Originally Japanese Short Story
Once there was a priest of a Temple, whom was respected by everyone. He lived with is son, Kentaro, who was 10 years old.
One day the Priest fell sick with some stomach problem. He called a doctor to his home to examine him.
The doctor examined the Priest and asked him, "Well, do you also have "Tenshiki" ?"
Now the Priest did not know what was "Tenshiki". But he did not want the doctor to know that he did not know what "Tenshiki" was. The Priest considered himself that he was the most knowledgeable person and he did not want to admit that he did not know what "Tenshiki" was. So instead of asking the doctor what "Tenshiki" really was, he pretended that he knew what "Tenshiki" was, and answer, "No, no, I don't have "Tenshiki"."
The doctor said, "Umm, its strange, but its okay. Send your son to my clinic, in the evening and I will prepare some medicine for you to take." He then left.
After the doctor left, the Priest was little worried that he had lied to the doctor. He had told the doctor he did not have "Tenshiki" was but it would be very embarrassing to ask the doctor again what "Tenshiki" really was. So, he tried to find out what "Tenshiki" was, without asking anyone.
So he called his son Kentaro. "Kentaro, Kentaro...come here. Now tell me where did you put the "Tenshiki" that I gave you ?"
Kentaro said, " Father, what is a "Tenshiki" ?"
"Do not answer my question, with a question. Now do you know where is the "Tenshiki" that I gave you ?"
"I don't know, what a "Tenshiki" is."
"You don't know what a "Tenshiki" is ? I have told you before."
"Father, I think I forgot."
"Oh, you forgot eh ! You always forget these important things. Well, if you've forgotten it, then you will have to find it out yourself. This way you will not forget it. Now, go to the next door neighbour, and ask him to lend me a "Tenshiki". "
"But father, I don't know what a "Tenshiki" is ."
"Just hurry, and ask for a "Tenshiki" and you will know what a "Tenshiki" is."
Then Kentaro goes to the neighbour and asks the man to lend his father "Tenshiki".
"Uncle, can you lend us a "Tenshiki" ? Kentaro asks the neighbour.
The neighbour also does not know what a "Tenshiki" is, but he too pretends that he knows. Kentaro asks him, "Uncle, don't you know what "Tenshiki" is ?"
"Of course I know what a "Tenshiki" is, but I don't remember where it is now. Let me ask my wife about it." So he asks his wife. "Oh dear, Kentaro has come to burrow "Tenshiki". Do you know where it is ?" The wife did not know what "Tenshiki" was either. But she answered, "Kentaro, we actually had two "Tenshikis" but I gave one to the other neighbour yesterday, and the other we ate in our lunch this morning. So, we are sorry we don't have any "Tenshiki" left now."
Kentaro went back his father and told him, that they had eaten the "Tenshiki".
The Priest thought for awhile. He was certain that "Tenshiki" was something that you could eat.
In the evening, the Priest told his son and said, " Now, Kentaro, run to the Doctor's clinic and get me the medicine from him. And since you don't know what "Tenshiki" is, ask the doctor to tell you what it is."
"But father, you know what "Tenshiki" is, why don't you just tell me ?"
"Be quiet and run to the doctor's clinic, and ask the doctor, after you get the medicine, so that you will never forget what "Tenshiki" is. Now go fast."
So, Kentaro goes to the doctor and asks for his father's medicine. Before returning, he asks the doctor, "Doctor, this morning when you were examining my father, you asked if my father had "Tenshiki". But I don't know what it is. Can you tell me what it is, doctor, please."
The doctor said, "Oh, so you don't know what "Tenshiki" is. I will tell you. "Tenshiki" is the bad gas that gets formed inside our stomach. Now do you understand ?"
"Oh, its "Onara". Kentaro said.
"Yes, its the same. We call it "Tenshiki" also, in medical terms. Now go back and give the medicines to your father."
Kentaro now knew that his father and the neighbours also did not know what "Tenshiki" was, but they did not want to admit it.
At home, Kentaro, gave the medicine. Now he wanted to check if his father really knew what "Tenshiki" was or not, so he wanted to check on him.
He told him. "Father, I now know what "Tenshiki" is. It means 'alcohol' ".
To this, his father did not react or say it was wrong, so Kentaro was sure that his father did not know the real meaning of "Tenshiki" and had only pretended that he knew it.
His father said, "Kentaro, didn't I tell you that "Tenshiki" is alcohol. Now, don't you ever forget that "Tenshiki" means 'alcohol'. And when I tell you to bring "Tenshiki", you must bring alcohol, understood ? Now go away and play."
Kentaro was smiling to himself.
The next day, the Doctor came again to check how the Priest was. The Priest said he was much better with the doctor's medicine. And said, "Doctor, when you asked me yesterday, if I had "Tenshiki", I said I did not have any "Tenshiki". But now I remember that I have a small bottle of "Tenshiki". I want you to drink some "Tenshiki". "
The Doctor was amused, what this Priest was saying. Has he gone half-mad or what?
But the Priest was insisting the Doctor to have some "Tenshiki". He called his son, "Kentaro, bring the bottle of "Tenshiki" and a glass also."
The Doctor said, "No, no, I don't want to have any "Tenshiki". Kentaro brings the bottle of alcohol and gives it to his dad.
The Priests says, " I have a nice bottle of "Tenshiki". Please have some."
The Doctor is very amused. He says, " In medical terms, "Tenshiki" is bad gas, but in your language its alcohol, so strange."
Then the Priest is very embarrassed and his face turns red. He scolds to his son, "You Kentaro, why did you lie to me and said that "Tenshiki" means alcohol ?"
Kentaro replies, " Sorry father, I thought I would embarrass you a little bit, so that you will not forget it ever !! "
Tenshiki
Once there was a priest of a Temple, whom was respected by everyone. He lived with is son, Kentaro, who was 10 years old.
