6-61. The Impossible Task

Long ago, in a faraway village in Africa, there lived a famous blacksmith. His name was Kintae. Every morning, people would come to watch him work, and he liked having the people nearby. He would hammer the red-hot iron, and the people would sing to his steady beat.
     One morning a messenger from the king’s court ran to Kintae’s home and said, "The king wants to see you immediately. He has a job for you to do."
     Kintae was very happy. He quickly got dressed and hurried to the palace. He passed many of his friends as he walked to the palace. To each of them he said proudly: "The king has sent for me! He has a job for me!"
     When Kintae reached the palace, he had to wait. While he waited, he wondered why the king had sent for him. Kintae often made things for the palace, but usually one of the king’s servants told Kintae what to make.
     When Kintae saw the king, he bowed very low.
     "You may stand," said the king, and Kintae stood. "I have sent for you," continued the king, "because I have a special task for you." The king clapped his hands, and servants carried in baskets full of iron. They placed the baskets in front of Kintae. "You are to take this metal and make it into a man," said the king. "A real, living man who can walk, talk, think, and has blood in his veins."
     Kintae lowered his eyes because what the king asked was impossible. Kintae was also afraid because to say no to the king was the same as asking for death. Kintae did not want to die, so he again bowed very low and said, "Yes, Your Majesty."
     The king's servants carried the iron back to Kintae's shop, but as he followed, he kept his eyes lowered. Kintae knew his days were numbered. He spent his days and nights looking for a solution to his problem.
     His friends made many suggestions. "Couldn't you make an iron shell, so a man could get inside it?" suggested one friend. Another friend said, "I think you should run away to a faraway country and start life all over again where no one knows you."
     His friends meant well, but they couldn’t help Kintae. He was so worried he became sick. He couldn't eat, he couldn't sleep, and he couldn’t work because he couldn't think about anything except the king's task.
     One evening, as he walked through a lonely area of the fields, he heard something strange. He went closer to find out what it was. As he got closer, he saw his boyhood friend singing to himself.
     Sadly, his old friend had gone mad a long time ago. He lived alone in the bush far from town. "Hi, Kintae," said his crazy boyhood friend. "Thank you for visiting me. I knew you were coming so I prepared this feast for us. Come, sit down."
     The meal wasn’t really a feast, but it was delicious. They ate berries and some honey. Suddenly Kintae realized how hungry he was. This was the first food he had eaten in several days. The food made him feel better, and he began to tell his old friend about the king’s task. "Well," finished Kintae, "that is my story."
     "I know what you must do," said his old friend immediately. "Go and tell the king that you need special ingredients for this task. Tell him you need one thousand carts of charcoal made from human hair, and one hundred buckets full of human tears."
     After his old friend said this, he laughed like a madman. Kintae thanked his friend for such good advice and then returned to the city.
     At first light, he hurried to the king’s palace. When Kintae saw the king, he bowed low. "You may stand," said the king. "Why have you come? Is the man finished?" asked the king.
     Kintae said, "No, Your Majesty. I need special ingredients to complete your task." Kintae told the king what he needed, and the king ordered all his subjects to cut their hair and to cry into buckets.
     The people did their best. They shaved their heads and cried into their buckets, but it wasn't enough. Only two pots of tears and one load of charcoal were collected. When the king learned of these results, he sent for Kintae. Kintae was very afraid when he went back to the king.
     "Kintae," said the king, "you have asked me for something that is impossible. My people can never grow enough hair, nor cry enough tears to give you the ingredients you need. I therefore free you from your task."
     "Yes, Your Majesty," replied Kintae. As he walked away from the king, he took a breath. It felt like he hadn’t breathed for weeks. He was happy again, and he smiled all the way home.
     As time went on, the king and his people forgot about Kintae’s impossible task. But Kintae never forgot who had saved him. Kintae made sure that his old friend never felt hungry or thirsty again.