The Child and the Sage

On a sunny day, a sage was riding in his carriage, deep in thought.

Suddenly, the carriage came to a halt. The sage leaned forward and saw a little boy in the middle of the road, playing with tiles. He was building a city out of them.

The boy glanced at the carriage but did not move to get out of the way.

The sage addressed him:
"Little one, aren’t you going to let my carriage pass?"

The little boy looked up at him and replied:
"It’s not about me, sir. You see, I’m building a city. It’s not the city wall that yields to the carriage, but the carriage that goes around the city wall."

This answer surprised the sage. He stepped down from the carriage, approached the boy, and said:
"Listen, little one: you seem extraordinarily clever for your age!"

The boy replied:
"Why not? A hare can run and jump across fields by the third day of its life. Surely, at seven years old, I can know a thing or two?"

The sage smiled and then asked:
"May I ask you a few questions? If you answer them, I’ll believe you truly know something."
"I’m ready," said the boy.
"Then tell me: what fire produces no smoke? In what water are there no fish? On what mountain are there no stones? From what tree do no branches grow?"

The boy thought and answered:
"The fire of a glowworm produces no smoke. In spring water, there are no fish. On a sandy hill, there are no stones. From a rotten tree, no branches grow."

The sage listened to the child’s answers with admiration. But before he could utter a word, the boy’s eyes sparkled mischievously, and he said:
"May I ask you something in return?"
"Ask," replied the sage.
"But on one condition: if you can’t answer, you’ll have to go around my tile city."
"I’m ready!" said the sage with a smile.
"Tell me: how many stars are there in the sky?"
"Dear child," said the sage, "why do you ask about things so far from us? Ask me about something closer, and I’ll answer you."
"Then," the boy continued, "tell me, please, how many hairs are in your eyebrows?"

The sage was astonished: the little child had outsmarted him!

He climbed back into his carriage and ordered the driver to go around the tile city the boy had built.

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The Child and the Sage

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