Once upon a time there lived a king. He once invited foreign kings, kings and various advisers to an honest feast with musicians.
Three days before the feast, the king called the cook to his place, gave him money and ordered him to go to the market and buy there the best and most expensive thing in the world, so that only the finest dishes would be on the table.
The cook went to the market, bought tongues there with all the money, brought them to the kitchen, cooked them with various spices and prepared the dishes for the royal table.
So the guests have gathered. The king seated them at tables and ordered food to be served.
The cook gave each of them a piece of tongue. The guests ate the tongue, and the king ordered the next dish to be brought.
And the cook again distributed a piece of tongue to everyone. The guests cannot understand anything. They look at each other in surprise - why are they served only tongue dishes? Maybe this is the custom here?
The guests ate what was served and are waiting to see what else will be served.
The king ordered the next change. The cook brought the tongue again!
- Why don’t they treat us with anything else, but only with the tongue? - the guests ask.
The king called the cook:
“Didn’t I order you to buy at the market the best, most expensive thing in the world?!” And the cook answers:
- Blessed King! Could anything in the world be better and more valuable than language? Language can do everything - to place kings on the throne, to stop wars and to make peace!
The guests marveled at the chef’s words and praised him for his ingenuity. Then they talked among themselves and decided this: let the cook go to the market again and buy there the worst thing in the world. The cook went and brought him from the market... tongue! The king tells him:
“Didn’t I order you to buy the worst thing in the world?!” And the cook answers:
- Blessed King! Could anything in the world be worse than language? After all, language can spoil and destroy everything - friendship, harmony, and peace!
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru