One day, the Shah, leaving the chief vizier in his place, decided to wander around the country with another vizier. They dressed up as dervishes so that no one would recognize them.
They walked for a day or two and met a man on the road. They greeted him and moved on. The Shah noticed that the stranger was also going with them, and suggested:
“Listen, good man, since we happened to walk together, let’s make a staircase on the road.”
His companion was surprised:
- What's wrong with you, dervish? Why do you need stairs on a flat road? The Shah saw that the man did not understand his words, but did not repeat it. Finally, the city gates appeared ahead.
“Brother, take us to your house to spend the night,” the Shah asked. - We are messengers of Allah.
But their companion answered unkindly:
“The messengers of Allah must go there,” and he pointed to the mosque.
Without inviting them, he went home. That man had a daughter. I told her about a strange meeting on the road.
And the daughter says:
“Father, go bring these dervishes to us.” Looks like the one who was talking to you is very smart.
- You haven’t seen them, how can you know that he’s smart? - the father was surprised.
- Yes, that’s clear. He suggested that you make a ladder on the road. By this he wanted to say, let’s pass the time with sweet conversation. But you didn't understand him.
She persuaded her father for a long time, but he never went for the guests. Then she said:
“If you don’t want to go, at least take them some food, I’ll cook something.” After all, they don’t know anyone here. With difficulty she obtained his consent, prepared some dolma and flatbread, and poured milk into a jug. Having wrapped it all up, she said:
“Tell the dervishes on my behalf that the moon is round, there are many stars in the sky, so many that you can’t count them, and the sea is overflowing with water.” Whatever they answer you, be sure to tell me.
However, the girl’s father was an unkind and greedy man. On the way, he ate half the dolma and bread, drank all the milk, and took the rest to the dervishes and conveyed to them his daughter’s words. The Shah ate dolma and bread, of course, sharing with the vizier, and returning the dishes, he said:
“Tell your daughter that the moon is defective, there are not many stars in the sky, only ten to fifteen, and the sea is completely dry.”
The townsman again did not understand anything, but he accurately retold the words of the dervish to his daughter. She threw up her hands indignantly:
- Father, aren’t you ashamed? Why did you eat the lunch I sent to the guests? Why did you drink all the milk?
- Daughter, but how do you know that on the way I ate dolma and broke off a piece of flatbread? - the father was surprised.
“The dervishes passed this on to me through you.” I told you that the moon is round, there are many stars, the sea is crowded. This meant that there was whole bread, a lot of dolma, and a full jug of milk. The Dervishes answered through you that the moon is defective, there are few stars, and the sea has dried up, which means that you ate half the bread and most of the dolma, and drank all the milk.
And again she began to beg her father to invite the dervishes for at least one day. She begged so much that he went and brought the dervishes to visit.
And this girl was cross-eyed. Therefore, all the things in the house were a little crooked. The Shah, as soon as he entered the room, immediately noticed this, but did not show it. However, when the owner, having greeted them, asked: “Dervish brothers, how do you like my house?”, the Shah, wanting to hint at his daughter’s squint, replied:
— The house is very beautiful, but there is one drawback: the chimney is crooked.
The owner blinked his eyes, not understanding anything. The girl immediately understood everything and said:
- It’s not a problem, the smoke comes out freely.
The dervishes sat for a while, then the girl asked what they would like to eat? The Shah had noticed chickens and one horse in the yard earlier. Therefore he said:
“Bring food so that we can eat the flesh, the middle of the chicken, and the skin for the horse.”
The girl went out and immediately returned with a melon:
“Eat the sweet pulp yourself, give the seeds to the chickens, and the horse will chew the peel.”
Schach was surprised by the ingenuity of the oblique girl, praised her and, thanking her, set off on the road together with the vizier.
On the way they met a shoemaker. The Shah once heard: this shoemaker is a very wise man. Therefore, coming closer, he put his hand to his head. In response, the shoemaker touched his tongue with his finger. Then the Shah asked:
- Brother shoemaker, can you multiply nine by three?
The shoemaker, without thinking at all, answered:
- I multiplied, it didn’t work, thirty-two got in the way.
-Are you far or close? - the Shah asked again.
- I made the distant close.
- What are you holding on to - two or three?
“I made a three out of a two,” answered the shoemaker.
Finally the Shah asked the last question:
- If I send you a goose, can you pluck it?
- As soon as I can. At this point they parted.
Already at home, when the Shah changed the clothes of the dervish to his vestments and sat on the throne, he said to the vizier:
- You should be ashamed. You didn't understand a single word of the shoemaker. Go back to him, try to understand him. Just be careful, don’t torture a person under any circumstances, don’t force him to speak.
The vizier took a lot of gold, mounted his horse and rode straight to the shoemaker. Found him and says:
“Can you explain to me the meaning of the words that you exchanged with the Shah when we met you in the garb of dervishes?”
“I can,” answered the shoemaker. - Only this will cost gold coins.
The vizier agreed. The shoemaker says:
“When the Shah put his hand to his head, he wanted to ask me what needs to be done to prevent a headache, that is, so that a person does not experience any troubles.” And I put my finger to my tongue. This means that if you don’t wag your tongue, your head won’t hurt, there won’t be any troubles. Then he asked me if I multiplied nine by three? He wanted to know if I could stock up for three winter months after working nine months—spring, summer, and fall. I told him that I tried, that is, I worked, but nothing came of it because my thirty-two teeth got in the way and I ate everything. Then the Shah asked if I was far or close? He wanted to know whether he was farsighted or nearsighted. I replied that I was shortsighted. Then he asked if I was holding on to two or three. He wanted to know if my legs were holding me tightly. If you remember, I answered that I made a three out of a two, that is, that it was difficult for me to walk on two legs, and I picked up a stick. Finally, the Shah asked if I could pluck a goose if he sent it to me? I replied that I could. And he was right. The goose is you, and I took all your money from you. The vizier regretted giving so many gold coins to the shoemaker and decided to take revenge on him. “Let me ask him a question too, if he can’t answer, I’ll take all my money back.” And he asked:
- Well, shoemaker, if you are so smart, tell me, what is the Shah doing now?
The shoemaker looked him up and down and said:
- You know, the Shah is a great man. We must speak about him with respect. And I’m sitting on the bare floor, in front of me is a pile of old shoes. In such a situation, talking about the Shah means insulting him. Give me your horse, throw your gold-embroidered cape over me, put an expensive whip in my hand, then I will tell you.
The vizier agreed and got off his horse. At the same moment the shoemaker took his place. The vizier threw his gold-embroidered cape over his shoulders.
“Now listen and know what the Shah is doing,” said the shoemaker. “The Shah throws horsemen like you off their horses, and puts footmen like me in the saddle.” Goodbye!
And, spurring his horse, he disappeared from sight. The vizier waited for him for a long time, but he never came. He returned empty-handed to the Shah. - Have you seen, vizier, how smart people are? - asked the Shah. Now tell me, which of you deserves to be vizier more - he or you?
The vizier could not help but agree that the shoemaker was much smarter than him.
The Shah ordered to find the shoemaker and appointed him as his vizier. And he put the stupid vizier to sew shoes.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru