(1) The Book about Nicholas
(A fictional account of the trial of Galileo)
I am getting old. I cannot see well. I have not been well at all. But he does not care! He has ordered me to come all the way from Florence. I had thought he was my friend. At one time he wrote a poem saying that people like me should live for hundreds of years. And when he became the leader he again welcomed me and sang my praises. Then I told him that I am writing a book . And he said Great. He asked me whether it was about Nicholas. I said Yes but also others. He laughed and saw me off at the door. Now the book is out after almost ten years and he has got it banned. He does not want to see me also. Now he has absolute power.
Now let me tell you about Poor Nicholas. He was a very nice guy. Quite shy. Not the type to question the scriptures. And then he got this idea. A great idea. The real truth. He was not the type to start revolutions. But his truth was not going to be buried. It had to be upheld. And it was I who had upheld it. My book was about Nicholas and his ideas. How the ancients were wrong and how Nicholas was correct ! And this was the book that got banned !
I have been ordered to come to the court. The ambassador was very kind and brought me in his carriage. We waited in the anteroom for an hour. And then I was ordered to go in. Inside it was almost like a dungeon. There were several people sitting in front of a table. I could not see their faces. And one of them asked me to sit down. It was a rickety chair. You know I am heavy. Somehow I managed to perch myself on the chair. Then they started questioning me .
Did the defendant come here by his own accord ? What type of a question was that ? Everybody knows that I was dragged all the way . And everybody knows who ordered me to come ! Still they ask ! The questions went on and on. They never looked at me. They never addressed me directly . It was as though they were asking empty space about some mythical creature. Did he know why he has been asked to come? Of course I knew. I had to say Yes, he knows !
They shoved a book in front of me. And they asked me . Has the defendant written this book ? Why are they trying to torture me this way? Or is it the way all people are treated in such a court ? They know my name. And they can read the name on the book . Yes, I wrote that book. No, they question again . Has the defendant written this book ? I break down and say Yes, the defendant has written this book.
Does the defendant acknowledge e verything written in the book ? Of course, I do . Why will I write a book about things which I don’t agree with ? Then questions went on about what is in the book. Am I supposed to explain all of it ? Will they understand it ? They went away for lunch . I am sure it would be a sumptuous one. As for me I had to sit in a corner and eat what the ambassador’s wife had packed for me in the morning.
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I remembered some of the earlier times I spent in Rome. I had a wonderful reception when I had come here to tell them about the new stars I had seen in the sky. At that time I was the darling of the crowds . Milan, Venice, Florence Padua, Pisa .. Every city in Italy welcomed me. And thousands would come and listen to me. I used to bask in the sunshine of their admiration. All for the greatness of Science ! I don’t deny that some of it was for me too ! I was a favorite not just with the crowds. The cardinals were also fawning on me. But there were also people who became jealous and started hating me.
d t It was 17 years ago that I had been asked to come for a meeting in the holy church in Rome. I had been taken to a a room where some scholars and cardinals were present. That great scholar was also there. I was tol hat it was a committee and he headed it. They asked me questions. And at times we laughed. They were polite. We discussed many things. Finally they told me that I can talk about Nicholas but should stress that what he said need not be correct. I agreed and then they let me ago. This is all that had happened.
When they came back from lunch, they switched from talking about the book to this event which happened 17 years ago. They started saying ou have violated the earlier orders. The committee told you that what Nicholas says should not be considered as the truth. But you have go ne ahead and even written a book saying that it is the truth. They asked some more questions. I/he answered them all. May be they w ere all tired too, The first day of the defendant’s trial came to an end
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They called me again after a week. It was the same type of questioning. They just do not know what to ask me. All that they know is that they have been asked to question me. It looked like they were not really worried whether Nicholas was really correct or not. What was more important to them was whether I thought that Nicholas was correct. They are more curious about what I thought and wrote about Nicholas. I told them that I will add two more chapters and correct whatever they think is not alright. But they want more from me. They want my soul !
