The Peasant Astrologer
The king lost a precious ring. He searched for it for a long time, but the ring seemed to have vanished into thin air. Then the king ordered a proclamation to be made throughout the land: the astrologer who could help find the ring would be richly rewarded for life. The herald's voice reached a peasant named Gambara, which means "crayfish." He could neither read nor write and was so poor that he didn’t have a single coin to his name."How hard can it be to be an astrologer?" he thought. "What if I try my luck?" And so he went to the king.
The king ordered him to be locked in a room containing only a bed, a table, and a chair. On the table lay a thick book on astrology, along with paper, a pen, and ink. Gambara sat at the table and began flipping through the thick book. He didn’t understand a word of it, but he took the pen and started making marks. Since he couldn’t write, the marks came out so strange that the servants, who brought him food twice a day, decided he must be the wisest of astrologers.
It should be noted that these very servants had stolen the king’s ring. Their consciences were uneasy. Every time Gambara cast stern glances their way, like a true astrologer, the servants trembled with fear—they thought he knew everything!
Their bows and obedience knew no bounds: "Yes, sir astrologer! What do you command, sir astrologer?"
Gambara was no astrologer, but he was a peasant, and he didn’t need to be taught cunning. He immediately realized that the servants knew about the ring and decided to set a trap for them.
One day, at the usual time when lunch was brought, he hid under the bed. A servant entered—the room was empty. Then, from under the bed, Gambara loudly said:
"First!"
The servant was frightened, dropped the plate, and ran out the door.
A second servant entered and heard a voice that seemed to come from beneath the ground.
"Second!"
This servant also fled in terror. A third servant entered...
"Third!"
The servants began to confer:
"What should we do? Everything has been revealed. If the astrologer tells the king about us, we’re doomed." And they decided to go to the astrologer and confess everything.
"We are poor people," they began. "If you tell the king about us, we’re finished. Here’s a purse of gold—just don’t betray us!"
Gambara took the purse and said:
"Very well, I won’t say anything, but you must do as I command: see that turkey walking in the yard? Let it swallow the ring. Leave the rest to me..."
The next day, Gambara went to the king and said that after lengthy calculations, he had finally discovered where the ring was.
"Where is it?" asked the king.
"It has been swallowed by the turkey."
The turkey was butchered, and the ring was found. The king generously rewarded the astrologer and held a feast in his honor, inviting all the counts, marquises, barons, and grandees of the kingdom.
Among the many dishes served was a plate of crayfish. It should be noted that crayfish were unknown in this country. They were seeing them for the first time—they were a gift from the king of another land.
"You are an astrologer," the king said to the peasant. "Now, tell me, what is this?"
Our poor astrologer had never heard of such creatures.
"Oh, Gambara, Gambara, your end has come!" he whispered.
"Bravo!" exclaimed the king, who didn’t know the peasant’s name. "You guessed it—these are indeed crayfish. You are the greatest astrologer in the world."
More fairy tales
- How the Monk Saved His Ears
- The Tricks of Campriano
- The Princess Cobra
- The Man Who Only Went Out at Night
- The Princess from the Orange
