Le roi pêcheur --the Fisher King, is a character in Arthurian Legend, whose task is to guard the Holy Grail, and pass on the sacred duty to an heir. Only, he is injured, and, due to this injury, he cannot produce one. Percival the knight encounters him, but is initially too polite to ask the king how he fares. For his marked concern with decorum, and ultimate lack of compassion for the ailing king, he fails the "healing question" test and is cast out. The riddle is presented as a secret phrase which has the power to restore the king. But it's the asking of the question itself that provides the cure: compassion.
 
The legend serves to remind us about what it means to coexist with others, despite our differences, assumptions, and perceptions. Percival returns a second time, now more wordly and experienced, and reaches out more tenderly. He is rewarded with the assumption of the king's holy mission.