The Ring of Truth
Once upon a
time, a Hobbit merchant sold a packet of pipeweed to a Wizard in exchange for
the Ring of Truth. The Wizard intoned, “Young Halfling, respect this amulet’s
power; for Truth can never be told so as to be understood, and not be
believed.” In response to these words, the Ring of Truth resounded;
Ting!
Much impressed,
the Hobbit wore the Ring of Truth on a chain around his neck. During his stay
in Rivendell, he sold pipeweed to mages, sages, bards, knights and princesses;
and he listened hard to what they said; but though they all were glad to speak
at length, not once did the Ring of Truth resound.
The Hobbit sold
out his sack of pipeweed, so he returned to the Shire for more. There he
visited a tavern, where a drunken Dwarf called the King of the Men a “stupid crazy
brigand who couldn’t fight his way out of a cobweb”. The Ring of Truth resounded;
ting! A brawl ensued; and the Hobbit,
battered and bruised, fled the scene. He ran across the high way; an Elf on horseback
jolted to a halt just in time, and then berated the Hobbit loud and long for
his carelessness, while the Ring of Truth rang again and again.
Back in his
burrow, the Hobbit said to the Ring of Truth, “I hate you!”
Ting!
“You’re irreverent! You’re disrespectful! You’re dangerous!”
Ting!
“Everybody hates you!”
Ting!
So he sold it to
a Troll for a half-eaten slab of stale waybread.
Moral:
You can’t handle the truth.
No comments:
Post a Comment