One sunny day, the sage was riding in his carriage and thinking.
Suddenly the carriage stopped. The sage bent down and saw a little boy in the middle of the road playing with tiles. He built a city out of them.
The boy looked at the stroller, but did not move to get out of the way.
The sage turned to him: “Aren’t you going to let my stroller pass, baby?”
The little boy looked up at him and answered: “It’s not about me, sir.” You see, I'm building a city. It is not the city wall that gives way to the carriage, but the carriage that goes around the city wall.
This answer surprised the sage. He got off the stroller, approached the boy and said: “Listen, kid: you seem unusually smart to me for your age!”
The boy answered: “Why?” On the third day of its life, a hare can run and jump across the fields. Is it really impossible for me to know two or three things at the age of seven?
The sage smiled, then asked: “Can I ask you a few questions?” If you answer them for me, then I will believe that you really know something.” “I’m ready,” said the boy. “Then tell me: what fire has no smoke?” What kind of water doesn't contain fish? Which mountain has no stones? Which tree doesn't have branches?
The boy thought and answered: “The firefly’s fire does not produce smoke.” There are no fish in spring water. There are no stones on the sand embankment. A rotten tree does not grow branches.
The sage listened with admiration to the child’s answers. But before he had time to utter a word, the boy’s eyes sparkled mischievously and he said: “Can I ask you something?” “Ask,” answered the sage. “But with one condition: if you don’t answer, then you will have to go around my tiled city.” “I’m ready!” - said the sage, smiling. - Tell me: how many stars are there in the sky? - Dear child, - said the sage, - why do you ask about things that are so far from us? Ask me what is closer, and I will answer you. “Then,” the boy continued, “tell me, please, how many hairs are in your eyebrows?”
The sage was surprised: the little child turned out to be smarter than him!
He climbed into his carriage and ordered the driver to go around the tiled town that the boy was building.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru