The Party Over There
by Ambrose Bierce · from Fantastic Fables
Adapted Version
Mr. Busy was in a great hurry. He needed to know the time right now! He saw a man. The man looked very stern. This was Mr. Judge. Mr. Busy walked fast to him. "Excuse me," Mr. Busy said. "Can you tell me the time?" Mr. Judge stood very still. He looked at Mr. Busy with big eyes. Mr. Judge did not speak right away. Mr. Busy waited. He wanted the time very much. He hoped Mr. Judge knew. Mr. Busy tapped his foot.
Mr. Judge spoke slowly. "Did you ask that other man?" he asked. "Did you ask him the time?" Mr. Busy looked confused. "Yes, I did," Mr. Busy said. "I asked him first." Mr. Judge nodded his head. He was very stern. He liked rules very much. He wanted to know all. He liked things to be right. Mr. Judge had many rules. He waited for Mr. Busy to speak more. Mr. Busy felt a little sad. He just wanted the time.
"He said it was three o'clock," Mr. Busy told him. "But I do not think so." Mr. Judge looked at Mr. Busy. "Why not?" Mr. Judge asked. "The sun is low," Mr. Busy said. "It is almost dark now. Three o'clock is too early. I think it is later." Mr. Busy looked at the sky. He did not trust the other man. He did not look at his watch. Mr. Busy really needed the time.
Mr. Judge thought hard. "The sun is not big," he said. "That does not matter now." Mr. Busy looked confused again. "But the other man," Mr. Judge said. "He did not look at his watch. He did not look close at his watch. So his answer is not good. It is wrong. His answer is not right for us." Mr. Judge looked at his own watch. He was very stern about rules.
Mr. Busy felt a little angry. He was sad too. He just wanted the time. He asked again. "What time is it now?" he asked. He looked at Mr. Judge. Mr. Judge held his watch. Mr. Busy hoped for an answer. He waited for Mr. Judge to speak. He wanted a real number. He needed to go fast. Mr. Judge looked at his watch. He looked very grand.
Mr. Judge did not tell the time. He put his watch away. "Go ask the other man again," he said. "He must look at his watch. He must look very close. He must give a new answer." Mr. Judge turned around. He walked away slowly. He looked very grand. He held his head high. Mr. Busy stood alone. He still did not know the time. He felt very confused.
Mr. Judge was a very grand judge. He worked in a big court. He liked rules very much. Rules were his job. He always followed rules. He did not tell the time. He wanted things done right. This was how judges worked. Mr. Busy stood there. He still did not know the time. He was very sad. He had to go. He shook his head.
Mr. Busy still did not know the time. He walked away, shaking his head. Often, rules can be very silly!
Original Story
The Party Over There
A Man in a Hurry, whose watch was at his lawyer’s, asked a Grave Person the time of day.
“I heard you ask that Party Over There the same question,” said the Grave Person. “What answer did he give you?”
“He said it was about three o’clock,” replied the Man in a Hurry; “but he did not look at his watch, and as the sun is nearly down, I think it is later.”
“The fact that the sun is nearly down,” the Grave Person said, “is immaterial, but the fact that he did not consult his timepiece and make answer after due deliberation and consideration is fatal. The answer given,” continued the Grave Person, consulting his own timepiece, “is of no effect, invalid, and absurd.”
“What, then,” said the Man in a Hurry, eagerly, “is the time of day?”
“The question is remanded to the Party Over There for a new answer,” replied the Grave Person, returning his watch to his pocket and moving away with great dignity.
He was a Judge of an Appellate Court.
Story DNA
Moral
Rigid adherence to procedure and technicalities can obscure simple truths and prevent practical solutions.
Plot Summary
A Man in a Hurry asks a Grave Person for the time. The Grave Person, instead of answering, interrogates the man about a previous, unverified time he received from another person. Despite the Man in a Hurry's logical doubt based on the setting sun, the Grave Person dismisses the previous answer as invalid due to procedural flaws. When pressed for the actual time, the Grave Person refuses to provide it, instead 'remanding' the question back to the original source, revealing himself to be an Appellate Court Judge.
Themes
Emotional Arc
frustration to exasperation
Writing Style
Narrative Elements
Cultural Context
Ambrose Bierce was known for his cynical and often dark satire, frequently targeting human folly and institutions.
Plot Beats (7)
- A Man in a Hurry asks a Grave Person for the time.
- The Grave Person asks if the Man in a Hurry had previously asked 'that Party Over There' the same question.
