A Short Summary of the Essay, "The Three Questions" by Leo Tolstoy
The Three Questions by Leo Tolstoy
About the Author:
Leo Tolstoy was a great Russian thinker and writer. He wrote many novels, short stories and an autobiography called My Confession containing his religious experiences. War and Peace and Anna Karenina are his famous works. His literary works are union of great moral conviction and realistic details. He rejected all outward forms and dogmas of religion but returned his belief in God and love of men.
Summary of the essay:
The central idea of the story is what is truly important at any given time is what we are doing at that moment, the reason why we are doing it, how it will help someone else at that moment, and the most important time is always now.
Once there was a king in a certain Kingdom. He wants to find out the answers for three questions. His questions are; what is the most important time to start anything. The second question is; who are the most important people. The third question is; what is the most important thing to do in life. The king wants to find out the answers to these questions. He announces throughout the kingdom that whoever will give answers to these questions will be given a big reward. Many intellectuals, scholars and learned men come to the court of the king to answer the questions but the king is not satisfied with the answers of any of them.
All people answer the questions very differently. In reply to the first question as what is the right time for beginning anything, some said that one must plan everything in advance and follow the planning strictly. Others said that it is impossible to decide anything in advance and one should always do the things that are at hand and are necessary. Some said that the king should appoint a council of wise men and he should consult them to start anything. Some said that the king cannot take every matter to the council as sometimes he has to take urgent decisions. Some were of the opinion that the king should appoint magicians to know what is the right time for every action. There was variation in response to the second question as who are the most important people to whom the king should listen to. Some said that councillors are the most important people. Others said the priests; others, the doctors while some others said that the warriors are the most important people. To the third question as what is the most important thing to do; again there were very different answers. Some said the world of science is the most important thing to do. Others said it was skill in warfare and others said it was religious worship. The king is not satisfied with the answers to his questions as there were variations in the answers. He wants to find out the satisfactory answers to his questions.
The king decides to visit a hermit who lives in a hut in a forest and who meets only common people. The hermit is known for his wisdom. The king decides to put on simple clothes and go alone to meet the hermit. He keeps his bodyguards and a horse at a distance and goes on foot to meet the hermit. When the king approaches to the hermit, he is digging the ground in front of his hut. The hermit greets the king and continues digging. The hermit is very weak and every time he stuck his spade he is breathing heavily. The king goes to the hermit and tells him that he has come there to know the answers to his questions. The king asks the hermit his questions and requests him to answer them. The hermit listens to the questions but answers none and continues with his work. When the hermit is tired he does the work for the hermit. After sometime the King stops and repeats his questions but the hermit again does not answer them. The king continues with his work till the evening. As it is evening time, the king decides to repeat his questions to the hermit and at the same time a man comes running towards them. The bearded man comes running out of the wood towards them. The man has held his hands against his stomach and the blood is flowing from under them. When he reaches the king he falls fainting on the ground. The king and the hermit unfasten his clothes and see a wound in his stomach. The king washes his wound and bandages it with his handkerchief and the towel the hermit has. The blood does not stop flowing and the king again and again removes the bandage soaked with warm blood and washes and rebandages the wound. When the blood stops flowing the man becomes conscious and asks something to drink. The king gives him fresh water. The king and the hermit carry the wounded man into the hut and lay him on bed. Lying on the bed the man closes his eyes. The king is so tired due to walking and the work he has done that he also falls asleep very soon.
When the king wakes up in the morning he sees that the bearded man is watching intently at him. The man asks the king to forgive him. The king says that he does not know him and there is no reason to forgive him. The man informs the king that he knows the king and he reveals his identity to the king. He reveals that he is that enemy of the king who has decided to take revenge because the king has killed his brother and seized his property. He knew that the king has gone into the forest to visit the hermit so he decided to kill him on his way back. He was hiding behind the bush but after sunset as the king did not come out, the man decided to come out from the hiding place and go to the hut to kill the king. But the king's bodyguards recognised the man and attacked him. Somehow he escaped from them and came running towards the hut. He wanted to kill the king but the king has saved his life by dressing his wound. He informs the king that if the king wishes him to live he will serve him as his most faithful slave and will order his sons to do the same. The king is very happy to have made peace with his enemy so easily and he forgives him. The king promises him to restore his property and also tells him that he will send his servants and his own doctor to attend him.
The king takes the leave of the wounded man and goes out looking for the hermit. He decides to ask his questions once again to the hermit before leaving the place, so he puts his questions to the hermit. The hermit replies that his questions have already been answered. The king is puzzled and wants to know how they are answered. The hermit explains that if he would not have pitied his weakness yesterday and would not have dug the beds for him but would have gone his way, that man would have attacked him and he would have repented of not having stayed with him. So the most important time was when he was digging the beds and the hermit was the most important man and to do him good was the most important business. Afterwards when that man came running towards them, the most important time was when he was attending to him for if he had not bound up his wounds he would have died without making peace with him. So he was the most important man and what the king did for him was his most important business. The hermit finally tells the king to remember that there is only one time that is important and it is the present time. It is the most important time because it is the only time when we have some power. The most necessary man is the one with whom we are at that moment and the most important thing is to do good with that man with whom we are.
