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“You’re right. The case deepens. We must look into it. It is not easy to judge such complicated cases. Let’s get that dancer, wherever she is.”
The dancing girl, now an old woman, came trembling to the court.
“Did you walk up and down that street many years ago, while this poor man was building a wall? Did you see him?”
“Yes, My Lord, I remember it very well.”
“So you did walk up and down, with your anklets jingling. You were young and you distracted him, so he built a bad wall. It has fallen on a poor burglar and killed him. You’ve killed an innocent man. You’ll have to be punished.”
The dancing girl, now an old woman, came trembling to the court.
“Did you walk up and down that street many years ago, while this poor man was building a wall? Did you see him?”
“Yes, My Lord, I remember it very well.”
“So you did walk up and down, with your anklets jingling. You were young and you distracted him, so he built a bad wall. It has fallen on a poor burglar and killed him. You’ve killed an innocent man. You’ll have to be punished.”
Explanation:
After hearing the poor bricklayers' point, the king agreed that he was not the real culprit. When the thief's brother came to seek justice, the king expected the case would be over fast. However, after hearing each person's point of view, everything began to change. The king understood that the case became more complicated as time passed, and he needed to come up with a solution. The situation became worse and identifying who should be penalised became complicated. Then the king thought of calling the dancer.
The dancer was brought in front of the king by the messengers. She was an old woman. As she approached the courtroom, the old woman was trembling. The king questioned whether she walked up and down in the street many years before while the bricklayer was constructing the wall. The old woman said that she was the one who had done that. Later the king explained that why she was called out to the courtroom. The king said that the bricklayer was distracted by her jingling anklets as she walked around. As a result, the bricklayer was unable to complete his work perfectly. Finally, he built a weak wall which fell on a poor thief's head, and he was killed. Later the king stated that it was because of her that the thief died, and she would be punished to death.
The dancer was brought in front of the king by the messengers. She was an old woman. As she approached the courtroom, the old woman was trembling. The king questioned whether she walked up and down in the street many years before while the bricklayer was constructing the wall. The old woman said that she was the one who had done that. Later the king explained that why she was called out to the courtroom. The king said that the bricklayer was distracted by her jingling anklets as she walked around. As a result, the bricklayer was unable to complete his work perfectly. Finally, he built a weak wall which fell on a poor thief's head, and he was killed. Later the king stated that it was because of her that the thief died, and she would be punished to death.
Trembling old woman (dancing girl)
Meanings of the difficult words:
| S.No | Words | Meanings |
1 | Complicate | Involving a lot of different parts, in a way that is difficult to understand |
2 | Trembling | Shaking or quivering, typically as a result of anxiety, excitement, or frailty |
3 | Distracted | Unable to concentrate because one's mind is preoccupied |
4 | Innocent | Having no knowledge of the unpleasant and evil things in life |
Reference:
National Council of Educational Research and Training (2006). Moments. In the Kingdom of Fools– A K Ramanujan (pp. 19-24). Published at the Publication Division by the Secretary, National Council of Educational Research and Training, Sri Aurobindo Marg, New Delhi.
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