The Clever Girl

There was once a shepherd who had been working hard since childhood. As he grew older, he started herding the kings sheep. One day, the king ordered him to take the sheep to the market, sell them, bring back the money, and also return with the sheep.

The shepherd was puzzled. How could he sell the sheep and still bring them back And even if he did, where would the money come from

Troubled, he returned home and shared his worries with his daughter. She smiled and said, Dont worry, Father. Just go to sleep. I have a solution.

But what will I do in the morning the shepherd asked.

Simply take the sheep to the market, shear their wool, sell it, and return with both the money and the sheep, she advised.

The next day, the shepherd did exactly as his daughter had suggested. He returned with the sheep and the money. The king was so pleased with his cleverness that he rewarded him with a young calf.

One day, while the shepherd was grazing his calf in a nearby field, it wandered into a landlords land. When the shepherd went to retrieve it, the landlord said, It entered my field and ate my grass, so now it belongs to me.

The shepherd protested, We should take this matter to the king and let him decide.

So, they both went to the king. The shepherd said, Your Majesty, the calf you gave me has been taken by the landlord.

The landlord then presented his side of the argument. The king pondered for a while but couldnt decide. Finally, he said, Both of you should come back tomorrow morning. I will give the calf to whoever answers my questions correctly.

The king then posed four questions

What is the heaviest thing in the world

What is the fastest thing

What is the sweetest thing

What is the softest thing

The shepherd was worried, but the landlord was confident.

At home, the landlord asked his wife for answers. She said, Our pig is the heaviest, our dog runs the fastest, honey from our beehive is the sweetest, and our pillow is the softest.

Meanwhile, the shepherd told his daughter about the questions. She smiled and said, Dont worry, Father. Here are the real answers

The heaviest thing in the world is the Earth itself.

The fastest thing is our thoughts, as they travel anywhere in an instant.

The sweetest thing is sleep.

The softest thing is a pillow, but it is only truly soft when you rest your hand under your head and dream.

The next day, both men appeared before the king.

When asked about the heaviest thing, the landlord boasted about his fat pig. The shepherd, however, replied, Your Majesty, the Earth is the heaviest of all. The king nodded in agreement.

For the second question, the landlord said, My dog is the fastest; it can catch a running deer. The shepherd said, Your Majesty, I am just a poor man, but I believe the fastest thing is our thoughts. For instance, right now, I am standing before you, but my thoughts are with my children at home, wondering if they have eaten.

For the third question, the landlord confidently said, The honey from my beehive is the sweetest. But the shepherd responded, Nothing is sweeter than sleep, Your Majesty.

Finally, when asked about the softest thing, the landlord said, My pillow. The shepherd replied, A pillow is soft, but true softness is when you place your hand under your head and fall into a peaceful sleep.

Hearing the shepherds wise answers, the king declared him the winner and ordered the landlord to return the calf.