The central idea of the story is what is truly important at any given time is what we are doing at that moment, the reason why we are doing it, how it will help someone else at that moment, and the most important time is always now.
Once there was a king in a certain Kingdom. He wants to find out the answers for three questions. His questions are; what is the most important time to start anything. The second question is; who are the most important people. The third question is; what is the most important thing to do in life. The king wants to find out the answers to these questions. He announces throughout the kingdom that whoever will give answers to these questions will be given a big reward. Many intellectuals, scholars and learned men come to the court of the king to answer the questions but the king is not satisfied with the answers of any of them.
All people answer the questions very differently. In reply to the first question as what is the right time for beginning anything, some said that one must plan everything in advance and follow the planning strictly. Others said that it is impossible to decide anything in advance and one should always do the things that are at hand and are necessary. Some said that the king should appoint a council of wise men and he should consult them to start anything. Some said that the king cannot take every matter to the council as sometimes he has to take urgent decisions. Some were of the opinion that the king should appoint magicians to know what is the right time for every action. There was variation in response to the second question as who are the most important people to whom the king should listen to. Some said that councillors are the most important people. Others said the priests; others, the doctors while some others said that the warriors are the most important people. To the third question as what is the most important thing to do; again there were very different answers. Some said the world of science is the most important thing to do. Others said it was skill in warfare and others said it was religious worship. The king is not satisfied with the answers to his questions as there were variations in the answers. He wants to find out the satisfactory answers to his questions.
The king decides to visit a hermit who lives in a hut in a forest and who meets only common people. The hermit is known for his wisdom. The king decides to put on simple clothes and go alone to meet the hermit. He keeps his bodyguards and a horse at a distance and goes on foot to meet the hermit. When the king approaches to the hermit, he is digging the ground in front of his hut. The hermit greets the king and continues digging. The hermit is very weak and every time he stuck his spade he is breathing heavily. The king goes to the hermit and tells him that he has come there to know the answers to his questions. The king asks the hermit his questions and requests him to answer them. The hermit listens to the questions but answers none and continues with his work. When the hermit is tired he does the work for the hermit. After sometime the King stops and repeats his questions but the hermit again does not answer them. The king continues with his work till the evening. As it is evening time, the king decides to repeat his questions to the hermit and at the same time a man comes running towards them. The bearded man comes running out of the wood towards them. The man has held his hands against his stomach and the blood is flowing from under them. When he reaches the king he falls fainting on the ground. The king and the hermit unfasten his clothes and see a wound in his stomach. The king washes his wound and bandages it with his handkerchief and the towel the hermit has. The blood does not stop flowing and the king again and again removes the bandage soaked with warm blood and washes and rebandages the wound. When the blood stops flowing the man becomes conscious and asks something to drink. The king gives him fresh water. The king and the hermit carry the wounded man into the hut and lay him on bed. Lying on the bed the man closes his eyes. The king is so tired due to walking and the work he has done that he also falls asleep very soon.
When the king wakes up in the morning he sees that the bearded man is watching intently at him. The man asks the king to forgive him. The king says that he does not know him and there is no reason to forgive him. The man informs the king that he knows the king and he reveals his identity to the king. He reveals that he is that enemy of the king who has decided to take revenge because the king has killed his brother and seized his property. He knew that the king has gone into the forest to visit the hermit so he decided to kill him on his way back. He was hiding behind the bush but after sunset as the king did not come out, the man decided to come out from the hiding place and go to the hut to kill the king. But the king's bodyguards recognised the man and attacked him. Somehow he escaped from them and came running towards the hut. He wanted to kill the king but the king has saved his life by dressing his wound. He informs the king that if the king wishes him to live he will serve him as his most faithful slave and will order his sons to do the same. The king is very happy to have made peace with his enemy so easily and he forgives him. The king promises him to restore his property and also tells him that he will send his servants and his own doctor to attend him.
The king takes the leave of the wounded man and goes out looking for the hermit. He decides to ask his questions once again to the hermit before leaving the place, so he puts his questions to the hermit. The hermit replies that his questions have already been answered. The king is puzzled and wants to know how they are answered. The hermit explains that if he would not have pitied his weakness yesterday and would not have dug the beds for him but would have gone his way, that man would have attacked him and he would have repented of not having stayed with him. So the most important time was when he was digging the beds and the hermit was the most important man and to do him good was the most important business. Afterwards when that man came running towards them, the most important time was when he was attending to him for if he had not bound up his wounds he would have died without making peace with him. So he was the most important man and what the king did for him was his most important business. The hermit finally tells the king to remember that there is only one time that is important and it is the present time. It is the most important time because it is the only time when we have some power. The most necessary man is the one with whom we are at that moment and the most important thing is to do good with that man with whom we are.
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