Alexander's ten questions to brahmins

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Alexander's ten questions to brahmins

 

While in India, Alexander took ten of the Brahmins 19 prisoner. These men had

a great reputation for intelligence, so Alexander decided to give them a test.

He announced that the one who gave the worst answer would be the first to die,

and he made the oldest Brahmin the judge of the competition.

 

Which are more numerous, Alexander asked the first one, the living or the

dead? " The living, " said the Brahmin, " because the dead no longer count. "

 

Which produces more creatures, the sea or the land? Alexander asked the

second. " The land, " was his answer, " because the sea is only a part of it. "

 

The third was asked which animal was the smartest of all, and the Brahmin

replied: " The one we have not found yet. "

 

Alexander asked the fourth what argument he had used to stir up the Indians

to fight, and he answered: " Only that one should either live nobly or die

nobly. "

 

Which is older: day or night? was Alexander's question to the fifth, and the

answer he got was: " Day is older, by one day at least. " When he saw that

Alexander was not satisfied with this answer, the Brahmin added: " Strange

questions get strange answers. "

 

What should a man do to make himself loved? asked Alexander, and the sixth

Brahmin replied: " Be powerful without being frightening. "

 

What does a man have to do to become a god? he asked the seventh, who

responded: " Do what is impossible for a man. "

 

The question to the eighth was whether death or life was stronger, and his

answer: " Life is stronger than death, because it bears so many miseries. "

 

The ninth Brahmin was asked how long it was proper for a man to live, and he

said: " Until it seems better to die. "

 

Then Alexander turned to the judge, who decided that each one had answered

worse than another. " You will die first, then, for giving such a decision, "

said Alexander. " Not so, mighty king, " said the Brahmin, " if you want to remain

a man of your word. You said that you would kill first the one who made the

worst answer. " Alexander gave all of the Brahmins presents and set them free,

even though they had persuaded the Indians to fight him.