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I have already been questioned three times. Today they showed me the torture instruments. I could not see them well. But whatever I saw was enough to tell me that whoever is tortured by those instruments will come out a broken man. I do not know whether I can handle all this. I am tired. I am old. I am sick. I cannot see properly. And I still have to write another book before I die. May be a much better book than what I have written now. I cannot do this if they torture me. They know that I have no choice now. I know that I have no choice now. I just have to tell a lie. A big lie. I know that the coming generations will spit at me
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o They dragged me again to the court. They showed me t he same torture instruments. Yes, I have no other option. I have t apologize for my book and tell the world that Nicholas is wrong. It does not mean that I can be free like a bird. I will be under house arrest the rest of my life . I knelt down and brought up my hands in prayer. I said within myself “ Nicholas, pardon me . I have no choice. I know you are correct. But I have to tell the whole world that you are wrong “
Then I began to speak . They wanted me to speak louder so that everybody could hear it. Especially t he man in the inner room who was my friend and who ordered this trial. Yes, Nicholas is wrong. The earth does n ot go round the Sun. The Sungoes round the earth !
My throat is dry . Can you please give me some water ?
(1) The I in the story is Galileo Galilee – who used the telescope first in 1609-1610 to look at the skies. He showed that several of the earlier theories (by Greeks) of science cannot be correct. This was not liked by the church which still believed in the old theories. When he wrote a book supporting the sun centric model of Nicholas Copernicus, the book was banned and he was arrested and put on trial. In the whole trial he was not even once directly addressed ! His arrest did not lessen his spirits. However staring at the sun through the telescope had spoiled his eyes and eventually he became completely blind. He was 72 at that time. Within the next 2 years he he wrote a new book . Several centuries later Einstein called this book as the first great book in modern science !!
(2) Nicholas – The Polish astronomer Nicholas Copernicus who came up with a model where all the planets go round the sun and not vice versa. He lived about a hundred years before Galileo
(3) Leader – Pope Urban – Before he became the pope, he was a good friend of Galileo. However, he had Galileo tried for writing the book. Historians cite several reasons for the trial. Science was probably not the main or only reason for punishment of Galileo though it was made out to look like it.
(4) Ambassador : Of Florence to Rome, Galileo’s friend
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------(2)The prince who went for a walk:
I have not gone out since the day I got married and we went out on the streets. My father says Sun is not good for my pale skin . He says I should stay indoors. He forces me to be inside. My wife and I spend all the time in the palace. We got a son few months ago. We play with him. And thus we spend all our time indoors
I want to go out of the palace. And spend some time with my people. But my father does not like it. I could have complained to my mother. But she died when I was born. I tell my wife. But she is just taken up so much with the baby that she does not care. There is a rumour that my father is going out of the country for some time. May be that is the time I will try to get out and see the city.
Yes, my father has gone out . Still there are lot of guards. They have been told not to let me out. What do I do ? I ask my friend to do something. My friend is what they call a servant. For me all are same, I call him my friend. He says that there is only one way to get out of the palace. We have to pay all the guards. I ask him to do it though I do not like the idea. My wife does not want me to go. But she does not insist. So My friend and I walk out of the palace.
People outside look very tired. I do not see many smiles . There are lot of people outside a big hall. I see people eating inside. Somebody calls us inside. Come and have the marriage feast, We say no. Outside in a corner we see leaves being thrown.
I go nearer the man. I see his hair colour is not the same as mine. It is white. Actually he does not have much hair. And his eyes have gone inside. As though they go and touch the back of the skull. I look at my friend, He says he is an old man. I repeat after my friend THIS IS AN OLD MAN. The dogs have come near the food. We go nearer the man. I see that his face is full of big boils. And half the skin on his hands has gone. And he takes very long time to eat. And to go from one leaf to another. I ask my friend and repeat what he said THIS IS A SICK MAN.
I just cannot handle all this. I ask my friend whether this man is a very different one. My friend says no. All people get old and All people get sick. I ask whether all people become poor. He laughs and says no. He says most people are poor. He says shall we walk further. I do not feel like it . But we continue. I see many things I had not seen earlier. My father has hidden all this from me !
