This is the king whose story you know. Through an unusual turn of events everything he touches turns into the same thing. Entertaining at first, even a source of pride, soon enough this becomes unpleasant. The same material: whatever he grasps becomes the same as everything else, and it’s all dreary, monotonous, hateful. And he grasps things so quickly—as quick as that! Only what puzzles him retains its own essence. What doesn’t add up. What makes no sense.