The Tsar and His Servant
They say there once lived a king. He lived carefree, not burdening himself with affairs, feasting and enjoying himself day after day.The king had a clever servant. He was amazed by the king's carelessness.
And so, one day, he could no longer endure it and reproached the sovereign: "In your hands lies the life of the people, O king, yet you give no thought to the affairs of the state, nor care for your subjects. All you do is feast and amuse yourself!"
The king grew angry and wanted to execute the insolent servant, but then he changed his mind.
"If you are so wise and clever that you dare to lecture me, answer me three questions. If you answer, I will forgive your insolence, but if not, your clever head will roll! Tell me, is it possible to drink the sea, how long does it take to travel from east to west, and how much am I worth?"
The wise servant answered the king thus:
"It is possible to drink the sea if all the rivers that flow into it are stopped. Neither you, nor I, nor anyone else has ever walked from east to west on foot, but the sun does it in a day. As for how much you are worth, O sovereign, no offense intended, no one would buy you, nor would they give anything for you."
The king turned crimson with anger, but there was nothing he could do—he had to forgive the wise servant.
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