The Old Man's Riddle
There once was a remarkably affluent man who lived in London. As the rich man went on his daily stroll through his favorite area of the city, he encountered a disheveled, elderly man sitting on a bench. This man on the bench had a powerful presence despite his clear poverty. His eyes told thousands of tales, quietly revealing a fascinating life. The rich man, being more humble and open than most who have great wealth, felt compelled to pause his walk and strike up a conversation with the elderly man. Though short with his words at first, the old man asked the rich man if he would like to be challenged with a riddle. The rich man agreed to the game, and the old man smiled with great amusement.
"Once there was a brilliant, kind, and beautiful daughter of a wealthy king," he began the riddle. "The daughter was in no hurry to leave the house of her father or to get married. However, the daughter did say that if she ever decided to marry a man, it would be to either a wise man, a clever man, or a brave man. Soon after she said this, a man of great wisdom approached her father, asking to marry the daughter. The wise man told prophetic fortunes and explained complex proverbs to demonstrate his wisdom. The father agreed, impressed by his wisdom. A brave man approached the king moments later, also asking to marry the daughter. The brave man told of his impressive feats on behalf of the kingdom and the king marvelled at the man's valor. The king agreed to let this man marry the daughter as well. Finally, a clever man also approached the king. The clever man told the king a riddle and entertained him with magic tricks and jokes. The king, impressed for a third time, agreed to let this man marry his wonderful daughter. The king then went to his daughter and explained the situation, allowing her to choose any of the three men to marry."
The set-up to the riddle being explained, the old man then asked the rich man "So, who should the daughter choose?"
The rich man answered "The wise man, of course. Bravery fades and cleverness bring little practical value. Yet true wisdom can sustain any relationship."
"You have answered correctly," said the old man, "now go on and ponder this truth."
Photo of St. Dunstans Hill in the City of London, UK.
Source: Wikimedia
Bibliography: Twenty-Two Goblins, translated by Arthur W. Ryder
Hi Derek! I really liked your story this week. It was interesting to take the tale about goblins and update it, adding more modern elements and cities. I think the riddle is very interesting, but I would like to know what would have happened if the rich man had chosen the brave man or the clever man. What would the old man have done? Was there a punishment for getting the riddle wrong? I haven't read the original story, but I would definitely be interested to after reading your retelling.
ReplyDeleteHi Derek,
ReplyDeleteI liked how you changed the daughter's choice from the brave man to the wise man. You make a good point that wisdom is something that lasts. Really an argument could be made for any of the three. I think it would be cool if daughter had different types of men to choose from and her choice or non choice related back to the rich man. Good story!
Hey Derek,
ReplyDeleteI also read the twenty-two goblins tales. I do like how you had the man answer correctly at the end- it was definitely a change. While reading the original stories, I would say to myself, "Well.. he had a great answer," but then the goblin would say he was wrong and I would be left with wondering what the correct answer actually was. So- thank you for providing some closure in your story!
Derek,
ReplyDeleteI have to say that your vocabulary and the way you write sentences is simply elegant. When I was reading this story all I could think is how it felt as though I was reading a story written long ago. As for the story itself I found it to be very interesting! I liked the moral of the story and also how there was nothing to be gained. I like how it was just a pleasant conversation with a moral of truth imparted. I am confused as why the man had to be rich. I think it may add to the story making it unseemly that a rich man would have anything to do with the untidy man. I look forward to reading more!
Hi Derek!
ReplyDeleteFirst of all, I loved reading the story. I thought the plot was really good, and I could easily tell what it was based on, even without the very useful author's note. The biggest takeaway from this writing was probably the way you styled your writing. It fit very well with the story you were telling, and I loved it a lot!
Hello Derek! Great job retelling this story in your own way and creating a whole new outcome compared to the original story. I agree with your decision to make the rich man say that the daughter should marry the wise man and it be the correct answer since bravery and especially cleverness do not necessarily have a lot of value in a marriage. Overall you have a great story and I enjoyed reading it!
ReplyDeleteHi Derek! I really enjoyed reading your story! Firstly I want to say that the vocabulary you have used is amazing. It's very wise and old-timey so it goes with the setting of your story. I haven't read the original story but I do like your version. I think if you could explain more in your author's note how and what you have changed from the original story, it would help the reader understand more. However, I still think your story was really great!
ReplyDeleteHi Derek, I really enjoyed reading your story about the daughter and her 3 options of men. I think that the style of your writing was very well put together. I enjoyed that the whole story was based around a riddle for the rich man. I think that all three options of men could be argued for depending on the qualities the daughter might be bringing to the table. Great story, I cannot wait to read more in the upcoming weeks.
ReplyDeleteDerek,
ReplyDeleteI am impressed! You have a natural gift for writing and this story is a perfect example of this. The language you used truly took me back time and it helped to set an amazing scene for this story. Also I love the photo you found, it is such a great picture! Overall, I can tell you had fun writing this story and I think the truth you put at the end tied it all together very well. Great job!