We walk back to the palace. We pass the same place where there was a feast. Not many people are there. But we still see the same man near the heap of leaves with food. The one my friend called poor. The one my friend called old. The one my friend called sick. My friend says may be he is still eating. No, the man is lying down. On his back. We go near him. His eyes are string at us. My friend is shocked. Pulls me and we step back. I look at him. He has tears in his eyes. I ask him . What is it that has happened. My friend says he is dead. I repeat after him . DEAD. And we walk back to the palace. I ask my friend. Do all people die? He looks at me. Yes, my prince, All people die. Will my father die ? Yes ! Will my wife die ? Yes ! Will my child also die one day ? Yes ! Will I die ? Yes, My Sweet Prince.
And I left the palace in the night.
(Today, 2nd May is Buddha Poornima, Buddha was born on poornima, got enlightened on Poornima and died on Poornima)
The Mahatma's sweet tooth
I am a cloth merchant in Meethapur, a town in the western part of the country. . I have a nice family – a devoted wife and a 15 year old boy. I have many friends. I am a contented man. But I do have a problem . It is about my son. No, he does not smoke or drink, He just keeps on eating sweets. Yes, the place is well known for sweets. But it does not mean that he has to eat so much of them. Both his mother and I worry about it. Others think it is harmless. But I am not convinced. We made a piligrimage to
M y best friend is the tailor who runs a store next to mine on the main street. People buy cloth in my store and go next door to his store and give it for stitching. It works well for both of us. We have only one sore point between us. I get cloth from all over the world. But he wil not stitch any ANGREZI cloth . To me cloth is cloth. But not for him. He reads many newspapers. He is actually the wise man of the town.
It is already very hot everywhere. It was a morning in March and I was about to open the shop. My tailor friend immediately came out and shouted that this town is indeed blessed since two weeks from now a great man will visit the town . He said it so loud that I am sure the whole town heard it. MAHATMAJI IS VISITING OUR TOWN . I could not immediately find any reason why any great man would make any efforts to visit this town . The town had indeed been singularly unfortunate in having absolutely no connection with any of the great events of the epic. The great Rama , with or without his consort, had not come anywhere near the town, The Pandavas had also given this town a miss in their tour of the country. Even Lord Krishna who had traveled all over the country had somehow found time not to visit the town. I again heard my friend shout about Mahatmaji.
When I asked him as to the reason for this great fortune being bewtowed on our town, he explained to me that the Mahatma will be passing through the town on his way to the sea. He would be walking all the way and he had selected this route through the town. I asked him as to the reason for the Mahatma’s visit. He admonished me saying that he had earlier told me all about the salt movement. The government had levied tax on salt and Mahatmaji wanted to show it was wrong. He was going to the sea and make salt there. And his route would take him through the town. I kept on hearing him but only one word filled my mind . SALT ! Is it not that Salt is opposed to Sweet ? And the great man is really a Mahatma. And I became more and more sure that the Mahatma is the person I should approach for curing my son of this craving for excessive sweets ! Not Shiva ! Not Vishnu ! But the Mahatma!
The Mahatma was expected to come to one end of the town at eleven in the morning and would exit from the other end at twelve. He would be walking through the entire stretch of the
When the day finally arrived, my wife was not willing to go along with my plans but I pointed out that we were doing all this for Munna. She grumbled and agreed. We went to the shop early . And stood in front of the shop at ten itself . It was like a festival in town. Everybody had made snacks. And all types of juices. If not for the Mahatma , at least for his associates ! The news came that Mahatmaji had entered the town. We were all on our toes. There were lot of people lining the streets. And we were ready with snacks and juice. I kept on beaming at Munna since he would be cured of his problem soon.
Mahatmaji was walking in the middle of the main street. I dragged my wife and Munna and we planted ourselves in front of him. We wanted to stop him and give him lemon water to drink. But he was not stopping anywhere. He was just walking along in the middle of the road looking at people on either side of the road. And he had many associates behind him. I started walking along with him. No, I was not walking. It was he who was walking and it was I who was running. His associates tried to stop me. But I was adamant. I was dragging Munna also with me and I told Mahatmaji tthat I have a great problem. When he looked askance at me, I showed Munna to him and told him the problem. Everybody started laughing. One of the associates behind him said loudly : A Grave problem for the Father of the Nation . But Mahatmaji looked back sternly which quieted the associate. Then he told me to meet him in Sabarmati Ashram after a month. And he kept on walking. But I was adamant and was still walking with him . Then he turned to me and pointed at the sweet shop . He smiled, touched his chest and with a finger pointed to a tooth on the left side of his open mouth. And motioned me to go. His associates looked at me with stifled laughter.
I became the butt of all types of jokes in the town. After Mahatmaji left the town, many townspeople came to me and ridiculed me. Even my great friend the tailor was not amused. But when he heard that the Mahatma had asked me to meet him after a month he said that there might be something in it after all . But neither he nor I could understand why the great man had shown his tooth to us while pointing at the sweet shop.
. On my way back home , Munna entered the sweet shop. He had his 2 gulab jamuns. But he did not stop there. He said he had to eat two jilebis as well. I got very annoyed at him. On the next day I was told that the munna had eaten 4 jamuns and 4 jilebis. And he just kept on eating more and more sweets . I felt very angry and helpless. I cursed the sweet shop owner. I cursed the sugar responsible for the sweets. I cursed the sugarcane from which we get sugar. I cursed the new water canals in the state which gave rise to more and more sugarcane. I cursed the diwan who was responsible for building the canals, I cursed the Maharaja who had appointed the diwan. Finally I had left nobody else to curse but myself ! Munna has started eating more sweets since he thinks Mahatmaji will stop him from eating sugar from next month. The boy was just scared. May be it was all my mistake. That is what my wife also thought.
The month was real hell to me. People around me went on telling me that I had done a great mistake in going to the Mahatma. I was told that he was not a saint to cure people of illnesses. I was told to go and get blessings of the old baba on the hill near
Finally the day had arrived. I took Munna to the Sabarmati Ashram. My friend was also with me. He told me that he never misses an opportunity to see the Mahatma. The queue was long and we had to wait for some time. But when our turn came, Mahatmaji who was sitting on a pillow beckoned to us. He remembered us and called us as the people from Meethapur. I started to tell him about my problem when he stopped me and called Munna to his side. He kept his hands lovingly on the boy’s head and told him that he should not eat many sweets. And then he motioned us to leave. But I was very curious. He could have told Munna the same thing last month when he was going through our town. When I asked him about it, he said that he himself used to eat lot of sweets and there was no way he could tell a little boy not to do it. Then I asked him as to what really had changed in one month. He said that he had to learn not to eat sweets. He went on reducing the number and he said proudly that he had not eaten any sweets for the last one week. I had tears in my eyes. We did our pranams and took leave of the master. Before I had gone few steps, Mahatma called me back and smiled. And pointed with a finger at the empty space on the left corner of his mouth. The tooth I had seen earlier when he was in our town had fallen off ! The mahatma had lost his sweet tooth !
(1) Such tales are attributed to many great people
(2) Gandhiji was a person for whom all were equal. He was the type who would attend to all types of details. He would make time for everybody !!!
OLD ISSAC'S GOOSE
People are becoming more concerned about time and we have to keep making watches for them. It is no more the rich who wear watches. But for some the watch is still a status symbol. We make such watches too. They are very expensive. Even I cannot own one of them. Just the other day we had sent 5 such watches to a Maharajah in
Both my wife and I are getting on in age. Scholars say that our universe is a majestic clock work. I wonder whether time stops for THAT clockmaker ! The only near relative we have is my niece Mileva. She is twenty five years of age and my wife worries that she is not married yet. She has a fiancée. She says he is brilliant. He is a clerk in the patent office in
The train is still moving very slowly and Bertha has gone to sleep. I look around the compartment. There are only two other people and they are just behind us. I do not remember where they got in or whether they were there before we got in. These were middle aged men. And they were dressed well. One wore glasses and was tall. The other one was fat. The first one looked like the serious type and was reading a newspaper. The second one was looking outside the window.
I wondered about them . Businessmen ? The second one had started talking . Do you think he is going to join us ? The first one took his eyes off the paper and said I hope so. And he went back to his newspaper. Who is going to join them ? I looked at them again and started thinking that they might not be businessmen after all.
The talkative one went on. Do you think he is very bright ? Of course said the lanky one still reading the paper. The talkative one started laughing. The lanky one lifted his eyes from the paper and looked at his fat friend who said I am sure he will cook good old Issac’s goose. May be the other person did not understand at first . But he also started laughing immediately.
Now I knew who they were. These are gangsters. They are everywhere now a days. And they manage to look respectable. But these are Germans . I convinced myself that even Germans can ge gangsters. Then I heard the lanky one ask his friend whether he went this year to the school at
We are approaching
The train finally stopped. The fat man went out and shook the hands of a youth holding a long stemmed white rose. The young man was really well dressed. He was a handsome man with a moustache. When the lanky one got out of the compartment and slowly stepped onto the station floor, the young man came to him, bowed and shook his hands. The lanky man uttered a greeting and said that they are glad that the young man will be with them ! I muttered to myself – More the merrier and poor Issac !
We got down the train slowly. My wife was looking for Mileva . There she was running towards us . And she hugged Bertha. I was still looking at the three gangsters. They indeed look respectable. But may be they have guns in their pant pockets ! I told Mileva that we should get out of the station soon. She was smiling and got hold of my hand. And dragged me towards the three gangsters. She went to the youth still holding the white rose. And said Uncle, this is Albert ! My nieces’ fiancée a gangster ? She went on – Albert, this is my Unlce Wilhelm and there is Aunt Bertha. The youth came to me and said Sir, I am really glad to meet you. Mileva and I have been wanting to do this for quite some time.
It was all very confusing. Albert took us near the two men – His accomplices – and introduced them. Uncle Wilhelm , if I may call you so, this is Professor Max Planck, one of the most famous scientists of our times and Professor Walter Nernst, equally famous. They had offered me a professor’s job in
Mileva interrupted: This Albert is Crazy . He told them that he would be holding a white rose if he decided to accept the job . And red if otherwise. I did not know what to say. These are all big professors. Even this young man who wants to marry Mileva ! I looked at them and they were all laughing. I just decided to join them.
All of us started walking towards the exit. The lanky one, the one they called Herr Professor Plank , stooped down and whispered in my years : You are going to have a great genius for a nephew. Your niece is indeed fortunate ! When they had all gone off, I asked Mileva whether her fiancée knew anybody called Issac. She scratched her head and said No. Then slowly her face lit up. And said you mean Issac Newton !
Later at home I told Bertha about all this. She laughed and laughed. And finally asked whether the young man would get enough money in
(0) Einstein did go on to overturn several of the great Issac Newton's theories in physics
(1) The story is a fantasy but This incident really DID happen . Einstein was offered a job in
(2) Mileva was Einstein’s first wife. And if accounts are to be believed she was his muse too . There are guesses that she could have partnered his greatest papers of 1905. But they did not have a happy marriage. Einstein had his own strange ways with women in his life ! In reality, they got married in 1903 and were divorced in 1919
(3) Max Planck is credited as the father of the quantum theory. Nernst was not that famous but still well known for his work in thermodynamics. All the three got Nobel Prizes.
(4) Also
THE 'COMPLEX' GUY
How nice was this land once ! Today we have pestilence . All types of insects. Even in the interiors of the royal palace there are many of them. Our medicine man wants us to put a lot of incense. Create smoke, he said . And the queen says she prefers pests to smoke. But these insects sting. And then people die. People are dying in scores in the city. There will be more and more. What do I do ? The queen says Call the soothsayer ! I say that we need medicines . She says that too. But first call the soothsayer !
He is blind and cannot see the stones in his path. But he can see the future and the past ! Finally he is brought to me . I ask him. Oh seer! Why this pestilence ? He says Gods are angry. You have a bad man in the city . Find him and send him out . The pests will follow him . What is it that he has done which is so bad that Gods have to get angry ? He has killed the former king ! If Gods have trusted him with all this information, he must be knowing that bad man who killed the old king ! I pester the soothsayer. He just smiles. The way blind people smile without their eyes. And before I can order him, he turns and goes out of the court. Not before many stumbles !
