A brave knight was spending time in the cellars talking to their prisoners.
His men successfully won a war that afternoon and they were all celebrating at the main halls, he was given the time to man the cellars.
The prisoners were charged with the conventional crimes such as murder and thievery but the knight is aware that stories from below have more depth and realism than those of his rank.
While most of the prisoners cowered in fear at the sight of the knight's lustrous armour, there was one prisoner at the far end of the cellars where the light of the lamps failed to illuminate. He caught the knight's attention because he was murmuring gibberish words. The knight approached him and asked what he was whispering about. The thief said he was celebrating with the knight's fellow soldiers on the main halls. Nonsense, said the knight back. He's a thief after all, what right does he have in celebrating?
The thief laughed, I live he said followed by more eerie laughter.
The knight became furious with his laughter and ordered silence from the thief.
Hoping that he'd ruin the joy of the thief the knight exclaimed that the thief hasn't long to live as the executioners ax was already sharpened for a hundred necks.
The thief laughed again. I'll survive for another thirty years, he says.
The knight became curious. What idiocy do you speak, thief?
Survival, do you know what that is, lord knight?
Survival? The knight laughed. It is not part of our training. We fight, we live.
So someone like you don't know how to survive?
Are you deaf? If you know how to fight, you'll live for many years.
Yet you and your men are down to half your original number this morning, I presume. Why is that?
The battlefield is a dangerous place, the knight said in a low voice.
Ah, I personally don't like to eat my words for dinner, the thief taunted the knight.
It's a war, thief! I can't imagine you living through an ordeal as that!
Yet here I am conversing with you.
You are our prisoner.
I am held under the pits of your own halls. This grants me my survival.
Do you not fear the prospect of being executed for your crime?
The thief laughed. You see this is the difference between you and me. You know how to live and fight, I only know how to survive. Now who do you think will stay in this world longer, lord knight?
The knight, infuriated, unsheathed his sword and pointed it to the thief. I'd have you killed right now, said the knight.
Oh go on ahead. The darkness of this place prevents me from feeling any fear at all. Besides, isn't it part of your law that criminals should only be killed in front of the public. I assume you cannot make any exceptions for me.
The knight kept silence.
I am protected by the very law all of you try so dearly to follow. The very law made by the one who rule above you. Aren't I somewhat similar to your king. A king who sits all day, and have his every need catered for, and doesn't need to know how to fight to live. A king is just an empowered thief. For all you know I could be next in throne. And you, lord knight, will forever ride into war. Each step, a knock death's door.
The knight fell silent. Picking up the keys from his pocket, he unlocks the cell of the thief. Without any words or gestures, the knight simply watched as the thief ran off securing his survival, yet again.
------------------------------------
I pretty much had this in my head for the whole week. Remember the captain's meaningful words in Wall-e? "I don't want to survive! I want to live!" It struck me how different living is from surviving and many people know how to survive everyday better than to live.
His men successfully won a war that afternoon and they were all celebrating at the main halls, he was given the time to man the cellars.
The prisoners were charged with the conventional crimes such as murder and thievery but the knight is aware that stories from below have more depth and realism than those of his rank.
While most of the prisoners cowered in fear at the sight of the knight's lustrous armour, there was one prisoner at the far end of the cellars where the light of the lamps failed to illuminate. He caught the knight's attention because he was murmuring gibberish words. The knight approached him and asked what he was whispering about. The thief said he was celebrating with the knight's fellow soldiers on the main halls. Nonsense, said the knight back. He's a thief after all, what right does he have in celebrating?
The thief laughed, I live he said followed by more eerie laughter.
The knight became furious with his laughter and ordered silence from the thief.
Hoping that he'd ruin the joy of the thief the knight exclaimed that the thief hasn't long to live as the executioners ax was already sharpened for a hundred necks.
The thief laughed again. I'll survive for another thirty years, he says.
The knight became curious. What idiocy do you speak, thief?
Survival, do you know what that is, lord knight?
Survival? The knight laughed. It is not part of our training. We fight, we live.
So someone like you don't know how to survive?
Are you deaf? If you know how to fight, you'll live for many years.
Yet you and your men are down to half your original number this morning, I presume. Why is that?
The battlefield is a dangerous place, the knight said in a low voice.
Ah, I personally don't like to eat my words for dinner, the thief taunted the knight.
It's a war, thief! I can't imagine you living through an ordeal as that!
Yet here I am conversing with you.
You are our prisoner.
I am held under the pits of your own halls. This grants me my survival.
Do you not fear the prospect of being executed for your crime?
The thief laughed. You see this is the difference between you and me. You know how to live and fight, I only know how to survive. Now who do you think will stay in this world longer, lord knight?
The knight, infuriated, unsheathed his sword and pointed it to the thief. I'd have you killed right now, said the knight.
Oh go on ahead. The darkness of this place prevents me from feeling any fear at all. Besides, isn't it part of your law that criminals should only be killed in front of the public. I assume you cannot make any exceptions for me.
The knight kept silence.
I am protected by the very law all of you try so dearly to follow. The very law made by the one who rule above you. Aren't I somewhat similar to your king. A king who sits all day, and have his every need catered for, and doesn't need to know how to fight to live. A king is just an empowered thief. For all you know I could be next in throne. And you, lord knight, will forever ride into war. Each step, a knock death's door.
The knight fell silent. Picking up the keys from his pocket, he unlocks the cell of the thief. Without any words or gestures, the knight simply watched as the thief ran off securing his survival, yet again.
------------------------------------
I pretty much had this in my head for the whole week. Remember the captain's meaningful words in Wall-e? "I don't want to survive! I want to live!" It struck me how different living is from surviving and many people know how to survive everyday better than to live.
Comments
Post a Comment