- The Man in a Hurry confirms he did and that the Party Over There said 'about three o'clock', but he doubts it because the sun is nearly down.
- The Grave Person declares the sun's position 'immaterial' but deems the previous answer 'invalid' because the Party Over There did not consult his timepiece with 'due deliberation'.
- The Man in a Hurry, frustrated, asks the Grave Person for the time again.
- The Grave Person, instead of answering, 'remands' the question back to the Party Over There for a new answer, then walks away.
- The narrator reveals the Grave Person is an Appellate Court Judge.
Characters
The Man in a Hurry ★ protagonist
Of average height and build, appearing somewhat disheveled or stressed from his constant rush. His movements are quick and perhaps a little jerky, indicating his impatience.
Attire: Dressed in a dark, practical suit of wool or serge, possibly a bit rumpled from his haste. He would wear a white collared shirt, and a dark tie, perhaps a waistcoat. His clothing suggests a professional or business background, but without the pristine neatness of someone with ample time.
Wants: To know the correct time of day, driven by an urgent need to manage his schedule.
Flaw: Impatience and a tendency to seek quick answers without critical evaluation.
He learns that not all answers are valid and that the source and method of information are crucial, though he doesn't fully resolve his immediate problem.
Impatient, eager, practical, somewhat naive (in his trust of the first answer).
Image Prompt & Upload
A male adult of average height and build, with a slightly rumpled dark wool suit, white collared shirt, and dark tie. His face shows a harried expression with furrowed brows and darting eyes. His short, dark hair is slightly unkempt. He leans forward slightly, as if in a hurry, with a quick, purposeful stride. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
The Grave Person (Judge of an Appellate Court) ◆ supporting
A man of dignified bearing, likely of average to tall height and a lean to average build, suggesting a life of intellectual pursuit rather than manual labor. His movements are deliberate and measured.
Attire: Dressed in a meticulously tailored, dark, formal suit of fine wool, possibly a frock coat, with a crisp white shirt, a dark, conservative tie, and a polished waistcoat. His attire is impeccable, reflecting his professional status and attention to detail.
Wants: To uphold the principles of due process and valid evidence, even in a trivial matter like telling time.
Flaw: Overly rigid adherence to procedure and a lack of practical empathy for the Man in a Hurry's immediate need.
He remains consistent in his character, serving as a foil to the Man in a Hurry and embodying the principles of legalistic thought.
Formal, pedantic, logical, authoritative, meticulous, and somewhat detached.
Image Prompt & Upload
A male adult of dignified bearing, standing erect and facing forward. He wears a meticulously tailored dark wool frock coat, a crisp white collared shirt, a dark conservative tie, and a polished waistcoat. His face is serious and composed, with keen, observant eyes. His neatly styled, dark hair is parted to the side. He holds a polished gold pocket watch in one hand, looking at it with a thoughtful expression. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
The Party Over There ○ minor
His exact appearance is not detailed, but he is simply 'over there,' implying he is at a distance or not the focus. He likely appears as an ordinary man, perhaps unremarkable, given his casual answer.
Attire: Undescribed, but likely common, everyday attire for a late 19th-century man, not particularly formal or distinctive, reflecting his casual approach to the question.
Wants: To give a quick, off-hand answer to a question without much thought.
Flaw: Lack of precision and attention to detail.
Does not change; serves as the initial, flawed source of information.
Casual, unobservant, perhaps apathetic or simply not precise.
Image Prompt & Upload
A male adult of average height and build, standing casually, facing forward. He wears common, everyday attire for a late 19th-century man, such as a simple dark jacket, trousers, and a plain shirt. His face has a relaxed, somewhat indifferent expression. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
Locations
Unspecified Public Space
An open, public area where two men are conversing, with the sun noticeably low in the sky, indicating late afternoon or early evening.
Mood: Slightly formal, with an undercurrent of impatience from one character and pedantry from the other.
The entire interaction and philosophical debate about time and validity of answers takes place here.
Image Prompt & Upload
A wide, open public square paved with worn, large flagstones, bathed in the warm, long shadows of a late afternoon sun. The sky is a clear, soft orange and purple at the horizon, fading to a pale blue overhead. Distant, indistinct classical-era European buildings with simple, sturdy stone facades line the edges of the square, their details softened by the backlighting. The ground is mostly clear, with a few scattered, small, dark green bushes in stone planters. no border, no frame, no watermark, no text, no signature, edge-to-edge illustration.
