Arriving in Erfurt, where the famous university was located, Eulenspiegel nailed a notice on the doors there. The gentlemen from the university, having heard about his cunning, began to advise him on what kind of problem he could come up with so that he would not be able to cope with it, and they would not disgrace themselves. Finally, they decided to entrust Eulenspiegel to teach a donkey to read and write, especially since there were plenty of donkeys in Erfurt at that time - both young and old.
They sent for Eulenspiegel and said to him: “Master, you posted an announcement that you undertake to teach anyone to read and write, and in a short time, too. And so we, gentlemen from the university, have decided to give you a young donkey to teach. Will you undertake this?” Eulenspiegel agreed, but asked for more time, since the donkey, as you know, is a dumb and unreasonable creature. They finally agreed at twenty years. Eulenspiegel thought: “One of three things: either the rector dies, then I will be free, or I die, and nothing can be taken from me, and if my student dies, then again I am free.” And having reasoned this way, he asked for five hundred old coins for this matter, and to pay for them a certain amount was given to him in advance.
Eulenspiegel took the donkey and went with it to the inn. There he ordered a separate stall for his student, got hold of an old book and, pouring oats between the pages, put it in the donkey's manger. As soon as the donkey smelled the grain, he began to leaf through the pages with his muzzle and look for oats; when he didn’t find him, he began to shout: “E-a! E-a!”
Seeing such a thing, Eulenspiegel quickly went to the rector and said: “Mr. Rector, would you like to see what my student has learned?” “Dear master,” the rector was surprised, “has he really already learned?” - “He is terribly stupid by nature,” answered Eulenspiegel, “and teaching him was not an easy task. However, thanks to my zeal and diligence, I got from him that he can already distinguish and even name some letters. If you want, come with me, you will see and hear everything for yourself.”
He forced his diligent student to fast until three o'clock in the afternoon and only then came to him with the rector and several masters. As soon as he put the book in front of the donkey, he began to throw the pages back and forth in it; not finding anything, he shouted at the top of his lungs: “E-a! E-a!”
“You see, dear gentlemen,” said Eulenspiegel. “He already knows two letters—“I” and “A.” I hope things will go even more successfully.”
Soon after this, the rector died, and Eulenspiegel released his student to graze, as it befitted him. And with the money he received, he went on his way, thinking to himself: “How long would it take to make all the Erfurt donkeys wise up!”
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru