A LACONIC ANSWER

A LACONIC ANSWER
MANY miles beyond Rome there was a famous country which we call
Greece. The people of Greece were not united like the Romans; but
instead there were several states, each of which had its own rulers.
Some of the people in the southern part of the country were called
Spartans, and they were noted for their simple habits and their bravery.
The name of their land was Laconia, and so they were sometimes called
Lacons.
One of the strange rules which the Spartans had, was that they should
speak briefly, and never use more words than were needed. And so a
short answer is often spoken of as being laconic; that is, as being such
an answer as a Lacon would be likely to give.
There was in the northern part of Greece a land called Macedon; and this
land was at one time ruled over by a war-like king named Philip.
Philip of Macedon wanted to become the master of all Greece. So he
raised a great army, and made war upon the other states, until nearly all
of them were forced to call him their king. Then he sent a letter to the
Spartans in Laconia, and said, "If I go down into your country, I will level
your great city to the ground."
In a few days, an answer was brought back to him. When he opened the
letter, he found only one word written there.
That word was "IF."
It was as much as to say, "We are not afraid of you so long as the little
word 'if' stands in your way."