In a certain state there lived and there was a king. And he had seven sons. They all studied in foreign lands and learned many wisdoms; they were all smart and educated. But only one can ascend the throne - the most worthy of the seven. How do you know which of the seven is the most worthy? The king thought and thought and finally came up with an idea. He gathered all his sons and addressed them with these words:
- My children! I am already old, and I am no longer able to govern the state. Of all of you, only one can become my successor. So I decided: the one who solves five riddles will inherit the royal throne. I give you three years to think about it. After three years we will meet again and I will listen to your answers. Here are my riddles:
1. There is a boat, but there is no boatman.
2. There is rice, but there is no cook.
3. What is the longest thing in the world?
4. What is the most burning thing?
5. What is the highest?
Just don’t rush to answer, my children. I repeat, I give you three years.
Each of the sons dreamed of becoming a king. Therefore, having heard their father’s riddles, the sons indulged in deep thought. They really wanted to solve the riddles as quickly as possible! But they only knew: if you hurry, you will make people laugh. They thought and thought, and since they didn’t come up with anything, they went to their father with a request to allow them to leave the palace and look for answers to the riddles in foreign lands.
Each of the sons went his own way. They traveled for a long time or for a short time, visited small and large cities, in their homeland and abroad, visited all the monasteries, talked with sages and scientists, but all to no avail, no one could help them in any way. Finally they lost all hope and returned home with nothing.
The period allotted by the king was expiring; it was the last, third year. The six sons completely lost heart. They sat at home around the clock and became convinced of the futility of their attempts. They were completely overcome by sadness and melancholy. The youngest, the seventh, did not lose heart.
“There is probably a person in the world who knows the meaning of these riddles,” he reasoned. “I must find him at all costs, otherwise I will not be king.”
And he got down to business with renewed energy.
One day, after long fruitless wanderings, the prince approached the river and on its bank he saw a decrepit, feeble old man. The prince approached the elder, bowed respectfully and said:
- Honorable teacher! You have lived a great life, have seen and heard a lot in your lifetime and are wise with great experience. Don’t you know the answers to such riddles... - And he retold the riddles asked by the king.
The old man looked shrewdly at the prince. He seemed to be trying to penetrate his very soul and finally said:
- My grandson! Your desire, as well as the diligence shown in the search for truth, are worthy of all praise! I know the answers to these riddles. “There is a boat, but there is no boatman” means that there is a teaching, but there are no followers. “There is rice, but no cook” means that there is wealth, but no one to inherit it. “What is the longest thing in the world?” Life. “What’s the hottest thing?” Passion. "What's the tallest?" Pride.
So, after three years of tireless searching, the youngest of the princes learned the meaning of the riddles. His persistence and patience were rewarded!
The prince presented the old man with gold and silver and returned to the palace.
There were only a few days left before the deadline set by the king expired. The prince came to his father and announced that he knew the answers to his riddles. On this occasion, the king invited all the courtiers, sages, abbots of monasteries, ministers and important dignitaries to the palace. When everyone was assembled, the younger prince bowed respectfully to the high assembly, and then addressed the king:
“Honorable father, ruler of the golden palace!” I think your riddles have the following meaning: “There is a boat, but there is no boatman” means that there is a teaching, but there are no followers. “There is rice, but no cook” means that there is wealth, but no one to inherit it. The longest thing in the world is life. The most burning thing is passion, the highest thing is pride.
Those gathered clapped their hands and began to glorify the prince. And they immediately elevated him to the throne. So the youngest prince became king.
And hence the moral: work and your work will be rewarded. Honor your elders and you will reap the benefits of their gratitude!
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru