Rabindranath Tagore

The King of the Dark Chamber Rabindranath Tagore

FIRST MAN. Ho, Sir!CITY GUARD. What do you want?SECOND MAN. Which way should we go? We are strangers here. Please tell us which street we shouldtake. CITY GUARD. Where do you want to go?THIRD MAN. To where those big festivities are going to be held, you know. Which way do we go?CITY GUARD. One street is quite as good as another here. Any street will lead you there. Go straightahead, and you cannot miss the place. [Exit.]FIRST MAN. Just hear what the fool says: "Any street will lead you there!" Where, then, would be thesense of having so many streets?SECOND MAN. You needn't be so awfully put out at that, my man. A country is free to arrange its affairs inits own way. As for roads in our country-well, they are as good as non-existent; narrowand crooked lanes, a labyrinth of ruts and tracks. Our King does not believe in openthoroughfares; he thinks that streets are just so many openings for his subjects to fly awayfrom his kingdom. It is quite the contrary here; nobody stands in your way, nobody objectsto your going elsewhere if you like to; and yet the people are far from deserting thiskingdom. With such streets our country would certainly have been depopulated in no time.