The Tale of the Clever Doctor

One of the Iranian shahs was so fat and heavy that it was said to be detrimental to his health. He summoned all the doctors and demanded that they cure him. But no matter what they did, the shah continued to gain weight.

Then one day, a wise doctor came to him.
- I will cure you, O Shah, - he said. - But give me three days to think about which medicine to choose.

When the three days had passed, the doctor said:
- O Shah! I have studied your fate and determined that you have only forty days left to live. If you do not believe me, imprison me and take revenge on me.

The shah ordered the doctor to be thrown into prison, while he himself, consumed by sorrowful thoughts of imminent death, gave up entertainment and horseback riding. Worry and sadness took hold of him. The shah began to avoid people. Each day, his melancholy grew, and he lost weight.

When the forty days had passed, he ordered the doctor to be brought from prison and asked him why he, the shah, was still alive.
- O Shah! - replied the doctor. - I resorted to a trick to make you lose weight. I could find no other medicine that would benefit you.

And the shah generously rewarded him.

More fairy tales

• The Hare Who Defeated the Whale and the Elephant
• How the Fox Outsmarted the Lion
• The Tale of Dishonest Hob
• 1. Sinbad the Sailor (First Voyage)
• 4. Sinbad the Sailor (The Fourth Voyage)