Once upon a time there lived a king, and he had three advisers. They considered themselves the wisest people in the world. But the king did not really trust the wisdom of his advisers and decided to test them.
One day the king went hunting and took his advisers with him. On the way, they met an old peasant who was plowing a field. The king stopped and, looking at the old man, said:
- Oh, how much snow fell on the top of the mountain!
“The time has come for this, king,” answered the old man.
— How many times did your house burn down?
- Twice, Your Royal Grace!
- How long will your house burn?
- Three times!
- What if I send you three stupid geese? Can you pluck them naked?
- Send as many as you want. I'll pluck them to my heart's content! - the peasant laughed.
The king said goodbye to the old man and moved on. Soon he asked his advisors:
- Well, advisers, the time has come to prove my wisdom to you. Guess what I asked the old man and what his answers mean? And if you fail to guess, I will order you to be executed.
The advisers shouted vyingly:
- Now? Straightaway? This is impossible! We must think first!
- Fine! - the king agreed. - But if you don’t guess in three days, I will order you to be executed.
The advisors searched through hundreds of books, but found no answer in any of them. Then they went to the old peasant, to whom the king spoke:
“Tell us, old man, what did the king’s questions and your answers to him mean?” We will not stand for the reward.
- Okay, I'll tell you. But for this, take off your precious dress and give it to me.
- Why do you need our dress? — the advisers were surprised. “We can pay with money.”
“No,” the old man became stubborn, “I don’t need money.”
The advisers see that you can’t argue with the old man. What to do, they stripped naked and asked:
- What kind of snow on the top of the mountain was the king talking about, when all the mountains around are covered with flowering gardens?
“The king saw the gray hair on my head, and I told him that it had turned white with age.”
- Why did you say that your house burned twice and that it will burn three more times?
“The king asked how many daughters I had married, and I told him two. After all, marrying off a daughter and giving her a good dowry costs the same as rebuilding a house after a fire. And I still have three daughters left. This means my house will burn three more times.
- And what stupid geese did he promise to send you so that you could pluck them naked?
- You are these stupid geese! - the king could not stand it.
He secretly followed his advisors and heard the entire conversation.
The advisors fell at the king's feet and begged for mercy.
- Okay, I'll forgive you. But you must set this old man's house on fire three times.
— Set the house on fire three times? — the advisers were surprised. “What does this mean?”
- This means that you must give a dowry to my three daughters! - the peasant laughed.
And the king's three stupid advisers, saving their heads from the ax of the royal executioner, gave a rich dowry to the three daughters of a smart peasant.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru