One day the king summoned all of the wise men in his court to see if they had yet discovered the secret of life. When they had all assembled in his majestic hall, he asked them one by one:

"Have you found it yet?"

"No," replied the first wise man. "We have searched diligently for it. We have sought it in Truth. We have sought it in Beauty. We have sought it in the Common Sense of the people. And each time we were disappointed. It is not revealed on the somber plains nor in the tranquil seas. And no one, of course, knows what lies beyond the mountain's top. So we must regretfully inform you that we have not been able to find an answer in either heaven or earth!"