The Drum

"The Drum"

They say that distant drums sound pleasant. But sometimes even nearby drums can seem pleasant. In fact, there's no clear definition of "pleasant." What might sound harsh to one person could be pleasant to another. It is also said that drums played in tune, whether near or far, sound pleasant.

Once, a king placed a drum in the courtyard of his palace. It was said that anyone could come and play it at any time. The only condition was that if the king ever got angry because of the sound of the drum, the drummer would be beheaded.

Now, who would dare to touch the drum? It lay there untouched. But the public is never ordinary; there's always someone brave enough to take a risk. Eventually, such a person appeared. Without a second thought, he picked up a stick and started beating the drum enthusiastically. He got so engrossed in the sound of his own drumming that he began to dance along.

The king peeked through his window and burst into laughter. From then on, the man would come every day and beat the drum, dancing along with it.

The courtiers grew jealous, thinking the king would surely reward him greatly. The next day, they placed the drum right next to the king's window, thinking that its deafening sound would surely anger the king, and he would punish the man.

Indeed, the king did get angry. News spread throughout the city that distant drums sound pleasant. Everyone thought the king would punish the man. But the king's anger was directed at the courtiers, not the man. The king fined all the courtiers heavily and rewarded the man.