This story took place in feudal Japan in the 18th century. An ordinary servant put a noble guest into a rage. The offended said the host should teach his servant a good lesson, which back then certainly meant death for the servant. The host had no right to disobey this tradition.
The man found his dutiful servant and uttered, “I’m sorry, but I must fulfill the wish of our guest and punish you. I have no choice. All I can bitterly advise you to do is to take a sword and fight me – you might kill me during the joust and then throw yourself on mercy of the man you offended.”
“Is it not useless for me to draw a sword?”, the servant replied with astonishment. “You are a first-rate katana master and a fencing teacher, and my peasant hands have never held a sword before. How could I possibly win?”
The fencing teacher in his turn had been waiting long for a fight with someone past praying for, someone caught in a hopeless situation, but hadn’t had a chance so far. He said to his servant, “Take my katana and try your fate. Let’s see what happens – the Fortune might be on your...