Artists arrived in a certain kingdom, where a generous and intelligent king ruled. The king warmly welcomed the guests and even organized a holiday in their honor. And from the stories of the owner of the troupe, the king learned that among the artists there was a very skilled wood carver who wanted to compete in skill with the Burmese folk craftsman. But at the same time he sets the following condition: whoever is defeated must pay ten vises of gold. The king thought and thought and agreed.
[Vis is a measure of weight equal to 1600 grams.]
And besides, he promised to give the winner a huge ruby.
However, when the bet was made, it turned out that there was no one to compete: the king did not know a single skilled carver!
Then the king called his ministers and said:
“A wonderful folk craftsman, a wood carver, came to us from a neighboring kingdom. I command you to immediately find a skilled Burmese who would be able to surpass the foreigner in skill. If the Burmese emerges victorious, I will reward him with five thousand ja. If he loses, I will order his execution. Gentlemen ministers! Let the gongs announce our command to all subjects.
The ministers went to different parts of the country, but their efforts were unsuccessful. It was difficult to find anyone willing to enter into competition with a stranger: everyone was afraid of a death sentence. Finally, one poor man showed up and agreed to participate in the competition. The ministers urgently took him to the palace, and he appeared before the royal eyes.
Glancing at the unsightly figure of the poor man, the king winced.
“You don’t inspire confidence in me,” he said. “Do you really hope to defeat a foreign master?” Do you know what awaits you if you lose?
- Don't worry, Your Majesty! - the poor man answered him. - I will certainly emerge victorious.
Hearing the poor man's assurances, the king calmed down somewhat.
Finally the day of the competition arrived. The king introduced the competitors to each other and announced the terms of the competition. Their essence was to make a sculpture of the finest, most skillful work, which no one had ever seen before.
The foreign master first began searching for material. At the end of the third day, he had already roughly finished his work.
The Burmese didn’t even get down to business: he slept, ate and smoked, but it seemed he didn’t even think about work. Calm did not leave him. The ministers were overcome with increasing excitement day by day.
The king was also upset to learn that the Burmese master had not yet started work, while the foreigner had already completed his creation in rough form, and all he had to do was complete the finishing.
In the end, the king could not stand it and went to his subject’s workshop. He, as usual, sat quietly and smoked.
– Tomorrow is the deadline for submitting your work! When will you finally get down to business? – the king asked him menacingly.
“Yes, I haven’t started yet,” the poor man answered innocently. “I just can’t decide where to stop.” However, Your Majesty, don't worry! I'll still win.
- What, you haven’t started yet?! – the king was indignant. There's a competition tomorrow, and you're still thinking! Keep in mind that if you do not keep your word, you will not escape a terrible fate.
However, the king’s anger did not seem to frighten the master at all. After the master left, he even took a little nap. And having woken up from sleep, I washed myself and decided that it was time to get down to business. In less than ten minutes everything was ready.
The day of the competition has arrived. Many people gathered in the palace. Soon foreign artists arrived there. Four people solemnly brought in the velvet-covered sculpture. After some time, the Burmese master also appeared. In a new dress, smiling joyfully, he was carrying something on long bamboo sticks.
- The competition begins! – the king solemnly proclaimed when silence reigned all around.
The foreign guests threw back the covers, and the sigh of delight that swept through the hall was replaced by silent admiration. A figurine of an elephant appeared before the eyes of the amazed public. At the sight of such skillful work, the king became gloomy. “Of course, the foreigner will emerge victorious,” he thought bitterly.
Then it was the Burmese's turn to show his work. The foreign guests held their breath and looked with curiosity at two small objects attached to bamboo poles. And suddenly they seemed to burst through: they spoke at once, interrupting each other. The argument continued for about fifteen minutes, and finally the owner of the troupe admitted that the Burmese had won.
And in confirmation of this, he gave the king ten vises of gold.
All those present joyfully welcomed the success of their compatriot. And the king, as promised, awarded him five thousand ja and awarded him the title of the best carver in the kingdom.
Are you curious about what the Burmese presented to the public?
Sponge and bird's nest!!!
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru