Points to Ponder — Page 21
— 21 When the gatekeeper stopped him, the prince said, “Don’t you know who I am?” The gatekeeper said, “Of course, I know who you are. You are the grand Duke. ” The prince said, “ Do you realize that I am permitted to enter whenever I want to?” The gatekeeper said, “Of course , I do. ” Hearing this, the prince stepped forward to enter, but the gatekeeper stopped him again saying the king has directed that no one should be allowed today to enter. The prince became angry. He picked up a whip and started beating the gatekeeper. After some beating, the prince thought that the gatekeeper would have come to his senses, so the prince again tried to enter the castle. Tolstoy again blocked the entrance, pleading that it was the king ’s order not to let anyone enter. The prince again started beating the gatekeeper. The gatekeeper accepted the beating humbly. The prince tried to enter for the third time but the gatekeeper again spread his hands across saying that the king has ordered not to allow anyone to enter. The prince started beating the gatekeeper. Per chance, when the prince beat the gatekeeper the first time, the noise reached the king, and the king started viewing the scene from upstairs. When the prince was beating him the third time, the king called out, “Tolstoy, come here. ”