A man was convicted for some crime and the cruel king gave him death sentence. Immediately after the sentence was delivered the convicted man prayed to the king to show some mercy and give him life, at least for a month. The man further promised that he would make the Royal white horse grow wings during that time. The king though at first ridiculed at his absurd proposition, was still amused at the strange request and deferred the sentence accordingly to a date one month hence.
As the man was in the jail, a friend visited him one day. The friend reprimanded the convict how foolish it was of him to claim he would grow wings on the King’s white horse, and how on earth he could even ask for time when he knew pretty well he is bound to die as no one could keep such an impossible promise.
Also the friend conveyed the apprehensions of his dear family that they had to suffer during the entire grueling month in anticipation of his inevitable death.
Then the convicted man coolly confided to his friend the following:
“Look, my dear friend! I was not a fool to ask the king to postpone my death by a month. In a month’s time anything could happen in this world. I may die a natural death myself, or the king may die, or the enemies of the king invade us, or the King’s white horse may die on its own accord. In such and such events I will not be hanged. Elementary, you see! It is as simple as that.”
His friend realized the true wisdom in asking for time in certain crises.
I recollected the above story when India sought for time to sign the nuclear agreement with the USA.
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