The Parable of the Regent and the Winter Night

One day while teaching, Josh was asked, ”Teacher, are the pardons in Russia mere political theater?  If so, can we have more theater?”

Josh spoke thus:

A regent stood on a palace balcony.  The night was still but the air was active with falling snow.

The regent reached out a hand, palm up, and allowed the snow to fall on the regent’s outstretched woolen glove.  In the cold night each snow flake that landed on the glove remained momentarily before the heat from the regent’s hand melted the ice.  The regent studied each flake as it lay on the regent’s glove.  The regent watched each flake fade, evaporating in the winter air.  The regent closed a fist and reopened the glove, revealing no snow captured.  The snow on the palm of the glove evaporated when the regent closed a fist just as it had when the regent left the glove hand open.

The regent exhaled into the night.  Warm vapor froze in wisps of icy mist.  Snow slipped through the suspended breath, snatched the breath as it fell and lay the breath down on the frozen ground.

The regent raised the glove, exhaled and snatched.  Breath and snow disappeared within the fisted glove.  The regent opened the glove revealing neither breath nor snow.

The regent looked up into the falling snow.  The regent raised two gloves to the sky.  Snowflake after snowflake disappeared upon contact with each glove.  The regent’s breath jetted upward, froze and vanished among the falling snow.

The regent returned to the royal chambers.

“You’re right,” the regent said to the priest waiting there.

The priest handed the regent a gold coin and a silver coin.

The silver was too heavy for the regent to hold.  The regent dropped the coin to the floor.  The coin rang out as it struck the stone.  The gold coin paired with the silver as the regent dropped it.

The priest handed the regent a handful of cloth and a handful of straw.  These too tumbled to the floor, too heavy for the regent to hold.

“Too much,” the regent said to the priest.

“Say it then,” the priest said to the regent.

The regent turned to the waiting executioner.

“Clemency,” the regent said to the executioner.  The executioner lay the executioner’s ax on the floor and left.