Indeterminacy 13

There was an American man from Seattle who
went to Japan to buy screens. He
went to a monastery where he had heard
there were very special ones and managed
to get an interview with the Abbot,
who, however, didn’t say a word during
the entire time they were together.
Through an interpreter, the
American made known his desires, but
received no comment of any kind from the
Abbot. However, very
early the next morning, he received
a telephone call from the Abbot himself,
who turned out to speak perfect
English and who said that the American
could not only have the screen he wanted for
a certain price, but that,
furthermore, the monastery possessed an old
iron gate that he could also purchase.
The American said,
“But what on earth would I do
with an old iron gate?” “I’m sure
you could sell it to a star in
Hollywood,” the Abbot replied.

- John Cage