There was once an old man so wise that people called him the Wise One. One day, when a merchant from his city was riding through the woods, a huge man blocked his path. The man was much taller than the merchant, and was dressed like him.
The giant shouted, “None shall pass without a fight. Choose your weapon, dark or light. I’ll more than a match for you, wrong or right!” “Never mind!” stammered the scared merchant, and he fled back to the city.
It was not long before the King came to know. “What should we do?” he asked his councillors. “Your Majesty, one of our warriors must fight against the giant. Send the Master of Clubs!” advised the councillors.
The next morning, the Master of Clubs rode out to the giant, who was now dressed like the Master of Clubs.
The giant bellowed, “Choose your weapon!” The warrior replied, “I choose clubs!” But as he raised his own club, the giant raised one bigger and heavier. “WHOMP!” And the Master of Clubs raced back to the King. Again on the advice of his councillors, the King sent the Master of Swords and then the Master of Fire. Both the warriors came back defeated.
Finally, the king called for the Wise One. With a horse-cart, the Wise One drove up to the giant who was now dressed up like the Wise One.
The giant shouted, “Choose your weapon!”
“I shall have to think,” said the Wise One. After a while, he said, “I want you to know a little about me. I live in a cottage in a forest outside the city. People call me the Wise One.”
The giant bellowed, “You can’t win because I’ll tell you even more about me. I have no name, for my father is the wind, and my mother is a curved mirror. Like any mirror, I show only what I see, and I have no power or skill but what you choose.”
“I will tell you the longest story ever,” said the Wise One to the giant. The giant screamed, “Another challenge? This time I’ll beat you once and for all.” The giant and the Wise One sat into the horse-cart and started telling stories to each other. They went down the road, all the way to the city.
Now, the people came to know how to handle him; the people were not scared of the giant any more.
