CHAPTER 2 Clever Solutions

CHAPTER 2 Clever Solutions

The following morning, the two men appeared before the mayor again."Do you have your answers for me?" he asked.

"Sir," the rich man said, smiling, "here are the answers you seek.Our gray mare is the fastest thing in the world, for no one can pass her.The sweetest is surely the honey from our bees, and the richest is a chest full of gold."

"Very good," replied the mayor. "But before I grant you the cow, let us hear what this humble laborer has to say."

The laborer stood awkwardly before the mayor."Sir," he said, "it seems to me that the fastest thing in this world is thought,for a thought can fly from one place to another in the blink of an eye.The sweetest thing is sleep, for what could be sweeter for a tired man than to get some rest after a long day's work?And the richest thing is the earth itself, for from the earth come all the things we need to sustain life."

"Well spoken, man," said the mayor. "And I believe that you are right. The cow is yours."

The humble laborer returned home delighted with this outcome.He was full of gratitude, not only for the mayor's ruling, but also for the cleverness of his daughter, Manka.

The mayor was intrigued by the laborer's answer.He had not expected a humble man to come up with such clever answers.He called the laborer back and asked him how he had come up with his response to the riddle.When the mayor found out that it was the man's daughter who had provided the answers, he was even more intrigued.He immediately set a new challenge for the clever girl.

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