The queen comes in . She sees that I am worried and kisses me on the mouth. And continues to kiss me. She gets up and I follow her to the interior of the palace. In the room with smoke insects continue to sting my bare posterior. As we get up she tells me about her first husband’s death. He went on a tour of his provinces. And never returned. He was killed by robbers. A strange monster called the the Sphinx was troubling the country and I was offered in marriage to whoever killed the Sphinx. Then you came and conquered the Sphinx. She smiles and adds Also me. May be I have not told you. She is several years older than me. I say 20 and she says 10 but it does not matter. As you may have seen we are mated well. And we have four children.
Now all that I have to do is to find the man and the pests will leave. Who was with the old king at that time ? I call the chief of guards. He says it was 20 years ago and all that he remembers was that 10 guards had gone with the king and only one came back alive . But he also disappeared after some time. I ask him to look for the absconded guard.
My brother in law comes in . We have never liked each other. He would have been the king if his sister had not married me. And he starts to tells me an old wives’ tale ( My wife wont like this word !). It seems many years ago his sister gave birth to a boy. But the soothsayer (yeah, the same fellow. I don’t think these guys age) predicted that the boy would kill the father and marry the mother. On hearing this, the king and queen decided to get the baby boy killed and gave it to a shepherd to do the job. So what is the connection ? I ask him to go and look for the killer.
The queen comes in and sits with me. The chief of the guards sends an old man in to the room . He is silent at first. I threaten him and he starts talking. He tells me how a young man refused to make way for the king’s chariot which had come to crossroads and how he had killed all the guards (except for him ) and the king. The queen orders him to tell us about the young man who was responsible for the killing . He starts shivering. And stares at me Yes, I remember it now. An old man in a chariot and his soldiers had ordered me to get off the road which I did not do. And they attacked me but I had killed all of them . Yes, it was I who had killed the old man .I did not know it was the king. My queen laughs and says it cannot be true. May be you killed somebody else. She reminds us of the old soothsayer . Did not he say that the killer would be her son ? Yes, I laugh with her. I am not your son. I am the son of a shepherd from Corinth . How can I be your son ? I had left Corinth and was wandering around when I met this old man and his soldiers. After killing them I was walking towards Thebes when the monster accosted me. I vanquished the monster and married you !
The guards bring in another old man. He is a shepherd. The guard begins to thrash him. The shepherd starts to talk. He says that he did not kill the baby given by the old king and queen. I look at the queen. Her face is pale. He says that he gave it away to another shepherd from another city. And he mentions the city. Corinth !! And that is where I came from !
I turn towards my queen. But she is not there . She has run away inside. Her brother walks in and laughs at me. He is cruel . So, you really did kill your father ! And almost immediately slept with your mother ! As he continues laughing like a hyena, two women come out wailing from the inner palace. They say that the queen has committed suicide.
Oh ! My queen is no more. I never thought of her as my mother. Nor did she think of me as son. What crimes did we commit ? I killed a man who threatened me. And his wife was given in marriage to me. I slept with my wife. But gods see a son lying with his mother ! Why don’t the gods see that we did nothing wrong. Can’t they see that I went relentlessly after truth. Even when it started appearing that I was the killer. I have been a model king. They used to say that Thebes has the best king on earth ! Cant gods see that I never had any bad intention ? May be intentions do not matter. It is the deeds that they punish !
I see a needle lying on the floor. I take it and pierce both my eyes. My brother in law screams. This punishment is not good enough for you ! You have to be thrown out of Thebes. He orders the guards to take me out of the city. As I walk to the gates of the city, people stone me. And the same people had showered petals just few days earlier ! I come to the gates of the city . The guards throw me out. They keep the gates open for some more time. To let the pests swarm out of Thebes and accompany me on my journeys.
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(The hero of this story is Oedipus. His wife's name is Jocasta. This is a very famous greek story.Today his name is known more for a particular ' complex ', - abnormal feelings of a younger man towards an older woman)
