Is That So?

[Gonzo]

Is that so?
A variation of the same story -
A beautiful girl in the village was pregnant. Her angry parents
demanded to know who was the father. At first resistant to confess, the
anxious and embarrassed girl finally pointed to Hakuin, the Zen master
whom everyone previously revered for living such a pure life. When the
outraged parents confronted Hakuin with their daughter's accusation, he
simply replied "Is that so?"
When the child was born, the
parents brought it to the Hakuin, who now was viewed as a pariah by the
whole village. They demanded that he take care of the child since it
was his responsibility. "Is that so?" Hakuin said calmly as he accepted
the child.
For many months he took very good care of the child
until the daughter could no longer withstand the lie she had told. She
confessed that the real father was a young man in the village whom she
had tried to protect. The parents immediately went to Hakuin to see if
he would return the baby. With profuse apologies they explained what
had happened. "Is that so?" Hakuin said as he handed them the child.