your wisdom'?"

"How long is a piece of string?" asked the young boy.

The whole court of experts began discussing and conferring on this
most difficult question.

Finally the King demanded,"Well what is the answer?"

The wisest of the wise stepped forward with the courts answer.

"We unanimously agree that a piece of string is mostly three inches
long! You see Your Majesty and Illustrious Grandson, to qualify as
'string' it must be at least three inches long - sufficient to tie a
knot in. Everything else is a strand. There is more string longer than
three inches and all of that is three inches long as well. Therefore a
piece of string is mostly three inches long."

Everyone agreed this was an excellent answer and the Kings Court was
the wisest in all history.

(c) Lobster March 1998