The Three Questions [47]

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本に付いていた註

North-western Province.



The dramatic, and apparently improbable, ending of this Kandian story
is founded upon an historical fact. It is recorded in the Mahavansa,
the Sinhalese history (Part I, chapter 35), that King Yasalalaka-Tissa,
who reigned in Ceylon from 52 to 60 A.D., had a young gate porter or
messenger called Subha, who closely resembled him in appearance. The
Mahavansa relates the story of the King's deposition by him as follows
(Turnour's translation):--

"The monarch Yasalalaka, in a merry mood, having decked out the said
Subha, the messenger, in the vestments of royalty, and seated him
on the throne, putting the livery bonnet of the messenger on his own
head, stationed himself at a palace gate, with the porter's staff in
his hand. While the ministers of state were bowing down to him who
was seated on the throne, the King was enjoying the deception.

"He was in the habit, from time to time, of indulging in these
scenes. On a certain occasion (when this farce was repeated),
addressing himself to the merry monarch, the messenger exclaimed:
'How does that messenger dare to laugh in my presence?' and succeeded
in getting the King put to death. The messenger Subha thus usurped
the sovereignty, and administered it for six years."



A variant was related to me by the resident monk at a Buddhist temple
to the south of Colombo. Its tenour was as follows:--




THE FOUR DIFFICULT QUESTIONS.

A certain King put four questions to a Sangha-raja, or Superior of
the Buddhist monks. The first one was, "How deep is the sea?" the
second, "How many stars are there?" the third, "Which is the centre
of the earth?" and fourthly, he must tell the King what he, the King,
thought. The Sangha-raja was allowed a certain time in which to find
answers to the questions.

One day a monk seeing him sad, asked him the reason, and was told
that the King had put these questions to him, and had threatened to
take his life if he could not answer them.

The monk told him not to have any fear, and said that he would go
on the appointed day, and answer the King. When the day came round,
the monk dressed himself in the Sangha-raja's robes, and appeared
before the King, saying that he was ready to answer the questions.

The King asked him, "How deep is the sea?" He replied, "At first it
is knee-deep; as you go on it is waist-deep; further on it is up to
the neck; and beyond that it is over the head." The King was satisfied.

He next asked, "How many stars are there?" "Twenty lakshas (two
millions)," said the monk. "If you do not believe it, count them." With
this answer, also, the King was satisfied.

He then inquired, "Where is the centre of the earth?" The monk took
a staff which he had brought with him, and fixed it upright in the
ground. "Here is the centre," he said. "Measure each way from it,
and you will find the distance the same." The King was satisfied with
this answer also.

"Lastly, you must tell me what I am thinking," the King said. The
monk replied, "You think I am the Sangha-raja, but I am only one of
his monks." So the four questions were all answered satisfactorily.



I heard the following version in Cairo:--



A certain King said to his Chief Minister, "Find me a man who can
measure the world and show me the centre of it, and who can count me
the number of the stars."

The Minister considered the matter carefully, but could think of
no way of complying with the King's orders. At last his wife said,
"I can see that something is troubling you. Tell me what it is;
perhaps I can assist you." Then he told her the orders of the King,
and that he did not know where to look for any one who could do what
the King desired. "Go," she said, "to the coffee-dealer's shop. You
will find there a man who is always taking hashish. He may be able
to help you" [his mental powers being exalted by the drug].

So he went to the coffee-dealer's, and told the hashish-eater his
difficulty. "I can soon solve these questions for you," replied the
hashish-eater. "Take me to the King."

Thereupon they proceeded to the palace, and the Minister introduced
the hashish-eater to the King. He came with a donkey, which was
drawing a great load of rope.

"First show me the centre of the world," said the King.

"This place is the centre," said the hashish-eater. "If you doubt
it, send your men to drag the other end of this rope up to the sky,
and I will prove to you that you are just in the middle."

"Very well," said the King, "that is a satisfactory answer. Now give
me the number of the stars."

"Let your people count the hairs on my donkey. You will find that
they are exactly equal to the stars in number," said the man. The
King admitted that he could not prove that he was answered incorrectly.



The English version is given in the ballad termed "King John and
the Abbot of Canterbury," and is found in Bishop Percy's Reliques
of Ancient English Poetry (ed. 1844, ii, 328). I give some extracts,
etc., for the benefit of readers in Ceylon, because of its resemblance
to the second Sinhalese story.

With a view to seizing the Abbot's wealth, the King put three questions
to him, the penalty for failing to answer them being beheading. The
Abbot received three weeks' grace in which to discover the replies,
but the wisest doctors could not assist him:


Away rode the Abbot all sad at that word;
And he rode to Cambridge and Oxenforde;
But never a doctor there was so wise,
That could with his learning an answer devise.


However, as in the Kandian version, the shepherd came to his
assistance, and took his place on the appointed day, robed as the
Abbot, whose features resembled his, and accompanied by the usual
train of servants and monks.


Now welcome, sire abbot, the king he did say,
'Tis well thou'rt come back to keepe thy day;
For and if thou canst answer my questions three,
Thy life and thy living both saved shall bee.

And first, when thou seest me here in this stead,
With my crown of golde so fair on my head,
Among all my liege-men so noble of birthe,
Tell me to one penny what I am worth.

"For thirty pence our Saviour was sold
Amonge the false Jewes, as I have bin told;
And twenty-nine is the worth of thee,
For I thinke, thou are one penny worser than hee."

The king he laughed, and swore by St. Bittel,
I did not think I had been worth so littel!
--Now secondly tell me, without any doubt,
How soone I may ride this whole world about.

"You must rise with the sun, and ride with the same,
Until the next morning he riseth againe;
And then your grace need not make any doubt,
But in twenty-four hours you'll ride it about."

The king he laughed, and swore by St. Jone,
I did not think, it could be gone so soone!
--Now from the third question thou must not shrinke,
But tell me here truly what I do thinke.

"Yea, that shall I do, and make your grace merry:
You thinke I'm the abbot of Canterbury;
But I'm his poor shepheard, as plain you may see,
That am come to beg pardon for him and for mee."

The king he laughed, and swore by the masse,
Ile make thee lord abbot this day in his place!
"Now naye, my liege, be not in such speede,
For alacke I can neither write, ne reade."

Four nobles a weeke, then, I will give thee,
For this merry jest thou hast showne unto mee;
And tell the old abbot when thou comest home,
Thou hast brought him a pardon from good king John.