The king proclaimed a commission with its purpose to determine how beneficial was every sport to the development of its participants with regard to the perfection of civil and martial life. Strength, obedience, adaptability, wit, numerical facility, all those were to be judged. Three superior sports would be encouraged by royal grants; banning was the fate of all the rest.
Five months later, the commissioners left their opulent homes, bought after their appointments, and met in the palace along with representatives for the various sports. They presented their conclusions, and somehow three of the sportsmen knew to smile from the outset.
The king nodded. "I congratulate the victors. Clearly you have bribed, colluded, and coerced. That is good, for my subjects must understand the world's ways. Your methods require improvement however. These others came to me directly. I have confidence you will excel in their sports, the only three henceforth permitted."
The disappointed representatives accepted the loss in a sportsmanlike fashion. As for the commissioners, they offered tournament prizes out of their wealth, not as a punishment but from their own inclination.
Finis
No comments:
Post a Comment