Sunday, April 18, 2010

Robot Does It All (2)

I start recording the story "Robot Does It All" by Teramura Teruo, this story is from the book "Stories by Teramura Teruo".

(part 2)
...
Well, now there were two kings in the palace.
When the chief minister would call, "Your Majesty, it's 'Study Time,'" the real king would say, "Fine, I'm on my way." Then he would send the robot to the study room, where the famous teacher would give the robot lessons.
The king would sprawl out on his couch.
"Your Majesty, your hair has grown. How about a haircut?"
"Fine, I'll go at once," the real king would reply, but the royal barber's scissors would go "snip, snip, clip" over the robot's head. The king would be sprawled out on his couch.
"Your Majesty, the tailor has arrived. Let's have him make you a new suit of clothes."
"Fine, I'll be there in a jiff." And the tailor would make a suit of clothes to fit the robot's measurements. The king stayed sprawled on his couch.
"Your Majesty, it's "Exercise Time.' Today's the day for horseriding."
"Oh yes, good. Prepare the horse at once." The robot mounted the horse and it galloped off, while the king lay sprawled on his couch.
Sprawling on his couch, only getting up to have some sweets, then lying down again, he watched television. The only time he would get up was to eat something.

******
It was amazing.
Everything the robot did, it did well.
in horseback riding, for example, it was possibly more skilful than the teacher. For it never took a spill.
It loved study. Japanese classes, maths, music, handicrafts... in all these subjects it did better than the king. It may have been better than the teacher, even. For it never made a mistake.
And the robot never complained. No matter what it was told to do, it never said "No!" It always answered "Yes, sir!" and did as it was told.
In never roared out anything like "I have a headache!" and then start crying or the like.
But the real king, now... Well, once the robot came on the scene, the king didn't wash himself once, didn't shave or have his hair cut, didn't bother to change his clothes. All he did was lie on his couch all day long, like a sack of potatoes. And he became as dirty and filthy as a sack of potatoes.

(to be continued...)

No comments:

Post a Comment