There was this King who had never been out of his palace. He had everything he dreamt of. He was the happiest man in the entire world. However, once he had to attend the funeral of his chief minister’s wife.
For the first time, the King happened to see what life is like for the ordinary people outside his palace. There were some who were rich and happy; others who were very poor and living in misery.
The King realised one thing: happiness and sadness are part and parcel of life. A man who’s happy today could feel sad tomorrow! So is a man who is sad today, could be happy tomorrow. Therefore, the King made an announcement to the nation: whoever gives him a present that reminds him of this all the time, will be well rewarded.
Now, if you were one of them who was aiming for the reward, WHAT present would you give to the King and WHY?
You have to remember this, the present must remind the King every single minute that he musn't be too happy because it can end at any time! The very same present must also remind him not to feel sad because it can end at any time too.
Good Luck!
Replies
I would give him a doll with two faces, a happy and sad ones and I would ask him 2 put it somewhere maybe beside the mirror 2 remind him our daily life has its own ups and downs and these make us feel blue one day or feel happy another day exactly like the doll...
Thx my dear teacher...
Dear sir Gabriel,
I just attempt at finding an answer to your query; I may be wrong, but I want a try! Sorry, I’m going to build an argument based on your story.
When the king is in his palace, he is always happy according to the story. Actually, he realised the real world situation after attending to the funeral of his chief minister’s wife. So, it is needed to give him a present, which should be persuaded him go out from the palace. So, what sort of present should be given him? He is a king on the other hand, so the present should be something different. It can’t be a present, which is given to an ordinary person. Based on the story, this must be his first presence at a funeral. So, you know that people die of different reasons on every day in a country, so it means funerals are on every day somewhere in his state. So, what I feel that hereafter, the king will be informed when there is a funeral somewhere in his state. When he is in the palace, he is always in happy mode but when he is out, he could experience the sadness of life. So, my present is to inform him in formal way to attend the funerals in his state. (Sorry, may be a silly answer!!!) But, really funny!!!
Good Luck!
Bimal
Hello Gabriel,
Is it a pocket Mirror? Any time he could see his face in mirror and remind of how he looks when happy and how he looks when sad. If he is sad then can remember of happy moments as well as sad moments. As age passed memories remains in our conscious mind.
HI Gabriel,
I was not around when you decided to publish this post. I found this very interesting and the flow of the answers submitted by the members kept me hanging in suspense because I was too eager to know the correct answer.
There are still numerous suggestions to offer but since you declared a winner already, this ends up everything. I hope you can provide us with another mind-boggling mystery....... It is not because I am addicted to solving mysteries but I like to see how other members of EC try to use up their minds.......(cruel?) Boy, this kind of mystery saps and drains away our energy from too much thinking. Nevertheless, some people enjoy it to the fullest.
So...... I like to feel if my brain is working. Where's the next?
Hi,Thank you everybody.
I would like to give him (King) a "happy-sad" magic machine with auto switch as per requirement of the king .He will be able to carry the machine with him always.When the happiness cross the limit sadness will come atomically and when the sadness will cross the limit happiness will come to him automatically.
With the best of luck.
Hi Alejandra,
Before I go any further, I do apologize most humbly for not coming to you any sooner! Thanks a lot for heeding the King’s Proclamation and leaving behind your “Gold Coin” at the castle’s vestibule!
Girl, I’m genuinely surprised…!! This present, definitely, meets all the requirements set by the King, although the “present’’ that I’m looking for is a predetermined item! (We’ll wait and see whether anyone could bring that particular present to the King!) However, you deserve a Reward….! Good Job girl! Hooray! We Have A Winner!
~*~ I, Gabriel Sowrian, as the Chief Minister of the Kingdom “MyEC”, hereby declare Ms. Alejandra as the Winner! I present this “Sapphire Pendant” to our Winner as the promised "Reward" on behalf of our benevolent King ~*~ (from the crowd: Bravo!!)
PS: You are also welcome to visit the "King’s castle – “My English Club” all year round!
~GS~
'Royal Seal'
Hello Gabriel!
How are you? I can't stop thinking about the solution for your riddle, it is so challenging. I still think that it is connected with time, our life flows...happiness and sadness change each other. Everybody knows that no one can stepped into one and the same river twice. So I think that my answer "watch" is more suitable for our morden life. And the present for the king could be ....an hourglass. The king could watch the sand moving slowly from the top half to the bottom and this would remind him of neither being too happy nor feeling sad because it can end at any time.....like the sand in an hourglass.
Hi Galina!
I admire your ‘determination’! How I wish I had that much of enthusiasm and devotion in every single thing that I do, immaterial - BIG or small! [ Psst! I’m a kind of slothful...! Let’s keep this little secret between us :-x Ok?]
In a point of fact, we could also give the king something, as spelt out by you, from what we use at the present time which was not available during that by gone era of our poor (or should I say ‘rich’) king! However, it would be a surprise if this new item actually could fulfil the requirements perfectly. I think, he (king) will definitely accept your “hourglass” for he doesn’t wanna break a pretty woman’s heart! Unfortunately, I couldn’t check out your present, Galina! Sorry…!
I wish I could give the answer right away but I’m not ready to lose the thrill of excitement that we all are sharing out of this story! Let it prolong a little longer ;-) [You can label me as “callous” after this! No hard feeling on my part! :-) ]
Well, thanks a trillion for being along with me in my little effort to encourage our fellow members to put their thoughts here in words and we DID IT! That’s the real “reward” we all should be proud of…! Don’t you think so?
Have a Good Day, Galina!
Regards,
~GS~-
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