In this case the Emperor was visiting the shogun. The shogun had a terrific idea a couple of days before the emperor arrived as to what he would give the emperor as a gift. His son had been studying with the best calligraphers in Japan and he would have his son create a calligraphy for the Emperor with a thoughtful and yet profound message.

So the morning arrived when the Emperor was to arrive and the son had locked himself in a room so that he could come up with the exact right calligraphy. Two hours before he arrived he was still locked in his room and no calligraphy. Finally the shogun saw the Emperor coming up the roadway with his retainers and entourage.

The shogun finally went to the room where his son had locked himself in and the father said, “Son, the emperor is coming up the roadway.”

“I am almost finished,” the son said from inside the locked room. “I will have it in a few seconds.”

Finally, the son emerged from the room with the calligraphy. The father took one look at it and nearly fainted. “Son I can not give this to the Emperor of Japan – he will have my head!”

“But why father?” asked the son. “Why?

“The one thing you never mention to the Emperor is the word ‘death’. This is the biggest insult you can give him.”

“But father please read it again it is not insulting it is perfect.”

He read it again:

Grandfather dies,
Father dies,
Son dies,
Grandson dies.

“This is the natural order, father. It is when this gets out of whack that life is not fair.”

The father thought for a second, and thought, ‘It is true. If my grandfather died I would be upset, but no where near as upset as if my son died.”

He bowed and said, “You are right my son. Thank you. It is perfect.”