a jar of jam can never be open and closed at the same time; nor any other things,” replied the Queen.
“So you will agree that one eye is one thing, not two?”
“Absolutely.”
“Then one jar of jam can be either shut or open and there is no third way?”
“Everybody knows it.”
“So what about one eye of yours?”
“It’s neither shut, nor open.”
“That means a jar of jam is neither shut nor open and you can’t eat the jam because if you don’t close the jar, you can’t open it.”
“This makes no sense… What I mean is one jar is closed and the other open.”
“I had in mind just one jar.”
“I was wrong, there was no second jar,” the Queen conceded.
“Let’s begin anew. Is your eye closed or open?”
“It’s open.”
“Now I ask you to close your eye. Tell me is your eye closed now?”
“No, my eye is open.”
“But I see that one eye of yours is closed. No use arguing with you. You don’t honor our bargain to close one eye.”
“Very well, I’ve closed one eye,” said the Queen, and then she cried: “Oh, I can’t see anything!”
The Tale of Ivan
One day, being in a state of meditation4, Lanchenkar acquired a divine auditory gift, when he could hear all sounds in this world.
– Black?
– No, red.
– And why white?
– Because it’s green.
After the meditation the Elephant Prince did not forget those phrases. He kept thinking what all that might mean. What things could have so many colors? Lanchenkar asked many wise men but none could give him an answer. It seemed that there could never be such things in this world! But Lanchenkar didn’t lose hope and continued his quests.
In this state Lanchenkar could sense things which he otherwise took no notice of.
One day he met a tramp from a faraway Northern land. His name was Ivan. He was a daredevil but kind and openhearted. Lanchenkar asked him to explain those strange words.
“Dear Ivan, do you happen to know a thing that could be described as:
– Black?
– No, red.
– But why white?
– Because it’s green.
Perhaps you have it in your north.”
“Sure,” Ivan replied. It’s currants. They grow everywhere where I live. We make stewed fruit from them and give them to children in cold winter. What you heard was a dialogue at a bazaar. There are black and red currants. If red currants are not ripe, they are white, others are green. So this is what you heard.
– Black currants?
– Red currants.
– Why are they white?
– Because they are green, not ripe.
After that Ivan became the main hero of the elephants’ stories. Speaking about clever people or animals they always added, “Wise as Ivan.”
Lanchengen
“Dad, tell me a tale,” Lanchenkar asked his father Lanchenpo, the King of Hindustan’s elephants.
“Listen. Once upon a time there lived an elephant named Lanchengen. He was very curious. When he was still a child, he asked his father:
“What will be tomorrow?”
“You’ll be one day older,” his father replied.
“After one year?”, asked Lanchenkar
“You will be one year older’, answered his father
“And eighty years later?”
“I’ll be gone.”
“And mom?”
“She’ll be gone too.”
“What about me? Who will play with me, who will put me to bed, who will tell me bedtime stories?” asked the offended Lanchengen.
“There are no eternal parents and friends. Parting is inevitable when we grow old and die,” his father reassured him.
“I don’t like it,” said Lanchengen.
***
Lanchengen pondered over his father’s words. He decided to leave his home and find himself eternal friends. He put his mother’s pie in his knapsack, got his parents’ blessing5 and set out for a journey.
One day Lanchengen saw a Mountain. It was so high that its peak was invisible. Lanchengen came closer.
“Sister Mountain, you’re so high.
“Full of grandeur, full of might.
“Tell me in so many worlds:
“Are you immortal in this world?”
he asked hopefully.
“I am so sorry to say
“I am not immortal, nay!
“To my brother Ocean go
“For the answer, he may know,”
said the Mountain, emerging from clouds.
The indefatigable Lanchengen continued his way. Finally, he came to the edge of the earth where the boundless Ocean noisily played with blue waves.
“Blue-eyed Brother Ocean, cheers!
“Dire necessity brings me here.
“Tell me in so many words:
“Are you immortal in this world?”
asked Lanchengen.
“I am so sorry to say
“I am not immortal, nay!
“Go to my Brother Wind,
“I have heard he has that gift,”
answered the gray Ocean.
Lanchengen continued his way. He met the Wind.
“Brother Wind,
“You are strong and full of zeal,
“Tell me in so many words:
“Are you immortal in this world?”
“I am so sorry to say,
“I am not immortal, nay!
“If I were, it would be fun.
“Go ask my brother Sun,”
replied the Wind.
“Brother Sun, O Brother Sun,
“That sends golden rays down,
“Tell me in so many words,
“Are you immortal in this world?”
Lanchengen