The prince bought a thoroughbred horse and, in order to protect it from thieves, placed it in a brick stable, guarded by an armed guard. One night the prince could not sleep and decided to take a walk. Walking past the stables, he noticed the watchman: he seemed to be excited about something.
- Hey! - the prince called out to him. - What's wrong with you?
— One question worries me. When a nail is driven into a wall, where does the lime go?
“The question is important,” the prince noted. - It's good that you're thinking about it.
He returned to the palace, but an hour later, unable to sleep, he went for a walk again. The watchman was sitting by the stable, with his head in his hands, deep in thought.
“And now,” the prince turned to him, “what are you thinking about now?”
- Well, you see, this is similar to my first question. When you eat a bagel, what happens to the hole?
“This is a difficult question,” the prince thought. - It's good that you're interested in this.
The prince, suffering from insomnia, came to the stable for the third time and again found the watchman in a difficult position.
- Another question? - asked the prince.
- Yes, and that’s what it’s about. I tell myself that the stable is here, the walls are here and I am here. But the horse, where did the horse go?
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru