During the reign of King John there lived an abbot in Canterbury. He maintained his abbey with great pomp. One hundred monks dined with him every day in the refectory of the monastery, and everywhere he was accompanied by fifty knights in velvet robes, decorated with gold chains. But I must tell you that King John simply did not tolerate it when one of his subjects was revered more than himself. And so he summoned the Abbot of Canterbury to his place.
The abbot, and with him his entire magnificent retinue - fifty knights in armor, velvet cloaks and gold chains on their chests - came to the court. The king came out to meet the abbot and said:
- How do you feel, Holy Father? I heard that you keep an even more magnificent courtyard than I do. This insults our royal dignity and smacks of treason.
“My son,” answered the abbot with a low bow, “all I spend is the offerings of pious parishioners to our abbey.” I pray your lordship will not be angry because I spend all the money that belongs to our abbey.
- No, venerable prelate! - said the king. - Everything that is in our glorious English kingdom belongs only to us. And you should not maintain such a magnificent court and disgrace your king! But I am merciful, and if you answer me just three questions, I will save your life and wealth.
“I will try, my son,” answered the abbot, “as far as my poor mind is enough.”
“Tell me,” said the king, “where is the middle of the earth?” And how long will it take me to travel around the world? And finally, guess what I think!
“Your Majesty is probably joking,” muttered the abbot, not knowing how to answer.
“Soon you will see what these jokes are,” said the king. “If you don’t answer all three questions by the end of the week, your head will say goodbye to your body.”
And the king left.
With a heavy heart, the abbot set off on the road and first stopped at Oxford. He thought to find a learned man there who would answer the king’s three questions. But he did not find it and, sad, went to Canterbury to say goodbye to his monks forever.
On the way, he met a shepherd: he was going to the sheepfold.
- Welcome, Mister Abbot! - the faithful shepherd greeted him. “What news from our good King John?”
“Sad news, shepherd, sad,” said the abbot and told how the king received him.
“Don’t worry, Monsieur Abbot,” said the shepherd. “It happens that a fool figures out something that a smart person doesn’t know.” I'll go to London instead of you. Just lend me your dress and magnificent retinue. At worst, I will die in your place.
- What are you, what are you, shepherd! - said the abbot. “It’s not my place to avoid danger.” And that's why you can't go instead of me.
- Can! And I will go, Monsieur Abbot. In your dress with a hood, who will recognize me there?
Well, the abbot agreed, dressed the shepherd in his best attire and sent him to London. And he himself put on a simple monastic dress, covered his face with a hood and, together with his retinue, also arrived at the king’s court.
“Welcome, Monsieur Abbot,” said King John to the shepherd dressed in the abbot’s dress. “I see you have already accepted your fate.”
“I am ready to answer your Majesty,” said the shepherd.
- Oh, yes! Well, here's the first question: where is the middle of the earth?
- Here! - the shepherd answered and struck the ground with his bishop’s staff. “And if Your Majesty doesn’t believe it, order it to be measured and then see for yourself.”
- Holy Valaam! - exclaimed the king. - Not a stupid answer! I see you are a funny guy. Now answer my second question: how long does it take me to travel around the world?
“If Your Majesty deigns to rise with the sun and follow it until the next sunrise, then he will have time to travel around the earth.”
- Saint John! - the king laughed. “I didn’t know it was so fast.” Well, that's over. And now the third and final question: what am I thinking now?
“It’s easy to guess, Your Majesty,” answered the shepherd. “Your Majesty thinks that this is the Abbot of Canterbury himself, but, as you will now see,” here the shepherd threw back the hood from his face, “this is just his humble shepherd, and he came to ask you to forgive both him and the holy father.”
The king burst out laughing.
- You tricked me cleverly! It turns out that you are smarter than your master, and therefore I put you in his place.
“Oh no, that’s impossible,” the shepherd objected. — I can neither read nor write.
- Well, then you will receive six nobles a week for your quick mind. And tell the abbot that I forgive him!
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru