The King and The Scavenger
Long long ago there lived a king whom everyone feared but no one loved. It was because he was cruel to all. In his country lived a priest who preached peace and piety. His radiant face and his noble conduct attracted many. They thronged to see him and hear him, both in the morning and in the evening. The news of the priest's popularity reached the king. He grew jealous. He ordered his guards to bring the priest to the court. The priest came and with him many of his followers. Their very sight infuriated the king. He shouted, "You wicked fellow! What makes you gather crowds around you? And what is this mass prayer for? I suspect treason." "My Lord! I am innocent and ignorant of any treason. I preach nothing but peace and piety to the folk. And I am not that wicked to plot against my sovereign lord," replied the priest. The king, far from being satisfied, said, "You liar! You can't cheat me as you cheat these foolish folk. I accuse you of treason. However, here are three questions. You will be spared if you answer them correctly. If you fail to answer even one, your head will go!" "My Lord! You are prejudiced against me. I know that you will no longer listen to what I say. Come on with your questions. Let whatever God wills befall me."
The jealous king poured out the questions: "First, tell me my worth! Secondly, tell me how many days it would take me to travel around the world. Finally, let me hear from you what I am thinking!" The priest's face paled. He scratched his head, tapped his forehead, and moistened his lip with his tongue. But he could not hit upon any answer to the questions. He bowed to the king and said, "My Lord! these are difficult riddles for me. If you would be pleased to allow me three weeks, I may be able to find out the answers." The king roared with laughter and said, "Poor priest! You would like to be alive for three more weeks! All right! I will treat this request as your last wish. Come back after three weeks. Your answers will decide your fate, although I can imagine what it will be!" The priest consulted all the scholars he knew and his friends and his disciples. All of them listened to his plight and were full of sympathy for him, but when asked for a solution, they pleaded helplessness. It was the fag end of the third week. The sad priest sat brooding in his garden. His scavenger who came to clean his garden inquired what the matter was. The priest told him all. The illiterate scavenger heard him with the utmost attention. "Worry no more sir," he said. "Lend me your horse, your gown, and a few of your disciples and buy me a false beard that resembles your true one. And that puts an end to the matter." His heart going pit-a-pit, the priest fulfilled the scavenger's demands. On the last day of the third week the scavenger, in the disguise of the priest, stood in the court, facing the king.
"Welcome, honest fellow, welcome. I hope you are ready with your answers. Remember, if you answer wrong, your head becomes mine. Well?" the king observed with joy. "Well, my good Lord, I am ready to answer your questions," said the disguised scavenger. "What is my worth?" "Twentynine silver pieces!" pat came the answer. The king got wild. "Look at my crown, blind fool. Look at my throne, if you have eyes. Count, if you can, the priceless stones studded therein. How dare you declare my worth to be just twenty-nine silver pieces?" "Stop getting angry, My Lord," interrupted the priest. "Jesus, our Saviour, was betrayed by Judas for a meager amount of thirty silver pieces. If that was his worth, should you not consider yourself less in value than the Lord, at least by one silver piece, you being a mortal?" "I never thought that I would be worth so little," murmured the king. "How many days will it take for me to travel around the world?" he now put forth his second question.
"My Lord! If you rise with the sun and ride with him until he rises again the next morning you can be sure that you have traveled around the world in twenty-four hours." The king laughed. "O, God! I wish I could do that!" he told himself. He praised the priest for his wit but hoped that he can trap him in the last question. "Now, take the last one on the list. Ready? What am I thinking?" asked the king. "My Lord!" the priest replied forthwith, "You are thinking that I am the priest. But I am his scavenger. I beg your pardon!" The king struck with awe and amusement, got down from his throne and patted the scavenger on the back, and said, "Your wit and wisdom are an asset to us. I appoint you a minister, here and now." But the scavenger shrugged his shoulders and said, "My Lord! I am neither read nor write. I am no good at that position. If you are pleased with me, kindly bear with the good priest who plots no treason but preaches peace and piety." The king nodded in approval and said, "You get a hundred gold pieces a month for your courage and merry jest. And your wit saves the old priest."
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