The Mark of Wisdom

In the forests of Africa there once lied a very clever rabbit who wished to become even more wise. So he went to ask for help from a witch.

'Bring me a live python,' the witch told him, 'and then we shall see.'

So the rabbit cut a long branch from a tree and went to the python's lair, where the snake was curled up. The rabbit showed it the branch. 'You are always boasting about your size,' said the rabbit, 'but this branch is longer than you.' 'Don't talk rubbish,' said the python. 'Very well then, prove it, let me see which of you is longer.'

The python stretched itself out alongside the branch, whereupon the rabbit lost no time in lying the snake to it. 'Well done, indeed,' the witch praised him. 'Now you must bring me a swarm of bees.' So the rabbit emptied a pumpkin, put some honey inside, and hung it up near a beehive. When the bees had gone inside the pumpkin, the rabbit closed up the little hole he had made and carried the pumpkin full of bees to the witch. When the witch saw that the rabbit had succeeded in the second test as well, she rubbed a little magic ointment between his ears and a small white spot appeared. The rabbits of Africa still have this little spot and it is considered a mark of wisdom.

The Story of King Prudence

There was once a king who was so cautions and different that he was known as Prudence. Since he did not trust horses, he went everywhere on foot, until, finally, his escorts grew tired of the long walks and asked a magician to invent some kind of seat that moved by itself.

Two days later the new invention was ready. 'It is called a bicycle,' the magician informed them.

A minister was then required to demonstrate to the king how the bicycle worked, unfortunately, he fell off and broke his arm. When he had recovered a little he went back to the magician and said: 'We need something safer than a seat; an entire carriage would be better'.

A whole week was needed before the new invention was ready and it was called an automobile. During the first test drive, however, the unlucky minister crashed into a tree.

After this, King Prudence continued to travel everywhere on foot, until the day he tripped, fell and broke his leg. Then he understood that he had been wrong to blame the bicycle and the automobile for accidents that were really due solely to the imprudence of men. He himself then went at once to the magician and ordered carriages without horses for himself and everyone else at court.

The Magic Veil

A young farmer lived an impoverished existence in his little hut, but he never complained because the beauty of nature was more precious to his sensitive soul than any wealth.

One day his attention was caught by a lovely smell coming from the woods. He followed the sweet fragrance with until he reached a pine tree and saw, caught in the branches, an unbelievably beautiful veil, woven from rays of sunshine, beams of moonlight, and studded all over with stars. The young man had just disentangled the veil from the tree, when there appeared a young maiden who asked for it back. At first the young man refused, at which the unknown girl burst into tears.

'I am a nymph,' she explained, 'and without my veil I will never again be able to rejoin my sisters.'

"If you really are a nymph, then you can prove it,' said the young man, 'by dancing for me as only nymphs know how to dance.' So the maiden began to dance in mid-air, her veil flying round and round the farmer, and from the veil there fell thousands and thousands of flowers.

Later, the farmer never could tell if he had dreamt it all, or if it had really happened, but from that day on the young man rejoiced even more in the beauty of nature.

Ivan the Brave and the Water Life

An old tsar heard tell of a princess from whose finger came drops of water with the power to restore youth. So the tsar sent his elder son to look for her.

The young man reached the edge of the world, but there learned that he still had to cross three bridges. The toll for the first bridge was one of his arms, for the second a leg, and for the third his head. The discouraged prince gave up the venture and returned home.

The younger son, Ivan, was then sent out on the quest, and he too went to the edge of the world. At the first bridge, instead of paying the toll of an arm he used arm to defeat the guards; at the second bridge, he made use of both his legs to run across before the guards could catch him; and at the third bridge, he used his head to find a way to sneak across.

He went on until he reached a golden castle. In it there was a beautiful, sleeping girl. From her finger dripped the water of life. Ivan began to collect it in his flask, when the maiden awoke and caused him to fall unconscious to the ground. But when she looked closely at Ivan and saw how handsome he was, she roused him again, and, together, the young couple returned to the tsar with the water of life. Naturally, then they were wed.

The Artist and His Rival

A famous artist was commissioned by the ruler of a powerful city to paint frescoes on the walls of his palace. Scaffolding was put in place and the artist began to paint. The next morning he discovered that his painting had been scrawled on and covered with splashes of paint.

The artist was furious, thinking that one of his rivals had done it. To find the culprit, the prince ordered the guards to hide in the room, so they could surprise the vandal, if he returned, and teach him a lesson. The guilty party was caught in the act, and turned out to be the prince's pet monkey. It had watched the artist at work and tried to imitate him.

The monkey was put back in its cage until the painting was finished. When it was released and saw the painting, the monkey pulled a face, as if so say, 'I could have done it better.'

'Now you really are behaving like a true painter,' laughed the prince. 'It is well-known that artists do not have the gift of modesty, and they all think their own work is a masterpiece and other artists' work is rubbish.'

Figeater's Money Bag

They called him Figeater because he loved eating figs so much, but nobody knew his real name or where he had come from. The young man was a natural clown and his antics made everyone laugh, so everybody liked him and he considered himself happy.

One day, Figeater found an old money bag on which was embroidered the phrase: 'Ask and you shall receive.' It was a magic money bag and, indeed, it was enough to ask, for any wish to be granted. The young man tried out the bag by asking for small amounts of money, and then for a few golden coins. As his own needs were small, Figeater gave away to others everything he received; but his sudden wealth caused his fellow villagers to grow suspicious. They accused him of being a thief and chased him out of the village.

In his wanderings, Figeater came across an old beggarman. He looked very familiar, and as they spoke they realised that each was the one the other was a king in disguise, searching for his son who had been taken away by robbers and abandoned many years ago. The son, of course, was none other than Figeater, and he and his father went back rejoicing to their kingdom where they lived long and prosperously.

James the Simpleton

Although James was a complete simpleton, he was very willing and helpful. One day he went to a friend's house for lunch, which was very fortunate.

When the returned he found that his father, his mother and his two brothers had all eaten mushrooms and were now in so much pain that they feared that they had been poisoned.

'Run to the pharmacy,' said his father, who could not move for his stomach cramps, 'and get something very strong for stomach upsets, a dose for four people. Have you got that?'

'Yes, dad: I have to go and get something for upset stomachs, a dose for four people.'

'Good. Go on. Be quick!'

They waited and waited, but James did not return and his father began to worry; he knew his son was capable of doing anything. Luckily he began to feel better, and so he went out to look for the boy. He found James by the roadside doubled up and in great pain, holding his stomach.

'What have you done to yourself?' asked the father worriedly.

'Just what you told me to. dad,' James replied. 'I want to the pharmacy and got the four doses of medicine, and then I took them all.'