One peasant's master's pigs poisoned his potatoes. He decided to complain to the tsar himself - to write him a petition. He took the paper and drew tiny dots on it, larger dots and very large blots. Meanwhile, the king went out for a walk and accidentally met the same peasant whose potatoes were poisoned, and who was still writing his petition. The king saw him and asked:
- What are you doing?
- Yes, I’m writing a complaint to the king.
The king looked: nothing was clear - there were spots on the paper and that was all. And the peasant explains:
“These little dots are the master’s pigs, the larger ones are the master’s pigs, and these, the smallest dots, are my potatoes, which the master’s pigs, to hell, poisoned.” This is where everyone understands what a loss I am, and that is why I will bring my petition to the king.
The peasant did not know that he was talking to the king himself.
- This is the case! - the king supported him. - Bring it to the king.
The next morning, when the peasant came to the palace, the guards did not want to let him in, but the king, knowing what was going on, ordered him to be let in.
A peasant entered, bowed to the ground, poured turnips into the hems of the queen and princesses and said:
- This is a gift for you. It’s good to gnaw on it when you spin: such a tasty turnip will make your mouth full of saliva, and that’s just what a spinner needs.
He said and gave his petition to the servants. I gave it away, but no one can read it. Then the king pretended to be very angry and said:
- Give it to me! You don't understand anything! Since you can’t read such a petition, it’s obvious that you’re eating my bread for nothing. Look: these little, little dots are the complainer’s potatoes, the larger dots are the master’s pigs, and the big spots are the master’s pigs. The pigs and piglets dug up these potatoes - all of them became visible. If she were in the ground, she would not be visible. And my will is this: let the master honestly pay for all these potatoes!
Then everyone was surprised: how smart the king was - he managed to read all the dots and spots.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru