King John and the Abbot of Canterbury
During the reign of King John, there lived an abbot in Canterbury. He maintained his abbey with great splendor. A hundred monks dined with him daily in the monastery's refectory, and he was always accompanied by fifty knights dressed in velvet robes adorned with golden chains. Now, you should know that King John could not stand it when any of his subjects were honored more than himself. And so, he summoned the abbot of Canterbury to his court.The abbot, along with his entire splendid retinue—fifty knights in armor, velvet cloaks, and golden chains on their chests—appeared at the court. The king came out to meet the abbot and said:
"How are you, holy father? I have heard that you maintain an even more splendid court than I do. This insults our royal dignity and reeks of treason."
"My son," replied the abbot with a low bow, "all that I spend comes from the offerings of pious parishioners to our abbey. I beg your highness not to be angered by the fact that I spend all the money that belongs to our abbey on it."
"Oh no, venerable prelate!" said the king. "Everything within our glorious English kingdom belongs solely to us. And you must not maintain such a splendid court and disgrace your king! But I am merciful, and if you answer me just three questions, I shall spare both your life and your wealth."
"I shall try, my son," replied the abbot, "as far as my poor mind allows."
"Tell me," said the king, "where is the center of the earth? And how much time would it take me to travel around the world? And finally, guess what I am thinking!"
"Your majesty must be joking," muttered the abbot, not knowing how to respond.
"You will soon see what kind of joke this is," said the king. "If you do not answer all three questions by the end of the week, your head will part ways with your body."
And the king left.
With a heavy heart, the abbot set out on his journey and first went to Oxford. He hoped to find a learned man there who could answer the king's three questions. But he found no one and, saddened, rode back to Canterbury to bid farewell to his monks forever.
On the way, he met a shepherd who was heading to the sheepfold.
"Welcome, Lord Abbot!" greeted the faithful shepherd. "What news from our good King John?"
"Sad news, shepherd, sad news," said the abbot and told him how the king had received him.
"Do not grieve, Lord Abbot," said the shepherd. "It happens that a fool can solve what a wise man does not know. I will go to London in your place. Just lend me your robes and your splendid retinue. At worst, I will die in your stead."
"What are you saying, shepherd!" said the abbot. "It is not fitting for me to avoid danger. And so you cannot go in my place."
"I can! And I will, Lord Abbot. In your robes and hood, who will recognize me there?"
Well, the abbot agreed, dressed the shepherd in his finest garments, and sent him to London. He himself put on a simple monk's robe, covered his face with a hood, and, along with his retinue, also arrived at the king's court.
"Welcome, Lord Abbot," said King John to the shepherd disguised as the abbot. "I see you have already resigned yourself to your fate."
"I am ready to answer your majesty," said the shepherd.
"Ah, so! Well, here is the first question: where is the center of the earth?"
"Here!" replied the shepherd and struck the ground with the bishop's staff. "And if your majesty does not believe me, order it to be measured, and you will see for yourself."
"Saint Balaam!" exclaimed the king. "A clever answer! I see you are a jolly fellow. Now answer me the second question: how much time would it take me to travel around the earth?"
"If your majesty deigns to rise with the sun and follows it until the next sunrise, you will just have enough time to travel around the earth."
"Saint John!" laughed the king. "I did not know it was so quick. Well, that is settled. Now for the third and final question: what am I thinking right now?"
"That is easy to guess, your majesty," replied the shepherd. "Your majesty thinks that you are speaking to the abbot of Canterbury, but, as you will now see"—here the shepherd threw back his hood—"this is merely his humble shepherd, and he has come to beg you to forgive both him and the holy father."
The king burst out laughing.
"Cleverly done! It seems you are wiser than your master, and so I shall put you in his place."
"Oh no, that is impossible," objected the shepherd. "I cannot read or write."
"Well, then you shall receive six nobles a week for your quick wit. And tell the abbot that I forgive him!"
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