Dinner went on, until it did not, and then servants cleaned the table and the participants prepared to leave. As his father went around the table on his way out, he laid a hand on the young master’s shoulder.
“I presume you’ve had time to think about my question. Come with me to my study” he said.
Almost dragging his feet, the young master followed, still discouraged that he had not been able to find a proper answer. And being alone with his father in his study, the young master suddenly began to feel the overwhelming pressure of the situation.
His father, taking a seat in his chair at his desk, and motioning for the young master to take the seat in front of him, looked sympathetically at his son.
And then he broke the silence. “I am sure you have more questions than answers, I can see that on your face, son. Unbeknownst to you, I had informed all the staff today of the big responsibility on your shoulders. The young maid who followed you, and the sergeant’s recruit, have both told me of where you went.”
He continued “And I also know that you are fond of night trips, so I made sure to watch your window and follow you personally to see where you went”.
With a smile, he went on “I also think that you did the same as me when I was young and compared yourself to our subjects. But I will help you, as my father helped me, and give you a hint.”
The young master’s father now stood up, and raised his arms with an open hand, as to beckon his son to inspect his person.
Then he said, “I am neither agile, faithful, strong, or as wise as some of my subjects, yet still, I am the master”.
The young master, first confused, with thoughts racing in his mind as to what his father meant, suddenly realized what his father wanted him to see. The young master stood up to exclaim his revelation.
He began “I am also neither agile, faithful, strong or as wise as some of our subjects, but I was born lucky, and I have had good teachers and caring company since I was born.”
And then he finally answered “It was luck that I was born into this family, it was luck that I am to be the master. But it is not luck that I now understand what it truly means to be the master. To be the master is not to be the strongest, smartest, or wisest. To be all of that without equal, would be to become a god. No, to become the master is to make use of the strengths of your subjects. If I am not the most agile, then I will make the maid from the kitchen my feet. If I am not the most faithful, then I will make our sergeant my armor. If I am not the strongest, I will make the strong man from the field my arms. And if I am not the wisest, then I will make the old man my head. They are all my strengths that I do not have myself, and they will, together, make up for all I lack. To be master is to know how to manage your people, to make them the best versions of themselves they can be and make them mighty, so that through their might, they can become my might as well”.
And with that answer, the young master’s father was pleased, and he hugged his son with heartfelt celebration.