One day the Priest fell sick with some stomach problem. He called a doctor to his home to examine him.
The doctor examined the Priest and asked him, "Well, do you also have "Tenshiki" ?"
Now the Priest did not know what was "Tenshiki". But he did not want the doctor to know that he did not know what "Tenshiki" was. The Priest considered himself that he was the most knowledgeable person and he did not want to admit that he did not know what "Tenshiki" was. So instead of asking the doctor what "Tenshiki" really was, he pretended that he knew what "Tenshiki" was, and answer, "No, no, I don't have "Tenshiki"."
The doctor said, "Umm, its strange, but its okay. Send your son to my clinic, in the evening and I will prepare some medicine for you to take." He then left.
After the doctor left, the Priest was little worried that he had lied to the doctor. He had told the doctor he did not have "Tenshiki" was but it would be very embarrassing to ask the doctor again what "Tenshiki" really was. So, he tried to find out what "Tenshiki" was, without asking anyone.
So he called his son Kentaro. "Kentaro, Kentaro...come here. Now tell me where did you put the "Tenshiki" that I gave you ?"
Kentaro said, " Father, what is a "Tenshiki" ?"
"Do not answer my question, with a question. Now do you know where is the "Tenshiki" that I gave you ?"
"I don't know, what a "Tenshiki" is."
"You don't know what a "Tenshiki" is ? I have told you before."
"Father, I think I forgot."
"Oh, you forgot eh ! You always forget these important things. Well, if you've forgotten it, then you will have to find it out yourself. This way you will not forget it. Now, go to the next door neighbour, and ask him to lend me a "Tenshiki". "
"But father, I don't know what a "Tenshiki" is ."
"Just hurry, and ask for a "Tenshiki" and you will know what a "Tenshiki" is."
Then Kentaro goes to the neighbour and asks the man to lend his father "Tenshiki".
"Uncle, can you lend us a "Tenshiki" ? Kentaro asks the neighbour.
The neighbour also does not know what a "Tenshiki" is, but he too pretends that he knows. Kentaro asks him, "Uncle, don't you know what "Tenshiki" is ?"
"Of course I know what a "Tenshiki" is, but I don't remember where it is now. Let me ask my wife about it." So he asks his wife. "Oh dear, Kentaro has come to burrow "Tenshiki". Do you know where it is ?" The wife did not know what "Tenshiki" was either. But she answered, "Kentaro, we actually had two "Tenshikis" but I gave one to the other neighbour yesterday, and the other we ate in our lunch this morning. So, we are sorry we don't have any "Tenshiki" left now."
Kentaro went back his father and told him, that they had eaten the "Tenshiki".
The Priest thought for awhile. He was certain that "Tenshiki" was something that you could eat.
In the evening, the Priest told his son and said, " Now, Kentaro, run to the Doctor's clinic and get me the medicine from him. And since you don't know what "Tenshiki" is, ask the doctor to tell you what it is."
"But father, you know what "Tenshiki" is, why don't you just tell me ?"
"Be quiet and run to the doctor's clinic, and ask the doctor, after you get the medicine, so that you will never forget what "Tenshiki" is. Now go fast."
So, Kentaro goes to the doctor and asks for his father's medicine. Before returning, he asks the doctor, "Doctor, this morning when you were examining my father, you asked if my father had "Tenshiki". But I don't know what it is. Can you tell me what it is, doctor, please."
The doctor said, "Oh, so you don't know what "Tenshiki" is. I will tell you. "Tenshiki" is the bad gas that gets formed inside our stomach. Now do you understand ?"
"Oh, its "Onara". Kentaro said.
"Yes, its the same. We call it "Tenshiki" also, in medical terms. Now go back and give the medicines to your father."
Kentaro now knew that his father and the neighbours also did not know what "Tenshiki" was, but they did not want to admit it.
At home, Kentaro, gave the medicine. Now he wanted to check if his father really knew what "Tenshiki" was or not, so he wanted to check on him.
He told him. "Father, I now know what "Tenshiki" is. It means 'alcohol' ".
To this, his father did not react or say it was wrong, so Kentaro was sure that his father did not know the real meaning of "Tenshiki" and had only pretended that he knew it.
His father said, "Kentaro, didn't I tell you that "Tenshiki" is alcohol. Now, don't you ever forget that "Tenshiki" means 'alcohol'. And when I tell you to bring "Tenshiki", you must bring alcohol, understood ? Now go away and play."
Kentaro was smiling to himself.
The next day, the Doctor came again to check how the Priest was. The Priest said he was much better with the doctor's medicine. And said, "Doctor, when you asked me yesterday, if I had "Tenshiki", I said I did not have any "Tenshiki". But now I remember that I have a small bottle of "Tenshiki". I want you to drink some "Tenshiki". "
The Doctor was amused, what this Priest was saying. Has he gone half-mad or what?
But the Priest was insisting the Doctor to have some "Tenshiki". He called his son, "Kentaro, bring the bottle of "Tenshiki" and a glass also."
The Doctor said, "No, no, I don't want to have any "Tenshiki". Kentaro brings the bottle of alcohol and gives it to his dad.
The Priests says, " I have a nice bottle of "Tenshiki". Please have some."
The Doctor is very amused. He says, " In medical terms, "Tenshiki" is bad gas, but in your language its alcohol, so strange."
Then the Priest is very embarrassed and his face turns red. He scolds to his son, "You Kentaro, why did you lie to me and said that "Tenshiki" means alcohol ?"
Kentaro replies, " Sorry father, I thought I would embarrass you a little bit, so that you will not forget it ever !! "
THE END
No comments:
Post a Comment